Day One—Palm Sunday—March 16, 2008

This was a travel day for the Mission Team.  On the first Palm Sunday, Jesus only had to go from Bethany to Jerusalem.  We had to travel from Scottsdale to Mississippi.  The team arrived in three waves on three different airlines.  By 10:00 p.m., we were all settled into our bunkhouses.

Since Presbyterians and other Christians have been making their way down to the Gulf Coast for a couple of years now, the rebuilding effort set up is a little less primitive.  We are staying in huts that have electricity and air conditioning.  There are flushing toilets and showers with hot and cold running water.  It has all been set up on the grounds of the Gulfport Community (Presbyterian) Church.  Another workgroup of about 20 college students cooked dinner for us last night--lasagna.  They are here from the First Presbyterian Church of San Antonio, TX.   Another group from Messiah College is due in sometime Monday. 

One of the last events for the evening was singing around a campfire with new friends.  We have all received the memory verse for the week.  Lowell said it seemed particularly appropriate: "You have six days to do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me" (Leviticus 2:3a).  By the way, Lowell is the only one whose luggage hasn't arrived yet.  He suspects it is because we were traveling on the Sabbath.  Tomorrow we find out what sort of work we will be doing.

The funniest thing that happens was the airport.  Most of the luggage was loaded into the van I was driving.  As we were ready to drive away from the airport, I discovered that the keys given to me did not fit the ignition.  How could they hand me the wrong key?  "Good help is sure hard to find," I thought to myself.  Right as I turned to walk back to the car rental office I looked at the parking space number.  I had loaded our luggage in the wrong van.  Hopefully I will become a wiser leader by tomorrow.

Day Two—Holy Monday—March 17

After much organizational confusion this morning, our group finally received our assignment: dry walling.  We drove to Gulfport to the new home soon to be occupied by Ruby McLemore.  Ruby is a dear Christian woman, a senior citizen and great-grandmother with a remarkable ministry to street people.  Two and a half years ago, when Hurricane Katrina hit this area, the violent winds blew the roof off of her house.  In January of this year, her replacement home was finally begun.

It seems that everyone you meet here has a story to tell.  No—they each have a story they need to tell, a need for someone to hear it, a need for someone to acknowledge the pain and loss they have experienced.   When the hurricane came ashore, the tidal swell was 31 feet above normal.  A high school 30 miles inland had water reach the top of the football field goalposts.  Amazing!

Ruby had a different story to tell.  As she came to say thanks to us for our part in building her home, she spoke of the faith we have in common.  She spoke of her trust that God would eventually respond to her need.  "He is an on-time God," she told us. So he is.  Today is Ruby's time, and we have the privilege of being part of God’s blessing her.

The church members of Gulfport Presbyterian Church threw a potluck tonight and invited all the volunteers to dinner.  We stay afterwards for a worship service remembering the events of Jesus' life on Holy Monday.  Tomorrow, more stories on our adventures in drywall and our introduction to "Flossy."

Day Three--Holy Tuesday—March 18

If God is in the details, then God was certainly with us today.  The process of dry walling a house has but one goal.  We are supposed to make the walls and ceiling smooth enough for paint.  Detail work is tedious, but everyone was in good humor today.

One of the reasons for our good spirits is the four dedicated members of our "morale crew."  These four women stay behind in camp each day to buy supplies, cook dinner and clean the camp kitchen.  That way, when we come back to camp exhausted each day, a place has been prepared for us.  So thank you Donna Beggs, Anne Kurtz, Judy Creighton and Pat Reynolds.  Special thanks go to them for the home made cookies at lunchtime and the home made brownies at dinner.

Now here are the results of our favorite-camp-sayings contest.  Out of kindness and Christian charity, the speakers of these lines will remain nameless.

Most hastily regretted utterance: "You can try anything on a date once."

Most intriguing sound: "Judy singing campfire songs."

Most obscure saying: "Lowell and his thermometer."

Most embarrassing saying: "Ow, I pulled out hair."

Most common sentence: "Hey Flossy!"

Flossy is our official Mission Trip mascot.  She is a grey kitten with green eyes that belongs to Rosy.  Flossy stays around the house in which we are working even as Rosy awaits the chance to occupy it. 

After dinner, we had the chance to hear from Russ Oldermann, the person in charge of the Presbytery of Mississippi’s relief efforts.  They have completed 23 homes in the past 12 months.  It is quite an undertaking, all made possible, Russ explained, because of volunteers like us who continue to come out here.

Pastor Chas Jones, from the Gulfport Community Church, asked me to assist him with Holy Week Services tonight.  I must have done well.  He asked to help him again tomorrow.

Day Four—Holy Wednesday—March 19

Rain today meant that we were not able to do any drywall work.  The plaster was too wet. So instead we all drove out to the coast to view the area where Katrina made landfall in 2005.  It is estimated that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita destroyed some 350,000 homes between New Orleans and the Alabama coast.   The area affected is enormous. 

The native coastal oaks survived the storms.  Only now they grow between vacant slabs where people once lived.  The sight of these majestic trees is beautiful and sobering at the same time.

In the afternoon, we visited the John Steness Space Center.  That is where NASA tests it new rocket engines.  For dinner, we dined out at a restaurant for a change.  Great local seafood was a nice way for the team to mark the mid-waypoint in our mission trip.  Everyone is motivated to get back to work and finish our part for Miss Rosy (and Flossy, of course).

At the church service tonight, we heard the story of Mary of Bethany anointing the feet of Jesus.  We remembered her extravagant love for Jesus and God's extravagant love for us in sending Jesus to die for our sakes.  This week we are trying to demonstrate the love of Christ in a practical way to one family.  But we have been overwhelmed at how many strangers stop to say thanking to us for coming to help.  God's love made tangible truly is the work of Christ.

Day Five—Maundy Thursday—March 20

We were back to dry walling today.  By now we are all used to dust on our faces and spackle on our clothes. Well, as used to it as any of us ever hope to be.

At 11:00 this morning, the morale ladies showed up with Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee.  Soon there after, Miss Ruby stopped by the house with her husband Andrew and their great-granddaughter Alexis.  They are raising Alexis so this will be her home too.  We all held hands together and asked God to bless their family and their new home.  It was a wonderful and emotional time of prayer. 

Phone calls today help remind me that there will be all sorts of details to attend to when our mission trip ends.  Not the least of these will be Easter services on Sunday.  But this evening we remembered together Jesus at the Last Supper.  We gathered in the Gulfport Community Church for a Tenebrea Communion service. 

Tomorrow will be our last workday.  At noon we plan to travel to New Orleans to see for ourselves how the recovery effort is progressing on the Louisiana side of the river.

Day Six—Good Friday—March 21

What is it about southern states and Waffle House restaurants?  We pass four different Waffle House locations on the twenty minutes drive between camp and the house we are helping to build.  The common wisdom among the team is that Waffle House restaurants are as common in Mississippi as Starbucks are in Scottsdale. 

Today was our last day at

 

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