2013 Teams
–––February–––
Our year got off to a bang with three great teams in February. First was a new team for us, a group from Perdido Bay UMC in Florida. We knew a couple of the team members from prior trips, but it was great to host a team from their own church. It was a small but very hard-working team, and they made great progress on the walls and beams of House #2.
Next we hosted our old friends from FUMC Birmingham, Michigan. The fact that this was their fifth year in a row to come work on the Home is a testament to their faithful love and support of this project. They had a great time working and doing VBS in local churches.
Our month ended with another returning team, FUMC Ann Arbor, Michigan. This group, a mixture of "veterans" and first-timers, including the senior pastor, helped get the house close to the point where we can start working on the roof. It was great to see them again and see the results of their hard work on the house.
Next we hosted our old friends from FUMC Birmingham, Michigan. The fact that this was their fifth year in a row to come work on the Home is a testament to their faithful love and support of this project. They had a great time working and doing VBS in local churches.
Our month ended with another returning team, FUMC Ann Arbor, Michigan. This group, a mixture of "veterans" and first-timers, including the senior pastor, helped get the house close to the point where we can start working on the roof. It was great to see them again and see the results of their hard work on the house.
–––April–––
In late April we enjoyed hosting a team from the Rocky Mountain Conference, led by pastor friends of ours who retired to Park City, Utah after serving many years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We were grateful that their experiences here over the years led them to gather a work team from their new home. Although coming from different churches, the team members instantly became a wonderfully united group, with great work and fellowship throughout the week. They continued to prep and pour the header beams for many of the second house's walls, as well as putting on great VBS activities in local churches.
–––June–––
In June we were glad to host two teams, one new and one returning. First was a team from Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, GA, along with some folks from Faith UMC in Cartersville, GA. We had met with the folks from Mt. Bethel before and were grateful for their decision to come work with us and the Home this year. While they did a lot of hard work at the Home, as well as a large-scale VBS in Los Guido, they will always be remembered as the team that was here when we received our daughters!
Later in the month we received a returning team from Auburn UMC in Alabama, one of our supporting churches. It was filled with old friends and new ones as well, and it was great to see many families on the trip. In addition to beginning stucco work on the walls of the second house, they had great VBS activities in local churches, which our own girls enjoyed also.
In June we were glad to host two teams, one new and one returning. First was a team from Mt. Bethel UMC in Marietta, GA, along with some folks from Faith UMC in Cartersville, GA. We had met with the folks from Mt. Bethel before and were grateful for their decision to come work with us and the Home this year. While they did a lot of hard work at the Home, as well as a large-scale VBS in Los Guido, they will always be remembered as the team that was here when we received our daughters!
Later in the month we received a returning team from Auburn UMC in Alabama, one of our supporting churches. It was filled with old friends and new ones as well, and it was great to see many families on the trip. In addition to beginning stucco work on the walls of the second house, they had great VBS activities in local churches, which our own girls enjoyed also.
–––July–––
In July we hosted another returning team, First United Methodist from Panama City, Florida, also a supporting church of ours. The team also incorporated a family of four from North Carolina who had wanted to visit and serve at the Home. This great group of folks brought a lot of fun and energy to the project, continuing to stucco the walls, as well as preparing for the final courses of cement block for the roof structure. They also had a great VBS program in two local churches.
In July we hosted another returning team, First United Methodist from Panama City, Florida, also a supporting church of ours. The team also incorporated a family of four from North Carolina who had wanted to visit and serve at the Home. This great group of folks brought a lot of fun and energy to the project, continuing to stucco the walls, as well as preparing for the final courses of cement block for the roof structure. They also had a great VBS program in two local churches.
–––August–––
Our final group of the year was a return team from First UMC in Gulfport, MS. This great group of folks, including clergy from two nearby churches in their area, kept their spirits high despite the frequent rains at this time of year. They continued stuccoing the walls of the second house, as well as finishing laying some high block. They also had a great VBS with a small but sweet group of kids in Barrio México, a working-class community near downtown San José, as well as in Llano Grande, a very special church for this group.
Our final group of the year was a return team from First UMC in Gulfport, MS. This great group of folks, including clergy from two nearby churches in their area, kept their spirits high despite the frequent rains at this time of year. They continued stuccoing the walls of the second house, as well as finishing laying some high block. They also had a great VBS with a small but sweet group of kids in Barrio México, a working-class community near downtown San José, as well as in Llano Grande, a very special church for this group.