Lunch at the beach… we’re prepping homes for jrcwp next week.
It’s Lunchtime At The Beach
We’re Working Beachfront Today
Note From Kevin
A note from Kevin K.
After a two and a half hour delay in Houston (due to the weather) and with only about three hours of sleep we finally made it to Biloxi, Mississippi. Upon arrival, the “veterans” of our group (Tommy, Steve O., Peter and Mo) took us “newbies” on a “tour” of the immediate area. As we were driving, we were able to see first hand the level of devasation this area experienced as evidenced by the fact that there are still many homes and buildings that have yet to be rebuilt. During this time, we also experienced the love of God as we drove by a worksite that was manned by Habitat for Humanity volunteers who were diligently constructing frames that will eventually be used in the construction of new homes.
Seeing these volunteers gave me a renewed sense of energy after a long day of traveling and I am once again ready to tackle whatever God has in store for me during my weeklong stay!
Hello From Biloxi
Paul’s note from Biloxi
Just wanted to say hi to all my friends and family back home. We are doing well and and excited about the week. There are some cool people here that work for Habitat and Salvation Army at this facility.
To my family, I miss you guys and will call you every day. Mason, remember you are the man of the house big boy! Noemi, you are a great little helper for mommie and Wen, I couldn’t have done this without your support. Love you guys!
To my MSG, thanks for all your prayers and continued support this week? God could not have blessed me with a better team? I look forwards to communicating with you guys this week through this blog?
That’s it for now? It’s time for dinner!
God Bless,
Paul
Day 0 – On the Plane and Lunch (Craig)
New friends Hamir and Chris…
Laura’s business cards are coming in handy.
Hamir, whom we met on the plane from Houston to Gulfport, is a Riverside native now living in Ocean Springs, a Gulf Coast city near Biloxi. During the two-hour delay on the tarmac while awaiting flight re-routing, he offered dining suggestions and we exhanged business cards.
Chris, pictured above, runs Bruno’s Cafe, a lunch-only, week-day only cafe where we enjoyed fresh shrimp and crawdads, po’ boys, gumbo, pulled pork, ribs, and assorted fried seafood items. Hungry yet? What a great lunch!
Guys, if you’re reading this blog, thanks for extending Southern hospitality to us big city boys. God bless both of you.
Day 0 – LAX Sendoff
We met at 10p at LAX and were sent off by many well wishers.
The support is remarkable, and speaks volumes of those that we represent.
We proudly represent our church, our friends and our family.
While meeting, Pastor Kyle prayed for us, then our Leader/Captain Craig spoke encouraging words for us, praying for the families we would be leaving behind to work in Biloxi. He prayed for them to know they would be left in God’s hands, and that we left to serve in part to honor our friends and family.
It was a long flight, as mentioned before, the 1 hour layover in Houston wasn’t bad, but we spent 2.5 hours on the tarmack, where most of us fell asleep.
Thanks to those who saw us off..
Delayed..
After 2.5 hrs of sitting on the runway, we’re finally in the air. it was raining in Houston, and all flights were rerouted somehow. But we’re in the air for our 58 minute flight. We’re thankful the delay was after we had to make the connection.
Chowtime
Us eating our bag of food minutes after we went through security at LAX.
Day 0 – LAX Sendoff (Steve O Style)
We’re in the airport in Houston, with our one hour layover to Gulfport. Steve O wants to make sure his photos and comments get uploaded..Here are his first few shots, including one from the plane..
Click on the photo to see all his pictures.
We’ve been eating a ton of food from the sendoff. Peter’s MSG brought an entire duffel bag of munchies, and we started eating it minutes after we got inside the terminal.
The sendoff was much appreciated and set the tone right for the trip. We prayed for our families and friends and focused on what we needed to do.
Thanks guys
2008 – The Return
Mo Nakatsui, Steve Chen, Kevin Kubo, Peter Lau, Chris Chan,
Tommy Yamada, Steve Ogata, Paul Liu, Craig Kakihara (leader), Will Jong
Okay, so we’re officially known as the “2008 Katrina Gulf Coast Relief Team”
We just formed a new team and will be heading out first week of May 2008. 10 men, with four returning from 2007.
More to come soon..
A slightly goofier shot…