The whole crew has made it home safe and sound. Thank you for your messages and prayers during our journey. Watch for more photos coming soon, as well as a full report of our experiences.

The crew departed the village this morning, with most of the group flying back to Kansas City this afternoon, and driving home from there. The support vehicle, meanwhile, traveled through the remnants of a snow/ice storm in Arkansas, but made it safely to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for the evening.

The group poses with the sign we made, which is a tradition of groups staying at the Olive Tree village.

We finished up our last day of work, and the rains finally fell. However, we worked through the rain and completed much of work, including exterior and interior painting, tiling, and grouting. What a wonderful week we had! It's difficult to put into words the experience we had. We helped make a difference in the lives of the family we assisted, and they made a difference in our lives at the same time. We worked hard, but also had a lot of fun, while finding Christ in our hearts and in the world.

We look forward to the possibilities of another trip, and we encourage you to look within your heart and consider joining us.

We got a little wet, but kept on working.

Lakeside's Sewing Circle donated five handmade quilts for the people being helped by PDA and Project Homecoming. One of these quilts will be given to the owners of the home we are working on, and the other four will be given to other homeowners as their homes are completed and dedicated.

Pictured with our group are Vann Joines of Project Homecoming, and Kerry & Kelly Buell, PDA Village Hosts.

After two days of hard work, the crew took a day off to see the local sights and support the local economy (i.e., shop and eat). We visited the National World War II Museum (click here for a special message), then spent the rest of the day in the French Quarter. It was a long day of walking, but was a nice change of pace. We'll be back at the work site tomorrow and look forward to completing the tasks we've been assigned.

The group enjoyed beignets at Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter.

Another successful day of work. The exterior and interior painting are nearly complete, and the tiling is moving along nicely. We also met one of our homeowners today. She is very anxious to move in, which should happen within a few weeks.

One of our homeowners (and her dog) with our two site supervisors.

We had our first day of work today. The eight of us spent the day working at the house of the Ford family, painting inside and out, and laying bathroom tile, in the Lower Ninth Ward. It was a long hard day, but so very fulfilling. We look forward to returning to work tomorrow.

The crew at the end of a our first day of work.

The support vehicle has made it to New Orleans, after a stop in Slidell, LA, for a local Mardi Gras parade. The rest of the group is en route, and should arrive at the New Orleans airport in about an hour.

More updates tomorrow after our first day of work.

The support vehicle made stops in Sikeston, Missouri, for lunch at Lambert's Cafe for some southern cooking (fried okra, fried potatoes, turnip greens) and their famous "throwed rolls", then a stop at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. We're now at our overnight stop in Batesville, Mississippi. Getting closer to New Orleans!

The support vehicle has made it to Hannibal, MO! It's gradually getting warmer. At least it's above freezing here. The excitement is building.

We are preparing for our trip next week, and getting excited. It's hard to believe that the time is almost here.

We will be staying at Olive Tree Village, and working with Project Homecoming.

Watch for updates during our trip!

The 9 members of the New Orleans mission trip were commissioned this morning as part of the Sunday worship service.

Pictured, l-r. Front: Heather Shoup, Rod Plagman, Charlene Plagman, Joni Wulfekuhler, Kay Merlis. Back: Nancy Alderton, Kris Pearson, Matt Pearson. Missing: Jeff Myers.