What had originally started as our team dinner, per the suggestion of our site manager, we ate at The Shed, a local BBQ restaurant. Three years later, it’s much more than just grabbing some baby backs. It’s our time to hang out with our coworkers, leaders and new friends.
It’s a nice tradition, and a nice time to get to know each other. Our combined teams (21) had about 14 other guests, making it quite the BBQ party.
But more importantly, it was a nice time to thank our leaders for the time and effort they had invested into us over the last few days.
The guys are the ones holding down the fort. Week after week, long after we’re gone, keeping the rebuilding effort going, while we’re home sleeping in our own beds, with our own families.
Many of them come from Americorps backgrounds, and the sacrifice they have made professionally and personally to serve is quite humbling.
We are continually amazed how many people come to serve, without the benefit that we have of a sending church, helping us personally, financially and spiritually.
So all the better to learn about our current team, and how we might best support and pray for them. Many of them come for spiritual reasons too. A few of our leaders attend local churches while stationed/working down in the Mississippi Gulf Port area. There are unique challenges that go with being away from their homes.
So all in all, it was a good meal, not only because the food was tasty, but the company and fellowship really made it all the better.
Moments after we said our goodbyes in the LAX check-in area, with leader Craig K, giving many long goodbye hugs to wife Laura, the team moved through security.
It seems in years previous, we had more time (and more seating space) in the waiting area than this one. Perhaps economic demands have required more full flights.
Evergreen and Lifesong
Finally, the full Evergreen and Lifesong teams met face to face. It was at that point we realized about half of the combined teams had never been to Biloxi before. It was nice to see the new faces, and there was something special about having a bond through shared faith, and even a shared church lineage. Craig’s idea of self-introduction was to state your name, profession, number of years coming out to Biloxi and whether or not you snored. Guess where most attention was paid….
Lifesong’s team was an eclectic gathering in age, size, profession and life stage. On average, we were older and shorter (Jonathan’s presence can only offset us by so much….) Craig gave us a rundown of the schedule for the next day, our day of sign-in, orientation and a bit of rest. Minutes later, we were boarding for our first leg.
Houston to Biloxi
Upon arrival in Houston, Craig K gave us a brief devotional, encouraging us to stay focused on the task at hand, keeping our eye on ministry, both to the people we serve with and the homeowners we will most likely not meet. It was well needed, but a few of the guys heard him with much sleep in their eyes.
After a quick snack, we were on our final leg, in a much smaller plane. A lack of height could be seen as an asset for that flight. The ceiling was rather low.
We landed, had a prayer of thanksgiving for safe arrival, and got into our rented cars to visit the site we worked on last year. Where a year ago, we were building houses with only several completed homes, it was humbling to see a dozen standing in the same area. Fully equipped with cabinetry and appliances, which is usually the last step before occupancy. But the street was still being finished, and the driveways into the homes remained undone. We’re assuming that they’re waiting for the whole block to be finished before releasing them to the homeowners.
Video of our visit to the site from last year…
Lighthouse, Memorial and lunch
A stop by the Biloxi lighthouse and the Katrina Memorial under a mile away, we remembered how tall a wall of water passed where we stood. We drove past our temporary residence for the first two years, Yankie Stadium, to see that the Salvation Army had made good on their original plans (before Hurricane Katrina) to build a community center for the youth. They’re grading the land at this moment. It was a little bittersweet, as we’re happy for their commitment to invest in the community in a much needed way, but it was sad to see a place that we had called home for our first couple years, be gone.
Lunch at Cafe New Orleans was a treat. We were taken into a back room, apparently housing the local Rotary Club meeting. It felt like a mini banquet hall as we broke bread together for the first time. Names and stories were swapped, as well as pieces of fried catfish, shrimp and oysters.
Biloxi Lighthouse-feeding the birds
Walmart and supplies
The annual trip to Walmart confused some of the returning team. A remodel of Walmart has rearranged the store. Uncle Roy was quickly walking into the store, heading straight for the sleeping bags. Apparently he found last year, that the addage of “snoozing” and “losing” was in play, and wanted to get to the bags quickly. He arrived first, making sure he didn’t get a “Dora the Explorer” sleeping bag.
The concerns/reports of bed bugs at Camp Victor turned into purchases of mattress liners and much bug repellent. We will see who will have the last laugh, the men who scoffed at added protective measures, or the ones who chuckled at those unwilling to guard themselves. Time will tell.
Camp Victor
Arrival at Camp Victor reminded us how every year it’s a little different. This is the first time for anyone on this/these team(s) to be at Camp Victor. Unlike the Coed team, few (other) teams were staying at Camp Victor this week, so we got our pick of the bunks.
Bu (Brian), originally chose a bottom bunk, but when another volunteer arrived, he forfeited his choice of bunk and took one above a Lifesonger (Martin).
The ministry begins now. In various forms and sizes.
We appreciate the conscious choices we make as ambassadors of our church, our home, sometimes our ethnicities and ultimately our God. We hope that we’ll carry that forward no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the timezone.
Thank you once again, to all who have sacrificed their time to send us, or even to care enough to read this blog. We will try to serve in your place and serve in honor of our God.
Oh, and forgot to mention, if you want to see a really nice blog, but promise not to compare… 🙂 go check out Lifesong’s
Its fellowship night tonight; that mean’s its time for us to head over to the Shed for some awesome BBQ and fellowship with some people we have been privileged to get top know on our trip. This year, Dave, our supervisor from year one will be joining us, as well as our current supervisor and the three Americorps people. We will also be taking a few of our fellow volunteers as well. Please be praying for our time at the Shed, for the fellowship, that we might be able to share Christ’s Love with those there, and that we would be able to get to know our fellow workers a little better.
Pictures and more thoughts up coming later tonight. We got the shingles today and we’ll begin the roofing process tomorrow so be in prayer for those who will be working on the roof as well.
We found it! We found the Cafe New Orleans, it was the place that last years men’s team went for lunch on their first day. We really enjoyed having some “Country Cajun Cooking”
Tonight’s dinner was a feast of ribs, chicken, pulled pork, sausage and everything else barbeque’d at a local hangout called the Shed. The food was delicious…if you don’t believe us, just ask Chris!
Thanks so much for the encouraging blog comments, emails and phone calls we’ve been getting. We miss you and will be flying back tomorrow, but now to the pictures and the house:
Just to let you know the technical aspects of trusses (that we all learned too well): They are connected to this home at two points, each side of the house. They are kept in by some hurricane brackets, but initially are positioned with four toed-in nails to a side. The peak of the trusses are kept the same distance apart by a 2×4 that is nailed near the top.
The spacing of these trusses is crucial (we learned all too well) because the plywood that will rest on it needs to be properly nailed in at regular intervals. Well due to our work and re-work, we got the trusses set appropriately apart, but somewhere along the line they fell out of true. This required a little extra help/coaxing
After the trusses were set, (and lunch)
It was Rob’s Anniversary, and he was spending it with us …
.. we went to work on putting up the rest of the plywood on the roof.
At the same time, the rest of the team was putting together, or rather, taking apart a doorway that, like the window, was the wrong size. This time though, we had to tear the doorway apart and widen it..
After a hard day of work, we took photos and went to dinner. We left a signed reminder for the homeowners.
The Shed was amazing. We said our goodbyes to Dave, exchanged contact info and wished him well. He’s a good guy doing a good thing and we’ll be praying for him and his family.
