Thursday (June 24) through Friday (June 25) Report from A.S.

Greetings Pray Warriors, Friends and Family:

It is now Friday evening about 7:30 and we have just about finished our two weeks in American Samoa. Yesterday and today were very productive days and we accomplished a lot of work. Yesterday (Thursday) we worked in a beautiful little seaside village across the mountain called Fagasa. (see photos 1& 2 This project had been assigned to the CRWRC (Christian Reform World Relief Church) group and they had been working on house for three weeks. They ask us for help with putting on the metal roof, wiring the house and roughing in the plumbing (see photos 7 & 8)plus laying a block wall between the kitchen and bathrooms (see photo 3). Today we went back to the same village and finished up all the work we had planned to accomplish. The CRWRC group packed up their tools and went to their camp to prepare to go home to the states. Most of them will be on the plane with us on Sunday headed to Hawaii.

Also today after we finished work Brian Collins and Don Rhoades had a special project they wanted to work on for the children in the village of Masefau. (see photos 4, 5 & 6). In the entire village we did not see any play equipment for the children. You can see who the biggest children are.

Tomorrow we have some loose ends to tie up. Earl and Wayne will complete wiring and plumbing in Fagasa while Brian and Don R need to pour a set of steps in Masefau. After we complete these little jobs we will set up the seesaw for the children and see if it is as big a hit as we think it will be. Then we will come back to the compound and complete an order for two more seesaws for the school here on the compound at Happy Valley.

We look forward to heading home on Sunday and getting to see our families and all of you. We hope to be able to share in more detail with you what God is doing here in American Samoa and how he blessed us this week.

Thanks for all your prayers and support for us these last two weeks.

- Earl Creasey, Wayne Hubbard, Don Rhoades, Bryan Collins and Don Owen

Sunday through Tuesday (June 20-22) Report from American Samoa

Sunday, June 20^th, 2010

Our team attended both the English and Samoan church services held at Happy Valley. Pastor Elise recognized all the fathers during the Samoan service and the congregation brought candy lays to give to each of us. Pastor Brian Collins from Tennessee gave the message and Pastor Elise translated. The church provided lunch for the entire team. Ed and Loretta prepared for their departure and a much deserved vacation in Hawaii. We appreciate their dedication and leadership during their stay at Happy Valley. They will be missed by all.

Monday June 21, 2010

The TN team helped Wes and one other person from the Mennonite camp lay block for the home for homeowner, Maria, in the village of Asili. Wes was not sure where to start or what to do since he had never laid blocks before. He was very grateful for their assistance and expertise.

Ronda and I had a lunch meeting with Evelyn Sa0-Stevenson, who coordinates the ASVOAD repair efforts, along with her assistant Nua. Evelyn spoke very highly of SBC volunteers and is anxious to continue working with us. We discussed progress and challenges of the repair efforts.

Evelyn is very concerned about the mental health of the children on the island and excited about the SBC Crisis Response Team that is coming to the AS. We will be working with Evelyn in identifying villages that need assistance and hopefully making preliminary site visits in advance of the teams’ arrival. We have suggested that a promotional flyer be developed and emailed to us for informational and promotional purposes that could be given to the village leaders when we meet.

Tuesday June 22, 2010

The TN team continued assisting the Mennonites with laying block at the home in the village of Asili. Approximately 90% of the block has been laid and we will leave the remaining work with the Mennonites to complete.

Ken Snyder who is the project coordinator for the Mennonites called Tuesday afternoon to express his appreciation for the TN volunteers in assisting them with the home in the village in Asili. He commented that their hard work and expertise had moved them far ahead of their expectations and that they were very grateful.

I visited with Carl Smits from CRWRC and discussed SBC role in the construction of the home they are working on in Fagasa. I have obtained verbal permission from the family overseer’s to pick up materials through prepaid accounts that have been setup at Tool Shop and Ace Hardware.

Earl Creasey and Wayne Hubbard from the TN team went to estimate the material needed for plumbing and wiring a home that the CRWRC team is working on in Fagasa. At their request, our team will be assisting with construction of this home. The CRWRC will be leaving on Sunday and would like us to continue working on the project. We will begin work there on Wednesday with our TN crew of (5).

We received great news today that we will not have to relocate our team to a school building on the property at Happy Valley. Originally, we had been asked to move for one week to allow housing for coaches coming from the mainland. They are holding a football clinic on the island from June 24^th though July 1^st. Mrs. Lucy has made arrangements for them to stay in the teacher apartments so that we can remain in the mission house. This was an answer to prayer.

Blessings,

Randy & Ronda Corn

IC, AS

6/22/2010

TN Team in action at the village of Asili

TN Team in lava lavas

Oldest father recognized at Happy Valley Baptist Church (Fola's Dad)

Sunday Report from A.S.

Greetings Everyone

Our fathers day in American Samoa was a good day. Each team member had the privileged of speaking by phone to our families back home and that was truly a blessing.

After breakfast and our phone calls back home we attended two church services. The first was a local church for Americans living and working on the island. It was good but we really enjoyed the service at the American Samoan church. As you can see in the pictures we wore the local Samoan attire plus we were all honored for being fathers and called to the front of the church. A second special blessing was that we were privileged to hear Bryan Collins preach and the local pastor translate.

After the two church services the pastor and his family prepared a wonder lunch for us. Following a nap (which we needed) we loaded up and went on a sight seeing tour. It has been a wonderful day but we have all missed seeing and being with our families on fathers day.

Tomorrow we start a new project so we hope to give you an update on the progress them.

- Don Owen

Earl Creasey TN-SBDR and a Mennonite team work together to pour a slab in the pouring rain at Maria's house in Asili, AS

Loretta Greene with Darion, the newest (and best) mud-man for the TN team.

Don Rhoades, TN, drives a wheelbarrow at Maria's house in Asili

Friday Update from American Samoa

Below is an email from Don Owen as of yesterday. It seems they are doing well but we need to continue to remember them in our prayers.

Also, if your church is still thinking about building a Baptist Builders Team for the Nashville Flooding Project, please let me or Bill Sartain know who the Team Leader is and a phone number and/or email address.

Thanks,

Jack Henson

423-318-9120

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Greetings Everyone from your DR team in American Samoa

Today is Friday and we do apologize for not writing each evening as planned but our crew chief (Bryan Collins) has worked us so hard everyday all we have strength to do in the evenings is get a show and head to bed.
Beginning with Tuesday we began work on Mr. Gutu’s home in Masefau here on the island of American Samoa. Mr. Gutu’s home was heavily damaged by the three waves that came in due to the tsunami that struck back in September of 2009. Brian Collins laid the block while Don Rhoades and Wayne Hubbard mixed the mortar. Earl Creasey worked on stripping out all the electrical wiring and began the rewiring process. We got one wall laid up and was ready to lay the next wall the next day.

Wednesday the team laid up wall number two while I had to stay at the compound and recoup from getting dehydrated.

Thursday we learned that a Mennonite team needed help pouring a concrete floor on the other end of the island. We decided to take a day off from laying block and help them since here in AS there are no concrete trucks to call and have it delivered. We ended up mixing a total of 14 yards of concrete in a gas powered ¼ yard batch mixer. Talking about being tired, we were tired when the last batch hit the ground, we were whipped. Please see the attached picture, taken during one of the two rainstorms that came up during the pour. We never stopped the pour, in fact we were very happy for the rain (photo 4) since it helped to cool us off a bit. Needless to say our Canadian Mennonite friends were happy to get a little help from a bunch of hillbilly Southern Baptist boys from Tennessee. They kept saying we talked a little funny though.

Friday, Don Rhoades decided to let us in on a well-kept secret. He too is a pretty good block mason! With he and Bryan both laying block the production really picked up and we did in one day what we were expecting to take two days. (see photo 1) It sure kept Wayne Hubbard busy mixing mortar to the two masons. Earl got the dusty job of cutting a lot of block with a skill saw. (photo 2) Don Rhoades spent a little time making friends. (photo 3)

Tomorrow we will finish up laying the block at Mr. Gutu’s house and in the afternoon go look at another job to hopefully start on Monday morning.

We certainly appreciate your prayers for us and ask that you keep praying.

Don Owen

Daily Reports for This Week

Saturday, June 12:

The UT/ID team was hosted for breakfast at Mom’s Place by Happy Valley School in appreciation for their work here.

A Saturday morning hike into the National Park planned by Peter Hruza, UT/ID, and some of the Mennonite and CRWRC volunteers was cancelled due to inclement weather. Peter and David Porter, UT/ID decided to take a shorter hike from the village of Vatia. But, after the hike they decided that the weather wasn’t so bad and they would undertake the longer (6 mi. +/-) National Park trail. None of the rest of us was aware of their decision. Leaving about 11 p.m. they encountered misting rain and extremely muddy, slippery trail conditions. After falling more than once and Peter losing his glasses and camera, they came to a trail junction about four hours into their hike. When they called for advice about which fork to take we realized what they were doing and that they could not reach the end of the trail before darkness descended. We contacted the National Park and a Ranger called them and advised them how to take a different trail back to Vitia. I picked them up in the village just before dark, tired, dirty, but in good spirits. With any luck this story will become greatly embellished with each retelling and will become the stuff of which legends are made.

Sunday, June 13:

Van gave a presentation at Faliniu Baptist Church about his conversion from Mormonism.

After church the team, Pastor Elise, Fola and family enjoyed lunch at Sadie’s by the Sea.

The UT/ID team left Sunday night and the TN team arrived.

Monday, June 14:

Pastor Elise provided his orientation on American Samoan history, religion and culture to the TN team. Mable Snyder from MDS and Trudy Smits from CRWRC joined us for breakfast and the orientation. I continued the orientation along with a tour of part of the island and site visits to a couple of potential job sites. We stopped at the MDS site in Asili to see their project and made plans to help them with a slab pour on Wednesday.

The homeowner at Amaluia does not yet have his septic permit so the TN team will begin work on the Aiava Gutu house in Masefau. We made a site visit there this afternoon, discussed the project, made pictures and verified/corrected measurements. The team plans to begin work Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, June 15

The TN team spent the day at Masefau building an interior block wall at the Aiava Gutu house. They also knocked down a wood frame wall that will be replaced with block, and electrician Earl Creasey stripped out all the old wiring, receptacles, and lights in preparation for all new wiring. The work is hot and strenuous, but is proceeding at a good pace.

We went by Blue Sky cellular to advise them that we want to take 3 phones off the calling plan and use them only with calling cards. Terry will need to send an email to Blue Sky requesting the change. Loretta sent the draft email to Terry for him to forward to Blue Sky. The change will take effect at the end of June.

Pastor Elise cashed the TN team’s check for rent and gave us our half so the petty cash fund is again in good shape.

I met briefly with the CRWRC construction supervisor who is showing a little more interest in working together with other teams. We decided that we would leave the option open and see how schedules and work develops to provide the opportunity for cooperative work.

We have been advised of a conference call with FEMA and the mainland agency heads Thursday morning, 6/17, at 0900 AS time.

Loretta and I are looking forward to Randy and Ronda’s arrival Thursday night and with mixed feelings about our departure Sunday evening, 6/20.

Ed Greene

IC, AS

Wayne Hubbard, Don Owen, Don Rhoades and Bryan Collins, TNDR, build a new wall in the Aiava Gutu house which was heavily damaged by the tsunami. Masefau, AS.

Don Owen and Wayne Hubbard, TN, mix mortar in Masefau, AS. The sand, coarsely crushed black basalt, is not the same sand used on the mainland. It must be screened before mixing with cement, and it absorbs more water than mainland sand.

Earl Creasey, TN, removes a door in preparation for demolition of a wall in the Gutu house in Masefau, AS.

Disaster Relief Team at Breakfast

Team and homeowner

Greetings from Beautiful American Samoa
Prior to leaving for AS we were shown pictures and told how beautiful it would be here. We were not mis-informed, it is a very beautiful little island and the people are very friendly and courteous. Everywhere we go it is like we are back in East Tennessee, the people wave a friendly wave and often call out "hello" as we pass by.

If you want to figure out the time difference, at noon in Tennessee it is 5am here in AS.

Our first day was spent attempting to adjust to the time difference and a very long day of flying. We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at a local restaurant where we met the local pastor we will be working with for the next two weeks. The pastor gave us some on history of AS and how the church came to be established on this island and the islands in this region. It was very interesting but to long to share in this update. Also we met two other ladies, who like our SBC leaders Ed and Loretta, are spearheading disaster relief work here on the island for their church group. According to all three groups the rebuild effort has been slow but through God's grace, blessing and perseverance good results are being seen. Below are some stats you might find interesting:
275 homes were completely destroyed by the Sept. 2009 Tsunami
148 homes were severely damage
32 Lives were lost on this island alone-many more lives were lost on neighboring islands
40 Homes have been surveyed for rebuilding
27 Homes have been rebuilt to date by volunteer teams

Today (Tuesday,day 2) your Tennessee team from the Nolachucky Baptist Association will begin work on a home that was very heavily damaged. We met the home owner yesterday afternoon and began laying out a plan of how we might best accomplish the rebuild effort. Bryan Collins was selected by the team to be the reconstruction team leader. Earl Creasey will begin the task of tearing out the electrical and rewiring while Don Rhoades and Wayne Hubbard will begin the process of laying block for the interior walls. After all this work is accomplished we will then begin to lay the floor tile. It is going to be a pretty good and tall task.

As I sit here at 4:30 am writing this update it is raining for about the 20th time since we arrived. Talking about hot and humid well you get the picture.

Each member of the team has been able to contact their family back home by phone to let them know we are here and safe. We use Skype via the internet so the connection is not always the greatest but none the less if is always good to hear a loved ones voice.

Our host leaders, Ed and Loretta. are from New Mexico and have treated us like family since the minute we met at the airport. Loretta has fed us like kings so please do not worry about us but please keep us lifted up to the Father in prayer that we may accomplish His will while laboring here in American Samoa.

Don Owen
Nolachucky Baptist Association
Disaster Relief Director

PHOTOS WILL BE POSTED ON THURSDAY, PLEASE CHECK BACK TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON IN AMERICAN SAMOA...

Below is the daily report that Ed Greene our onsite director sends to the NAMB daily. The UT/ID team left Sunday night and the TN team arrived.

Monday, June 14:

Pastor Elise provided his orientation on American Samoan history, religion and culture to the TN team at the Star Restaurant. Mable Snyder from MDS and Trudy Smits from CRWRC joined us for breakfast and the orientation. I continued the orientation along with a tour of part of the island and site visits to a couple of potential job sites. We stopped at the MDS site in Asili to see their project and made plans to help them with a slab pour on Wednesday.

The homeowner at Amaluia does not yet have his septic permit so the TN team will begin work on the Gutu Aiava house in Masefau. We made a site visit there this afternoon, discussed the project, made pictures and verified/corrected measurements. The team plans to begin work Tuesday morning.

- Ed Greene

Arrived Safely in American Samoa

Greetings Everyone
Just a quick note to let you know we have landed safely in Am. Samoa and are settling in at the house. Earl Creasey hit the nail on the head when he made the comment, "today has been a long week." From the time we departed our homes this morning (Sunday) at 3 am until we arrived here in Samoa at 11:45 27 plus hours has passed.

All our flights were on time departing and arriving. It has been a long time since that has happened.

It us hot here but nothing like Haiti last week.

Ed and Loretta (the NAMB team leaders) have two jobs lined up to look at tomorrow to determine where we might best be equipped to accomplish the most good.


Don Owen
Nolachucky Baptist Assoc.
Disaster Relief Director