“Yesterday morning, we were in serious trouble. I knew that John Brown was a minister and I gave him and Michael French specific prayer requests,” said David Thompson, the lead builder with AAA Homes of MS. “We need carpenters right now!”
Without carpenters, the entire project will halt.
“We had a threat of severe weather for yesterday afternoon that could have brought lightning. Lightning shuts us down and I was afraid that the volunteers would not return.” Within minutes of the prayer, the rain was gone. With 2 hours, four carpenters were on site.
“What we needed today was sunshine and wind. We got them both,” said Thompson. “God has smiled on us.”
Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism Blog
Day 7: December 9th, 2009
8:00 a.m. - Rise and Shine! The sun is finally peaking through and there appears to be no rain in sight.
8:28 am – John Brown, assistant to the Mayor solicited prayer warriors from Hattiesburg and surrounding communities yesterday via Facebook and other media outlets. “It is our continued faith and prayer that has renewed the purpose of this project. The storm that was supposed to hit last night didn’t come, we’ve received more workers, and the contractors are finally encouraged.”
9:05 a.m. – The workers are anxiously leveling out the mud in the front yard so that the landscapers can work their magic. The paint that has been chosen is becoming more noticeable since they first started this morning.
10:00 a.m. – Lee Everett said, “the insulation was blown in last night and the heat has been turned on.” About 75% of the flooring on the inside of the house is complete. The plumbing is done, most of the painting on the interior is finalized and appliances are being installed throughout the house.
10:23 a.m. - Volunteers have begun working on the driveway by leveling the gravel.
11:05 a.m. - David Thompson, the lead builder with AAA was interviewed to get his take on the drastic shift in progress.
“Yesterday morning, we were in serious trouble. I knew that John Brown was a minister and I gave him and Michael French specific prayer requests,” said Thompson. “We need carpenters right now!”
Without carpenters, the entire project will be on halt.
“We had a threat of severe weather for yesterday afternoon that could have brought lightning. Lightning shuts us down and I was afraid that the volunteers would not return.” Within minutes of the prayer, the rain was gone. With 2 hours, four carpenters were on site.
“What we needed to day was sunshine and wind. We got them both,” said Thompson. “God has smiled on us.”
11:30 a.m. – The volunteers have finished the painting of the exterior while Encore Azalea has brought in the shrubbery, trees, and other materials for the landscaping.
12:30 – Second shift has started and lunch seems to be on everyone’s mind! Wintzell’s Oyster House Restaurant helped serve food to the VIP tent and volunteers.
12:33 - The rain over the last few days was not the best condition to build a house in, but it did not stop this design crew or the volunteers. The house really seems to be coming along and everyone is working hard to finish it all before the reveal tomorrow.
12:40 - While volunteers finish painting and laying down flooring on the inside, the AAA Homes of MS Construction crew and volunteers are hanging siding on the exterior of the house and hanging out on the roof installing shingles.
12:45 - Although the weather did push back the schedule a little bit, they are shooting for the furniture to be in by the end of the day.
12:47 - Rumor is… Ty will be back today! Just a rumor – but one we all hope to come true!
1:10 - These volunteers are so dedicated. It is amazing how great the community of Hattiesburg really is. We band together in times of need. That was shown in the aftermath of Katrina and even today – 4 years later! This was obviously a prayer answered for the Heathcock family!
1:15 - John Littlefield, a member of the EMHE Design Team, just stopped by the VIP tent to grab some food and coffee. He stopped to take a few pictures. This guy is on television all the time surrounded by cameras – yet he seems so down to earth.
1:25 - Steve Nixon, Sales Agent with AAA Homes of Mississippi, just stopped by for a chat. He was able to shed a bit of light on the technical terminology regarding the build of the house. “This is the first green-certified home in Hattiesburg and every thing used in both inside and outside of the house will help the home owners with low energy use, which reflects how much the bills will be monthly.” The siding used for the exterior of the home is called hard board vinyl siding and is completely green.
2:34 - It’s 67 degrees and we could not have asked for a better day regarding weather. While it’s still a little muddy – the sun is out and the wind is providing just the right amount of breeze. I’m sure the crew and volunteers are relieved!
4:00 pm – Shift three has started and… Ty Pennington is officially back!! He is on scene to oversee the afternoon construction indoors and take time to visit with supporters and volunteers.
4:20 pm - Ty and David Thompson, AAA Homes of MSAAA Homes of MS, head supervisor met on the home’s front porch and discuss building progress, landscaping and final construction details.
4:45 pm - AAA Contractors and designers take a 30 minute briefing to finalize scheduling details.
5:00 pm - Dinner arrives compliments of Simply Southern Catering, of Ellisville – giving volunteers a small break and a change to build up strength for the following long night ahead.
Rhonda Walters, owner of Simply Southern Catering, made a wrong turn which lead to an answered pray for many site directors.
When she spotted the volunteer tent at the Cloverleaf Mall she realized things were taken longer than expected. She found a volunteer and when they realized she was a caterer they told her to not move. She was told they needed to feed 150 volunteers tonight and she responded with, “mark it off your worry list, I’m bringing food for 150.”
This is only one example of the generosity shown throughout this week.
5:15 pm - When a AAA Homes representative was asked if furniture would be moved in tonight he stated, “Yes, we are going to move in furniture and it is going to be a long night.”
5:30 pm - Stella Payton Lockheart lifts spirits with words from a song she was inspired to write a song entitled, “The Spirit That Builds”
“…So let it give and let it build, until it builds your heart and you give yourself away…”
6:00 pm - Loads of dirt and timber were delivered to the site and the front yard was continuing to be leveled. Preparation for landscaping is underway.
6:45 pm - We were able to sit down with Bo and Adam Pennebaker, owners of Ashely Furniture Homestore in Hattiesburg and Meridian, who are platinum sponsors of this project. For over six weeks the process of furnishing this home has been underway. Designer Michael Moloney came in on Friday to complete the selection of furniture, mattresses and accessories for the home.
Although tonight was originally marked as the company’s Christmas party, changes were made and the employees are celebrating the holiday season on site with volunteers. “Over 50 employees are out on site as volunteers and about 9 more wait with two loaded trucks for the move in signal,” said Bo Pennebaker.
The Pennebaker brothers support reinforces the community’s support for the Heathcock family.
7:00pm - Volunteers have almost completed leveling all the dirt in the front yard. It is almost time for the turf.
7:30pm - Additional designers Michael Moloney and Paige Hemmis have arrived….move-in must be soon!
9:00 pm - Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network arrived with the Heathcock Family’s clothing.
In the season of giving, we were called upon to give a great gift. Although the house may not exist one day, the love it was built upon will last forever.
Christen Amick, Becky Bullock, Samantha McCain, Sharen Ross & Samone Faulkner
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