We have all arrived safely in Memphis, enjoying the company of old and new friends along the way.  6-7 a.m. departure times from the northwest suburbs of Chicago meant an early evening for most after a belly full at Gus's Fried Chicken in downtown Memphis.  Several walked over to enjoy the sights and sounds of Beale Street before retiring for the night.

Laughter has been plentiful, as a great deal of laughable material has been generated regarding driving habits and unexpected routes via the GPS -- aka:  the scenic route.  Tomorrow promises more of the same.

We are heading out tomorrow by 7:30 a.m. and will be assembling bunks in the newly painted/waxed bunkrooms of the school at Camp Restore.  Worship is planned at Trinity at 4; Steve's flight gets in at 5; and Bob/Adam from Texas will join the crew sometime tomorrow evening.

God has certainly brought a great group of people together for this trip.  The chemistry and energy is electric and the desire to make a big dent at Trinity is at the top of the list.  Please continue to pray for our efforts.

More tomorrow with pics......good night!

Arrival at Camp Restore this afternoon found us immediately busy putting together wooden bunk beds in the upstairs classrooms of the school.  Chris Hogan and Kevin Smith worked well into the dark cutting lumber for new bunks, as many still need to be constructed before the winter volunteers start to arrive at Camp.  The Bears game was on in the lounge and much conversation ensued regarding work that starts tomorrow.  

Bob and Adam from Texas joined us this afternoon -- great to meet them.  Karen and Mary got a tour of the Lower Ninth before Pastor Gerry Schalk led worship to kick-off our time at Camp Restore.  

Steve Simpson arrived safely just before dinner and shared plans for tomorrow -- which includes shoveling five yards of sand for the three yards of concrete being delivered at Trinity first thing in the morning.  

More tomorrow -- including pics of Trinity.

Did you feel that big breeze coming from the south? That was all of us exhaling after a hard first day of work at Trinity.  88 degrees and high humidity made for few dry clothes by the end of the day.....but no one complained, as a great deal of work was completed including framing walls/ceilings, concrete for plumbing, electrical rough in, and misc. other framing projects.

We "dined and devoted dirty," meaning that a 5:30 pm departure from Trinity necessitated enjoying a yummy dinner of red beans and rice in our dirty work clothes before Deaconess Janine led devotions.  Deaconess Janine talked about the promises made to all of us in the Bible and the promise of Jesus Christ.

Bedtimes will probably be pretty early this evening for this crew that worked really hard today…more of the same planned for tomorrow.

CARPENTERS vs. ELECTRICIANS……has been a fun-loving rivalry and one of many themes that has brought much laughter to this trip. ELECTRIC CREW Bob, Lee, Adam, Lark, and Gerry are all over the church running hundreds of feet of electrical conduit to switches, outlets, fixture boxes, and the like. Yep, you read that right…Gerry…as in Pastor Gerry Schalk. His words: “See, you can teach an old Pastor some new tricks.” That willingness to do whatever is needed and glean as much as one can from the experts is fuel to the “get-er-done” spirit that is contagious with this group of volunteers. Mary and Karen building walls & installing joist hangers…Ed and Kevin conquering numerous odd, very necessary projects…and then there are the CARPENTERS. Follow the sounds of nail guns and saws and you will find Chris, Steve, and Mike working together as though they have been a team for years. Today they finished framing walls and ceilings (and taught others to do the same) and then moved into the sanctuary where they framed and floored the platform upon which the altar will rest. To see this large platform and appreciate its significance was a lump-in-your-throat kind of moment.

Spaghetti for dinner really hit the spot before Deaconess Janine led devotions once again this evening. Spending time talking about the plans for Trinity and how this project has impacted volunteers was a great way to end our time together before evening showers and time of respite.

A cold front has moved in to New Orleans and the winds are gusting 30 – 40 MPH. Coolers days await us for the rest of the week – a welcome relief. After a full day at Trinity tomorrow, we are headed to Lafayette Square for a local festival of food and music.

Loved Ones of volunteers: Please know that we are praying for all of you each day. On behalf of the Chicago Area Mission Partnership and the Restore Trinity project, THANK YOU for supporting your loved one during this journey.  Know that they are well – maybe a little sore and tired – with high spirits and giving their all.        Peace ~~ Shelly Davidson

It's nearly midnight.......time for bed, but can’t sleep until sharing with you the mountain-top day we had today. Wednesday is usually a pretty quiet mission trip day -- Monday/Tuesday run on adrenalin and Thursday/Friday there is a push to get it all done before heading home – leaving Wednesday to be the day things usually take a little dip. Not with this group. Ginormous ‘po boys for lunch that would normally bring on Thanksgiving type sluggishness didn’t even slow us down!

The electrical crew was back at it today with still more runs of flexible conduit -- alarm/fire installation began, as well. A unique, original light fixture was found and Bob is trying to determine its original location and the best place to reinstall. It could have been an eternal light…and if not, would make a beautiful one to adorn the sanctuary. Karen and Mary were handed a job nobody else has wanted for months, and they gladly accepted. Hammering joist hangers over one’s head might fatigue most, but not these sisters! Chris Hogan made his return home to Illinois this afternoon and we miss him already. Before his departure, the carpentry team continued work on the chancel area, including temporarily reinstalling the original cross that hung in the sanctuary!

This evening we journeyed to Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans for a weekly jazz/blues fest that also featured local food and drink vendors. The music was toe-tapping terrific and the wide variety of food we sampled was delicious! Our day ended with some very special time together in conversation with a lot of laughter……face hurting, eye-watering laughter that further cemented a special bond that is growing within this crew. God is good!

Chris – thanks for all your hard work!  

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With our time together at Trinity drawing to a close, we worked especially hard to get things done today.  Lark, Ed, and Kevin continued with alarm installation while the electrical and carpentry crews worked on projects in their field of expertise, then combined talents to all become HVAC installers.  Steve strapped on his tool belt to help with the heating and cooling work, as well. Clean up has begun -- lots to load in the dumpster.  There is a festival at Trinity on Saturday, so we will be cleaning and purging with great intent tomorrow.

We dined near the Convention Center in downtown New Orleans this evening, all agreeing we ate too much…not that that kept us from a trip to Café DuMonde for beignets and coffee.

Our week at Trinity comes to a close tomorrow after a big push to finish what we’ve started. Memphis is our destination for tomorrow night. Please pray for our travels and offer a prayer of thanks for a healthy week filled with love and laughter. More tomorrow…..

We are all settled in for the night at our hotel just south of Memphis.  Beautiful layers of color graced the sky as the sun set in southern Mississippi and on our time together with the restoration efforts at Trinity.  All were busy today finishing assigned tasks and cleaning up....and did we clean up!  The church looks great and is ready for the Texas crew to arrive in early November to work on the chancel area.

Our week together is another chapter in a book filled with stories and faces from all over who share a common goal....the restoration of God's house in the Lower Ninth.  Although our chapter is shared by many, the unique bond that formed within the volunteer family was indeed special.  Good-bys brought laughter, a few tears, and promises to see this project through and meet one another again at the doors to this house of God.

Thank you, God, for seeing us through this special week.  Thank you for the friendships that have been given life, for good health throughout the week, and for the laughter and joy that comes only through You.  Be with us tomorrow as we travel home to Texas, Arkansas, and Illinois, and if it is your will, bring us back together to once again serve you in a way that is honoring of Your kingdom.

Peace, my friends  ~~  Shelly Davidson