Hey there folks,

I finally have more pictures for you! Many apologies. I think this week at Johns Island was the hottest week I have ever experienced anywhere, anytime. Unbearable. I know my work site went through 15-20 gallons of water a day (12 people), and others went through at least that much. The heat index on Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island was consistently between 113 to 119! It was just too hot to take many pictures, and then we were just exhausted at the end of each day. After taking care of other duties (with regards to morning and evening prayer and other work site related meetings), I was just too tired to blog. Many apologies for that.

To give a brief recap: we were part of a group of 75ish people, and we were randomly split into 6 work groups. So, unfortunately, I may not have pictures of some of our youth on their work sites. Our jobs included, but were not limited to: reroofing, painting, redoing subflooring, plumbing, hanging ceiling fans, building structures, cleaning, repairing siding and wall studs, and much more. In some cases, it felt as though we were taking on jobs too big, but amazingly, we, more often than not, accomplished our tasks. Not only did we do the work, but the work was quality in nature as well.

I am proud of our youth for many reasons. They were great leaders. They worked really hard, and never skipped out on work. They lead prayers and worship. You could look around and pick out our youth because they were the ones leading the way in the majority of instances. Our youth have a great sense of mission. They really seem to understand what the mission of God in the world is all about, and they are eager to partner with God in that mission. They know the love of Christ, and they are passionate about sharing it, through words and actions. So, I am quite proud of them, to say the least. Good job, gang!

So finally at last, for your viewing pleasure, here are two new galleries of pictures:





blessings,
dorian

Hey there folks,

Wow. This week has been hot and really busy so far. But it has been a really good week. I apologize that we haven't posted blogs so far. We have been getting up way early and running until way late. The combination of hard labor and heat have really worn us out. The overall group is a bit smaller this year with about 75 people present for the mission. Everyone is split up randomly into 6 work groups, so our youth are working with youth from other groups. Pretty cool stuff.

Our students are awesome. They are great leaders, by faith and example. They are quick to volunteer, and they don't shy away from the tough stuff. I don't have a ton of pictures so far (I only have 1-2 from our group on my site), but know that things are going really well. They are doing everything from painting to replacing roofs. Amazing work!

Here's a sample below. Please continue to pray for us and the home owners.

Blessings,
dorian

Hey there folks,

Guess what? I finally have pictures from the other sites for you! I thought you'd be excited and cheer loudly.

Catherine has been taking pictures at the other two sites (they are across the street from each other), and I got the camera back from her tonight.

The youth have been working so very hard, and they are having a blast while doing it. I know our site was tough: power washing, roofing, cleaning off part of the roof, weeding, repairing the fence, and much more. The other groups had tons of painting to do, among other jobs.

The younger crew is so excited about being a part of this. They are amazing. Our group sets an example for the others, and they work really hard. I am so proud!

Today was a tough day. We had a lot of work to get done, knowing that tomorrow morning is it. At my site, we finished tearing down the tin shed, worked on putting the porch roof back on, cleaned off the rest of the roof, power washed, and more. A storm whipped up, and we had to really push it at the end of the day. Just a little bit more to finish up in the morning!

The evening was filled with games, discussion, prayer, and singing. Great last night! They a=were still pumped up and bouncing off the walls! Compline helped prepare them for bed! Well, check out the pics and we'll see you soon.

blessings,
dorian

Hey there folks,

Sunday is a day of ReCreation at the Jr High Augusta Home Works mission. We go to church, have a Sunday School thing where we do skits and play games, walk the Labyrinth, watch a movie, and stuff like that. This year was unique in that we came back home for the retirement celebration for the Rev. Mary Moore Roberson. The kids thought it was cool that we were going back, and Mary Moore was thankful for our return and participation. The service was way cool, and the party was awesome. Thank you so much for you service to St. John's, Mary Moore!!

We drove back to Augusta, and we arrived just in time to join a viewing of the Princess Bride. It is my personal favorite movie of ALL time. There were many people who hadn't seen it (and if you haven't...watch it pronto!), and they really enjoyed it. I think it was my 273rd time. Not sure, though.

After the movie, we went to a nearby park for a cookout party and concert. It was really humid, but we had a great time. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, ice cream, frisbee golf, climbing on a tank, and much more. It was a blast! And we were joined by Abi Moon! It was great to see Abi. She is super cool, and she is the youth minister who started this Jr High session in Augusta. She is currently in seminary at Sewanee, going into her third and final year.

We closed the evening with games and devotion. We talked about the passage 2 Timothy 4:1-8. 2 Timothy is a personal pastoral letter to Paul's protege, Timothy. It was a letter written while Paul was imprisoned for the second time, and Paul was writing to encourage Timothy in preaching, teaching, and doing ministry.

Now the day is done, and we are getting up bright and early. Tomorrow is a full day of work, and we have a TON to do. See you soon!

blessings,
dorian

Hey there folks,

Today was a long, hot, and crazy day. We started off with a quick breakfast, some directions, and rules. We broke into our work groups, got to know each other a little bit, and then header off.

The weekend has the group broken into three groups (unfortunately, I didn't get the camera from Catherine, so we don't have other pics of the other sites. We are at Mrs. Williams's house. She is fairly old but still very functional. She has 8 children and a bagillion grands and greatgrands. Our group killed wasps, cleaned out two sheds, destroyed one shed (on purpose), tore off the backporch roof, removed vines from the rear fence, and more. We worked hard!!

I think the other groups are painting and cleaning. I know one group uncovered a dead cat, and Austin got to remove it. That is pretty impressive! I don't think I could have done that. Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time, and they are working hard!

Again, many apologies that I don't have more pics. I forgot to get the camera from Catherine, but don't worry, we can always put up more pictures! I'm off to bed. Exhausted. We will see you all at church!

blessings,
dorian

Hey there folks,

We have a great group of 12 youth and 4 adults hanging out in Augusta, GA for the Jr High Home Works mission. We will be hear through Tuesday at lunch, spending 2.5 days working on 3 homes. We will primarily be painting, but also making some minor repairs (all age appropriate stuff).

Travel down Friday evening was pretty uneventful. We encountered some rain and storms, but we kept plugging ahead. We stopped for dinner at Chickfila in Augusta, and the group totally amused me with the girls on one side of the restaurant and the boys on the other!

It started storming again as we got our stuff settled, and it never really let up all evening. There was some gorgeous lightning! Amazing stuff. One group from TN was a bit late because of the storms and a wreck they stopped to help with. We played some games to kill time waiting on them, and then once they arrived we watched some safety and first aid videos made by youth at Good Shepherd. Funny stuff!

Unfortunately, I didn't really have much to take pictures of, but I promise the next post will have pics with it. The youth are doing great, and it is going to be a wonderful experience. Stay tuned!

blessings,
dorian

Johns Island
Sr High Home Works Mission

Tentative Itinerary
July 18 (Sun) arrive at church by 7am - drop luggage off in gym
7:45am We will attend the Rite I service as a group
We will be commissioned during the service
After church we will pack up the bus and cars, and then head to Johns Is
July 25 (Sun) Return to St. John's for 10:30 service

Packing List
Wear work clothes, t-shirt, shorts, and sneakers or work shoes
1-2 pair of long work pants
Casual wear for the evening
(enough work clothes and casual clothing for 7 days)
Safety goggles/glasses and gloves
Hat
No sports bras or other inappropriate work clothing
Sports wear for Tue. afternoon soccer/softball/tennis activities
Bathing suit
Shower shoes or flip flops
Rain coat
Sleeping bag (or sheets), pillow, and air mattress (or cot)
3 towels and wash cloths
Toiletries
Water Bottle
Insect Repellent
Sunscreen
Minimal spending money is need (approx. $20) Team members usually purchase a gift for the homeowner upon completion of the repairs.

Notes and Tips:
Determine whether you are current with regards to your tetanus shot
3 meals per day, snack, water, and Gatorade are provided
If possible, bring a paint brush
If you bring any tools, please label them
ipods (or other music devices) & cellphones are not allowed on the work sites
Bring a musical instrument if you play one, such as a guitar
Spend time, sit and chat with the residents of the home

Augusta Packing List and Itinerary
Jr High Home Works Mission

Friday, June 25
4PM -- Meet @ St. John's
4:30 -- Depart from St. John's
We will stop for dinner at Chick Fil A
7PM -- Arrive @ Good Shepherd

Tue, June 29 (these times are approximate and will be confirmed)
12PM -- Eat Lunch
2PM -- Depart Good Shepherd
3:30/4PM -- Arrive back @ St. John's

Packing List
Clothes that you don't mind getting dirty/ruined
(you WILL get paint on your clothes)
1 pair of long work pants
Casual wear for the evening (flip flops are allowed at this time)
Sleeping Bag, Air Mattress, Pillow
Sunscreen
Insect Repellent
Water Bottle
Wet Wipes
Work Shoes (sneakers, boots, etc...must be closed toe)
Safety Glasses, work gloves
Hat
Modest Swim Suit
Appropriate sleep attire
Camera
2 Towels
Toiletries
Small amount of cash ($1-5) to purchase a shared gift for the home owner and for offering on Sunday

Note:
ipods (or other music devices) & cellphones are not allowed on the work sites
Youth do not need to bring food either; all snacks and meals are provided for
Spend time, sit and chat with the residents of the home

We have an exciting day coming up on Saturday! This first parish Day of Mission will be a great adventure that pushes us out of our comfort zones as we seek to build relationships and serve our neighbors. Here's the day's schedule:

7:30 Breakfast and Registration
8:30 Depart for Ministry Sites
9:00 Arrive and begin work
12:30 Depart Ministry Site for St. John's
1:00 Lunch and Closing

MINISTRY SITE INFO:

Harvest Hope
Harvest Hope is our local food assistance distribution center. The team that goes to Harvest Hope will sort food donations, put together food boxes, clean up, and help them generally prepare for the up and coming week. Please wear closed-toe shoes and bring a water bottle and a snack.
The volunteer team includes: Susan and Jim Barber, Bob, Susan and Lucy Graham, Rudy Jones, Carole Moser, Catherine Lockhart, Richard Valentine, Christy Terlizzi, Faxie Watt, Dana Turner, Bill Todd, Margaret Buchanan, Jason Cromer, Stacy Collins, Vera Tucker, Martha Smith, David and Laura Williams, and Rhett Hardy.

Kairos: Baking Cookies, making placemats and writing letters
Really simple! Let's see how many cookies we can bake in a couple hours in the St. John's Kitchen! St. John's will supply some cookie dough, but please consider bringing/donating some cookie dough as well. Duvy Spruill will provide supplies for other Kairos activities.
The volunteer team will include: Craig and Areli Keeney (and kids), Lee Rambo (and kids), Betty Jones, Sandy Leach, Beverly Moore, Virginia Arail, Mary and Macy How, Kathryn McCormick, Diane Clarkson, and Emily Davison.

Yard Work: William Woods
1702 Westeminster Dr. near Providence Hospital
Google Map
Mr. William Woods is mostly home-bound. He has numerous health issues, and may be having surgery sometime soon on a couple different issues. He can't get around well without assistance, and he has no family. His yard is small and needs a little TLC. See the pictures below in the slide show. It would also be cool if volunteers wouldn't mind running to Walmart or someplace to get some flowers or something to add to the yard. It appears that most of the work will involve raking, mowing, triming, and weeding.
The volunteer team includes: Jim Wheeler, Tim Close, Eddie and Debbie Williams (Mason), and Katie and Jason Gibson (along with Parker, Henry and Wright).

NOTE: I am also working on one other possible project at a parishioner's home on Wilmot. Stay posted. If you have a neighbor or parishioner who may need some yard help or help around the house, please let me know ASAP!!



Home Works
We are providing a special and atypical service to Home Works this Saturday. They just had a huge one day blitz on Apr 17. They had some loose ends that weren't finished up by the end of the day on that Saturday, so we are going to assist Home Works in getting them finished up. The thing to remember is that these homes already had huge drews spend an entire Saturday working on them. Since we are only spending half a day at the sites, we are helping Home Works tie up loose ends. If it weren't for us, Hank or Tito would probably end up doing these jobs themselves. Home Works is VERY thankful!!

There are three houses for us with very simple duties that involve primarily painting. One home needs a screen door installed. Here are the homes with some pictures and detailed info:

Mrs. Nancy Amiker
3007 Aintree Drive
Columbia, SC 29223
Google Map
We are trying to blend in some touch ups made to the brick of the home and cover up some white from the trim that got on the brick. Mrs. Amiker has the blue paint on the brick at her house (and ladders). Other supplies are in the gym at church. We will paint the top 4 rows of brick above the widows and doors on the left side of the home and on the rear. We will also paint the half circle on the front of the home. We will touch up around the side window as well.
The volunteer team at this site will be: the Komar family, the Hurst family, Gordon and Eileen Schell, and Beaver Hardy.



Mrs. Evelyn Mitchell
1548 Frye Rd.
Columbia, SC 29203
Google Map
The group that worked on this home was from Epworth Children's Home. They did a lot of work, but they weren't able to finish painting all the shutters. The side ones need to be painted white, and the ones on the front of the home need to be primed and then painted white. If there is time, please try to paint the trim edge of the carport the teal color.
The volunteer team at this site includes: Val Valenta, Don Alexander, Sandie Ellis, Bob Reynolds, and the Lewis Family.



Mrs. Louise Farrow
841 Slash Pine Lane
Columbia, SC 29203
Google Map
We actually worked on Mrs. Farrow's home nearly 2 years ago. Home Works and Mrs. Farrow have asked us to come out and paint the area around her front porch (bay window, door trim, and porch ceiling) and the window trim around the two windows facing the street to match up with the trim that we painted previously. We also need to install a screened door at her rear door.
The volunteer team at this site includes: Winston Collins, Samuel Miller, Sumter Moore, Jason Lockhart, and Bill Moser.




So, that's what is coming together on Saturday. It should be a neat adventure, full of formative experiences. Thanks to all who have volunteered so far, and thank you for all of your support. And just so you know...it isn't too late to sign up. See you on Sat!

blessings,
dorian del priore
mdd@stjohnscolulmbia.org