Mission Trip

Day One (Saturday and Sunday, April 5 & 6)

To our friends and family back home:

We safely arrived at camp last night around 6:00 pm (Central Time, 7:00 pm Eastern).

Our trip was fun, exciting, tiring, so many things in one. We left the church Saturday morning at 6 am, sent off by family and friends. We drove to Tennessee, making stops about every 2 hours to stretch. We had a great time talking to each other on the walkie talkies and making faces at each other through the windows.

We stopped in Cleveland, TN to stay with Dave Spencer's brothers, Joe and John, and their wives, Charlotte and Connie. We had a wonderful dinner of baked spaghetti and salad. We enjoyed the conversation and the fellowship with Dave's family and some of their friends from their church.

We left Sunday around 7:30 am and enjoyed a Cracker Barrel breakfast. From there we got back on the road. We joined Dale and Joyce Collins in Tuscaloosa, TN. (They had gone ahead of us the night before to visit with their daughter Rebecca in Atlanta).

Once back on the road, we continued to enjoy the conversation between the cars on the walkie talkies. It was great to slowly watch the trees go from not having any leaves on them (up in Maryland) to trees fully covered with green leaves in Mississippi. We saw beautiful flowering trees and had blue skies (some of the way). We did run into some rain, but nothing major.

We finally arrived at the PDA camp in Gulfport around 6 pm Sunday night. We had baked shirmp alfredo, salad, and garlic bread. We got to meet people from the other groups. We have four groups in camp this week: our group from Maryland; a group from South Carolina; a group from Fairfax, Virginia; and a group London, Ontario, Canada.

During dinner we got to hear an amazing story of survival from a family that lived through Katrina. Their story of climbing into their attic, having their roof blow off (“It was set on top of their front porch neatly, like God just picked it up and put it there”), and seeing the water and other things being affected by the water…..it was an incredible story. The absolutely AMAZING part of their story was the one candle she lit in a small room in the back of the house. They lit the candle and said a prayer for God to direct them in what they should do. They climbed into their attic (being lifted only by water rising in their house) and sat in the attic for hours looking around outside at the water, the debris, the animals, and hearing people yelling for help. When the water finally receded, they climbed down and when they went into the back room, the candle was still burning and “it looked like it hadn’t even melted.” Then they knew “God never left us. He was with us the entire time.” It just reaffirms why we are here.

Day Three (Monday, April 7)

Hello from Orange Grove!

We received our two job locations Monday morning (yes, two…..we had to split into two 6 member groups). One group, consisting of Mary McDonald, Jason Cantera, Charlie Little, Dave and Sue Spencer, Lesa Piluso, headed towards a home to help a woman named Helen whose home was damaged by wind and rain. The other group, consisting of Anne Marie McDonald, Lori Nesnow, Dale and Joyce Collins, Gretchen and Chet Boggs, went to help a man named Mike and his family whose house had sustained water damage due to roofing problems.

The first group (the group working with the Helen) worked on removing old drywall and putting up new drywall, including insulation. The work is centered in the kitchen and a bedroom. It was amazing when the sink was removed there was a hole in the floor and there was grass, plastic bags and twigs along with things we couldn’t even identify under the cabinet. While waiting for electric, gas, and water to be turned off the group had an opportunity to talk to the woman who owned the house. She explained that she had left during the storm, but when she returned her house had been damaged by the rains from Katrina.

The second group (the group helping Mike and his family) worked on tearing out old vinyl flooring, building cabinets, and putting primer paint on the front porch. The family is not at home because, as we found out during the day, the man of the family, who is 38 years old, fell from about 20 feet onto concrete. He broke his neck, 3 vertebrate, his spleen, and his elbow. He is in a hospital in Louisiana and, until this accident, had been working on the house himself. His fiancé is in Louisiana so she can be with him in the hospital.

While we were working there, we were able to finish ripping up the old floor and putting together most of the cabinets. It was a huge help when one of Mike’s friends stopped by, decided to go rent a machine to take up the floor, and brought it back for us to use. Up to that point we were all scraping it up using good old elbow grease. The two men worked on the floor while the four women took on the cabinets.

Once returning to camp we had a wonderful dinner fixed by the group from Canada. After dinner the entire camp went to the church that is located on the grounds for camp devotion. Yours truly (Anne Marie) led the devotions. I read John 14:12-14 (doing greater works than Jesus). After the bible reading, the entire camp shared stories from the day. We heard about one gentleman who had a woman thank him and tell him her story while standing in line at a local Subway. Another man told us about an instance at the same Subway where he wanted a cookie, but didn’t want to stand in line. They got ready to leave and just as they were getting in their cars another man came up with a bag of cookies and said “I wanted to do something to thank you for all you have been doing here.” Another gentleman in the group went and spoke at a local high school. Before speaking to the students he was talking to the assistant principal who had just returned to her house after living in a trailer for 2 ½ years.

I finished by reading a poem in the back of “Signs of Life” by David Jeremiah. It talks about the forty ways we have signs of life that others can see. I will be sure to send a copy to everyone in the next update.

In closing, I wanted to share our new motto for the week. Of course, you all know that, as Presbyterians, we cannot gather together without having food of some kind. Tonight after devotions, while discussing the following nights menu that we were fixing, we came up with our new motto…….”Wherever two or more are gathered, we eat.”

Day 4 (April 8)

From our pod to yours,

Today our groups went back from whence they came to continue working on our projects from yesterday.

The group with Mary, Charlie, Jason, Sue, Dave, and Lesa returned to Helen’s house to continue putting up insulation and drywall. While there the group got to know “Star”, Helen’s dog whom they had met the day before. They call “Star” the “Tree Dog” because his favorite hang out is a tree in the front yard. The group was able to get quite a bit done with the drywall, but lo, they did not finish and must return tomorrow to complete their mission.

The second group (Anne Marie, Lori, Dale, Joyce, Gretchen, and Chet) went back to Mike’s house to finish the cabinets and to do some painting. We were able to finish the last 3 cabinets quickly and moved out to the front porch, which needed a coat of primer paint. By the end of the day we were able to finish painting the roof and front panel of the porch with primer. Chet even felt so moved as to get out the weed whacker that we found and trim around the trailer. When we left we had finished Mike’s house as far as we could with the materials we had. Of course, to add a little excitement to the day, when we got ready to leave Gretchen and Chet’s car had a dead battery. Our other car didn’t have any jumper cables, but a neighbor was kind enough to come over and help us jumpstart their car. He then told us about some of the houses in the neighborhood. He said that he had a tree fall through his roof, but that was the extent of the damage. Mike’s house had the most roof damage which was the reason for us being there. He said that some of the other houses had minor wind and rain damage. Before we left, he thanked us for coming and helping Mike and other people in the area. He commented that it has been wonderful what we are able to accomplish and the fact that we are willing to give

our time to come and help others.

It means a lot to us as a mission team to hear stories from the people that we are helping. The unfortunate thing that we heard at orientation on Sunday night is that many of the other faith groups are pulling out of this area. This makes PDA’s presence even more important. As the sign on one of the pod doors says “Housing is still the issue.”

Day 6 (April 10)

Another day, another job almost done.

Today group one (working on Helen’s house) was able to complete putting up new drywall in the kitchen and one bedroom, they began painting the new walls, and they were able to install a new front door. The team is hoping to finish the painting tomorrow, as well as finish working on the front door.

Group two (working at Renee’s house) was able to finish taking out the old vinyl flooring and begin painting the living room. We sprayed the floors to prevent mold and mildew and helped carry in new sheet rock and other flooring materials that were delivered to the house. The plan for tomorrow is to finish painting the rooms throughout the house.

As the week comes to a close, I must admit that for me, personally, this has been an amazing experience. Working in the houses was exhausting and dirty, but was one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life. To see the trailers that people have been living in….trailers that take 10 steps to get from one end to the other. To see the water lines on the walls of homes where people are living with the smell of mold and mildew. To see the smiles of people as we walked down the street in our PDA shirts and have them thank us for the small things that we are doing for one person. To see concrete slabs where buildings once stood, but to also see new homes being built that show how things used to be….it’s an amazing, awe-inspiring experience and one that I will never forget. The things that I have seen have forever changed my perception of disaster and those who survive and carry on. To think that I have come 2 ½ years after Katrina and to still see and hear so many things associated with it is something that can never be put into words to help others understand.

I cannot find the true words to describe the entire experience. Maybe by what I have written over the last few days and the pictures that you have seen, you have been able to imagine or contemplate the purpose we have served here this week. For those who ever have the opportunity to work on a mission team of any kind, let me tell you that it is an experience that will forever change you.

Day 7 (Friday, April 11)

The final day, work’s end….

Today was our group’s final day on the job sites that we have worked so hard on during the last week.

Group one (working on Renee’s house) completed taking down the wallpaper in the hallway and the back bedroom. We painted the living room, the hallway, and the back bedroom before packing up and saying goodbye. From there Dale and Joyce left for Atlanta (they had to leave early to get back for an obligation early on Sunday), while Lori, myself, and Mary (she joined us for a day) left to go to Helen’s house to meet up with group two.

Group two (working on Helen’s house) completed installing the front door, painting the kitchen and bedroom, and hanging curtains (we always like to add those final, special touches). Lori and I, only being there one day, got the meet Helen and “Star” (the little dog mentioned in a previous update).

Before arriving at the house we found out that Lesa would be heading home prematurely to be with Gery and his mother, who was having health problems. Lesa left right after having lunch with the group at Dairy Queen.

I want to mention that while we were in line at Dairy Queen a lady came up to the each member of the team and gave us a hug and thanked us for everything that we have done here in Mississippi. It was an amazing thing to have a complete stranger give us a hug and thank us, but it was so humbling at the same time.

(Dale and Joyce made it safely to Atlanta and Gery’s mother was doing a little better)

With Dale, Joyce, and Lesa gone that brought our band of presbie’s to 7. We were now without Gretchen, Chet, Dale, Joyce, and Lesa. Never-the-less we were able to complete many projects today and prepare for the next group to come in and take over God’s work here in Gulfport and Biloxi.

This evening we were able to participate in our last camp devotion. The group from Canada led the devotion. The neatest thing about it was they did a couple songs, one by a small group of people who are in their church choir and one song that was sung by everyone (“Here I Am, Lord”). It was a great way to end the week as a camp community.

A week has passed and it doesn’t seem possible. There is so much left to do…we have only begun to help. I now know why, when past mission teams have come back, they say “we wanted to stay one more day,” “there so much more we could have gotten done,” “can’t we stay and see it finished.”

Elkton Presbyterian Church

"Sharing the Good News of God's Love"