TGIF

Even when one loves what one is doing, Fridays are soooooooo welcome. My Friend's House is open Tuesday through Friday, and when Friday is over, it is nice to be off and gone for a day or two. If someone has an emergency, we will do what we can, but for the most part we do other things on the weekends. Except that Saturday is the prime day for garage sales--not that we go, but when people have them and get worn out by early Saturday afternoon, they call us. So sometimes we go and pick up what is left, and sometimes they bring it and leave it on the front porch or under the carport.

This week had had three days that we picked up large items and others brought items, every day. The building for the store was in the last stages of being blocked last Monday, with the house movers trying to hurry knowing that the pickup and trailer were about to arrive with massive amounts of things donated by ETBU to put in the building. They made it, and the building is about full already. Most of that was furniture to go in the shelter and will be moved fairly quickly. That is the store building behind the cargo van and truck. In the foreground is the ever-faithful PeeWee. She has taken up residence in front of the store.


Thanks go to Central Baptist Church, Marshall, for a generous donation from their Missions Committee. We really appreciate the support of the churches here in town. Besides the money, which is essential, their support says that they are interested and approving of the mission and purpose of My Friend's House.

Tomorrow we will get a little more done on the shelter. One step at a time, one day at a time.

The Kids Always Want to Explore Anything New

The buildings are all in place. The one that will be the store is already full of furniture, because there were four trailer loads delivered today. Fortunately, those were trailers behind pickups, not 18-wheeler types. That was still a lot of stuff, and for that we thank ETBU and Mary Jo Schnorbus. The furniture mainly will be used in the shelter.

Now it is on to the next items, glamorous things like septic tanks and water lines and electricity. Well, maybe not too glamorous, but certainly essential. The weather is certainly more conducive to getting it done, and for that we are thankful. The rain can come now--no more buildings to be moved.

The picture is the great-grandkids (some of them) exploring the big room in the shelter.

It Hath Been Joined!

The house is in! And together!  It is truly amazing how they can do that, and get it so, so close, exactly in the right place. Now they are attaching the garage. It won't be a garage long, as we need the space for the resident director to stay, so we will convert it to a room.

We feel God's guidance and care in this endeavor, and while every step of the way brings its problems and new challenges, we can see the shelter--the Billie Hamby Memorial Shelter--closer and more a reality.


Tomorrow they will try to finish attaching the garage. Then, hopefully on Friday they will move the store building in.

In the meantime, we still have all sorts of things for sale at My Friend's House. Today someone brought a lace bedspread and matching drapes--ivory colored and a nice, heavy fabric. And we still have lots of computers, scanners, mice, and a new batch of large women's clothing. So if you are in these parts, come by 212 West Bowie in Marshall, and help us finish the shelter by buying things you might need at very reasonable prices. And I surely would like to not move all those books.

Return of the House Movers

Progress is at a standstill, pending the return of the workers. On the good side, progress continues on the gas well, or at least the preparation for the gas well. The company preparing the pad needed more dirt. More dirt translates to more money, which translates to more funds to complete the necessary steps to make the shelter livable. If you have ever carved a homeplace out of the wilderness, you know what is happening here in these woods. After the house gets smacked back together, there are some huge projects--not impossible, at all, but lots of work--including the septic tank, putting the house systems (electrical and plumbing) back together where they sawed the house in two, seeing if the a/c works, and all those things. Of course we cannot see if the a/c works until the electricity gets there. Then there is water line, smoothing the road, cleaning debris--just more and more stuff.

Part of why I am hoping this will get underway soon of course has to do with the need for it. This week alone we turned down four requests for help with housing, not counting the number of people who call wanting to apply for a Habitat home--that is a different category of folks and need, usually. There was the man who called from the motel while the motel owner paced outside his room waiting for him to get out, the grandmother whose son and grandchild lived with her, but she had been evicted, and the one who lives wherever he can but needs at least to be able to sleep under a roof. He works hard, and will make it back up, but in the meantime, he is scrambling (and thankful) for every small thing he gets.

Some folks think we have no homeless people in Marshall. We do. The events and situations that lead to the need for a roof over one's head are many and as varied as the people, but they are all things that could happen to any of us. Later on I want to expound on some of the stories, and theorize as to how different choices might have prevented some of the results, but right now it is time to go to the House of the Lord and worship. On the way I will pick up from two to four beautiful little girls whose parents entrust to my care.

May you have a great day.

A Beautiful, Sunshiny Day AND The House Got Moved

We got a call this morning that our grandson Aron saw the house on Hiway 59 headed toward Marshall. Sure enough, it was, and by the time we got down to look (and that was not long, for sure) it was in the driveway. This is a picture of the backside after it got down to the site. There were some tense moments (for us--can't speak for the house movers) when it was going down the hill. There was a Bobcat on the back, probably to give it traction, but it just sort pulled the bobcat along. It is there, and tomorrow they will continue getting it in place. Or at least that was the word today. Tomorrow may be another plan.

Another Beautiful Sunshiny Day, But Not A Housemoving Day

Unfortunately, the housemover had a sad event in his family. They need our prayers, and later on, the house will get moved.

In the meantime, things go on at My Friend's House. We have one semi-permanent resident, even if we really don't have a shelter. We will call him Fred. He helps out around the place, and is a model of a job searcher. He had a situation that didn't work out, and showed up at our front door a couple of weeks ago, referred by someone he met at the bus station. Yesterday he apparently found a job, and hopefully will work enough to find himself a place to stay.

The picture was taken in the front hallway, or foyer, of My Friend's House. If you like old houses (this one was built in 1875) and would like to own a large house in downtown Marshall, Texas, come look at it. It is for sale, as we plan to move everything to our place when the shelter gets ready. We really cannot afford to  maintain both, at this stage.

It Rained Again Today

Where did all those hot dry days go?  Not that we want the hot dry days, just one dry enough to move the building in. This was not one. Maybe tomorrow.

Someone recently suggested that we relate some of the stories about what happens at My Friend's House. So here goes.

One of our regular supper guests, let's call him George, recently became a deacon in his church. In all the years I have known church deacons, I don't think I have ever known one who took the task more seriously. It is what defines his life. Anyway, this morning George came to My Friend's House to say hi to Dave. He does this often--has a piece of cake or whatever snack is available, and chats with whoever is there. Today he asked if we had any clothes his size, as he needed to dress the part of a deacon. George is a big boy. As it happened, just before George came in, a friend had delivered a large amount of her deceased husband's clothing, and it was piled on a couch for want of another spot to put it in. Her husband was a large man, probably taller than George, but otherwise the clothes fit.

So George found himself some shirts, slacks, and a jacket. He was one happy camper when he left, complete with his $5 ticket that he will pay, or not, when he gets some money. Later this evening we happened to drive down Houston Street, and there stood George in his new outfit, happy and proud, waiting for one of his fellow church members, maybe a fellow deacon, to pick him up to go to church.

We could see him smiling all the way across that street.