God Can Find Us Anywhere we Travel—by Fran and Joe Kossan

Little did we know just how our lives were about to change, as we pulled into Denali State Park on our dream vacation to Alaska during the summer of 2005. We met a couple working there who were "Full-Timers" and NOMADS.

They shared lots of "blessings" they had received traveling and doing NOMADS projects. As we were leaving Judy looked into my face and said, "When we decided to do this it was the MOST LIBERATING EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE". Wow…!

As we walked back to our 24’ Class C, I remember saying to Joe, "Wow, wouldn’t that be fun to be liberated like that." Back at home, we decided to sell our home in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, buy a larger RV, and join NOMADS. All of this just fell into place from the moment we started this adventure of Faith. In January I wrote a note to the couple we met in Alaska, thanking them for allowing Our Lord to speak to me through them.

For our first NOMADS destination, we chose to work in Bay St Louis, Mississippi helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. We pulled into the parking lot of the First United Methodist Church and parked next to a fifth-wheel RV. Joe went into the church, then returned shortly with the couple God had introduced to us in Denali. I was in tears for three hours…tears of joy that my Lord loved me this much to give me the ultimate gift to share with the people He chose to speak to me through. We were strangers until then…now we are family. They had no idea we were coming to Mississippi and we had no idea they were going to be there. Only God could bring us together again and allow us to get to know each other. Thanks be to Him.

Why We Have Been NOMADS for Six Years—by Sue and Arlin Kiel

Why are we members of NOMADS? Why would anyone travel thousands of miles, with gas at $2.56 a gallon, to go around the country doing volunteer projects?

We have built new relationships:

With a young pastor bringing Christ to children in the inner city of Phoenix, Arizona, where we worked on their church.

With 200 teenagers expanding their Christian faith at a Methodist Camp in New York where we worked on camp maintenance and office work.

With two widow ladies who are neighbors in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where we insulated and sheet rocked their homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

With Senora Rios whose home was damaged by a serious fire in Rio Grande City, Texas where we put new ceilings, walls, and doors in her home.

With world-wide missions on an international scope, as we volunteered at the Heifer International ranch in Arkansas and ECHO Project farm in Florida.

With fellow NOMADS as we are inspired by their life stories and service.

With Jesus as we grow in faith through using our hands in His service.

When we retired, we chose to spread the blessings that we have enjoyed throughout our lives. We recommend NOMADS for retirees looking for "Retirement with a Purpose."

Retired Pastor Combines Service and Travel-–by Gary and Jeanne Judson

Most clergy enter ministry to be of service to others. When retirement comes as it did for me, the question came, how can I continue to be in ministry in my retirement years?

One of the ways my wife, Jeanne, and I have answered that question is to become involved in NOMADS. Wow! NOMADS turned out to be a real win-win situation for us. We serve and are blessed in return in many ways. First, we travel to interesting and exciting placed around the country. Our first projects were in Rio Grande City, Texas and in Bisbee, Arizona. Places we had never been before. Secondly, we meet and work with the "locals". Jeanne and I have always loved traveling where we can really get to know the people locally, rather than just being a tourist, passing through.

A special blessing that comes with being a NOMAD is other NOMADS. They come with a love of the Lord, a delight in having fun together, and a desire to be of service to others. We now have an extended family all over the country we can visit when we are traveling through.

The big hurdle that Jeanne and I faced before becoming Nomads was getting an RV. We had never driven anything that big. Jeanne was for something small and easy to drive. I was for something larger with more of the creature comforts. Fortunately, NOMAD friends let us drive their 31-foot RV, and Jeanne was soon sailing down the road at 60 miles an hour. Okay, so now we have used 34-foot Class A RV and love it.

For those who love to travel and want to continue to serve others, NOMADS is the way to go. See you on down the road.

New Member of NOMADS Works on Katrina Relief—by Ron Glasgow

I have just finished my third project as a NOMAD, so I am relatively new to the organization. My first project was in 2006 on a Revolving Team Project in Moss Point, Mississippi, doing repairs in homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina. I worked on four different houses doing mostly dry wall replacement.

Each home brings different memories to mind. The one that stands out was the home of an 85-year-old widow named Mildred. She told us that she rode out the storm in her attic with several neighbors. She was living in a front bedroom while our NOMADS team was doing repairs in other rooms in her home. [Even though there was a FEMA trailer in her front yard, Mildred said that she was staying in her home, "I’m waiting until God tells me to move into that trailer, and he hasn’t told me to yet!!] Every day she would tell us how glad she was to have us working to restore her home. She was a delight.

My most rewarding experience was working with my fellow NOMADS. I have worked with a lot of people in my lifetime, but this group stands out as being one of the best. Christian fellowship is always rewarding and the NOMADS are no exception.

I highly recommend NOMADS as a worthwhile retirement project.

The Joy of Giving to Others—by Louise and Roland Davey

When you give, you receive back ten fold. When you give through the NOMADS nothing could be truer. Louise and I gave 14 weeks to NOMADS projects in 2006 and never have we felt so good. We worked building low-income houses in Florida City where they are still recovering from Hurricane Andrew in the early 90’s, helped replace windows and paint murals in Frostproof United Methodist Church, Florida, and, in two trips to Caswell Springs, Mississippi, helped rebuild after the hurricane.

On our first trip to Caswell Springs, we were assigned to rehabilitate a house that received extensive water damage when its roof was destroyed. The lady of the house had been furnished a FEMA trailer but would not use the trailer because she was terminally ill with cancer and said she wanted to finish her days in the home she had lived in for over 30 years.

Six of us set about replacing carpet, finishing the drywall, painting, replacing a rusted-out bathtub, and putting up the finish wood trim. As a last effort, we scrubbed the kitchen, repainted the walls, replaced the four-lamp florescent fixture that only had one working tube, and cleaned and repaired a china cabinet with broken leg. As we finished, she insisted on getting out of bed to see what we and done to her home. Tears of joy moistened her aging cheeks when she saw her "new home". She said her home had not looked this good in many years.

The joy in her face and the song in her voice still give us goose bumps a year later as we remember our giving through NOMADS.

Full-time RVers Were Bored as Full-time Tourists—by Jeannie and Rob Coe

We both retired from the Army--Rob grew up in Wyoming, I grew up in Mississippi.  Early in our marriage we established that we didn’t want to retire in either Wyoming (possible snow in June) or Mississippi (possible heat wave from May till October).  As we considered where we did want to retire, Rob asked if I would like to full time in an RV.  Well, no I would not!! Then he asked me if I would try it for a year.  Well, okay, I loved this guy and we had been married for over 20 years, so I was determined to be open minded and try it.  

We retired and moved from our military quarters right into our RV along with our 100-pound dog.  We both loved it and, as far as we know, the dog was pretty happy as well.  However, after six months we realized we were bored as fulltime tourists.

We joined NOMADS in 2000 and found what we had been missing as full-time RVers.  NOMADS is a Methodist mission group of RVers who do three week work projects across the country. In our 6 years as NOMADS we have met so many wonderful NOMADS as well as the people we are working for.  We now have connections with NOMADS friends across the country and every day we feel so very blessed.  We have both had the opportunity to learn new skills as well as teach new skills to other NOMADS.  In NOMADS we found a combination of meaningful work that allowed us to give back some of what God has given us plus have fun (NOMADS do eat well and have a great time together). 

We invite you to be part of this valuable ministry.  Wherever you decide to work, you will not be disappointed. 

A Special Thanks to Some Wonderful People -–by Christine and Bill Grubbs

We received the following letter from the Grubbs. We were on the NOMADS team that repaired their home in the spring of 2006.  It was some of the hardest NOMADS work we have ever done--nothing was square, nothing was level, everything was a custom cut… but it was by far the most rewarding work we have ever done.  One of the last things we did was set up their bedroom furniture so they could finally sleep in their own house after 7 months in their FEMA trailer.  The looks on their faces were one of the greatest gifts we have ever received!     --Rob and Jeannie Coe

NOMADS Help 33-year-old Katrina Survivor—by Celeste Barlow

Hello! My name is Celeste Barlow and I am from Pascagoula, Mississippi. I was very excited when I bought my first home on July 28th, 2005. I thought it was just adorable and the perfect size for just me (I am single with no children). I moved in the house 25 days before Hurricane Katrina. The area had NEVER flooded. However, on August 29, 2005, four feet of water came rushing in my home.

The first thought that entered my mind after the hurricane was that I had not even made the first house payment yet!! Now what? Then, the Lord brought the NOMADS to my church, Caswell Springs United Methodist.

When the NOMADS arrived at my house in November of 2005, my house didn't have walls. We had stripped everything down to the studs. The first day, the NOMADS put insulation in the walls. Then, the second day, I came home and they had put up the sheet rock. I HAD WALLS. That day was one of the most exciting days of my entire life. !!!! I know it sounds silly, but I was so grateful to have walls! They put just as much care and love and hard work into my home as my family and I had.

It's been over a year now since the storm and I am now back in my home. I am very blessed, because I know some people who are not back in their homes yet. I have been truly overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness and generosity of people who didn't even know me prior to Hurricane Katrina. I appreciate, more than words could ever express, not only the hard work the NOMADS put into my home, but also the words of encouragement, the prayers, and the friendships. The Lord brought them into my life, and I will be forever blessed for knowing them.

Posted 2-26-07