NOMADS - Uskichitto Retreat Center - LeBlanc, LA

      When we arrived at Uskichitto Retreat Center in southern Louisiana last March we were amazed at the beautiful scenery all around us. The Azalea's were blooming and were everywhere you looked. We were warmly welcomed by our NOMADS team leaders Jan and Marshall Neill. We also were greeted by in force hungry mosquitos looking to sample our blood. We found a beautiful campsite and settled in anxious to go to work. 

Uskichitto Retreat Center - colorful Azaleas everywhere

       Each morning, Monday thru Thursday, at 8 we would meet at the
 dining hall for devotions, followed by planning our days work. 

     Besides Jan & Marshall from Texas, we had Larry and Nina Weber
 from Illinois, and Bill and Carolyn Gast from Iowa on this project. 
We also enjoyed working with Matt the camp director and his assistant 
Sarah throughout our time at URC.

Larry and Nina leading music during morning devotions 
*notice the can of mosquito spray on Larry's hat!

Our nice full hook-up campsite

Jan & Marshall - our leaders

  Some of the projects we worked on at URC:

•  converting part of Cabin 5 to a 1 bedroom apartment retreat for pastors. We installed a new kitchen sink, drop in range, painted and decorated in this conversion. 
• power wash swimming pool and fill for season
• various plumbing and electrical repairs in the cabins 
• trim trees and shrubs, haul to burn pile, burn brush
• install vinyl skirting around the bottom perimeter of five cabins, office
• clean and reorganize maintenance shop
• completely rewire maintenance shop installing new lighting and receptacles
• build and install sound panels in chapel/activity building

   

 Larry sawing vinyl skirting

 Jeff and Bill working on kitchen in Cabin 5

 Joyce on the tractor - hauling brush

Bill and Sarah building a new cabinet at the maintenance shop

     Several times we were treated to lunch at the camp by volunteers from local churches, former camp workers, and even a NOMADS couple who live in the area and are no longer active members.

    NOMADS enjoy eating out! We ate Cajun quite often and even did Mexican once. We made a 20 mile trip to a DQ just to satisfy everyone's
longing for a Blizzard ice cream treat.

     We took a tour of some of the wildlife refuges in the area and saw lots of Gators and water fowl. We also were able to see some of the areas that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. 

    Overall we had an enjoyable 3 weeks at URC in Louisiana and enjoyed meeting and working with fellow NOMADS. We would love to return here again some time in the future to do another project.