Lamp Lighters

Welcome

2006-02-01T23:12:00.000-05:00

WELCOME!! to the Lamp Lighters BLOG, where we are sharing our experiences in volunteering in the Biloxi, Mississippi area.

NEW! We are back home now. In the weeks that follow, I will be continuing to post photos and stories as I can get to them. I will try to upload our team photos and worksites first, so that friends and families and perhaps future teams can see what we have been doing. But I also have hundreds of photos of the devastation, and in the hope that I can bring even a little understanding about the scope of it all, I will be posting those. And there is so much to write about, too. Most of it will be about the hope that I saw, for it is definitely there amidst the rubble.

The most recent posts will appear on top; you will have to scroll down or click on a post heading (see sidebar) to go to earlier posts. There are many more posts than appear on the sidebar; check the archives if you cannot see the posts by scrolling down the page.

Included in the posts are profiles of the team members from the Connecticut District of the New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and descriptions of what we have been doing.

Please leave us comments and messages! You can also leave a message by using my email address: elizabethhokama@yahoo.com.

Sheltered Lives

2006-01-31T22:06:00.000-05:00

As I snuggle under my blankets tonight (thermostat set on 55), I have a new, or renewed attitude about what is essential, about what is truly home, what is necessary, what brings hope, what is too much.

One cannot help such thoughts having seen so many homes destroyed or damaged into uninhabitability, knowing that people have been dispersed to places they had not expected or wanted. My two-bedroom condo now seems so spacious, so solid, so extravagant. Snacking on chocolate while watching t.v. and typing on a laptop: luxurious if not ostentatious.

Tonight my prayers are for the people whose homes were destroyed or made uninhabitiable by Katrina. I photographed many in Mississippi, only a small portion pictured here. My heart goes out to you, and hope that you are safe, and warm, and fed, and with your family. I wish for you a good night's sleep. And a job to go to tomorrow. God has many blessings for you; know that you are not forgotten.

Thank You

2006-01-29T23:21:00.000-05:00

Thank you, Mr. Seawright and Rev. Moses (more often called by us as Loyce and Moses), for inviting us to your church and to your mission which has become our mission. We'll be back as soon as we can!

For the Church People

2006-01-29T08:22:00.000-05:00

Six southern Mississippi United Methodist churches were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina: Leggett Memorial, Biloxi; St. Rock United Methodist Church, Biloxi; Mount Zion, DeLisle; St. Paul, Pass Christian; Safe Harbor, Escatawpa; and Pearlington United Methodist Church. In addition, the Seashore Mission in Biloxi was destroyed.

Along Beach Boulevard (I-90) for about a 20-mile stretch, I discovered the remains of several other churches, shown here. Today, my prayers are for the people of these churches: alive, missing, or Gone to Glory.

NYAC Team Seven 27 January 2006

2006-01-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

A final group photo before our departure from St. Paul's

Probably each member of our group, the Lamp Lighters of the Connecticut District, New York Annual Conference, helped St. Paul's UMC itself in some way. Pete, Don, Martin, Paul, and Mel (and no doubt, more) helped hang sheet rock in three of the rooms. Rachel, Mel, and I removed insulation and debris; I removed mildew from the walls of two rooms. We prepped walls for painting, cleaned and organized several rooms, and removed trash. Several of us will also be raising money for the church choir, which needs a piano, organ, and/or electronic keyboard.

Willy's Team

2006-01-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

L-R: Steve, Martin, Rachel, Paul, Willy, Karen, Amy, Stoddard, Beth

Steve is standing partially in the hall where Willy stood during the storm until the water began to rise; he then went to a bedroom to stand on his bed. Willy says he next would have broken into the attic if the water had risen further. Without being asked, Willy states he didn't leave his house during the storm because "It's a guy thing."

Fred's Team

2006-01-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

First Row: Peg, Martin, Chuck, Ruthann, Carolyn, Stoddard

Second Row: Steve, Pete, Diane, Don, Libby, Dave, Fred, Jerry, Van

Diana's Team

2006-01-28T13:31:00.000-05:00

Rachel, Peg, Mel (on conference call with Diana who was unable to join us); Paul (kneeling), Karen, Steve, Amy, Martin, Beth, and Pete

Our team felt honored to be asked by Mr. Seawright to work on his own daughter's place.

Thank You Edward Walker

2006-01-28T13:08:00.000-05:00

Fans of TLC's Trading Spaces will recognize designer Edward Walker. I have admired his elegant style and southern manners for a long time, and when realizing that he was on our flight from Biloxi, I deduced he must have been rennovating a home or two in the Biloxi area. I asked him if he had an entire house down to the studs to work with, and essentially, he did, or at least down to the dry wall. He said that two home owners, miles apart from Biloxi and from Gulfport, were the subject of an episode that had just wrapped and would probably air March 4.

Ever the gentleman (I was talking to him while he was arranging his seat assignment), he politely asked what I had been doing and I told him a little about our group. He seemed genuinely pleased and said he was coming back down in April to work with a Baptist men's group.

Edward, if you do make it to this blog, again, thank you. And by the way, I read your bio and want you to know that my parents spent their honeymoon and first couple of years of married life in your hometown of Silacauga, AL, where my father was a chemist during WWII (before leaving for medical school.) Thank you for proving to the world that Alabamans are among the most caring and well-mannered people on earth.
Second photo by Peg

My Name is Melvin Hal-lay-LOO-yah!!!

2006-01-28T12:35:00.000-05:00

During our last evening together, Ruthellen, Peg, Amy, and Carolyn (especially Ruthellen and Carolyn) gathered us together for a "high school yearbook" type fest where "awards" were handed out, along with "prizes". Due to his notoriety for getting lost, Mel was awarded a sign to be pinned to his shirt. "My name is Melvin. Please deliver me to Simsbury, CT. Hallelujah!" Here, Pete and Peg dutifully obey the sign, at least as far as Bradley airport and into the arms of Mel's wife, Dorothy. The "Hallelujah" part of this story derives from a local radio station, "92.5 Hal-lay-LOO-yah" which has a DJ who just loves to shout the Hallelujah when announcing the station name. Mel and I were listening to this station while taping sheetrock at St. Paul's UMC, and Mel took up the Hallelujah chorus from then on. Be prepared, Simsbury UMC; you will no doubt hear him do this a lot. Hope you enjoy it as much as we have, as it always brings us smiles.

Fred's Front Room

2006-01-27T21:10:00.000-05:00

Fred's place is essentially five rooms; two rooms wide, two rooms deep, and one long room across the back. Think double-wide trailer, and you have the approximate dimensions. The walls are not square with the floor and ceiling, causing numerous difficulties for anyone working here. But the crews working with Fred try so hard to get it right, or at least improve upon what is there, and in that effort they succeed very well.

This view is from the kitchen looking toward the front door. Fred has talked about his plans for replacing his furniture and decorating the place; hopefully various crew members will share some of what Fred has told them.

Fred in FEMA Land

2006-01-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

Fred has a large side lot next to his place, and has his FEMA trailer parked a few yards from his house. He tends to a maintenance issue in this photo.

Fred's View from his Back Yard

2006-01-27T13:11:00.000-05:00

About six feet from Fred's back wall is a chain link fence, and over that fence you can see what his yard once looked like. Debris, trees, strange things everywhere.

Demon Room

2006-01-27T13:03:00.000-05:00

Dave will have to tell this story, as I won't do this justice. But, I'll give you a hint. As you walk into the first room on your left as you enter Fred's Place, you encounter what has been lovingly (or otherwise) been named as the "Demon Room." Apparently, several unusual things have happened in this room. And one day, Dave was found muttering to some entity in the corner of it, mildly alarming or amusing his teammates. Chuck is said to have performed an exorcism here...

Fred, however, is quite pleased with this room, and looks forward to finishing it off. He promises pictures of it in its finished state.

Rocking and Shooting in Fred's Back Room

2006-01-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

Martin contemplates the next piece of sheet rock. He has been voted "best rocker" by his team mates, an honor of truly great distinction. You can see evidence of Libby's handiwork behind him. She meticulously stapled in the tarpaper and insulation for this rather large room (by Fred's Place standards), and finally found a smaller stapler that made her life a bit easier. Libby was voted "Best Shooter" for her stapling abilities.

Corporate

2006-01-27T12:48:00.000-05:00

Jerry often took flak for being the assistant team leader. You can't exactly blow off steam or blame your pastor for anything, so Jerry got to be the target at times. One of Jerry's many jobs was to go check on the various jobsites. Busy with the task at hand, someone would be bound to mutter "Corporate" at Jerry's approach, following by some joke about where has he really been lately--trips offsite being a luxury.

But Jerry proved his mettle with the construction skills with a great sense of humor. Here, he says he "measured 2,500 times and cut 5,000 times." Van, the masked man, holds the counter steady.

Finishing up

2006-01-27T12:36:00.000-05:00

Jerry slides in the last piece of counter-top.

Fred's Kitchen

2006-01-27T12:23:00.000-05:00

Strange and beautiful things happen at Fred's Place. Most of the team ended up working at Fred's house one time or another, and all felt very fortunate to have done so. Even though it has one or maybe more "demon rooms" (ask Dave or Chuck about this.) Fred has this way of making each and every person feel very special even though you've just met him, and even if you are not one of the ones there to work on his place--work for which he is extremely grateful.

The Memorial United Methodist Church (in Avon) donated the funds for the cabinets you see here; parishioners Ruthellen and Martin spent many an hour working with Fred in this kitchen and elsewhere in the modest but well-loved home.

Standby for technical difficulties...

2006-01-26T12:14:00.000-05:00

I've been spending the last hour trying to upload photos and the connection keeps getting lost. Not sure what the message in that is to me, except to wrap it up and try again later. But I don't know when "later" is, as my next opportunity to work in a Wi Fi zone may not be until I get in an airport or home.

I have several hundred photos stored on my hard drive right now. That is a LOT of editing, of course. The writing will continue for some days, probably weeks or months. But as soon as I land in Connecticut I have to return to the business of making a living, and with a trial next week, I don't know when I'll get this finished.

But, I'll try my best!

I hope to include as many of our team's photos and stories as possible. Their perspective and better photography will no doubt much improve this blog.

Love and peace to you all. And may you keep the people of Mississippi, and the volunteers who work here, in your hearts and prayers.

Elizabeth

Picassos

2006-01-26T12:05:00.000-05:00

The Picassos of our team, Diane and Ruthellen, have become experts in mudding and covering those little mistakes others may have left behind. They take pride in their work, and, like everyone else who has worked at Fred's place, they've become almost obsessively loyal to Fred.

Winding Down

2006-01-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

Today is our last full day here. That makes it a really tough day for most, if not all, of us. We are winding down our work at the various worksites; getting ready to say good-bye to the homeowners we've been helping; envying those teams who will stay here after we leave; feeling the frustration of all that there is left to do; and knowing that this experience has changed our lives completely.

The worksites will be shutting down at noon today, and we'll head to what is left of a beach area (it is officially still closed due to contamination and such) for a picnic lunch. We'll be sitting in a parking lot, away from the sand that we should really not walk upon. The area is still bereft of sailboats, casino barges, people sunbathing and shell-gathering. But you can perhaps appreciate what the scenery was like once, long ago.

Maybe we'll hear the sound of construction from where we'll be, and I suspect we'll have mixed emotions about that. You do want to cheer for reconstruction and new jobs, and an invigorated economy, after all. But it also means that something was lost first, before the rebuilding. And it means that life here will be completely different.

Oh my...

As I was writing the above, several people in Java Joe's stopped by my table where I've been writing so many times this past week. They hug me. They thank me profusely. They express, once again as so many people have down here, that they are touched and surprised to see us here, and that they are so very grateful. They say that sometimes it just seems like the world has forgotten them, but then they see the volunteers (and sadly, they say, there are so few volunteers) and they know that someone out there cares. The last woman I just spoke to said that she is praying for me, that I have brought blessings here, and that she knows that somehow the stories of people here are reaching others "out there."

Honestly, it is just about all I can do to keep from crying. But there is work to do, and not much time left to do it in. I think I'll just post some photos for a while...

Coming Home - by Cassandra

2006-01-25T17:40:00.000-05:00

I have been trying to corner Cassandra all week long enough to take her picture, see how she is doing, what she thinks. She is, after all, a very instrumental part of getting many of us here. And she is the one with the closest ties to Mississippi, having grown up here, educated here (through college undergrad), played here, prayed here. I finally gave her my laptop one night after she was headed for bed (her cot is just a couple of feet from my air mattress) and asked her to write.

Coming Home

As we drove along the beach from the airport on our first day here, I looked to my right to see the sparkling water of the Mississippi Gulf and seagulls in the distance. But, it’s not the same scene that I remember from years past. Things are different now. The beautiful homes that I once could see on my left consist primarily of front steps that lead to nowhere. The beachfront is now void of sailboats, beach umbrellas and children playing in the sand. I have found myself crying with others here, not only for the destruction that surrounds us, but also for times past - days of family outings, merry-go-round rides on the Biloxi beach, and "crab trapping"in Pass Christian. Things have changed and they will never be the same again. Cassandra 1-23-06

Cassandra has partially worked through her grief for the destruction and the people here by working incredibly hard. Stoddard told me on Monday when I was working at the Bay St. Louis location to watch Cassandra and make sure she doesn't work too hard. Hard to do, as she is a self-described "flea", fltting here and there, not londing in one place for very long. There is much she wants to accomplish in the Main Street Methodist Day Care center which has become Cassandra's pet project. Yesterday, I dropped in again on the project, this time to take photos rather than sand and clean and stain doors, which I had done on Monday. Scroll down to see the photos.

Main Street Methodist Day Care 24 January 2006

2006-01-25T17:16:00.000-05:00

I had to nearly threaten this group to get them to let me take their photo. Almost to a person, they are shy, and at this point just wanting to get back to base camp after a long day.
L-R: Beth, Carolyn, Peg, Cassandra, Stoddard, and Pete.
This tombstone is in the cemetery across the street from the back of the daycare center. I think it to be a very apt description of the crew who is working at Bay St. Louis, as they are a hard-working, quiet bunch.
At the end of the workday, Pete is not ready to go. While the others begin loading the van with equipment, Pete cuts a square in the drywall located in a closet. His intent is to prepare for installation of a child's sink and vanity. He tells me he thinks he can finish the job the next day, and has me take a closeup (not shown) so that he can show Jerry and explain what he plans to do.

Stoddard installs a bathroom stall.

More Photos of Bay St. Louis Worksite

2006-01-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

Several doors are propped on chairs to dry. They have been sanded after a tedious prepping which includes tape and staple removing, plus removal of gunk and black marks and such. Then follows a staining process with Minwax. The staff is thrilled with this, saying the doors look better than before the storm hit.
Two of the most over-qualified but hardest-working furniture assemblers in Bay St. Louis are Cassandra, Ph.D., and Beth, M.D.
Carolyn and Peg work closely together on this classroom door, which, like most of the other doors, has many pieces of adhesive tape almost bonded to the wood. Removal of the tape is a tedious process; when I worked on such a door the other day, I was mentally wanting to tongue-lash all the people over the years who had left the tape on the door. Of course, I am sure I have done such a thing many a time without thinking. Not anymore!
Here, Pete works in one of the classrooms. One of the former daycare teachers stopped by the other day to see if she might still have a job, and was thrilled to see the condition of the school now.
You know how the kids have a "lock-in" sometimes; the adults get to live a version of the experience when they go to work out of a Methodist Church site. Here, in the sanctuary of Main Street Methodist in Bay St. Louis, you will find several air mattresses on the floor, and many sleeping bags on the pews. The same is true back at St. Paul's UMC in Biloxi.

This is the underside of part of a tree stump dumped on the site of what at one time was a street about one block from the water and two blocks from the daycare center. The tree it came from (along with the roots) had floated to this spot from a location over two blocks away.

I had taken this photo yesterday while visiting the area, but learned today that this stump is what remains of the tree that was shipped to Mystic, Connecticut for use in ship-building there. I'm not certain if the bike, fence and iron grille work traveled along with the stump, or were dumped there later.

Metamorphosis

2006-01-25T11:53:00.000-05:00

Biloxi had previously only allowed gambling by way of casinos built on the water. This was often (usually?) accomplished by constructing buildings on top of barges. Katrina deposited some of these gigantic structures across I-90, dumping them on the other side onto other structures, including hotels. Here, one such barge casino is being deconstructed and compacted down into about three-foot cubes.

I wonder what the next life of the steel will be?

Check out the scale of this casino-on-a-barge by comparing it to the steam shovel. This is about half of the length of the structure pictured here.

High Water

2006-01-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

Five months later, you can still see how high the water was from the debris in the trees that line I-90.

Welcomed Interruptions

2006-01-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Eucharist Rogers

While sitting at the first table at Java Joe's--the only spot with an electrical outlet next to it--I am in a position where people stop by to talk to me. Some are curious about what I'm doing; others want to know about blogging; still others want to know where all the Wi-Fi zones are in the area. But, mostly, it is the "regulars" who want and need to talk.

I came down here expecting to be assigned to people to listen to as a part of a "listening team". But we haven't completed other commitments first in order to get over to the church where this was to happen. Not to worry. I do my "job" right here.

I met Mr. St. Armand the first day here. I guess that he is in his mid-80's. Originally from New Orleans, he calls me "Chere" [pronounced "share"] and after ascertaining no wedding ring on my finger, proceeds to flirt. Very upbeat, he says he has lost everything, but has his health and happiness so actually hasn't lost a thing at all. He saddens only when talking about his wife whom he describes only as "disabled." His son is mourning the loss of his childhood things, including photos, and hasn't listened yet to his Daddy who tells him that he still has his memories and should be thankful. A couple of days later, at a time when Java Joe's was closed but McDonald's Wi-Fi zone beckoned, in walked Mr. St. Armand while I was there. He let out a belly laugh and said "Chere! You waited for me!" It seems that he needs his coffee like I need an internet fix for my blog.

Yesterday, a man waiting for his coffee at the counter mentioned to someone he had his car in a repair shop in Hartford. "Connecticut?" I asked, introducing myself as being from Simsbury. His blank look told me he wasn't familiar with northwestern Connecticut, so I did a little explaining, and so did he. We exchanged email addresses (I'm collecting a lot of them for follow-up reporting) and cut our conversation short when my friend Barbara walked in. But I had learned he was originally from San Diego, had his dog kenneled in Vermont, his car repaired in Hartford, had visited his daughter in Tampa, had a conversion experience in New Orleans, and was looking for work, housing, and a woman in Biloxi--the latter three via the internet.

Just now, I met a FEMA worker named Eucharist Rogers. Dispelling at least one rumor about FEMA workers, Eucharist's house still is unrepaired, and she is on a three-month waiting list for an electrician. She is working 11 hour days, and is usually too exhausted to attend to the necessary cleaning and mucking in her home to have it considered for any of the volunteer rebuilding going on in the area. She is both too poor--even with her job--and lacking in time to see to private contractors. So, for now, she remains in her FEMA trailer. We have a mutual acquaintance--Jacquelyn Wright--who will rate a story all her own when I can get to it. [I referred to her a little in an earlier blog post.]

Earlier this morning, a woman walked in and apologized to Sherry for not having been in before today [since the storm.] "I am SO glad to see that you have re-opened," she said, adding that since the library hadn't opened yet she was out of a job. I asked her what she does with her time now and she says "I live in my FEMA trailer and most days just wander around, dazed, in a stupor." She says that while the library only received about 27 inches of water, many of the books may be ruined by mildew. She thinks the library should be opened by November. Given the nice weather outside, it takes me a moment to realize that November is many months away.

A couple of structural and architectural consultants from New York stop in, and ask me if the team I'm working with evaluates the safety and structural integrity of our own worksites, or do we rely upon professionals for that. I don't really know the answer to this, but offer that I believe the sites have previously been inspected adequately and certainly no one from my team is going around giving such opinions on a professional basis. They seem very relieved. But then are distressed again when they learn our volunteers are largely from white collar professions. I attempt to reassure by saying most of us have either been trained, or have done similar work on our own homes. This brings about relief again. I think.

Along I-90 in Biloxi

2006-01-25T10:42:00.000-05:00

Katrina did its own version of clearing the view. Here, an entire block is gone, with only a hint of foundations here and there. The view is indeed gorgeous, and part of me hopes that it will remain unobstructed. But peoples' homes were lost, and businesses which would provide jobs could locate here. I am just grateful to see this and imagine what this coast looked like 100 years ago before casinos and vacationers changed the landscape.

Pink Glove Moments

2006-01-25T09:24:00.000-05:00

Amy has this thing for pink. You already know about her pink boots. She also has pink gloves, given to her by her fellow "camp mom", Karen. At the time Amy was presented with the gloves, she welled up with tears as she quite often does.

Yesterday, several of us had our "pink glove moments" as we reach some point of inner reflection that can overwhelm. Paul, who coined the phrase, shared his with us. "Up until today, I thought of my work as just helping my buddy from around the corner do a little dry-walling in his place. I just realized that I am not from just around the corner."

The catalyst for emotion for many of us was the surprise arrival of a poster from Simsbury United Methodist Church. About ten feet long (I didn't measure it; it may be longer or shorter), it carried messages from home. "I don't feel like I deserve this," Paul said. He explained that he was just doing something he would expect to do, and not anything deserving of special recognition.

Cassandra and Mel, touched and excited by the messages sent from SUMC

This touched a chord in me, having struggled all day, and really all week, with the fact that I have "the cushy job" in many respects--sitting at Java Joe's and writing rather than hammering, taping, mucking, sanding, and such. When I do join a work crew in progress I sometimes get the feel I am breaking in on some bonded territory--like a scalawag crossing union lines or something. For they have been there from the beginning, working on a continual process. Don't get me wrong--these are friendly, welcoming, caring people, many of whom who have been my friends for years. But there is this feeling we are here to sweat and somehow take on some of the pain we see everywhere. And somehow, swinging a hammer and coming back exhausted and filthy helps to do that in a more obvious way than writing and taking photos.

This makes me all the more determined to get this continuing story out, to do right by it, to make a difference. How can I help? is the constant question on my mind.

I'm pretty good at painting and refinishing, and decent at using power drivers and drills and in putting things together. [I struggle at taping and mudding, given that I was taught a different way of doing it (with mesh, rather than tape) than most in this group were taught.] As Providence would have it, there are no painting jobs ready to be done, and precious little assembly work. So it seems that I can do more good with words, and my team leader Mel, and his assistant, Jerry, recognize this.

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to meet up with my friend from way back, Barbara. We bonded in 8th grade when she moved to my hometown of Marshall, Missouri and sat next to me to sing in the chorus. She was the maid of honor when I got married, and the last time I had seen her was 12 years ago at her own wedding in New Orleans. Barbara, an RN, and her husband, a structural engineer, live in the flood-damaged (from the storm surge at Lake Ponchartraine) two-story house they are trying to make back into their home in Mandeville, LA.

[An aside here--Barbara was the woman who had picked up Miss Alice from the New Orleans airport and helped her pick up some of her belongings in her old apartment. Much of those belongings are in a Pod which remains in Barbara's driveway in Mandeville. For those who don't know who Miss Alice is, or how she came to live with me for 11 weeks, you can get a little hint by reading my unfinished blog called Chez DuBois.]

Barbara had driven over for the middle of the day to catch up with me, and we spent about two hours driving and photographing from Biloxi to Bay St. Louis (Gulfport, Pass Christian, and Waveland in between.) The experience nearly sucked the air out of me with the gravity and scope of it all. Miles and miles and miles of changed lives and landscapes. The phrase heard over and over again everywhere you go is "television gives you no idea what it is truly like here; you just have to be here."

Still, I am going to try to convey some of what we see here with a selection of the over 200 photos I've shot so far.

Oh Happy Day

2006-01-24T11:40:00.000-05:00

Diane has a digital camera (that I lust after) which records video clips. I am attempting to upload one such clip she took at the worship service at St. Paul's UMC on Sunday. The choir there--on Sunday it consisted of seven or eight women and one teenaged boy--is worth a listen.

This blog, so far as I can tell, uploads images and words and links and such, but so far I haven't gotten it to upload this clip Diane took of the choir singing "Oh Happy Day." From Diane's vantage point you can see how members of the congregation (largely, workers from our groups camped there at St. Paul's, along with visiting locals and some of the members of St. Paul's--30% of whom are unaccounted for) swaying to the music, and joining along. The service, which lasted two hours, included many pieces from the choir who sang from memory. Having watched the choir rehearsal in part, it appears they learn the music through rote memory rather than reading it. That comes in handy when all your music is wet, or blown away, or full of mildew, or your piano is broken and your organ works when the spirit moves it to do so.

There were a few, almost impromptu, solos interspersed throughout the service--usually starting with a few spoken words, and then breaking into an a capella paragraph. Within a bar or two, the organist has figured out what key the soloist has embarked upon, and joins in with a bluesy kind of accompaniment. Soon thereafter, the choir members have begun to join in on choruses, along with more and more of the congregation. Some are only comfortable or familiar enough to clap along, while others join right in, even if only tentatively.

Life at Java Joe's

2006-01-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Sherry O'Murray, co-owner of Java Joe's came to Biloxi by way of Chicago, Texas, Florida, and overseas (armed forces). "It just grows on you here." You got that right. But for a mortgage, student loans, two cats, clients I'm loyal to, and a church family that is, well, family, I think I really would come down here and stay a while. A long while.

Sherry, who reminds me of a younger sister of the actor Tommy Lee Jones, goes about the business of making coffee for the locals (and people like me who have managed to find it) each day with a weary pride. Weary, because she sorely needs help.

Seeing how much people love coming here, I wondered why she hasn't been flooded with applications by jobless folks. I overheard at least one answer when some customers were discussing the same issue--unemployment comp pays more. And has "bennies" (benefits) that Sherry probably cannot afford.

The line can be long--Sherry individually brews each cup except for the "House Coffee"--but no one seems to mind. I sure don't. I've been harboring a little secret which I'm outting myself on today--I LOVE the breakfast biscuit they serve here. Oh my. The biscuit is large and flaky and fresh and made like it is supposed to be, and like few have tasted northward of the Mason-Dixon. The egg, cheese, and sausage are probably little different than elsewhere, but putting those ingredients on that biscuit, and having it served to you by Sherry, well you feel like a princess.

Today, I know I've become part of the local scene, as I rate having my biscuit on a cut glass salad plate. Reminds me being at tea with my grandmother. Or at an afternoon wedding reception being held at a country church.

Yep. I live for that biscuit, even if it means waiting until well after 9 for it, having gotten up at 6.

I ask three of the "regulars" if I can take their picture, and they seem flattered and pleased. They've all lost everything they had except what little they took with them during the storm. One is now renting a house; the other two live in FEMA trailers on their respective properties. They have settled into a daily routine of going to Mass down the street, then walking somewhere for breakfast, then going for another walk along the beach. Sometimes for a change of scenery, they eat breakfast at the hospital. And they recommend the food there. But given that I've seen them here ever time I've been here, I have to think they prefer Sherry's food. Or coffee.

That Good Tired Feeling of having accomplished much

2006-01-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

The past two days have been incredibly busy, and I have a short time to post tonight. I'll be back online tomorrow.

For those who have been unable to leave messages for your loved ones, you can relay them to me via my email address: elizabethrusso@comcast.net. Keep the messages coming! Everyone loves them, and some have not received any yet.

Yesterday, we went to two church services; one at 9, which lasted 90 minutes; the next at 11:00 which lasted two hours. We then had a fish fry at a third church in Bay St. Louis, the scene of the three pix I'm posting tonight. THEN we came back and held another evening service (very short.) We were feeling just a *bit* "churched out."

Today, we were back at the worksites (we had also worked Thursday through Saturday straight); I got to go out to Bay St. Louis where I sanded and stained doors for a daycare center at the Main STreet United MEthodist Church. The church is housing many volunteers from all over the U.S. I was happy to meet up with some Missourians and Kansans, and had fun listening to them have friendly Mizzou-KU sports discussions (I am a Mizzou grad myself.)

Everyone is working hard, and we are exhausted at night. We were so tired last night that despite the snoring of several of us, all managed to sleep fairly well. Seven of us are now packed in my room (and I am in a closet), because there are now about 87 volunteers from VA, NC, CT, and PA housed at this small church!

Main Street storefront

2006-01-23T20:01:00.000-05:00

Dead Ahead

2006-01-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

When we arrived in Bay St. Louis, the air was so thick with fog, we couldn't see very far. I asked how far from the church to the Gulf, and someone motioned straight down the street. I turned to my walking mate and said "Dead ahead."

I immediately regretted my words. As we walked down the street, we began noticing the spray-painted signs on the sides of buildings. Some indicated that a body had been found inside.

Here, the signs say "Danger; Enter at your Own Risk; Black Mold; Human Waste".

Main Street Methodist Church

2006-01-23T19:46:00.000-05:00

The Methodist church in Bay St. Louis was lucky in many respects. You see here the main damage--the steeple.

One story about this has been shared with us--apparently, the steeple was dumped by the storm in the street, and when someone came along to remove it, a man came out and said "Do NOT touch that steeple!"and he whipped out his gun to add emphasis to his statement. Obviously, the steeple did get moved, but back to the front yard of the church. The sign in front of it says "Do Not Remove Steeple", and the back of the sign says "or we'll shoot".

Choir Rehearsal

2006-01-21T12:43:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that this group has an amazingly high percentage of choir singers among us. We get together after dinner to go through a couple of numbers. There are three accompaniests stepping up so far--Cassandra, Martin, and Karen, and our eventual selection for church services tomorrow will probably depend upon which accompaniest desires to play a particular piece--I think they'd all rather be singing.
Photo by Diane

Fred's Place

2006-01-21T12:17:00.000-05:00

Every day we have been sending a work crew to Fred's house where currently the work mostly involves putting up sheetrock.

The amiable crew is finding Dave to be a great "boss", and they are truly enjoying helping Fred, a 75-year-old man who is so incredibly grateful.
Photo by Dave

Images from the Neighborhood

2006-01-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

Two blocks from where we are staying, you see this example of the ironies of life. A heap of rubble where a building once stood, with a large casino looking untouched.

Rev. Moses, our host pastor at St. Paul's, spoke to us about how, when the waters receded after the surge, it was as though the Red Sea had departed--dry here, a wall of water there. Photo by Dave

"Lo! How a Rose E'er Bloometh" This miracle of life among the ruins inspired the members of the work team at "Fred's Place" and serves as an icon of the hope we continually experience here.

Photo by Dave

More Photos by Dave

2006-01-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

In the upper left photo, Chuck takes his turn upon the throne, while Carolyn, Ruthellen, and Diane--master mudders--enjoy a quick break and laugh along.

The yield sign photo is a particular favorite of Dave's, as it gives us a little pause for reflection.

The Kindness of Strangers

2006-01-21T10:48:00.000-05:00

"Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. " Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.

The people of Biloxi have the pride, hope, determination, and will to depend upon themselves but be gracious and grateful for the help of strangers. We as a work crew find that we are the grateful recipients of generosity, too. It's a God Thing.

Cassandra has an incredible story to tell, when she has a spare moment. But here's another one that just occurred a few moments ago.

Paul had just dropped by here at McDonald's (the closest Wi Fi spot when Java Joe's is closed) to bring me a power cord [note to Anna: I love your husband, too; I had forgotten the power cord and he made a special trip to bring it to me], and he mentioned in passing that he was on the way to deliver a flat tire to be repaired, as one of the crew vans had just had a blowout. Sitting at a table within earshot was Mr. Allen Johnson, propietor of a flat-fixing shop. He politely interjected that he could take the tire with him, fix it, and bring it back to us.

The Midwesterner in me immediately thanked him, but the hesitancy from Paul reminded me that I'm not in Kansas (okay, well, Missouri) anymore, so we elicited a few more details from Allen before agreeing that this is a generous offer. I asked him if he took AAA, and he looked a little incredulous before saying "Why, ma'am, I wouldn't charge for that." [We ladies get "ma'amed a lot down here; I love it, knowing that it is a sign of respect and good manners, but some of the Yankee ladies on the team say it makes them feel old.]

Taking a Break

2006-01-21T10:18:00.000-05:00

Those who are used to seeing Dave in church on Sundays with his bow tie (my nickname for him is "GQ") have to really appreciate this image.

At "Fred's Place" the work crew has precious few places to sit. Having worked hard putting up sheetrock ("rocking"), the crew needs (and sometimes has to be told) to take a break. The best seat in the place just may be this toilet that is on the front porch. Libby has found another spot out on the walk. And I can't wait to upload the pic of Carolyn in the bathtub....

Note that even on the jobsite, Dave is lookin' spiffy--going for that LLBean catalog look, I think. Pink shirt, khaki fishing vest.
--Photo by Diane

Willy's Place

2006-01-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Day one for the "SUMaC" teams finds this team at Willy's place. Willy is one who is fortunate to have a job (at the nearby airbase) and family to live with while restoring his house.

Willy lost much of his roof during the storm, and had water rising from the storm surge up to the bed upon which he stood. He was ready to break into the attic if he had needed to.

When you realize that Willy and volunteer crews have been working on this place for months, and you still have this much work to do, and then repeat this scenario thousands of times in the area, then maybe you can start having a clue as to the work that needs to be done.

This photo was taken at the end of yesterday; today, they will be putting up sheetrock on the ceiling, along with insulation.

Steve, Willy, Pete, Paul, Martin, and Stoddard (kneeling) formed the handy work crew at Willy's yesterday. What I witnessed of this crew is that these guys know how to get it done, and do it right, quickly, and with a sense of humor and camraderie that you'd love to have at your own house. Indeed, we are incredibly blessed with the work ethic, skill level, drive, and determination in our group of 22.

Diane

2006-01-20T11:37:00.000-05:00

Diane Yekel, North Canton UMC, is a veteran of mission trips, having gone to Honduras with Cure International. She volunteers at Uconn’s Medical Center as a patient advocate in the emergency room. Diane worked several years as a dental hygienist.

A very active member of her church, Diane serves on the Pastor-Parish Relations board, sings in the choir, and has many other responsibilities with the church. She is one of photographers whose photos will be appearing soon on this blog. Look for them!

Chuck

2006-01-20T11:26:00.000-05:00

Chuck Naugle, born in Dothan, Alabama and raised in Middletown, PA, is the Pastor of North Canton Community United Methodist Church. Chuck will be conducting our evening services as our Chaplain and Debriefer; he has also volunteered to be a Listener.

Chuck is "paying it forward"on this trip:
"Remembering how much I appreciated people coming to my aid during the Hurricane Agnes Flood of 1972, I wanted to reach out to those who have been so hurt by the Katrina Hurricane and Flood... I lost everything in the flood of ‘72, so I know a person can come back from that, but it is hard."

As is the case with some of the others in this group, Chuck still has roots in the deep South, with most of his relatives still in Alabama. "[S]o I know about fried okra, black-eyed peas, and banana pudding. (I only like the last two.)"
The caretaker of a feral cat to whom Chuck sounds quite attached, Chuck also is a singer and will be joining our choral group as a bass/baritone.

Pete

2006-01-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Pete Royal, from Simsbury United Methodist Church, has been in sales since he was 18. Working with him, one can see why he would be very good at his job, as Pete has an easy-going-just-gotta-love-him attitude, even in the morning after a hard day's work.

An example of Pete's optimism: at seven this morning, Pete looked at my tired, allergy-ridden self and walked me over to a window. "Look at this beautiful morning out this beautiful window", he beamed. I had to shake my head. "Pete, I see a cloudy day, threatening rain, and that window..." The window we were looking through is cracked on the outer pane, allowing muddy streaks of Gulf water left there by Katrina to distract from the rather bleak view. Pete's outlook is rather like looking at an empty, dirty glass and calling it refreshing and inspirational. But what can you do but smile and realize that the world has so much to offer if only you'd look at it through Pete's eyes.

Pete is a native Iowan, which endears me, a native Missourian, further to him. Pete is in charge of logistics, no easy task as 22 people each day depart for four job sites in three rental and one borrowed vans, and with supplies to be gotten, people (like me) to be ferried to odd places, and who knows what else because we don't hear about the problems or issues; they are just taken care of. Many others are responsible for such seamless operational issues; people just jump in when they see a need and fulfill it.

Hi Mom! Camp is fun!

2006-01-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

It dawned on me last night that we are at a church camp for adults. So it seems at times, and this is a good thing. We are meshing very well together, very quickly. We are housed in two buildings: the Sanctuary building, and a detached Education building. We eat in the main hall of the education building, which has a spacious kitchen attached to it. On the opposite side of the hall is a stage, which is doubling right now as my bedroom. I have ostrasized myself in the name of keeping peace because my children tell me that I snore loud enough to wake the dead. Last night, I also woke myself up numerous times.

We have shower facilities, which for the women is rather decent. The bathrooms are spotless. There are also outdoor showers that I have not had the, um, pleasure of enjoying.

Conditions for us are better than I had expected, but maybe a little tough for those who had not spent much of their lives "roughing it." But you'll have to ask them. I, for one, am very pleased.

Last night at dinner we sang the Doxology, and immediately chills went down my back. In incredible 4-part, maybe 6-part harmony, 22 people of several denominations and generations joined together in the most beautiful singing I've experienced outside of a formal choir. It was a God Moment, to be sure.

If you look through people's bios (and I have a few more to put up), you'll see that we are a musical bunch. We are strangely missing first sopranos, and one could muse on that fact for a little while... But although we might sing in a slightly lower register, we do sing very well, thank you!

We are having "choir practice" tonight, and I hope to have audio software loaded and working well enough to record snippets.

A word about food and our cooks. Wonderful! Karen and Amy, our Camp Moms, are being helped by several (I wasn't surprised to find Paul there in the kitchen last night), and so far the effort is accomplishing the goal of making us feel right at home.

Where are the people?

2006-01-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

We arrived a little after five p.m. last night, and took Highway 90 along the coast from the airport to our destination. The once-4-lane interstate is now a two-lane local road. It is amazing that it is open, considering that we see craters here and there, and buildings precariously close to the road that had once belonged blocks away.

We then noticed the lack of people. Where is everyone? We did some workers still plugging away at some sites. We saw two or three tents pitched, and some vehicles (a school bus, many tractor-trailers, some pickups) that are apparently being used as homes. Where are the children? We're told that a school bus stops in the area for the children, but no one we talked to seemed to know where it is the children go.

At Java Joe's, I've seen a couple of businessmen who could pass as town fathers or contractors or insurance adjusters; and there were a few who, like the teens I wrote about earlier, who stop in to say hello before the memorial service.

There are some people standing around at the bus station, located across the street from St. Paul's where we are staying, making the locals and some of us a little nervous as they "don't seem to be from around here" and don't seem to be here for a purpose other than to kind of wander in a daze. We're here to help, but the irony is, sometimes we don't know who to help, or how. Do we feed the transients coming in from the bus station? Or is that encouraging a behavior we don't want to encourage? I can't help but think of Jesus talking about "the least of these" as some talk about turning them away, locking them out. But concern for safety is also a real one. Was Jesus' world any less dangerous?

There are no easy answers to these questions, and we are often telling ourselves that we will be led by The Spirit.

Life Goes On in the Twilight Zone

2006-01-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

[Having to wait while crew bosses scope out sites and supplies are collected, I begged my way into being let off at the local Wi-Fi zone, Java Joe's, which miraculously is only three blocks from where we are staying. So I have more time to post!]

Life goes on. So does dying. In an ironic twist that no one would want, Biloxi's youth are going to a memorial service this morning for six teens killed in a car accident. How strange and so incredibly sad that these kids would survive the devastation of Hurricane Katrina only to lose their lives in this way. To people who have grieved, and been shell-shocked, this experience seems to in one way be numbing but in another way a return to "normal" life in the Twilight Zone where teens do die in car accidents.

Sitting here at Java Joe's, I have been talking to three of these teens' friends as they catch a cup of coffee to steel themselves before the service. One friendly young woman whom I'll call Cathy, talks of the accident with a smile on her face, as people often do when they are about to lose it. She is eager to thank me for coming here, and to tell me to let others know how much help here is welcomed.

We talk a little about the casinos. She is apologetic in a way about the casinos reopening, inland, where they were not so long ago banned. She tells me how the casino she is working for never ceased to pay her even when they weren't open (they reopened on Christmas Day); they opened relief centers, and gave Christmas bonuses and kept to their promise of taking care of their employees. But Cathy is quick to say that she sees both sides of the argument. A young man sitting with her says that the casinos pay about $500,000 per day (did he say day?) to the county for education. I told him that the arguments in favor of casinos was similar in Connecticut. We all agreed that it is tough in an economy like this where you want to encourage people to come back and revive the area to argue with thriving businesses that provide jobs and are loyal to their employees and the local schools.

While the casinos are the big structures demanding big attention in photos and news coverage, you really get a sense of the devastation by seeing the blocks upon blocks of small houses that are destroyed, or leaning precariously, or half-missing, or completely gone with a tent pitched on a foundation left behind.

Hello from Mississippi

2006-01-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

From last night:
Where do you begin??
I guess the easiest place is to say that we arrived safely, and that we go to bed tonight a group of people who feel blessed and challenged and overwhelmed at times, and grateful, and knowing that we are in a special place.

Today:
Due to lack of time at a wi-fi zone, I will have to limit words and photos for now, but suffice it to say that the image you see here sort of sums it up. Unbelievable.

This is a casino/barge that had been anchored in the Gulf. It tore from its moorings and ended up across a 4-lane highway and on top of a hotel. We saw miles and miles of such images. War zone is indeed an apt description.

Rev. Moses, our host, has reminded us that our work will be "ïn increments" so as not to overwhelm us. We needed that reminder.

Today we embark on four different work teams to four locations. We don't know yet our assignments, and have been reminded that our work can and will change often. But we are happy to be here. Blessed. Filled with humility. How can it be otherwise?

St. Paul's UMC

2006-01-17T08:11:00.000-05:00

While in Biloxi, we will be staying at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. You can see here that they suffered roof damage. We just learned this past week that we will be sharing space with another work team from North Carolina.

This will be our "Base Camp" where we will sleep on air mattresses or maybe a cot, and where we will share one or probably two meals per day. We've been told to "pack light."

We look forward to not only helping the people of Biloxi and of St. Paul's, but also to sharing a worship service with them.

Mel Kawakami

2006-01-16T18:00:00.000-05:00

Rev. Mel Kawakami, Senior Pastor of the Simsbury United Methodist Church is our Team Leader. Mel is a veteran of a prior mission to Biloxi, having traveled with an earlier team in October to do deconstruction work. Clearly moved by that experience, Mel shared with his congregants upon his return to Simsbury a slide presentation of the some of the places and people that he encountered on that journey. At times, tears welled in his eyes and his voice choked with emotion as he spoke of some of his experiences. Clearly, Mel was destined to take members of his own church, as well as inviting members of other congregations to join us on a mission that has no clear end in sight at this time. Mel has been a blessing to the members of the Simsbury United Methodist Church for the past many years we've had the privelege of knowing him.

Rachel

2006-01-16T17:51:00.000-05:00

Rachel Nissen is from West Simsbury, and is a member of Simsbury United Methodist Church. Rachel felt a strong calling to this mission, saying that "I freally felt the need to do something, and I have the time right now."

Finding time, and organizing it well, must come naturally to this mother of three (ages 12 through 17) who is a labor and deliver RN professionally, while also being an artist. "Some would call me a fiber artist, but I knit (a published knitter), felt, spin wool and do a lot of dying. "

Peg

2006-01-16T17:35:00.000-05:00

Peg Mayer is native of Avon, CT, and a member of Simsbury United Methodist Church. Loyal to her roots, Peg lives and works in Avon, and is a CPA who is the managing partner at Howard L. Page & Co. Peg says that "I am participating in this mission because I am hoping that I may be able to make a difference in someone's life and to do something positive."

Recently, Peg served on the Katrina Relocation Committe of SUMC as a trustee, and demonstrated her compassion for survivors of the devastation visited upon them by Hurricane Katrina.

Peg has a 21 year old son, and says, "I love animals, especially German Shepherds. " She adds the interesting little-known fact about herself: "Charlie and I have driven a race car for over 20 years, and I have been a race car driving instructor with the Porsche Club and the BMW club for at least 15 years."

Ruthellen

2006-01-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

Ruthellen Corbett

"To me the essence of Christian life is to be the hands and feet of Jesus. This is an opportunity to 'put my money where my mouth is.'"

A retired English teacher, specializing in college English as a Second Language, Ruthellen joins us from Memorial United Methodist Church (Avon). Ruthellen will be joining us with her singing talents; she sings tenor. Ruthellen is no stranger to mission work, having initiated (along with her co-layleader) several trips to a struggling mission community in Maine.

Paul

2006-01-16T14:08:00.000-05:00

Paul Collen is a software engineer experienced in volunteer rebuilding projects. He has had "many terrific opportunities on local projects in the Hartford area and have known the impact it has had on those being helped. [I've participated in] projects such as Heads Up Hartford with youth from SUMC [where Paul is a member] and Hartford area churches and Habitat for Humanity. After the storms hit, I said, I just got to find a way to help those in the Gulf area out."

Although Paul lists his role in this mission as "worker bee", look for him to be the "go-to guy" for tech issues, carpentry, fix-it issues, singing tenor, keeping everyone laughing, and maybe even some cooking (note to Amy and Karen, Paul is a good cook.)

Karen and Steve

2006-01-16T14:06:00.000-05:00

Karen and Steve

We are all extremely grateful to Karen and Steve, and their RV. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to send along our sleeping gear and some of our tools. They are also sharing their shower! They join this team from Simsbury United Methodist Church.

Karen is a Base Camp Coordinator, working closely with Amy; she sings second soprano, joining us in our choir efforts. A woman with many activities while at home ("writing, gardening, quilting, photography, dogs and cats...and any other animals that might come my way, our twin daughters and their husbands, traveling"), Karen will be putting her talents to great use. Ï'm going on this adventure because it's time to do something more than writing the check, putting it in the mail and hoping all of it gets to the right place."

Steve is one of our Crew Chiefs. He enjoys golf, tennis, paddle tennis, windsurfing, rowing, gardening, cooking, reading, woodworking, dogas and cats, daughters and sons-in-law, and travel including driving the RV. Karen respectfully suggests that we do not want him to participate in singing.

Dave

2006-01-16T14:05:00.000-05:00

Dave is a "retired granddaughter-watcher."

He is so much more than that! Dave is serving as a crew chief, and as our treasurer. He is, and will be, a very popular man, no doubt!

Dave states that his reason for going on this mission is to "cast some light into the dark." With that in mind, it was Dave's idea to come up with our group name as "The Lamp Lighters." This name really gives us a goal to strive for.

Among many interesting things, Dave is an avid cyclist, and enjoys scrimshaw. Dave is a member of Simsbury United Methodist Church.

Jerry

2006-01-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

Jerry Frazee is the Assistant Team Leader for this mission, joining us from Simsbury United Methodist Church.

"[I have a] gorgeous wife, 7 grown children and 12 grandchildren. Enjoy restoring old houses and old cars. Helping those in need always provides a great personal reward from seeing the happiness and joy you bring and providing aa building block to those who need it the most. Á helping hand, not a hand-out.'"

When asked if he would be joining us in our singing group, Jerry said that his voice is like "that of a hoarse frog.... therefore, I will be an avid and enthusiastic listener.

Martin

2006-01-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

Martin Kibbe joins us from Memorial United Methodist Church, Avon, works in sales, and will be managing our tools and equipment. We will look forward to singing with Martin, who is a bass in his church choir; he also plays piano and organ.

"[I felt] strongly about wanting to do something more than money donation. Saw opportunity for VIM Program in NYAC Newletter."

Stoddard

2006-01-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Stoddard Reynolds admits to being "3/4 century" in age; he is a retired school teacher of middle school students at Renbrook School where he taught geography and history and coached many sports. Stoddard is a crew chief, van driver, and jack of all trades on this mission. He will be lending his second bass voice in the camp choir.
Stoddard enjoys "home maintenance projects, landscape work, restor[ing] reed parlor organs, building model boats, etc. I spend nighttime with Libby."

Libby

2006-01-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth "Libby" Reynolds is a retired "pre-tech-era school secretary" who joins us from St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Simsbury. Libby and her husband Stoddard recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary; they have two daughters, a son, and two grandchildren.
In addition to quilting, Libby loves "opera, organ music, Bach Flicka, Pieter Schreier, my Husband, ice cream, and cats – not necessarily in that order..."
Libby is joining this mission because it "seemed to be a call for me; the best answer I’ve had for a while to the longing to know what I could do to really help people besides dropping a check into the collection plate..."
We look forward to Libby putting her musical interests to good use in our camp choir by singing alto or mezzo soprano.

Don

2006-01-16T13:27:00.000-05:00

Don de Nagy joins us from the Simsbury United Methodist Church; he will be inventorying equipment and will "help in any other areas needed."

"I had friends in Florida that suffered losees and couldn't help them. [This is] a good chance to do something for those in desperate need."

Don is a retired insurance examiner.

Beth

2006-01-16T13:21:00.000-05:00

Dr. Beth Nelson is a surgical oncologist specializing in gynecological cancers.

"As to reasons for participating in this mission, I'll try to be succint. (But may not succeed.) I think like most Americans, I have been overwhelmed by all the natural disasters in 2005. Somehow, along with the daily deaths we hear of in Iraq, it just seems like we're in an age in which more and more humans are suffering. It makes one feel like there is no way to help except to write another check and hope it reaches an area where it can alleviate some of the world's woes. I have wanted to participate in a medical mission for some time, but somehow whenever I had the opportunity, some work or personal reason prevented me from participating. When Pastor Mel and Cassandra Garcia came back from Biloxi with their stories, I felt compelled to go myself. UMCOR and VIM missions seem to be well organized and I feel like the setting will allow us to directl impact people who are hurting."

"I have always believed that reap what you sow, and that the good deeds we do will be passed on to others in need. I have been helped over the years in many fashions, often by people who did not expect any repayment. Now when I am thanked for a kindness, or asked 'how can I ever thank you?', I tend to say 'pass it on'.

"Many, many people are in no position to help. Here we sit in the midst of plenty, truly blessed in myriad ways. How can we not share our good fortune, be it money, hard work or a willing spirit? Anyway, you asked!"

One task that some of may be assigned to is that of "listener." From Cassandra, we have learned that one minister says that he could take a whole team of people for days and fill all their time with just listening to people unload. When we learned of this, we all thought of Beth as a natural for this.

Beth also will bless us with singing alto; she joins us from the Simsbury United Methodist Church.

Van

2006-01-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

Van Mason is with Trinity Episcopal Church of Tariffville, CT. Retired from Combustion Engineering where he was with Information Services, Van spends his time now on the computer and spending time with his wife, Barbara.
He comes with experience for this mission having had two one-day stints with Habitat for Humanity along with others from Trinity.

Van is putting his EMT training to use as our Health and Safety Co-ordinator.

Amy

2006-01-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

Amy Wagenblatt is our Base Camp Coordinator. She is a "full-time mom and part-time medical office assistant" who comes to us from the Torrington First United Methodist Church. Amy and Karen have been busily planning our meals while in Mississippi; not an enviable task, but one they both embrace with enthusiasm.

Indeed, Amy can hardly wait. "I am going because I am drawn to help others in ways that I can physically and emotionally be there for them. And I have the wonderful support of my family (a husband and two teenaged daughters) who would have liked to go themselves."

A self-admitted "girly-girl", Amy has been given a pair of pink work boots for this mission. Can't wait to upload a photo of Amy in those boots!

Carolyn

2006-01-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

Carolyn McGahie comes to our group from the United Methodist Church of Hartford, and sees her role on this mission as a "sleeve-roller-upper" as a "cooperator-in-residence".

Since her graduation from Mt. Holyoke College, Carolyn has had a varied and fascinating career. She has worked with the YMCA, has been a preschool and creative movement teacher for 17 years, and then was a veterinary assistant for 17 years.

Carolyn is a seasoned veteran of volunteer activities, including Volunteers in Mission. "Having been on a VIM trip to Haiti, I feel compelled by faith to continue this service. I want to continue with my deceased husband's vigor and concerns." Her activities include the Red Cross (she is a donor of 171 pints); Outreach Commission, choir (she sings tenor at her church "due to a lack of men"), worship commission, assistant director of Hartford West End Food Pantry, and "other soup-to-nuts."

Carolyn is clearly a giving and caring person with a worldwide outlook. "My home is like a rooming house" she says. "Over the years probably 30 different people have lived here, on and off, for various reasons. Many foreign students and dogs, cats, and rabbits. We lived in Germany two years and traveled widely. We stayed with families in Israel and Korea with the Friendship Force, and attended a seminar in South Africa with Plowshares."

Carolyn's experience and outlook will be of great value to us all.

"Here I Am, Lord"

2006-01-13T17:36:00.000-05:00

As a part of my journaling task for this mission, I am asking my fellow team members to allow me to get to know them a little better. I have sent them each an email asking that they let me know their name, age, occupation, home church, task(s) assigned on this mission, and why they are going. I will be posting their answers over the next few days. In the meantime, I was asked by Glenn Shafer of Imprint News to share with him my own background as to why I am going on this mission. I laughed when he said "in a sentence or two." I cannot do that! I said. So send me whatever you write, he said. Here is what I sent him:

"For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required." (from Luke 12:48)

When Hurricane Katrina roared through the Gulf region in August 2005, I was returning from dropping my youngest child off at college in Pennsylvania, and was contemplating my long-term plan of taking a hiatus from my law practice to do mission work. While I had thought that something like Peace Corps was what I’d want to do, I had had to step back and rethink things a little. Life does that to you sometimes–you sometimes have to modify your plans.

With an 84-year-old mother in Florida who had lost her condo building’s roof from three of the 2004 hurricanes, I had been monitoring the hurricane tracking closely ever since. I realized that a two-year Peace Corps commitment would take me out of the country and would make it very difficult for me to help my mother in a time of crisis. And my son reminded me that he *would* like a home to come to during college breaks. Then, I had to also consider that my practice had become quite busy and fulfilling, and that I had commitments to my clients. So as I was driving back from Pennsylvania on August 29, listening to the news about Katrina, the seeds of a different path were being planted.

With Katrina, I at first had this morbid curiosity about the size of it. Then I realized that it was going to hit an area where people–a lot of people– lived. And that some of those people were my friends, relatives, friends of relatives, or relatives of friends.

My childhood best friend, Barbara, lives in a very vulnerable area of Mandeville, LA. I realized soon after Katrina hit the area that although my relatives in Alabama and Florida were safe, I could not get in touch with Barbara, and I began to monitor the news coverage very closely. By the following Sunday, September 4, I was in church, praying about what to do, and asking my senior pastor, Mel Kawakami, about going to the area on a mission.
While waiting for an answer, I set about seeing what I could realistically do. Right after church, I heard on the radio about the need for housing for Katrina survivors. As soon as I got home, I registered online with www.katrinahousing.org, and within 24 hours, I received a phone call that three ladies needed a place to stay. And on September 6, I welcomed Melanie, Zelma, and Miss Alice into my home for what would become a 3 to 11-week stay (respectively.)

While living with these three lively ladies (self-named, "The Golden Girls") from New Orleans, I learned about their experiences of living through the storm, the ensuing floods, their rescue, and their adventures in trying to survive and move on. (Some of these experiences are written about in my other blog, www.chezdubois.blogspot.com.) It soon became apparent that recovery and rebuilding efforts are going to take years, not just months. And during this time, I had also finally located my friend Barbara, who had stayed for the first several post-storm weeks in North Carolina. Barbara, who, with her husband, owned two properties, had lost one when it completely came off of its foundation during the flooding, and lost the first floor of her other home where she had lived with her husband and two children. By October, Barbara was back in Mandeville, living on the second floor of her home while trying to make the first floor liveable again.

"Here I am Lord..."

Just as my New Orleans guests were preparing to leave for their new housing in October and I was wondering what I could do next, we learned that our church would be sponsoring a rebuilding mission trip to Mississippi. My friend from choir, Cassandra, came to rehearsal one night with sign-up forms and I grabbed one immediately. This mission would have special meaning, I learned, because we would be working virtually in some of Cassandra’s childhood surroundings.

Learning about this mission brought me much joy. Finally, I could go! And I could even put to use some of the various skills I’ve picked up over the years: painting; taping and mudding drywall; putting together bookshelves and furniture (hey, I own two power drills, thank you); and, even better, just listening to people who have just gone through too much. But what makes this really special is being able to go with close friends; not only Cassandra and Rev. Mel, but four other members of our choir, who, like me, no doubt were moved by Cassandra’s drive and determination, and gratitude that we would travel to a place that held so much meaning to her.

More about Cassandra, here: Cassandra and I have discovered over the years of being in choir together that we have several things in common: we know what it is like for people (especially choir directors) to make fun of our accents (being both from south of the Mason-Dixon); we know what a "tent revival" is; we know how good fried catfish tastes; we’ve both worked hard to attain and use our doctoral training; we both play the piano and other instruments (she is a much better pianist); and our vocal ranges are nearly identical. Although she sings first alto and I sing second soprano in choir, we often sit together and join in on the same middle part when it calls for three-part female harmony.

Well as I thought I knew her, I was surprised at the intensity of her feelings about and her commitment to this mission. When she walked, almost frantically, into the choir room that night in October, the combination of excitement, joy, trepidation, and concern was almost overwhelming. She had just heard from Mel that he was hoping to put together a team of 40 persons in short order, and Cassandra was taking this as her own marching orders. Forty people!! (We later learned that twenty is actually about what was expected and needed for a "perfect sized group".) It is largely testament to Cassandra’s efforts that night that about one-fourth of our eventual mission group consists of fellow SUMC choir members.
Last night, at choir practice, we learned that we are singing on Sunday the piece by Dan Schutte, S. J., "Here I am, Lord". This is a great song of calling and commissioning, and those of us in the choir who are going to Mississippi this coming week assumed that this song was being chosen for us. But no, our choir director tells us this is in deference to this Sunday’s set lectionary. But as we sang, we all simultaneously came to the same conclusion... this is our song. It goes, in part, like this:

"I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry...
Who will bear my light to them, Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord, Is it I Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord, If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart."

So here I am, five days from our departure for Biloxi, and I find myself truly excited, and moved, to be joining a very talented, committed, inspirational, and hard-working group. And I will hold God’s people, including our team members as well as the people of Mississippi, in my heart.

The Education Team

2006-01-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

One of our three team leaders, Dr. Cassandra Broadus-Garcia, has deep roots and family in Mississippi. Ten days before our arrival there, Cassandra shares some of the tasks that her team will be facing:

"We have been charged first and foremost with being flexible. So, I'm trusting that God will place us where he wants us to be and, if we end up doing all of these things, then so be it. The VIM Katrina Disaster Response Team from Simsbury United Methodist Church will be working in various locations completing various tasks presented to them.

"One location includes Main Street Methodist Church in Bay St. Louis, MS. This quaint little town on the western coast of Mississippi found itself in the eastern eye-wall of Hurricane Katrina, resulting in extensive devastation and loss of life in this community. Main Street United Methodist Church has begun the recovery process -- slowly, but surely-- with only approximately 1/3 of their membership having returned at this point.

"Before Katrina, the church housed the Methodist Day Care Center, an early childhood learning center for children throughout Hancock County. This center received extensive flooding damage and has not resumed operation since the storm. This facility also is the location for the church's Church School program. Thus, the church has not been able to have church school since the storm. In addition, there are currently only two day care facilities that have reopened in all of Hancock County. This important service is greatly needed to further help the community.

"Log onto http://risingfromruin.msnbc.com/the_towns.html and scroll down to see the Slide Show which includes before and after photographs of Main Street Methodist Church in Picture #6. To get a sense of this community, see MSNBC.com's "Rising from Ruin" which focuses on the communities of Waveland and Bay St. Louis.

"The "Education Crew" of our Disaster Response Team hopes to be able to contribute to rebuilding the Methodist Day Care facility. Sheetrocking work and painting have nearly been completed, thanks to teams from the Kansas East Conference. Upon our arrival, we have several tasks that we hope to accomplish. This includes, but may not be limited to:

finishing off the school's bathrooms and other interior spaces with decorative paint and wallpaper borders;
cleaning and sanitizing salvagable school items, including plastic bins and toys that have been piled outside since the storm, to ensure they are again safe for instructional use;
sorting through boxes and boxes of instructional resources to determine what must be thrown away and what is salvagable; and
helping to set up the classrooms, including furniture and instructional resources.

"It is possible that other team members could be used for finishing work, including molding. Of course, all of this depends on time-lines, including whether or not the flooring has been put in by 1/18/06. After meeting with the center's interim director, Cindy Lowe-Villars, she is anticipating our arrival and the contributions that we can make.

"Visiting and Counseling in Mississippi City The Education team has also been extended an invitation to join Rev. Rod Dickson-Rishel from Mississippi City United Methodist Church for visitation to individuals who are suffering with various degrees of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Mississippi City UMC is located between Gulfport and Biloxi and the church is temporarily housed in "The Annex" - a gym that they've converted into a Church/Learning Center/Office. Their church was located a few blocks from the beach and received extensive damage from the storm surge.

"Further information about the Mississippi City United Methodist Church can be found at http://mscityumc.com/. Rev. Dickson-Rishel is in great need of help to visit with individuals who have lost their homes and church. He has asked us to consider completing visitations in which we will offer a gift of cookies or candies and simply sit and listen, talk and pray with individuals. In addition, while in MS City, it may be possible for the Education team to arrange a puppet ministry at "The Annex" for children who attend at Wesley Academy - MS City's early childhood learning center. "

2006-01-08T20:17:00.000-05:00

WELCOME!! to the Lamp Lighters BLOG, where we are sharing our experiences in volunteering in the Biloxi, Mississippi area. We hope to bring light to an area that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina.