Second Update

MOSS POINT, MS UPDATE ~ March 12, 2006

Things have been quite busy here.

Pictures are of me painting and the other of one of the houses that is still standing, across the beach – you can see right through the front, only the pillars holding it up.

This past week there were close to 60 people here. Spring break brought students from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and Scranton, PA. (I talked with a girl, Clare who was from Marywood College in Scranton, PA.) She and her friend, Danny, helped Ken out one day doing some painting. Mrs. Eliza Finklea (who I called Fitzlea in my last update) was so grateful she made two pecan pies and sent them with Ken. We split the two pies amongst the group of us and what a faboulous pecan pie it was – very rich and very tasty!

We continue to work in Mrs. Finklea’s home and it is almost to the point of being finished! Ken has been painting, drywalling, hanging fixtures, etc. I have been helping him put up the crown molding and also painting and cutting in along the crown molding so he could paint the ceiling, along with putting face plates on outlets and light switches.

It has been quite an experience here with the college kids and spring break. Can you imagine all these 60 people and only 2 (yes TWO) showers? They developed a system – a numbering system and time limit. If you wanted a shower, you signed up and you were allotted only two minutes per shower. With all these people, the church has never run out of hot water. This morning on the shower wall there was a sign that said there was a Friday special for showers: 5 minutes per shower. At least there was a sense of humor.

The temps have been in the 80’s. Okay Asbury team – if this is any indication of what April and June will bring – you better be bringing cool clothes!

I worked the early part of the week with Pastor David Greer and set up an excel spreadsheet on all the volunteers that have come through these doors. As of Monday there have been over 700 volunteers since Katrinia hit! This coming week there will be close to 100 people and more spring breakers! What a better place for the college students to be on spring break – helping out those less fortunate! One college student was on TV last week and he was quoted as saying, “I don’t think those other students on spring break in FL or wherever they go are having as good a time as us.” What better place for these students to be – helping others less fortunate and making new friends.

As I am typing this, an older lady (Tony Morre) came to the door to use our cell phone. Her van has broken down and she needed to call someone. After chatting with her for a bit, she wanted to know where we were from and how long we were here. I told her and she just broke down crying. She said that so many people from all over have come to help out here with no questions asked. The churches do more for the people than all the red tape they must go through. She said when they were in temporary housing, they had to fill out a form for a bottle of water….and it was 100 degrees and lines. She just cried. I tried to comfort her, but she was so overwhelmed that people who don’t even know anyone down here come to help out. I was beginning to feel like I hadn’t done anything and after talking with her, she gave me an awakening that we are, in our little way, helping out.

Ken was on the roof of the RV “cleaning and washing” it. It is quite windy here and I can hear him moving around up there – is it a man thing that they like to live dangerously?

Next week we will be finishing up Mrs. Finklea’s home and moving on to another house.
Pastor David says he has some more ‘office’ projects for me to do. His secretary says that he was so excited that someone was able to get a spreadsheet set up.

Before each team leaves, the Pastor has a communion service and as he was talking about the people we have been helping…he mentioned one elderly man (107 years old) who wanted a tin roof put on his tiny house. He was told that he should move in with his granddaughter or to another place. He said this was his “home” and he could not go anywhere else. That brought to mind Mrs. Kirkland whose house looks like an old converted barn. The ceiling could not hold dry wall without being reinforced and it looks like it should be bulldozed down. She told me that this was her “home” where she was when she married, had her children and her husband died here. She didn’t want to leave it…this was her home. She said she has never been flooded since she bought the house in 1948 and didn’t think it would happen this time. She was ready to ride it out, but her daughter made her leave – the house was flooded to the tops of the windows with water from the bayou.

Signing off till next Sunday.

julie and ken