GCC India October 2006

Food Drop Dec. 9, 2006

GCC October 2006 India Team -

Who: GCC October 2006 India Team, family, significant others, and friends - to serve together as the India October 2006 team

What: Food Drop 2006

Join thousands around the area to help off load semi-trucks full of food and personal care items and then deliever the boxes to neighborhoods around the michana area

Where: Granger Community Church / then to the local neighborhoods (Washington Gardens in Elkhart)

When: Saturday, December 9, 2006

Time: 8:15am - Meet at Information Kiosk

Why: For team building/bonding and to build memories. As well as to help those less fortunate in the Michiana area. We as the GCC October 2006 India team would off load a semi-truck together, then deliever the food to a neighborhood together.

Next Step: Please show up at the "Information Kiosk" in the atrium.

*After we are done at the Food Drop we will go to Cracker Barrel for lunch.

Thank you!

Picture Party!!!

GCC October 2006 India Team Picture Party

Sunday, December 3, 2006

Alan and Terry Snell, Chad Anderson, Bud Vanderbutts

Terry Akins, Mike Worden

Dan Blacketor with his Serpent Charming Flute - a thank you from the October team

Vicki Young, Melissa Parish, Rich

Wendy Wisler, Shelly Jackson, Vicki Young

Brian Young, Janet Maggert, Dave and Nancy Leist, Kevin Maggert, Mike Worden
Fred Sandine, Cindy Shuder

Who: You, spouses and significant others

What: Picture Party

Where: Joe Wisler's Residence

When: Sunday, December 3, 2006

Time: 2pm - ?

What to Bring: appetizer, salads, veggies, drinks and desserts

INDIA PICTURES AND STORIES TOO!

Made it Back!

Just wanted to let you know we made it back from India with no problems. Thank you again for the prayers.

THE END

THE END!

Signing off from India

It is 10:30pm here inKanyakumari, India on Thursday, November 2, 2006 evening. We are getting packed up and will be ready to start our trek home tomorrow.

Friday we will leave at 9am from Cape Residency Hotel. We will have a three hour ride back to Trivandrum to catch our flight to Bombay, India. We will have a 7 hour layover before taking off at 12:45am (India time) for a 15 hour flight to JFK - New York - USA. Once in New York we will go through customs and then have another 7 hour layover. We then will leave for Cincinnati at 1:30pm and then have an 1 1/2 layover before leaving for South Bend, Indiana. We will arrive in South Bend at 6:05pm.

I will try to post some blog articles as we travel back to the states, but if you don't hear from the blog again, please know we are on our way home.

Again, I Skip Dodge on behalf of the GCC October 2006 India team thank you for the prayers, comments posted on the blog and everything each of you have done for this team. We could not have done it without you!

Signing off from Kanyakumari,India -

Skip Dodge and the GCC October 2006 India team.

The bus we rode in to and from the worksite each day

Melissa Parish, Shelly Jackson, Saju L Das - works for the Discipleship Center

Waiters at the Hotel

Our waiters at the Hotel we stayed at. These two guys waited on us each meal while we stay at the Hotel. They brought us our soup first, then set up the small buffet line, and then served coffee and tea. They did a great and awesome job for us!

Laying Brick

Laying Brick on the house

Alan Snell

Kevin Maggert and Terry Akins

Pam Murphy and Alan Snell

Dave Leist and Alan Snell

Pam Murphy

Dave Leist with Indian worker

Passing the Brick

Nope, it's not Hot Potato..........hot brick maybe

Passing the brick

Vel and Les Rassi

Shelly Jackson and Bud Vanderbutts

Melissa parish passing the bricks

Cindy Shuder and Bud Vanderbutts

Terry Akins and Janet Maggert

Kevin Maggert and Shelly Jackson

Ricksaw Ride

Several of the team members went on ricksaw rides from the shopping area back to the hotel. The rides proved to be very eventful. A ricksaw is like a golf cart on three wheels. The Indian people try to fit as many in as they can however we usually only had 3 or 4 people in ours.

Kevin and Janet Maggert with Joe Wisler

Thursday, November 2, 2006 - Day Four

Thursday welcomed us with oatmeal and eggs for breakfast. The time has passed by so fast here as today will be our last day on the worksite. We have enjoyed our time here and are sad to see it come to an end. We are excited though as to how God is and has been using us and can't wait to share stories and pictures with you when we return.

Today it is breezer, but still quite warm and very sunny. We have been blessed to have perfect weather to build in as usually it is rainy and cloudy.

Today we started off pouring concrete, moving granite rocks and making rebarb reinforcements. Later today it looks as though we may get to do some "bricking." The brick truck arrived so it looks promising.

The team getting the concrete mixer ready to go

Joe Wisler helping Indian Woman get some water

Brick truck

Nancy Leist

Million Dollar View

We had the Ocean off to one side and the mountains off to the other.

Discipleship Center Evening

Wednesday evening the Discipleship Center had supper catered as well as had a little "thank you" for each of us GCC team members. We ate supper outside. It was really neat......especially when the power went out. The sky was awesome with a half moon.

Dan Blacketor with Mr. Joseph who is the minister for the local church of the village that we are building in.

WORK WORK WORK WORK WORK

More Work....................

Nancy Leist

Chad Simpson

Great Minds Think Alike!

Team 3:16

Alan Snell, Skip Dodge, Les Rassi

Dog Days of India

Scooter and Terry taking a nap

Saju L Das

Saju - Engineer for Discipleship Center

Saju supervises all the buildings being made by the Discipleship Center. The Discipleship Center gave us our hospitatlity while here in India while on the worksite.

Building an Indian home

Below are the steps to building an Indian home

First where the foundation will be poured is dug out with a backhoe

At this time there were no houses that were partially bricked.

Plaster on the walls of the house

Wednesday, November 1, 2006 - Day Three

Wednesday morning welcomed us with very high temperatures to start with, very little breeze, and high humidity. We continue on moving sand, granite rocks, and making the rebar reinforcements.

Judy Rupis

Les Rassi

Terry Akins and Kevin Maggert

Vel Rassi

Melissa Parish, Kevin and Janet Maggert

Indian worker mixing up cement

Indian worker creating handle on tool that he will be using

Joe Wisler

Water truck

Shelly Jackson, Nancy Leist with Discipleship people

Indian workers

Indian worker throwing granite rocks

Alan Snell, Chad Anderson, and Pam Murphy making rebarb reinforcements for the foundation of the houses.

Bud Vanderbutts

Cindy Shuder

GCC India Team Mascot - Scooter

Scooter the GCC India Team Mascot.

Lunghie Club

President: Chad Anderson
CFO: Mike Worden
Secretary: Fred Sandine

Power to the Lunghie (Pronounced Lunky)

Most Indian Men wear the traditional Lungie.

Mike Worden and Chad Anderson

This is how the lunghie is worn by the Indian men.

Lunch Catered by Shannon Papp

Tuesday's lunch consisted of Lunch catered by Shannon Papp. we ate outside at the Discipleship Center. Before we left for India, Shannon had packed us a duffle bag full of food consisting of Fiddle/Faddle, tuna, beef jerky, coffee, etc. Thank you Shannon! We appreciate your generosity and you did a great job on the bag of food. Thanks!

Terry Akins having some bar-b-que chicken

Janet and Kevin Maggert

Les and Vel Rassi

Dave and Nancy Leist

Mid-day - Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Mid-day

View of the worksite

Bud Vanderbutts with a pan on his head

Nancy Leist passing off mortar

Melissa Parish passing off mortar

Shelly Jackson walking with Pam Murphy

Transportation, breakroom, first-aid all in one

You never know what you'll see coming around the corner!

Bud Vanderbutts

Dan Blacketor using a mumtee

Mike Worden, Cindy Shuder, and Chad Anderson - SLACKERS!!! - NOT!

Skipster the Blogster

Coming to you live from Kanyakumari, India! The weather is cloudy, nice breeze coming from the Ocean, and the temp at about 85. While the rest are working away pouring cement, this is Skip Dodge updating the blog while actually on the worksite!!! On behalf of the team, thank you again for all your prayers. The time here in India has been so rewarding as well as beneficial. The Lord continues to work in and through us and we can't wait to share all the stories and pictures with you.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - Day - Pouring Cement

The team gathered to help pour cement concrete for the foundation of one of the houses.

Les Rassi and Mike Worden

Bud Vanderbutts

Bud Vanderbutts catching empty pan from Shelly Jackson

Kevin Maggert taking mortar from Chad Anderson

Chad Simpson working with Judy Rupis

Tuesday, October 31, 2006 - Day Two Morning

Worksite Day 2 welcomed us with a little sprinkle of rain on the way to the worksite, but once on the site it's cloudy and dry. I sit here writing to you actually onsite! It's 10:30am and the team is doing well and having a great time. We know a little more about what we are doing today so feel more comfortable. The Indian people are so welcoming and nice to work with. While communication is still a little tricky again a smile go a long ways.

Chad Simpson's impression of the worksite was, "amazing." He's bonded well with the team, despite his troubles getting here. He's quickly learned to over look that and is serving the Lord with all his heart despite the troubles he had getting here.

Melissa Parish's impression of the worksite, "it's pretty cool how we do the assembly line for the mortar. "

Kevin Maggert's impression of the worksite, "totally awesome with a million dollar view. The mountains remind him of the "Lord of Rings."

Alan Snell's impression of the worksite, "Busy and very Productive."

Dan Blacketor our fearless leader's impression said, "five star experience"

Bud Vanderbutts says the worksite is, "SWEEEEET"

Cindy Shuder says, "she likes the non-verbal communication with our eyes." Due to not having any translator's.

Fred Sandine says, "Enjoyable experience learning communication through signs or words of two cultural words."

Nancy Leist carrying mortar

Pam Murphy carrying cement bricks

Fred Sandine carry cement rocks

Monday, October 30, 2006 - Work - Day 1

After 4 days of rainy weather today was completely sunny, dry, warm, and there was a nice breeze off the Ocean. After a hearty breakfast of toast and egg omlete and a cup of Indian coffee on the side, we were off to the worksite at 9AM. Mountains off to the South and beautiful ocean view to the East made for a nice landscape view. Palm trees all around and green vegetation. Our biggest challenge was communication with the Indian laborers and contractors because there were no translators on site. But a smile and a thumbs up go a long ways. We were met at the site by George from the Discipleship Center to get us started. The work was very physical between carrying cement rocks, passing mortar in a distribution line, and to making reinforcements from the rebarb. We had lunch in the nearby village that caught the attention of some young children close by. We got all the cement rocks in place for the foundations of the house before we ended our workday around 4:30pm. We packed 21 team members into a 14 passenger bus.................with Skip Dodge, Melissa Parish, and Judy Rupis all in the front seat of the bus.