Round 4: Taking it to the End

We left Denver for Round 4 yesterday.  My final round!  I am so close to being done with this program, and I am scrambling to find future employment.  (Spread the word and my resume)

For our final project I am back with my permanent team, minus two members.  Josh and Louise joined a composite team that stayed behind in Colorado to take on a last minute project.  The rest of us are on our way to Houston, Texas until June 8th.  We will be working with Harris County Neighborhood Centers, Inc. replacing old tarps on 99 houses that were damaged by Hurricane Ike in 2008.  The Center has run out of funding to continue providing the support that the city needs, so a donor has provided all of the supplies, and my team will be providing the labor.  This is considered a disaster response project, so it is cool to have the opportunity to do something disaster related, since I was under the impression that I would get to at some point anyways.

After our project in Houston, we are schedule to go down to Big Bend National Park.  There we will be camping for the duration of the round and helping with tread work regarding drainage and water run off as well as helping with the restoration of a historical site.  Two of my teammates spent their shuffle round in Big Bend, so they are familiar with the work and the camping situation.  We will most likely be spending at least a week back country camping, which I'm not thrilled about, but it's a growing experience right? 

There is a possibility that we will get pulled for disaster while in Big Bend, especially with all of the flooding that is going on in Louisiana from the Mississippi.  If this happens, we will be working 6 days a week, 10 hours a day.  It would be an intense experience, but one that most of the time is interested in having.  Our campus already has 8 teams deployed on disaster so far.

While in Houston, I will be receiving mail at the office.  Once in Big Bend, I will still be able to receive mail, but most likely at a much slower rate.  However, I encourage you all to write to me.  I loved the cards and letters I received last round in Oklahoma.  They truly made my day most days.  While in Big Bend, I will have very limited access to the internet, but while I am in Houston, I will do my best to keep the blog updated and y'all updated on my next move.

Love and miss y'all! 12 weeks until I am home