2008 Mission Trip to Gulfport Mississippi

Click links below to go directly to desired day:

Day 1: Saturday, July 12, 2008

Day 2: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Day 3: Monday, July 14, 2008

Day 4: Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Day 5: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Day 6: Thursday, July 17, 2008

Day 7: Friday, July 18, 2008

Day 1:  Saturday, July 12, 2008 

We began our day on standard MT Time (i.e. Mission Trip Time).  Mission Trip Time translates this way.  We schedule ourselves to leave for Mississippi at 7:00 A.M. so we have to arrive at the church by 6:00 A.M. which means we have to wake up at 5:00 A.M.  (We will remain on MT Time for the remainder of the trip!)   

When we arrived at church we started our day off with a pre-mission trip service in the sanctuary.  We were very blessed to have family and church family members come to see us off and worship with us before our departure.  Gary played us a song from a CD about the “holy body of Christ” and we all took communion.  Afterwards we held a group prayer and piled into the vans and truck.   How exciting it was to see all of the new faces traveling back with us to a place we have talked about for a year.  While five of our original mission team members from last year were unable to attend, we now have thirteen new members on the team with us this year.  God is awesome!  He has called more and more of us to serve and these people keep obeying His call.  Even more awesome is God continually supplying us with all of the materials, finances, and talents that we will need to complete the work He has in store for us. 

Once we pulled out of the church parking lot, the most difficult part of the trip was completed.  It is those last few moments before packing, those last few moments waiting to get on the van, and those last few moments hugging loved ones good-bye that is most difficult.  Last week Gary had us all come to the altar and he prayed for us.  One specific prayer was that whatever obstacles got in our way that we would not let them hinder us from taking this trip.  It would be so easy to back out of this journey at the last minute but no one did – including six teenagers who are with us this year.  The hardest part is behind and the greatest lies ahead – the blessings we will receive when we open our hearts to serve Him – even when we don’t have a clue what skills are needed to perform those tasks awaiting our arrival. 

The trip passed uneventfully – thankfully!  There were a few stops here and there and an occasional “I’m hot” or “I’m cold” but we finally arrived at Columbus, Georgia where we traveled to our host church, Central Christian Church.  It was nice seeing the minister, Rev. Dr. Tom Stephenson and the associate minister, Barbara Sims King whom we met last year during our mission trip to Mississippi.  After dragging out our beds and blowing them up, most of the women and a few men took to the parking lot for a humid Georgia walk.  Our walk was followed by tomorrow’s agenda and a group prayer.  Not amazingly, breakfast will be served at 7:00 A.M. so Gary wants us up, showered, and packed BEFORE breakfast – Standard MT Time.  And get this!  We have traveled all the way to Georgia to hear . . . Gary deliver the sermon!? 

 Well everyone is downstairs now taking showers and preparing for bed.  We hope all of you are having a wonderful and safe Saturday.  We miss all of you and we love all of you who are our family and friends.  Please keep us in your prayers.  

Until tomorrow when we report from Gulfport, good night. 

P.S.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY!  We are blessed to have you as our minister and for leading us back on our second mission trip.   

Click here for pictures from Day 1: Saturday, July 12, 2008

Day 2: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Last night as we each headed for bed . . . or mattress should we say . . . there was a sweet treat on each of our pillows.  There was a little note that said, “God’s love is ‘MINT’ for you!” and there was a nice Andes chocolate mint candy attached.  When Brett Miller woke up this morning he and Sue noticed something brown all over his sheets and the side of his head.  I’m not sure how this played out but eventually someone in their room – Sue, Mark, or Cindy – was finally brave enough to smell Brett to determine the source of his “brownness.”  Much to everyone’s delight, Brett had simply slept on his Andes’ mint.  Cathy Cabrera has now nicknamed Brett, “Mint Julip”!   

Our morning began . . . EARLY!  We were given a delicious breakfast by our host church, Central Christian Church of Columbus, Georgia.  As usual, we were on MT Time.  Since we were to eat breakfast at 7:00 A.M we had to be up, dressed, and all items packed in the vans and trailer BEFORE breakfast (per Gary).  After we finished eating breakfast, there we were – all dressed up with no where to go.  Sunday school began at 8:45.  We were finished by 7:30.  So, our day began with the dreaded waiting game.  We had to sit for one hour and fifteen minutes!  Some of that time was spent talking, visiting, and taking pictures.  About fifteen minutes before Sunday school started we headed into the sanctuary and had our own praise and worship service led by Beth, Pat, and Jacky.  Ken of course ran our sound via his Ipod!   

Now here is a very important part of our day.  Yesterday if you logged in to read the report of our trip, some of us were a bit quizzical as to why we traveled three states away to hear Gary preach the sermon today because after all, we hear him every Sunday.  Well I don’t know if it was comments like, “Don’t embarrass us” or “Remember you’re only thirty days from the next board meeting,” but I have to say this: that little man was rockin’ today!  I, Beth, would have traveled ten states over to hear that sermon!  As a matter of fact, in the middle of it I got worried thinking maybe he was really preaching to their pulpit committee and they were trying him out.  I almost felt a little protective of our little Texan.  The good news is I saw no negotiating and he is now safe until the September board meeting.  So basically Gary, when you read this, know you now have about sixty more days before the next board meeting that you need to worry about!  (We are joking . . . not about his sermon because it was good . . . but about him having to worry about the next board meeting.  That part is a joke.)  If you would like to hear Gary's sermon, click on the Sermon Link on the left side of this page.

After Gary’s fantastic sermon, we loaded up the vans and truck and we were off again.  We finally arrived in Gulfport, Mississippi, around 6:00 Central time.  We have traveled 888.8 miles to get here.  After unloading the trailer, setting up our rooms, going through orientation, eating supper at Cracker Barrel with thirty three people, and meeting with Gary one more time, we are now getting ready to shower and prepare for bed and it is 11:20 here.  That is not many hours until we eat breakfast at 7:00 A.M. MT Time!  

For the newest members of the team, they were excited to finally see the place we have talked of so fondly since last August.  For those of us returning from last year, it was great to pull into the church parking lot and to greeted by our old friend Larry and to learn how our projects from last year turned out.  We also met Larry’s intern Alex and both of them briefed us on our “home away from home” until the end of this week.

As I type now, I can hear the halls getting quieter and quieter.  People are starting to settle in and fall asleep.  Two of the few noises I hear is Ken working behind me on his computer and the train that passes through the next block over.  In the quiet I am thinking of what a difference a year has made.  When we entered Gulfport today we were amazed by the repairs and work that has been completed since we last left.  At the same time, with the train passing through and Ken and I working in our makeshift office, it seems like we were here just a few short months ago.  I remember how unsure I - most of us - felt last year the night before we began our first mission work.  I think of the six teenagers just a few rooms over who will leave here in five days totally changed by this experience.  I think of the five people who couldn’t return this year with us and I of course miss my roommates – Angela and Tony.  How odd that things seem so different yet so much the same.  Gary keeps telling us that this is a different mission trip and that this is a different team from last year.  In part I know he is right.  However, I know that one thing will remain the same:  GOD IS HERE AND HE IS WITH US AND I KNOW THAT AS THE WEEK GOES ON WE WILL FEEL HIS PRESENCE MORE AND MORE WITH EVERY DAY THAT PASSES.  Like the sound of that train in the distance I can hear his sweet spirit whispering to us and I know He is our constant.   

Click here for pictures from Day 2: Sunday, July 13, 2008

Day 3: Monday, July 14, 2008

“The Social Group” 

Last night when we all received our assignments, Gary called our group “The Social Group” and even said he didn’t know why we got that name.  There really is no joke to this.  We still have no idea why we received this name but when “Social Group” was called, we seemed to answer.  In this group were the following:  Mike Sunday, Duwayne Divens, Ken Brown, Beth Brown, and much much much to my (Beth’s) great happiness, the six teenagers who included Krista Cabrera, Lauren Wilson, Hayley Morton, Michelle Farland, Sarah Lunceford, and the baby of the crew this year, Casey Lunceford. 

After breakfast and devotion I was so excited to be taking the teenage girls with me that I took it upon myself to make sure we had all the items we needed to survive the day.  Sue Miller, being the ever happy helper, jumped right in and volunteered to help me get the items to the van.  To get in the van I had to borrow the key from . . .  Casey?  (That is the logical person to have the key – the youngest team member – right?)  Well, in just a few moments (no doubt when Ken HAD to be out there), I stepped away from the van and whether there was the brush of my arm, my rear-end, or maybe even a “light” gale of wind, when I turned around, the door of the van was shut . . . with the van key sitting beautifully right where I left it . . . on the front seat.  And so, that is how we began our day! 

After calling AAA, a locksmith said he would be on his way . . . in an hour.  Yep, an hour!  But who needs a locksmith when you have Brett “Mint Julip” Miller and Ken Brown?  In no time they had the door unlocked and we were off . . . to the back parking lot of the church . . . where we waited . . . again.  It seems that Larry lost the keys to his van.  Luckily, he found them . . . but then we had to wait for him to put the battery back in his van.  (I didn’t even ask.)  At this point we had to follow another group (Bob and Shirley Woodard and Doodle and Peggy Jarman) to their site.  Somewhere along the route, the six teenagers and I fell asleep.  (Late night news reports are KILLING ME and KEN getting any sleep!)  When we awoke . . . QUITE sometime later, we were arriving at our site.  We were so far out I was not sure if we had gone back to Alabama or Georgia.  Nice nap though!  Plus, we actually were still in Mississippi . . . somewhere . . . in Mississippi. 

And there we were at OUR site - FINALLY!  We piled out and we knew we had to catch up for lost time.  So we worked hard for about two hours until lunch.  When we sat down for lunch I had to spread our newest “good news.”  After two hours of working in the heat, at lunch which we took at noon, we discovered we had already drunk all of our water.  Thank goodness we started late or we would have had nothing to drink for lunch.  At least our day was consistent.  (=:   

Now like all mission trip days there were some humorous moments.  Poor Mike was up on a metal roof around noon when the sun couldn’t possibly be any higher while his father-in-law, Duwayne, was standing beneath him (apparently given suggestions on what to do next.)  Mike, sweating, moaning, groaning, heaving, and pulling tried desperately to move a huge cylinder item out of the roof.  (Now according to Mike, when he retold the story during share time, this cylinder item was about 30-40 feet.  According to Duwayne, it is about 15-20 feet!)  Either way, Mike was standing at the very edge of the roof trying not to fall off from pulling it or falling out from a heat stroke.  At the same time as Duwayne shouted out suggestions, apparently Ken was tossing up tools for Mike to use . . . and not very accurately.  Nonetheless, Mike survived, pulled it out, and went back down off of the roof . . . sopping wet from sweat.  As Mike tells it, when he got on the ground he saw Duwayne there with only two little drop of sweat on the front of his shirt.   

Another funny thing that happened was that Krista and I (showing the other girls our mission skills from last year) took a metal frame of a wall down.  The bottom of the frame was nailed into cement with “red heads.”  Let’s just say “red heads” are HUGE nails!  Fighting this Goliath of a project, Krista had a crow bar and I had a hammer.  Frantically pulling and tugging with sweat streaming down our faces, I yelled, “Krista, it is coming loose!”  Too bad it was the hammer that came loose.  I pulled so hard I came up with the handle of the hammer but no hammer head.  It was still stuck in the floor!  (So much for impressing the kids!)     

Now here is the important part.  Yes, we got off to a bad start.  The keys were locked in the van, we had to wait for Larry, we drove to what seemed like the end of the earth, it was hot, and we ran out of water, BUT what an amazing day of reminders that even in the most flustering of moments God’s abundant grace is covering us and He had called us to help those in need.  With this I will tell you the story we learned today from our family. 

When we arrived we were greeted by two young girls in the seventh grade.  One was Courtney who was a member of the family we were helping and the other was her friend, Brittany.  In a few moments, Courtney’s step-father arrived and the three of them remained with us throughout the day.  It was during these times talking to them that we learned their story . . .  

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the man named William was single and lived on a boat.  Needless to say, he totally lost his home in the hurricane.  Courtney and her mother were living in Biloxi, Mississippi, when Katrina came through and became part of a neighborhood that began to flood.  DURING the hurricane they were forced to leave their home when the water rose too high and flee to the home of neighbors.  As the flooding continued, they were continually forced to flee home after home with their neighbors until they reached the one house that was elevated the highest.  Even in this home her mother was waist deep in water.  When they were able to escape that home they were homeless and slept out on the streets for two days with no food.  After that they stayed in a tent for three weeks.  Eventually, family members from Alabama came and took them back home for two months.  At some point after returning to Mississippi, Courtney’s mother met William and they married.  While they now live in MEMA housing, they are attempting to build a home for themselves and their family.  The home they are making used to be a hardware store prior to the hurricane.  During Katrina it was hit by a tornado.  William purchased the building and land in hopes to convert the store into a home.  In his spare time he is an avid outdoorsman and his other project at this time is to open a camp to make children more aware of nature.  He is in the process of meeting with developers in Mississippi to discuss writing a grant to make his future camp wheel-chair accessible.    

So, the keys were locked in the van.  So, we were late.  So, we ran out of water.  The whole day the two young girls continued to help our six teenagers with the work.  I kept looking at Courtney and thinking about Casey.  They are the same age.  Three years ago Casey was in fourth grade.  Fourth grade!  I tried to imagine Cindy frantically trying to move Casey to higher and higher ground.  What desperation that mother must have felt.  What sense of hopelessness she must have experienced.  I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them to stay on the streets and her unable to provide her fourth grader with food.  And yet here they were and here we were.  On the outside she looked like our girls.  She was happy and laughing.  She told us she couldn’t wait until she could move into her new house and into her new bedroom.  Yet, from this same child she told us of how three years later, when a storm comes in and the rain and wind begins, her mother will still wake Courtney in the middle of the night to make her sleep in the room with her. William her step-father says they are getting better but that it has taken time . . .  

TIME . . . how important we – I – needed to remember that word today.  I felt I had lost us valuable time this morning but do any of us working today really understand time?  Three years have gone by and this storm and its devastation still surrounds these people everyday.  There is more than just debris that litters the homes.  There is the debris of fear in the hearts and minds of these people – these children of Mississippi.  And yet, when I heard the sound of the two girls laughing and when I saw how excited they were to take our girls down to see the river that runs beside their future home, I once again heard the soft voice of God reminding me that for the ten of us who made up this “Social Team,” we had walked on Holy Ground today.  If this young girl can live with joy and hope, God is surely in their presence and by us being there today, so were we.  At lunch I looked over to Ken and said, “God sent our kids to the right place today,” and he agreed.  I know they were so hot and tired today but I also hope that someday they will remember that one hot summer day in a Mississippi river, they stood in His presence and that no matter what struggles they may face in life, there is always hope because there is always God. 

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“The Social Crew’s Report by the Six Teenagers”
 

The Social Crew, consisting of Michelle Farland, Lauren Wilson, Krista Cabrera, Casey Lunceford, Sarah Lunceford, Hayley Morton, Beth and Ken Brown, Michael Sunday, and Dwayne Divens, made way to their work site this morning. We actually had a rather late start seeing as Beth Brown locked the keys in our van. Thank goodness we had Brett with talents from his younger days to break into our van…... Yay!

Our day started at a house on the outskirts of Gulfport. The women of the group picked up debris around the property and removed metal studs inside the house. The men put up siding and weed-whacked. Needless to say, we were working hard, especially in 90-95 degree weather……not exactly the coolest working conditions.

Even through the heat, we were humble and worked with love in our hearts knowing that these people were in need. Though we worked hard, we did have time to have fun. The home-owner was leading the women around to the certain things we had to pick up. One of which (the granite) was lying right next to Trac-hoe and sadly……Beth saw it. Surprisingly, the home-owner allowed Beth to drive and as soon as Beth climbed in, the team backed up. None of us were ready to be run over by that monster and Beth! It’s a good thing God was watching over us.

After Beth performed her donuts on the Trac-hoe, the teenagers took a trip down to Wolf River and cooled off. It really was a beautiful place. Not too long after, we cleaned up, packed the van, and departed from our work site.

On the drive home, we reflected on the work we had accomplished throughout the day, and even though the work seemed hard and we felt weak, we pushed through and made a difference. That’s what makes us a team.

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“The McDonald Team” 

After a delicious breakfast and motivating devotion by Mark Lunceford, we took off to our job site.  The McDonald Team included Gary, Susan Brown, Brenda Huffman, Cathy Cabrera, and Roy and Mary Ann Metts.   Alex and Megan, also helped us.  Alex and Megan are assistants to Larry Baldauf.   

Our home was a one-story block home.  We repainted all the trim which included shutters, overhangs, eaves, around the windows, the porch area and porch columns.  We repainted with a dark green paint (aka “crème de mint” green in honor of Bret Miller).  Susan was drawn to the homeowners’ beautiful rose bushes. She attempted to take time to smell the roses, however, she could only smell paint.  She had paint from head to toe! Ha!  Ha! 

We all learned that you do not scrape your brush against the side of the can to remove excess paint. You only tap the brush gently on the side of the can.   First lesson of the work!  Thanks to Gary! 

At one point during the day, a passerby asked if he could help paint….he thought we were a professional paint crew. Anyway, Gary told him he couldn’t afford to hire anymore painters. At the end of the day, Mary Ann, Susan, Brenda H., and Cathy attempted to collect “their wages” from Gary but came up empty handed. 

We completed our paint job early and the family seemed pleased with our work! It’s all good when God’s on your team! We returned to the church covered in paint and sweat! Roy, Mary Ann, and Brenda H. helped Mark and his crew with their drywall and mudding work. Mary Ann was covered in mud in record time. Roy, Brenda H., and Mary Ann may go to work for Mark when he begins his own business. 

We had a great day getting dirty for Jesus! God Bless!     

“The Church Team” 

The “Church” Team is made up of Mark and Cindy Lunceford, Brett and Sue Miller, Pat Morton, Edward Williams, and sometimes Jacky Edens.  We are working on the Mission Station that we are living in.  Two rooms need sheetrock to finish getting their offices repaired from Hurricane Katrina. Mark Lunceford is once again our fearless Team Leader.  Edward was a blessing today.  He doesn’t complain, follows all instructions, and has a smile at all times.  He’s truly a Christian with a happy heart, unlike his immediate Supervisor – Brett.  Brett has requested a Union Rep! He wants to discuss improper PPR, bad working conditions, no pay, and a boss whom he doesn’t understand. 

Sue, Pat, and Cindy worked on sanding and mudding sheetrock.  Mark was responsible for filling in the holes left by Brett and Edward  and making the job look good!  We were later joined by the “McDonald Team.”  Roy was the first to learn  mudding, followed by Susan Brown, Brenda Huffman, and then Mary Ann Metts who mudded and filled up the electrical boxes!.  Our job went well and we are happy to help our fellow Christian Church.     

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“The Golden Team”

The Golden Team consisting of Elwood and Peggy Jarman and Bob and Shirley Woodard started out on Monday morning to do some serious painting outside at the Arnold House.  Our first obstacle was no brushes or rollers to work with but knowing how women love to shop, off we went to Lowe’s for supplies.  But the rest of the day, we did some serious painting and had a wonderful lunch served by our Italian family home owners, Tracy and Maria.

            Even though we were offered bathroom facilities, we looked at Elwood and the seat of his pants were soaked.  He claimed that he sat in water.

            Tracy has had five heart stints put in and doesn’t look very well.  Their son-in-law has cancer at the age of twenty-five.

            We are looking forward to another great day on Tuesday.

 “The Cook Crew” and “The Prayer Warrior”

 These teams were in full swing today.  By 7:00 A.M. breakfast was ready and served.  Apparently we must have looked a bit “in need” of prayer because Gary took RuRu off of the cook team and told her that her job was to pray for us continuously ALL DAY for all thirty of us.  Gary told us if we saw her sitting around with her eyes closed to leave her alone because she was praying . . . not sleeping.  Good thing she had this job because the other twenty-nine of us WOULD have been asleep if we were found with our eyes shut!  She did an awesome job though!  We all came back happy and safe.  The cook team of Bennie Clark and Brenda Pike also did a great job with supper.  We were tired and hungry but they filled us up so we can head to bed and back out into the trenches tomorrow.  (As everyone knows, these are the three people we want to keep the happiest while we are here!  We all need FOOD and PRAYER!) 

Click here for pictures from Day 3: Monday, July 14, 2008

Day 4: Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Breakfast Announcement! 

Today after breakfast before we went out to work, Gary made quite an odd announcement.  He told us, “By the time you come in from work today, be ready to tell me a number you’re comfortable with in terms of sleeping.”  You see, for those of you back at home, you have no idea what spiritual wars wage on between Christians on mission trips in Mississippi . . . over the thermostat at night.  If only we had a security camera up in the hall during the night, we could show you some really funny coverage of the traffic that flows back and forth to the thermostat.  It seems that during the night, if one person is cold, he/she gets up and turns the thermostat up.  That in turn makes the hot-natured people even hotter.  As a result, the hot-natured people get up and turn the air down.  This goes on . . . ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!!!!!!  Gary, being our spiritual advisor, finally came up with the simple solution.  We all had to write down what temperature we want the thermostat on, he figured out the average, and he told us that is what the thermostat would be set on.  We (hot-natured people) are proud to announce that the average number that the thermostat will be set on is 73!!!!  You should see some of these people scrambling for blankets and they have Roy Metts either closing off or redirecting their air vents.     

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The Miss Piggy’s House Team 

The Miss Piggy’s House Team consisted of Duwayne Divens, Mike Sunday, Roy Metts, Bob Woodard, Pat Morton, and Cathy Cabrera. The first four hours of the day was spent at Home Depot massing the supplies to pre-fab walls for a home. The men of the team protested the “PINK” studs and didn’t want to even load them on the trailer. Larry simply showed Mike and Roy the price difference between the pink studs and the tan studs and the protest was over! I guess money does talk! Just for the record, Pat and Cathy liked the pink studs! The men just asked if the team was building a house for Miss Piggy. 

Duwayne is the mastermind of the team and we all learned something today. We learned that studs are 16 inches apart, and we sweated. We learned about headers, and we sweated. We learned about nail guns, and the men sweated….The nail gun is a scary tool! Roy nearly nailed his hand and Mike Sunday’s arm to a wall. Pat and Cathy just kept their distance until the men mastered the art of “nail gunning”. Mike got so excited about the nail gun because the nail gun action and recoil reminded him of a machine gun. 

Once each wall was constructed, we had to move it to the finished pile. Sounds easy right? Those walls are 16 feet by 8 feet and covered with plywood. It was about 90 degrees and we were working in the parking lot with no shade. As the day went on, the walls got heavier. We finally got in the groove and the quitting bell rang!

 The Cook Crew and The Prayer Warrior 

The Cook Crew was hard at work today very EARLY this morning.  Benny and Brenda made enough eggs, grits, and bacon for thirty-three people!  (We’re talking about thirty-three hungry people.)  The rough part is, as soon as we leave, they clean up and start all over again trying to prepare supper for thirty-three people.  Tonight ham, string beans, potatoes, salad, and rolls were awaiting us as the six o’clock dinner time came around.  Somewhere during the day Mark found time to solicit our innocent cook, Brenda Pike, in playing a trick on poor Brett.  A discovery has been made:  Brenda CAN keep a straight face while “concocting a story” and aiding and abetting Mark Lunceford and his ever full of bull self! 

Our prayer warrior had her hands full today also.  On several sites we were faced with frustrations and near-misses.  Obviously Aunt RuRu had us lifted up because we only faced a few scraps, scratches, and smashes that could have been a lot worse if she hadn’t been calling out to God on our behalf! 

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 Golden Team Plus One            

 This morning, Elwood and Peggy, and Shirley returned to The Arnold House.  Susan Brown and Mary Ann Metts joined them to continue painting. As the lady of the house, Maria, changed her mind, (woman’s prerogative); so, we changed the color.   We taped the borders to prevent the paint colors from running together. (Remember we are amateur painters.)   Elwood, the only man with us, had the fun of caulking and answering our every beck and call.  (He’s a good man to work with four women, especially Peggy.)

 We were saved from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches today.  The owners, Maria and Tracy, furnished a delicious meal for us.  (That is why Mary Ann wanted to help at this house.)  It was an Italian dinner.  Tracy, who has a beautiful voice, also entertained us.  He has a karaoke machine and sang parts of four songs from the 50’s such as “At The Hop” and “The Twist.” 

 You may feel like we were wasting some time here when we ate with this gracious family and listened to him sing.  However, the man of the house has a major heart condition and their twenty-five year old son-in-law has cancer.   They are experiencing these medical problems plus still going through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. They had to redo every room in their house, plus exterior repairs. We know our jobs are physical, but there are times when they really need to share.  We really needed to be there for them.  We were all blessed truly as much as they were. 

We didn’t finish our job here today, but hope to finish it tomorrow.

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The Church Team

 The “Church Team” did sheetrock, sheetrock, and more sheetrock. We are completing offices in the church mission station and it is a worthy project but very tedious.  It is a slow process - spread mud, wait for it to dry, and sand it down, and start all over it again. There are perks to working in the Mission Station.  We get to smell supper cooking all day, we don’t have to pack our lunch or drinks, we don’t have to load a truck, and all the supplies are at our fingertips. The draw back is-no transportation.  We have to stay and work and the Boss-Larry lives here.  The highlight of the day was Brett teaching Edward how to nail on corner bead.  Edward was thankful for the class and thinks he has learned about sheetrock!  He may have another opportunity other than Piggy Wiggly!  

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Jacky’s Team 

Jacky, Alex, and Meghan went to a home which is being newly renovated.  The team before them had almost completed a curved tile counter.  However, it needed much therapy.  There is an outside edge with a three inch gap all the way around. The team found out today that you cannot put square tile in a curved gap.  Duh??  They will go back tomorrow with plan B.  

The family owners of the house left for a weekend in Jackson, Mississippi, when the storm hit and ended up living in Missouri for two years.  When they returned, they had a lot of resentment from the local people for not staying. 

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The Social Team 

The start of our day was normal. Waking up to complete a mission- get up, get dressed, and be to breakfast before the grown-ups got mad at us for being late (I would like to add that the teenagers have been the only group that has been to breakfast on time all week)! Once we completed our first mission we set off for our real mission. Our team was changed a little today.  We were led by two fearless men (hahaha), Mr. Gary and Mr. Ken, and our loving mothers, Mrs. Brenda Huffman and “Momma Beth.”  

We were actually able to leave the church on time today, unlike yesterday! It would have been a quick trip to our jobsite, HOWEVER… J we had to stop at the Home Depot to pick-up some paint. We gladly greeted this “shopping” opportunity. As you can imagine and probably assume, Momma Beth stayed back in the van to catch a nice cap nap before our adventure. Lauren and Hayley opted to stay with her. The rest of us ventured into, as another team’s member Mike called it, “Man’s World.” The women of the group headed straight to the bathroom section to check out all the fancy faucets and shower heads. While shopping, an employee asked Mrs. Brenda if we were all her children.  She proudly proclaimed “Yes, they are all my children and I have two more in the car!” After Mrs. Brenda picked the employees jaw off of the floor and explained that we were on a mission trip, we were then summoned by the men to exit the building. We gladly took that opportunity to act a little foolish, being that we won’t ever see these people again, so we ran like goofballs down the halls of the Home Depot. *If you would like to see video footage of this please see Sarah Lunceford for a copy of the tape.* After Mr. Ken led the group back to the van via riding the buggy, we headed off to change the world! This would have been very exciting, but we headed in the wrong direction! After turning around we continued down the highway. We did, however, make a wrong turn after exiting the interstate. It took all six of us teenagers to notice that we had passed those buildings yesterday heading home. It wouldn’t have been an issue had we not passed them going in the same direction as yesterday! Mr. Ken swore that if we passed them going home we were headed in the right direction. It took all six of us to convince him that if you passed it driving in the direction you headed home in and you passed them going in the same direction, you weren’t headed towards the jobsite! Hahahaha! We finally arrived! It was now 10:00…we left at 8:00! When we hit the dirt road, Momma Beth jumped up from her sleep and proclaimed, “I’m glad we’re here.” She was completely oblivious to the adventure we had just endured!

            The jobsite was not as eventful today. We were able to organize the family’s belongings in their storage center as well as move some items around for them. The men worked ALL day on creating a door frame in order to hang the door. We had a few moments on the jobsite that we knew God was looking out for us, because of all the prayer warriors we have supporting us, including our own mission team member Ru-Ru. The first instance was lunchtime. Mr. Gary’s lunch had been switched with his wife’s back at the church. His bag contained a roast beef sandwich (which he didn’t like), and a package of cheese crackers (which of course we know he doesn’t like)! But God moved and we pulled together and he was able to eat a nice lunch thanks to Mr. Ken and his peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Another instance was when I, Michelle, smashed my finger between two giant marble tablets. Though it is bruised, it is still in one piece! Praise God! (Later our Mission Prayer Warrior and Nurse, RuRu, checked the finger and it is bendable, not swollen, and fine!  Thank goodness no broken bone.) And Mr. Gary suffered two injuries today. One was a self-inflicted wound (we suggested therapy) to the face via a crowbar. Rumor had it that he was pecked by the chickens…but it was just a rumor (although it made for a better story at dinner).  His second wound was a gash to his hand from the falling door frame that he and Mr. Ken had been working on ALL DAY!!!  Again, all bruises and scratches are perfectly fine.  JWe packed up for the day and headed home around 4:30. Had it not been for the six of us teenagers, we wouldn’t have made it home because Mr. Gary “swears we went this way!” J We got home safely and enjoyed a wonderful evening with our church family! We anticipate another wonderful day and we thank you all for your prayers and support!!

Click here for pictures from Day 4: Tuesday, July 15, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KEN BROWN TODAY!

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HUMP DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Church Team 

Same ole sheetrock work!  Our church rooms are growing and growing. Cindy sanded sheetrock, spread mud, and pretty much carried the whole team single-handedly!  Just kidding!  It is nice to know that some people are paying attention and concerned from the Cindy Lunceford Fan Club.  The highlight of the day was the road trip to Home Depot and the Appliance Store.  It took four people to facilitate transportation, request funding, and purchase one bucket of drywall mud.  We hope to finish one of our rooms tomorrow. Please pray that we leave Purgatory.

 On a positive note, each morning we have a devotion and God has spoken to us each morning.  So far Mark, Brett, and Sarah have had the morning devotion and it is an awesome thing to hear God’s word speaking to your heart daily. It is humbling to see six girls from 12 to 17 years old with such a joy for the Lord and the work they are doing.  They are so honest in their enthusiasm and it is contagious.       

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The Pre-Fab Team 

Today was a very productive day for the pre-fab (aka Miss Piggy House) team….however, we actually made six sections but only had four at the end of the day. You ask, “How can this be?” It’s not fuzzy math either. Ever heard your parents or mentor say the ‘if you do it right the first time, then you won’t have to do it over?’” We really appreciate the complexity of looking at a one-dimensional plan on paper and then turning that into to a three-dimensional house! Not to mention that our nail gunners are very enthusiastic and usually have the boards nailed before Duwayne returns from the table saw. 

It was 94 degrees today. That makes it about 110 degrees on the pavement. We were so fortunate that Ken Brown packed the pop-up gazebo. We set it up over the saw area and we would huddle up under the gazebo on breaks. Mike Sunday reached a new level of sunburned-ness…not sure if this is a word but it is a new level. 

Another day getting dirty for Jesus! We are so very blessed to have such a wonderful team. No one complains and remains eager to accomplish whatever task comes before us! God is good all the time!  

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The Social Team 

Today the Social Team consisted of Gary Edens, Ken Brown, Beth Brown, Brenda Huffman, Krista Cabrera, Sarah Lunceford, Casey Lunceford, Hayley Morton, Lauren Wilson, Michelle Farland, and Jacky Edens.  Gary and Ken returned to their ONE project – their ONE door - while the women returned to their “to do list.”  We love our family.  We met William’s wife today.  She is so sweet.  She talked to us at length about feeling so overwhelmed with all they need to do and how she begins to feel depressed every August.    

For those of you keeping up with our trip, we are still at “Sanford and Sons” of Mississippi.  We are trying to bring order to all of William’s collections so we talked him into letting us move a great deal of his things (wood, PVC Pipe, parts to old cars, tires, parts to old boats, electronics, metal, wire, plumbing, you name it) over in a separate fenced-in area of his property and to put a privacy fence around it.  We have spent ALL day moving items from around his house to this area that we now call “Sanford Arms.”  Some of our favorite items have included the HUGE piles of granite, two three-piece sinks, a heating-air unit, a tractor tire that weighs more than all of us, and half of a disco ball.  We did have a few incidents today.  While Krista was trying to save Sarah from a black spider that was crawling on her back, Krista jumped up and fell through a hole in the trailer.  Before we could get her back in commission, Lauren was bitten by a few red ants.  While trying to make sure both girls were okay, Brenda Huffman started moving shingles and out of nowhere we heard her yell, “There’s an alligator!”  We all yelled, “Where?”  She said, “Right there!  It’s a baby alligator!”  (Seems she’s been talking to Mike Sunday too much because her “alligator” turned out to be a lizard.)   

After ice and a break, Krista and Lauren were fine and we were able to move a Jacuzzi to the other side of the house.  After lunch we made several more hauls over to Sanford Arms.  Finally the heat was getting to us and the girls somehow managed to convince Gary to let us leave the site early today.  (We deserved it since we worked until 4:30 yesterday!)  When we got back we were the first ones in the showers.  We were SO HAPPY!!!!  We all cleaned up and took nap before supper.  As for Ken and Gary, they hung the SAME door.   

Oh, I forgot our morning trip to our site.  I of course slept but apparently we got there with no problem.  However, the gate was closed when we arrived so Gary thought he could crawl under it.  HA!  He crawled under it . . . well at least his legs made it.  As he moved further he didn’t fit.  So, he decided to climb over the fence.  When he landed on the other side Casey had already slid underneath and was waiting for him.

 Golden Team Plus One  

We all returned to The Arnold House.  We put the second coat on the first level.  We also painted five garage doors.  (Remember this is the man and woman who gave six months free electric work after Katrina and he is the one with the major heart problem.) This couple has been through so much, but is so giving and appreciative. They even offered to give us good, used appliances to take home with us to give to any needy or local outreach. 

For lunch we were treated to rotisserie chicken, salad, and tea.  Later on in the afternoon, she refreshed us with delicious, cool cantaloupe. You all know how Mary Ann likes to talk.  She has met her match.  In fact, She needed to rest her voice today because of being hoarse.  Maria is a really good talker also. 

 As a side note, Maria and Tracy (owners of the Arnold House) surprised us with a visit tonight at our mission station.  The cutest little woman about five feet tall came bursting into our dining room speaking English and Italian.  Her husband was very mild-mannered and extremely tall.  We all loved them.  First, she was able to make Gary speechless.  Second, we never ever would have believed it BUT so help us all, this woman really does make Mary Ann look shy.  WOW!  She was lively!  She was 59 years old but looked great and the two of them were just filled with so much love for all of us who have come to help revitalize the lives and buildings of Gulfport.  After our share time, Tracy had brought his Karaoke machine and sang to us.  Later some of our team members took the mic and sang.  The highlight of the evening, however, was when Tracy sang “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” and our own Krista Cabrera danced like Elvis.  (For video coverage of this show-stealing act, see Sarah Lunceford.)   

 The Cook Crew and the Prayer Warrior 

The Cook Crew made pancakes and waffles this morning.  There was also bacon and Canadian bacon.  The whole room smelled like syrup, butter, and fried bacon.  As many pancakes and waffles as there were, they probably spent the rest of the day wiping the tables down from being so sticky.  After we left they began to prepare our supper of baked chicken, stuffing, roles, salad, and garden peas.  It was delicious!  It is so nice coming in, taking a shower, and being able to eat without having to get all of these people in and out of a restaurant.  The meal was followed by a birthday cake and ice cream in honor of Ken Brown’s birthday.

 The Prayer Warrior once again prayed us up today.  She stayed in prayer and in her Bible asking God to cover us with His protection.  Once again God heard her calling out to Him because we came back to the mission station in one piece. 

One interesting story that came from Brenda Pike and Aunt RuRu tonight went something like this.  While we go out during the day, they do our laundry.  Well some man left four items in his pocket and they were trying to decide who the pants belonged to.  As Brenda told the story, the pants were somehow narrowed down to Gary’s due to the waist size and leg length.  (=:   

Message from Ken Brown (Birthday Boy)

When we scheduled this mission trip, I noticed right away my birthday would take place while I was in Mississippi.  Many people could not believe I would spend my birthday on a mission trip.  Even though my mom and other family members were not here to celebrate my birthday with me, I can honestly say it will be a birthday I will always remember and look back on.  I spent my day in the summer heat that must have been near a hundred degrees.  I spent my day sweating, and laboring.  But most importantly, I spent my day sharing Jesus Christ with those in need and I spent it with many of my Christian friends.  What better way to celebrate another year that Christ has blessed me with?

Click here for pictures from Day 5: Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Day 6: Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Social Group, aka The Fizzled Out Group

 The Social Group began today with Ken Brown, Beth Brown, Brenda Huffman, Gary Edens, Jacky Edens, Susan Brown, Casey Lunceford, Sarah Lunceford, Krista Cabrera, Lauren Wilson, Michelle Farland, and Hayley Morton.  Larry, our boss, began the morning by saying, “It’s going to be hot today!”  Those of us who had been working at “Sanford Arms” laughed because hey, we’ve been hot all week.  How much hotter could it get?  Guess what?  It got HOTTER!  But, we jumped into our work and we hauled off more “treasures” from the end and back of the house.  The most fun item we moved today was a large car motor.  We chained it to a jeep (stick shift) and Krista drove it over to “Sanford Arms.”  Although we have divided up “The Arms” into sections such as masonry, bathroom appliances, metals, electronics, etc., the motor was just too heavy to get into our automotive section.  Therefore it rests as the center piece of the newly founded “Sanford Arms of Mississippi” or SAM, for short.   

By lunch we had cleaned up EVERYTHING around the house and hauled it over to SAM.  This was the fourth day in a row the girls had worked out in the heat hauling heavy items and frankly, they were whipped!  My (Beth’s) poor babies were drained, tired, and even quiet.  After lunch and a bit of negotiating, the girls and Gary, with Mama Beth as the go between, drew up an agreement.  Although Gary offered the girls the day off tomorrow to do something fun, they declined.  They said they would feel too guilty to be on a mission trip and go for a fun outing.  However, they were allowed to come back, take the first showers, and take a nap.  Luckily, transportation arrived when members of the Church Group – Mark Lunceford, Cindy Lunceford, Sue Miller, Brett Miller, and Edward Williams – plus Shirley Woodard of the Arnold House Team came to our site.  After the girls gave a tour of SAM, Jacky took them back to the mission station along with Edward and Sue who both apparently missed their sheetrock work.  Everyone else stayed at our site. 

This afternoon with the combination of teams the following work was done: Gary and Ken worked on installing a window (BEAUTIFUL WORK TOO!); Shirley and Brenda H. did landscaping; Cindy, Beth, and Susan nailed up boards on the ceiling for the sheetrock to eventually be attached; and Mark and Brett put up a wall . . . that the man called back and wants back down tomorrow and a door put in instead.  While we were all trying to sweat through these jobs, two trailers FULL of junk and trash drove in to unload.  I told Gary, “If they dumped that junk where my babies have cleaned up all week, I will have to go sit in the van.”  It was very tense for several minutes but eventually (with a VERY sweaty short little Texan preacher standing over them), they put all items in the dumpster and not on the ground.  And that trash STUNK!

Speaking of stinking, we rode home today with the Church Group.  I must say that riding home with six teenagers smells a lot better.  We had all adults in the van and frankly, I had to ride home with the windows down.  The van just flat our smelled! UGH!  Between the heat and the smell I felt queasy.  When we unloaded from the van I said I would wait for a shower because I felt like there were others who needed it more than I did.   

At supper I saw my babies again and they looked well and cooler.  They still look and even sound tired though.  NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW WHAT A BLESSING THESE SIX GIRLS ARE UNLESS YOU WERE HERE.  WE HAVE ALL BEEN IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD BY BEING IN THEIRS THIS WEEK.  Because of their blessings I suggested to the girls that when we got back we would challenge the boys to come with us on the next mission trip but the girls aren’t sure if the guys can handle it.  (=:

Before I close, I do need to clear up one misconception.  Yes, the women have moved and moved and moved trailer loads of heavy and dirty items over to Sanford Arms of Mississippi.  However, we have apparently done a disservice of describing all of the work Gary and Ken have been doing.  Due to the emails we have received, it appears that people want to know exactly how long does it take to hang ONE door?  The truth is, although we have joked about it, it truly is very tedious work.  It takes the patience of Job and the two of them have demonstrated that patience.  They are of course inside where it is more shaded BUT, it is hard work – if you judge by the way Gary sweats.  They have worked themselves for countless hours making that door fit perfectly and the wife was thrilled to finally have a backdoor put in her future home.  The reason there is a door at this location is they want to make sure if there is another hurricane they have a back door to run out of if the water starts rushing in and they need another way out.  Ken and Gary have given them a door – and a peace of mind. 

P.S.  HAPPY BIRHDAY TO OUR GOOD FRIEND BROOKE ROED FROM KEN AND BETH!!!!

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The Half-Baked Framing Crew  

First of all we began our day with a delicious meal from our kitchen crew.   Between Susan Brown and our cooks, we were prepared spiritually and physically for this day’s mission work.  

Speaking of daily challenges, we received a new addition of Mary Ann to the framing crew.  Ask Roy if this was not a challenge working with her!  We worked five minutes on the site when Duwayne Divens pulled Mary Ann aside and said, “There will be no more running on the job site!”  Roy was obviously anxious about working with Mary Ann.  He shot a nail into Larry’s trailer and if that wasn’t enough, he shot a nail into the bus station across the highway.  We may need to rethink our team members.  

We all must have needed a message about patience.  Susan Brown gave the devotion on it.   We do not know if  our framing men, Duwayne, Bob, Roy, and Mike or our framing women, Mary Ann, Cathy and Pat needed this lesson the most.   

We finished all the outside walls for the home and we must have done a pretty good job because Larry then assigned the inside walls for us to do. 

We all agree that this was the HOTTEST day we have had to work in.  Bennie Clark, one of our cooks, came out several times to see if we were still breathing.  He brought us the drink/s of choice and outfitted us with the latest fashion in straw hats. We may be donning these hats at church on Sunday.  We believe it was at least 100 degrees.   

Most of us have never had the opportunity to work together as a team, but we all had a great day…..

The Cook Crew and The Prayer Warrior

 The Cook Crew awakened us this morning with smoked sausage, bacon, eggs, and grits.  We might come down quieter every morning but we aren’t coming down any less hungry.  Most of us are glad we don’t have to feed this crew every morning and night.  As for tonight, we had a FANTASTIC meal of rice, pork chops, gravy, rolls, zucchini, salad, and mixed vegetables.  Sarah Lunceford went for breaking the roll eating record and we won’t give you the number she put away but her comment was we need more rolls!  (=:  Since this was the last supper they had to prepare on our trip we applauded quite loudly for all of their tremendous efforts of feeding us, cleaning up behind us, and probably worst of all, washing our dirty, nasty, sweaty clothes (especially those that came off the Social/Church Group Van this afternoon)!

 The Prayer Warrior wanted to repent tonight at supper.  She said she went to upstairs to pray and accidentally fell asleep this afternoon.  Since we were all okay, we decided God picked up her slack!

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The Golden Team

The Golden Team today consisted of Elwood & Peggy Jarman and Shirley Woodard. After 3 ½ days of painting, we actually finished up painting all that we could do. We were very proud of the work that we did as we felt we received more blessings from this couple than what we gave. It was sad for both the team and the family to say good-bye but the time comes that we have to leave. 

Shirley went for the afternoon to the Bennett’s where the young people have been working. Elwood and Peggy, along with Bob, went to the Nickerson home.  

Elwood & Bob worked on doors and Peggy muddied and painted trim.  She also was a gofer for Elwood & Bob.  They meet Mrs. Nickerson and her daughter and son.  They have 4 children in all.  They have owned the house for 4 ½ yrs and have only lived in it for 1 ½ yrs.   She was very appreciative and is looking forward to being back in their own house.

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The Church Team 

The Church team worked with a “short” break this morning to accomplish more mudding and sanding of the walls at the church.  Our extra hard work paid off.  We all got to get out of Purgatory for the afternoon!!  WEE!  Of course you have to be careful what you pray for.  Now we were out in 95 degree heat.  We took a road trip to the “Sanford & Son” House.  Observing and participating in the work being done around the house and property was a blessing.  Brett and Mark tore down some barn doors and replaced them with a newly constructed wall.  Brett was in his glory with his manly cutting tools, and away from the sissy scrapers & sanding tools.  Cindy nailed headers with Beth and Susan Brown.  The Boss (Mark Lunceford) was so proud of all the young girls and got to see first hand all their accomplishments.  Sue Miller and Edward returned back to the church to complete the sanding of the office room.  To their great surprise, some of the “Miss Piggy’s House” team joined Edward & Sue in Purgatory and helped sand, mudd & vacuum out the dust.  We were so blessed with the angels Cathy, Duwayne & Mike who just picked up a tool and pitched right in.  We pray that the big boss “Larry” will tell us that the room looks good.

Click here for pictures from Day 6: Thursday, July 17, 2008

Day 7: Friday, July 18, 2008

Done to Perfection Framing Team 

After another hot day in the sun, it took longer to get our juices flowing to write this article.  This will be our final update. 

Even though we have been updating you each day with our daily activities, we have really appreciated receiving your emails and have felt your prayers.  We are so grateful that the Lord and our church family made this mission trip possible. 

We finished all the exterior and interior walls today.   The home is going to an elderly woman in a wheelchair who lost her home in Hurricane Katrina.  Her home could not be repaired or rebuilt.   

The now totally-baked framing crew worked very well together today.  Who says Roy, Duwayne, and Mike, mild-mannered men (except for maybe Mike)  can not work well with dominating women (Mary Ann, Pat and Cathy)?  All these men were very willing to teach us some of their knowledge.  In fact, Cathy, Pat, and Mary Ann can now, almost! safely operate a nail gun.  Mary Ann now has a new nickname, Calamity Jane. 

Some of you may have seen us away from our job site.  The reason was because on a half-hour supply run for wood, ended up taking Larry more like three hours.  Therefore, we did some yard work – like mowing, raking, etc.  Pat, was assaulted by of all things – the weed eater.   We have pictures to prove it. 

All joking aside, we have all had a most inspirational week.  We have seen Jesus in each other.   THAT IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT! 

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The Church Team 

The Church Team did a few minor cosmetic touch ups on our nice clean sheetrock!  Yea, we progressed up the ladder to priming the “soft as a baby’s butt” walls.  As a side note, yesterday when Cathy came in to help us, she was overzealous in her sanding power and about took the finish off of our hard work!  Brett deserted us to work with Ken.  He hung up his sissy sheetrock tools and went to use Power Tools at Sanford & Sons.  Last reports were he was hanging a window with Ken and Gary.  Brett says he has seen such procedures done on DIY Home Improvement Channel.  Edward cleaned up our tools and worksite and put all the tools in the storage room that we had dragged out all week.  Cindy and Sue painted walls and Mark finished the second office with mudd.  The Brigade of Angels arrived and helped scrap paint off of the back of a block wall.  The Angels were Shirley, Mike, Cathy, Duwayne and Roy.  There were a lot of suggestions of how the job could be done easier but everyone just kept scraping!  We have completed what God had in store for us this week and it has been a great week.  The church team has bonded and we will never be the same.   

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The Social Group 

Ken, Beth, Hayley, Casey, Sarah, Krista, Lauren, Michelle, Susan, Jacky, Brenda H., and Shirley headed out to our site today with a very excited Brett Miller tagging along.  To show the new people how I could do it, I slept all the way there.  Apparently the fun I missed on the way there today was they saw a policeman who had pulled a Krispy Kreme truck over.  The hot light must have not been on at the store.  Those policemen really do like their donuts! 

When we arrived we had just a few touch-up jobs to do.  We loaded some trim into the storage pod.  It took eight of us to move it so we carried it along like a log singing, “Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Off to Work We Go!”  After that we cleaned up the inside of the house and a flower bed.  The girls and I took Jacky down to the river for one last trip.  We sat and enjoyed the scenery and skipped rocks for a while.  When we came back Gary had brought Benny, Aunt Ru Ru, and Brenda out to see all the work we had accomplished.  Everyone was impressed with all of our heavy-weight haulings this week.  Since we had completed our job, all of the women from our site, plus Aunt Ru Ru, Benny, and Brenda headed back to the mission station in ONE VAN!  I could not sleep on the return ride since I was sitting on top of a cooler between the driver and passenger seats.   

Although we got to leave, Ken, Brett, and Gary remained behind to run the exterior trim on all of the windows.  These three guys need to be commended.  They worked harder and longer than any group today.  All of us got back early, showered, and packed and they were still out in the heat trying to do just a little more for our family.   

Back at the church the girls peeled out of the van and headed for showers and lunch.  As Brenda H., Susan, and I were unloaded the van, we were so surprised.  Deondra, the woman whose house we were working on, showed up.  Now I am going to make a confession here.  There were times this week when I wasn’t sure we were making a difference.  After all, last year power tools were involved and I came back knowing how to use them this time and they were just sitting in the van.  But, we decided early in the week that the goal of the six girls, Brenda, me, and anyone else that came out to help us was to do something for William’s wife.  You see, William, although we joke he is the junk man, is the kindest, biggest hearted man in all of Mississippi.  He takes care of everyone else before he takes care of himself.  Today as we arrived he was helping set up a couple and their baby on his property until their house is ready to live in.  He seems to take care of himself last.  So, as we were walking around with him the second day there, he showed us all sorts of piles that he said his wife didn’t enjoy seeing.  On our list of things to do, one of the things I wrote down was, “Make his wife happy.”  No, we didn’t get to construct their house.  But, today when Deondra came we realized what we had done  -  what we set out to do – make her happy!  She was thrilled.  She said for two years William has been telling her how close they are to getting in the house and for the first time she feels like they really are close.  She also brought gifts that we will share with you when we return to church.   

Talking to Deondra we learned more and more stories of the hurricane that we hope to tell you when we get home.  Today we woke up and were excited that we are going home but for most of these people in Mississippi, they are home.  Some days it seems overwhelming and depressing even to us, three years later.  We get to leave but they stay behind.  We – our stories – are not the real stories of this mission trip – theirs are.    

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Golden Team  

First of all, the Golden Team is now down to three.   They are Elwood and Peggy Jarman and Bob Woodard. 

Our task for today was to return to the Nickerson House.  Our job was to take down the door casing that had been installed greatly out-of-level.  The door was warped so we took it down also.  After making the proper adjustments, such as setting the nails, putting, etc., we rehung the door.   Bob installed the door knobs.   

We have felt your prayers for us, the mission team.  We ask for your prayers for this family.  They really want to be back in their home before school starts, so their school-age children can return to school. 

It has been a good week.  We have been blessed by the families we have worked for.  We have had the joy of meeting these two families.  

Elwood and Bob, who are the two oldest men on the mission trip, ended their workday and week by sitting in a tree.  You may see these pictures on the web.  Peggy thinks they look like cute, like little monkeys, especially her Elwood.

 The Cook Crew and The Prayer Warrior 

The Cook Crew was finally able to break down our kitchen and pack up today.  They had to feel great knowing they didn’t have to feed our hungry faces again.  People are in and out of that kitchen all day asking for all kinds of things and they somehow supply them whether they are food or miscellaneous items.  The Prayer Warrior also got a little bit of rest today since most of us only worked a half day.  The best part for all of us was that Gary brought them out to our sites to see what work we have done this week.  We loved showing them around our sites.

 Our Closing Evening 

After everyone returned and showered we took a vote and decided to eat our last Gulfport, Mississippi, meal the same place we started – at Cracker Barrel.  Trista, William and Deondra’s daughter (from the social group’s site), works there.  We were so excited when our waitress came by and said the manager found out we were on a mission team and was giving us all free dessert!  OH BOY!  When Trista walked by we asked had she hooked us up.  She said, “I wouldn’t say I hooked you up but I did mention you were all here.”  She is so sweet.  Everyone in Mississippi is!  They are so thankful for all that people continue to do for them.  The thing is, there is no doubt that if a hurricane ever hits North Carolina like Katrina, our sister Southern state of Mississippi will be the first people who will come to our aid. 

When we returned to church different groups did different tasks.  We then headed to the sanctuary where we had a worship service.  Before taking communion, Gary asked that each of us come up, stand before the group, and express in one word what this mission trip had been to us as individuals.  Words such as love, togetherness, agape, joyous, humble, relationships, life-changing, magnificent, blessed, Jesus, honored, praise, beautiful, thanksgiving, gracious, sacrifice, selflessness, priceless, and sharing came from different members of the team.  We then held hands and Mary Ann Metts led us in prayer.  As we type our last report from Gulfport, Mississippi, half of the crew has made a Wal-Mart run and the other half has gone to bed.  We will arise at 3:00 A.M. and leave no later than 4:00 A.M.  Please pray for our safe travel.  Also, the vans seem to have the same problem as the mission station.  It seems there is no happy temperature for all parties as we ride.  People are either too cold, or too hot, but Goldilocks never finds a temperature that is just right!

As we end, it is with difficulty that we said good-bye to Larry, our boss.  Last year when we parted we told him we’d see him again next year.  Since the Disciples Home Mission in Mississippi will be closing down in August, Larry will return to his home in Indianapolis.  That made it seem far sadder this year.  Yet, Larry reminded us of this:  “If I don’t see you here again, I will see you all again one day.”  How sweet to know that Christian friends can never ever be parted.  

We can’t wait to see Richlands, North Carolina and all of you, our family, our church family, and our friends.  We hope to see you soon when we pull in the church parking lot tomorrow night!

In Christ’s Love,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JACKY EDENS AS WE TRAVEL ON SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2008!

Click here for a closing audio message from Dr. Edens about the mission trip.

Click here for pictures from Day 7: Friday, July 18, 2008

Click here to see a video presentation of the mission trip

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