Getting ready to work....

We are at the end of day two of our trip to Gulf Port. We are prepping to begin our work week tomorrow, and most are turning in early.

This morning we attended church at Camp Hope's congregation- 1st Presbyterian of Gulf Port, MS. The pastor spoke about the relationship between our knowledge of Christ, or love of Christ, and our obedience to Christ through service. In simple terms... Head, Heart, and Feet. We are looking forward to being the feet of Christ this week as we head out to the homes.


We spent the afternoon touring Biloxi and Gulf Port. Not only did we get to dip our toes in the ocean, we got to see, first hand, the devastation this part of our country is facing. It is mind boggling to see high-rise casinos and resorts next to demolished homes.

It's been two years since the storm, and yet there are THOUSANDS of trailers in the lawns of used-to-be homes. I can't imagine leaving the comfort of my cozy, decorated, just like I like it apartment for a small, cold, unfamiliar trailer. I could probably last a few months, but thinking about two years in these conditions puts a very large knot in my stomach. I'm looking forward to getting into the work. There can't be few too many gifts better than giving someone their home back after two years of displacement.

A few more fun things happened this afternoon:

- We took John Cochrane by his old home in this area. It was the first place he and his wife lived when they were first married over 30 years ago.

- We visited a memorial created by the show Extreme Home Makeover. The memorial had a time capsule where we could look at keepsakes and memories from residents who were affected by the hurricane.

- We learned how delicious Backyard Burger is.

I'll keep you updated throughout the week about what the damage looks like, what the needs are, and the stories of the homeowners.

As promised, I will upload pictures and introduce you to the team as soon as we can figure out how on earth this picture thing works. The internet connection here is a bit whacky. I think I will have "home base" help me out.