Wrapping Up in Grand Isle, Louisiana

NOMADS Disaster Rebuilding: Wrapping Up at Grand Isle, Louisiana
 
The final few weeks of Disaster Rebuilding at Grand Isle, Louisiana continued to be a blessing to both the local community and the NOMADS who were serving.  The teams were treated to regular meals including shrimp spaghetti, shrimp gumbo, shrimp boils, and shrimp fettuccini.  Our hosts even brought a half a bushel of boiled Blue Crabs and taught us how to pick them!  Lots of seafood here!
 
The locals have been so welcoming and always are thankful that NOMADS have come to their island to help them rebuild homes and lives.  Father Mark from our host church said it best when he thanked NOMADS for coming to Grand Isle.  He expressed that NOMADS not only had helped rebuild homes, but more importantly had helped RESTORE HOPE!
 
And then there are the birds!  Grand Isle is one of the first land that migratory song birds see after crossing the Gulf of Mexico on their way north from South and Central America.  Tanagers, Buntings, Vireos, Orioles, Warblers, Thrushes, Cuckoos, Red Knots and more stop to visit Grand Isle in April each year…then again in October on their way south for the winter.
 
Regarding our work…  The end of the Winter/Spring Project saw the completion of a fiber-cement plank siding project that was the effort of 28 NOMADS over 5 weeks.  From the first starter board to the final fascia cover this was an excellent NOMADS effort.  Thanks to all of the hard working, caulk gun wielding, scaffold climbing, boom lift operating, nail gun shooting NOMADS who worked on this home.  The homeowner and his family deeply appreciated the effort of the NOMADS.
 
The last two weeks were full of flexibility!  The weather was cooperative with only one day impacted by a brief thunderstorm.  The work included replacing multiple storm doors and exterior doors, installing modular shelving units, tying up loose ends on a vinyl siding project, and starting the installation of cross-beam supports on a home - important tasks in the effort to rebuild Grand Isle.
 
Thank you to all of the NOMADS who served this Winter and Spring on the Disaster Rebuilding Project at Grand Isle, Louisiana!  And thank you not only for your work, but for your thoughtful devotions, engaging conversations, and serving spirits.
 
Over the past 14 weeks NOMADS have served the community and people of Grand Isle, Louisiana in their ongoing efforts to recover from Hurricane Ida in late August of 2021.  These 14 teams were comprised of 48 different NOMADS who all chose to drive their RV’s well south of Interstate 10 just to try to help.  The teams presented 5 Bibles to homeowners and worked 2,928 hours this Winter/Spring.  (Combining the hours from the Fall Grand Isle DR Project, NOMADS served almost 4,800 hours helping to rebuild Grand Isle!)
 
Special thanks to Jim and Irene Lewis, Gary and Sharon Hatcher, Ken and Michele Madden, Cliff and Ann Wright, Max and Anne Armstrong, and Kevin and Suzan Culver who served as leaders this Winter/Spring at Grand Isle.
 
Importantly, NOMADS wants to thank the Louisiana Annual Conference of the UMC, the Bayou Community Foundation, Father Mark from Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church, Charles Goss (the Site Manager), and all the people of Grand Isle.  Everyone was awesome and we look forward to returning to Grand Isle in October 2023.
 
If you are looking for a new experience serving with NOMADS… or if you have worked DR before and your schedule for the coming year is flexible…think about signing up for a Disaster Rebuilding Project.
 
Currently, we have available openings for team members and a real need for some experienced DR Leaders to support the flooding recovery efforts in Muskogee, Oklahoma, tornado recovery in Jacksboro, Texas, and continued hurricane recovery at Grand Isle, Louisiana.  You can find all three of these projects and openings available on the NOMADS website by clicking “Sign-up for Projects”/”1 Week – Disaster Rebuilding Projects.”  Scroll through the project weeks and see where God might be calling you to serve.
 
Blessings,
 
Kevin Culver
Disaster Rebuilding Committee Chair