We Are Not Alone!

We're not the only ones blogging this experience in Gulfport and Biloxi.
If you'd like some additional perspectives on what's happenng here on the Gulf Coast, you can check out the blog being maintained by the Presbytery of East Tennessee at:
http://whirlwindtours.blogspot.com/
For a different perspective on the trip, check out:
http://deepsouthtrip.blogspot.com/
This blog describes the exploits of the Canadian High School kids that have become part of our team. There are over 100 kids and adults from a single Christian High School in Hamilton Ontario. Turns out I went to college with George Van Kampen, the principal of this High School.
Small world...
- dan terpstra

Becoming Disciples

If you can get up again on the fourth day, then you can get up day after day. By this time we are beyond tiredness but each day brings a new, interesting aspect of the project, new people to help and a better understanding of the team members we work with. How is it with the families that live here? For them it is not four days of getting up again, but four months. Like some of them, we are sleeping in a tent and it is chilly at night. Like them we are frustrated when the coordination doesn’t work out, when the supplies are promised but not delivered. We wait. They have waited for a very long time.

But the projects are moving forward. Some roofs are complete. From our roof top we can see three other crews on roofs. Beside our house there are two FEMA trailers, one of which our house owner lives in. The neighbor across the street watches all day as we work. He speaks to us with a dialect we can barely understand but we make out that he has no food to offer us but there are some cold drinks in his refrigerator. Another crew reports that “Linda’s gumbo” is unbelievable.

Yesterday we met Liz, the mother of three foster kids. She and her husband both teach high school in Bay St. Louis. The insurance refuses to pay anything from a house that was completely destroyed. All they found were some pots and pans and many pieces of pottery from their large collection of mugs, teapots and platters. Many beautiful pieces survived but were still covered in muck four months latter. They are overwhelmed by life and amazed that a crew is at their door to help. We cleaned and stored for them until they can get back on their feet in their own house. Another mother of three whose entire house we mucked out is living in a shelter. She is unable to store anything and her kids could not understand why all their things had to be discarded. Everywhere are piles of peoples lost dreams. The trash pickup cannot keep ahead of the work. It will be years before the towns of Biloxi and Bay St. Louis are able to put Katrina behind them. Yet the mood is upbeat, people are hopeful that things are getting better.

Bonhoeffer writes that discipleship comes with a cost, that there is no cheap grace. Many of the young people here are high school or college age and have begun to struggle with this idea of discipleship. They know that something is being asked of them and they are working hard. I am continually surprised by the joy that dawns through these young people as they gradually unmask their cool airs and you see what makes them laugh and shine. The older folk celebrate their aches and pains and gladly pass the heavy lifting jobs to the kids. It is a microcosm of the passing of faith and hope.

- John Drake

On The Bus

It’s Friday morning, if my memory serves. Time tends to blur in the whirlwind of activity that is this mission trip. I’m sitting on the bus, awaiting departure for another day on the roof on Magnolia Street in Biloxi.

Yesterday morning the bus took us along Highway 90 and the Gulf Coast between Gulfport and Biloxi. We pulled out of the church parking lot with a steady hum of morning chatter. As we turned onto 90, that hum disappeared as an “awe-ful” silence descended over the bus. Although I’d been to Louisiana earlier, and had seen the destruction in Slidell and in St. Bernard, I suspect that this was the first time many on the bus had seen the effects of the power of Katrina.

Even for me the sights were often overwhelming: hundred-year-old oaks toppled like bowling pins; piles of rubble that once were mansions; 3 story stairwells leading to nowhere; high rise hotels and casinos with the first two floors reduced to empty concrete caverns; and of course, the photogenic floating casinos on the wrong side of the street.

The silence on the bus was punctuated by occasional exclamations of surprise or amazement at some particularly striking example of Katrina’s fury. These sights provoke difficult and perennial questions for Christians: Was Katrina evil? If so, where was our God? If our God is all good and all powerful and in control, what happened on the Gulf Coast on August 29? Is what we are doing here an “act of God” or of selfless good, or merely an inadequate response to much deeper problems of poverty and inequity and injustice in the richest country in the world?

I wish I had answers. I hope we as a country continue to be willing to ask the hard questions and struggle to find those answers, wherever the search may lead.

The bus turned off Highway 90 and drove the few blocks to the poor neighborhood behind the expensive beachfront. The morning chatter resumed and we piled off the bus to start another day on the roof on Magnolia Street.

- dan terpstra

The Bay St. Louis Experience

I’ve participated in a “mucking out” crew in Bay St. Louis rather than in a roofing crew in Biloxi. I got to view the full impact of Katrina’s fury. On the outskirts of Bay St. Louis I began to see the “Wizard of Oz” houses. Buildings uprooted and deposited in unusual locations in unusual orientations. We moved in to start cleaning out some houses that were still standing. Part of the crew I was with tackled a two story house where the water had gone over the roof. My team ripped out dry wall in a large house that saw three feet of water. The retired, disabled homeowner had ridden out the storm while the water rose to the top of his bed. Things had dried out pretty well in the past four months so it was mostly hot, dusty work. We finished the day by driving down to the gulf. Over several square miles it looked like a bomb had hit. All that remained were foundations covered by timbers and an occasional roof. It was a stunning contrast to have this incredible devastation on one side of the road with a glorious sunset over the gulf on the other side.

The first day was just a warm-up for our second day in Bay St. Louis. We worked in a house today that was about a quarter mile from the gulf. The inside was something out of the news stories we’ve seen on TV. Mold all the way up the walls and even across the ceiling. The light fixtures attached to the ceiling were completely full of water. We hauled out all of the furniture and gutted every inch of the interior. We also spent some time helping the homeowner salvage some pictures of her children. A large part of my day was spent cutting out soggy carpet and hauling it to the street. My work clothes are now safely packed away and will hopefully never again see the light of day.

I have had two very emotional experiences in these first two days. The first was from viewing the large FEMA “X”s written on the sides of the houses. These were used to record when the houses had been inspected. One of the quadrants indicated the number of dead found in the house. We never saw any with a number other than zero but I still found these “X”s incredibly poignant. The other experience was less ennobling. While working in close quarters with sledge hammers and crow bars swinging in every direction I became frightened and angry. Rather than try to deal with this in a constructive manner, I became sullen, sarcastic and rude. This experience brought out a dark side in me that I recognized but couldn’t control. This evening I asked for my team’s forgiveness and understanding and I prayed for God’s guidance.

Tomorrow we move out of the muck and up onto the roofs with the other teams. We pray for continuing good weather.

- Dave Mullins

On The Roof

Well, as Dan said, we got in safe and sound yesterday evening. This morning began at 6:15, way too early for this earliest class at 10:00 college girl. Breakfast was good: grits, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. There was enough food even for Daniel! After breakfast, we had our “Roofing 101” training. Quite a debate ensued about whether or not the shingles were to “butt” up against each other or tuck underneath one another. Finally, an expert (the construction head) was called in and it was decided that the shingles should butt. Then, we went to the ladder station and discussed safety and had the opportunity to go up on practice roof. I did it, and it was a little scary, especially the going-down-off-the-roof part. I survived, though! After loading ladders and boards onto trailers, my group, Work Crew 2 (with Jordan, Daniel, Drew, Walt and Dan) boarded the bus and headed to Biloxi. We passed D’Iberville, the town in which I worked over Fall Break. It made me miss the people I met there and wonder how they are and how their rebuilding efforts are going.

Once we arrived on site, our crew chief assessed the houses that we were assigned and our work crew began unloading the trailers of ladders. As this all was taking place, an adorable 5 year old named Gregory peaked out the door of his house and ordered us to “get to work fixin’ his roof.” Gregory looked on during the day with his Mom telling him to stay inside because he didn’t have shoes on and had a cold. He really brightened the day for me with his smiles and hugs and helped me remember why we’re here.

After the ladders were set up, it was time to go up on the roof. Some people stripped shingles on the roof of one house while the same task was begun on the house next door. Felt was laid after all the shingles were removed. We finished laying the felt on half of one house and about a third of another house. No worries; everyone lived to tell about their first times on the roof. During some of the down time we had, several members of our small group, including Jordan and me, helped another work crew down the street. We cleaned up the drywall debris they had ripped off the walls of the house.

The work day ended about 5:30 and we headed to the high school to shower. This was an interesting experience for the girls who were reprimanded by some Baptist men for using “their” showers. We had private showers, but the boys had communal ones. We hear the situation is being worked on and hopefully tomorrow we’ll all have private showers and no angry Baptists.

Dinner was yummy: ham, rolls, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. We worshipped and then met with our small groups. I’m now sitting in the dining hall grateful for the wireless internet! I’m worn out but so glad to be here. Being here for the second time gives me a little perspective. I can tell that progress has been made; more stores and businesses are open and all the traffic lights are working. People are beginning to rebuild. All this is encouraging, and yet it is unbelievable how much there is still to do. I’m glad for the time we have and appreciative of all the support from back home. We’ll see you Monday! Thank you for your continued prayers.

- Claire

Dangerous Promises

I'm discovering the danger of making promises.
It's midnight Oak Ridge time, merely 11:00 and lights out Gulfport time.
But I promised we'd blog our trip, and everyone else is trying to find a place to sleep.
So here I am.
Our trip to Gulfport was relatively uneventful. The three vehicles arrived at the church within a half hour of each other. Our van pulled in right behind the bus from Second Presbyterian of Knoxville. It was pandemonium inside. People and noise everywhere. After some jockeying and jostling, we found a place for Dave's camper, and a soft grassy spot for my huge canvas cabin of a tent. After spaghetti dinner, we met for a briefing and a worship service. Sarah was a singer with the band, and I got to click the Powerpoint slides.
Tomorrow we're splitting up. Of 7 work teams, 5 will be heading to Biloxi and roof work; 2 (including Dave Mullins team) will be heading to Gulfport and Bay St. Louis to help people 'muck out' their houses. For some of these homeowners, today was the first time they've been back to their houses since the storm. My small group, which happens to include Drew, Jordan and Claire, will be part of a roofing team heading to Biloxi.
John, Paul, Jordan and I are sharing the tent. Drew, Daniel and Dave are sharing the popup. Syd and Walt are in the sanctuary with a host of others. And Sarah and Claire are off in the adjacent school building with the rest of the women.
We have no idea what tomorrow will hold. We know the excitement is high. And breakfast starts at 6:30.
Keep us in your prayers.

- dan terpstra

Watch This Space!

Merry Christmas!
In less than 2 days, 11 members of our congregation will be leaving for Gulfport Mississippi, and a week-long adventure in service to some of the poorer citizens of Biloxi. We'll be staying in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulfport, along with 170 other Presbyterians from East Tennessee, and 50 high schoolers from Canada. We'll be sleeping on the floor in the sanctuary, shoulder to shoulder. We'll be doing a lot of roofing and other support activities during the day, and eating, sharing and worshiping together in the evenings. Showers? Not to worry, there's a high school nearby!
We've been assured that this is no "kum-ba-yah" mission trip, and that we will be changed by the experience. We don't know yet how or even if that will be true, but we hope to share the experience with you as it happens through this blog. Of course, that assumes we've got internet connectivity when we get there!
Those of us that are going on this trip include:

John Drake
Paul Drake
Jordan Greenlee
Claire Harris
Daniel Harris
Dave Mullins
Drew Mullins
Syd Murray
Walt Porter
Dan Terpstra
Sarah Terpstra

We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
And check back here daily for recent updates.
Oh, and don't forget to respond! One of the advantages of this blog format is that you can add your comments to our posts. Let us and others know how you feel about what we're experiencing and reporting.

- dan terpstra