Month: April 2007

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Day 1 – Asian Tour Group

Now that day one is over I can now definitively say I understand what it is like to take an Asian tour. Our day after arriving here in Gulfport/Biloxi has been one big tour. After grabbing lunch at the Waffle House and supplies at the local Walmart, we began our whirlwind tour of the Biloxi area. We would drive for five minuets stop run out grab some pictures. Then drive again to the next stopping point, stop run out grab pictures and then start the process over again. The amazing part was the stares we kept getting from people when all ten of us Asian guys descended upon them.

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Biloxi 1st day

Taken from historic downtown biloxi. What amazes me is that this area sustained winds over 120 mph and floodwaters over 35 feet. That’s taller than the two story buildings here.

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Our plane

Our connection to Biloxi. It’s not big, but it’s here 🙂

Editor’s note: We’re well aware that this flood of posts will come to an end quickly once we get working… and yes, we had a three hour layover in Atlanta.

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Family Men

Robert, away from home, and sleep deprived. Our biggest decision at this point is whether to eat now or hold off to Dennis and Tommy’s promise of some Waffle House breakfast once we arrive.

Apparently this is one of Robert’s first extended trips from his family. We weren’t even quite through security at Ontario before he started missing them..

Pray for the guys and their families. A lot of them don’t want to admit it, but they’re missing them. Mathias and I are the only single guys, and Mathias brought his dad, so he’s covered…

On the way to our connecting flight, Dennis had forgotten his phone on our first plane, remembered and quickly returned to get it. Calm, cool, collected and quick, he returned with a smile and a phone in his hand. We sat around waiting for our fearless leader, and the computer-types broke out their pda’s and such.

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Hello from my palm

Now we can have true real time blogging from our mobile phones. (scary!)

So now both Peter and I (Mathias) can send messages to this blog from our palm treo’s.

The story on the Chinese couple for those few who were wondering is that they just so happen to be going to gulfport as well, and the person escorting them thought that since we happen to be the only other Asian’s in the airport we would be natural candidates to make sure they get on the plane and off safely to gulfport.

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‘Lanta

We’ve arrived….in Atlanta! We’ve got a few hours before we complete our trip so we’ve started posting pictures. Some of the highlights so far:

  1. Starbucks is across from our gate!
  2. Peter’s MSG cared to send us food/snacks and even a greeting card. Thanks! We appreciate all the support from our families and friends at home.
  3. The landing which Peter says was exceptionally bumpy.
  4. Waiting near the airport subway.


    (all we need is a guitar and a hat)
  5. Sleep!


    (seems to be a very popular past time)
  6. Being adopted by an elderly Chinese couple (next time we need to bring a translator)

Here’s some shots from the airport

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Actually in the plane

We’re taking off…

Thanks much to you that came out to visit us and send us off…

We’re excited, all accounted for, and heading for our layover in atlanta..

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Humbling Satellite View

Tommy found an article about where we’re most likely working.. It was interesting that they actually wrote about how this was an intentional Mission for them. It has helped address the spiritual aspect of this mission. I guess we’re not alone

I’m getting the impression Tommy spends quite a bit of time on the web. I hope that he’ll be okay in Mississippi without access to his computer, and assuming he’ll be wired in somehow.

If not, he’ll be accessing mine. Heck, I should have him do this blog 🙂

In the weeks building up to this trip, Tommy’s been on the web doing a lot of research on everything from the location to restaurants in the area.

Map
Hey Guys, I wanted to give you a map of where we’ll be and where we’ll be staying (I’ll give you maps of where we’re working when we get out there and see where we’re assigned.)

But in doing so, I pulled up Google Maps and got sad.

Zoom in/out and pan around the area. It’s really still devastated. Even from the satellite pictures, you can see that a lot of the area is still covered with soil and dotted with temporary housing. You can see the foundations for houses that aren’t there any more.

Honestly, this really puts in perspective that as much as we think we’re in control, we’re not always in control of our lives. This is a humbling hard lesson to learn. For all of us, especially the team.

Someone I know recently returned from the area and said it was difficult to see. It looked as if it had just happened. This isn’t a comment on the lack of work, this is an encouragement to us to try to help both spiritually and practically.

Thanks once again for supporting us on this project.

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Today’s note from Dennis:

Jeanne from HFH in Mississippi called me this morning to touch base and confirm that our team of 10 men would be arriving on Sunday. (So, it’s too late now for anyone back out.)

I asked if she knew what we would be doing and she didn’t. She said we won’t know until Monday morning when the crew chief comes on site to give us work assignments based on what is accomplished through Friday of this week. She did say that it’s a 90% chance we’ll be working outside (framing, roofing, exterior walls) so dress in layers. The weather, she says, is warm (and that is what MSN Weather forecasts for Biloxi as well).

See you all soon!
Dennis

We’re a couple days away from the project, and now the excitement really kicks in.

We’re trying to wrap up work things and make arrangements for the time away. Anytime you go away, there are so many things you want to take care of before you go. This is no different.

But the post yesterday from Tommy kind of put a visual for where we’ll be staying. Still wondering what the actual work site will be like.

With the recent events at Virginia Tech, I’m reminded of the post 9/11 tragedy. We sent people out to NYC to pray for those affected. This time we’ve got a few more, and we’re able to build homes. It’s exciting.

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Our Own Housing and Katrina, Recovery in USAToday

While reviewing our prep materials, I found this note regarding the volunteer housing:

*It is important to note that Yankie Stadium is still under construction. At this point, our housing is a mix between camping and staying at a cheap budget hotel. If you have higher expectations, there are plenty of hotels in the area. If staying in a hotel, you will need to make your own reservations.

Hmm.. “Cheap Budget Hotel…” Actually, based on the slide show below, the place looks incredibly nice

Tommy found an article about where we’ll be staying..

It sounds pretty cool:

Four days before Katrina hit last August, the Salvation Army bought Biloxi’s Yankie Stadium, with plans to turn it into a Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center of Hope, a $22 million facility named for McDonald’s heiress Joan Kroc.

The 50-year-old concrete bleachers, inundated with about 9 feet of water during the storm, were covered in mud and “full of dead things” when Green first saw the structure. It took months to clean it, seal it in and create small rooms under the seats, each holding four bunk beds.

The rooms have been made to look like little houses, “or bayou shacks” as Green likes to call them, complete with shingled roofs, porch lights and fake windows. Each room is air-conditioned; outside, the silver vents pop out of the bleacher seats like mushrooms.

At any given time, the Volunteer Village is home to about 100 people who are refurbishing homes for the poor, the elderly and the working class who reside on the surrounding streets of East Biloxi. They do everything — wiring, plumbing, putting up sheetrock — which means Green is always looking for skilled volunteers.

Flash Slideshow : VOLUNTEER VILLAGE: Haven in a stadium

Then there was this is one on Voluntourism..