The mission team has hoped that from the previous blog posts on Puerto Rico you have not only learned about the island US Territory of Puerto Rico, but discovered its unique beauty, shared in its lovely sunsets, and experienced the “flavor” of the team’s experience ministering by helping to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurrican Maria in September 2017.  After 16 months, there is still a lot of work to be done rebuilding homes.  Infrastructure and electrical grid are still being rebuilt and upgraded.  Lives of many are back to normal, yet many more still live with a tarp over their roof.

As you look at this collage of photos and see the work accomplished by the Upper New York Conference Mission Team of 24 to Puerto Rico that included team members from United Methodist Churches of Livonia (13), Rush (2), Homer (6), and (3) acquaintances of other team members, please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico and the continuing rebuild effort.

Sarah and Marta - painting and cleaning 3 houses

Pastor Beth Bouwens - trip coordinator

House renovation - interior and exterior painting, team with Papo (team coordinator, Arno (electrician) and Jose (translator)

Exterior painting complete, new doors installed

Phil watching Papo do stucco

Phil painting

Evening relaxation time

Annabelle cutting in paint

Laura "mudding" fixing holes in the wall

New door frames, walls need painting - interior of house gutted because of hurricane damage

Exterior before any work, except that the new steel roof has been installed.

Monday morning - teams getting organized and ready to leave for their first day of work.

Monday morning getting organized for first day of work.

Nutritious and delicious meals at the camp.

Evening devotions by Pastor Hoyt

Exterior wall work - mudding on stucco

Sunday morning church at the Methodist Church a short walk from the camp.

Enjoying conversation and down time Sunday evening before our work weeks starts.

Sarah and Kathi - Flexible - with a pipe cleaner to remind us - what we needed to be for a successful week. Little did we know that on Monday we would need to be flexible as two work teams turned into four work teams.

Team meetings, group meetings, meals, and group recreation in the dining room of the camp.

Fellowship and getting to know team members from the other churches.

Roof work, Ron's team.

Roof work Ron's team

Roof work Ron's team

Puerto Rico - lovely mountains

Scott's team - roofing, making new walls, finish house exterior

Pastor Cathy (Rush UMC) and daughter Kati

Ron instructing on how to take a "power nap."

Constructing and replacing roof trusses

Break time, Ron's crew

Roof truss construction - Ron's crew

Monitor in Methodist Church, Sunday worship service

Fair maidens on the balcony of the church camp!

Typical meal, some kind of meat, plus rice - always rice, but with a nice seasoning. Cooked plantains (bananas) often were a part of the meal.

Exploring the beach behind the camp on day of arrival. What a beautiful vista, waves crashing on the shore, tropical, and so peaceful. How different it must have been when Hurricane Maria descended in September 2017!

Scott's team making walls, fixing the roof, and putting facade on the front of the house.

Scott's team working hard.

Team Puerto Rico - January 2019

Flag of Puerto Rico

Exploring the beach behind our camp.

Luke (Homer UMC) walking the beach.