2008 Mission trip to Gulf Port, Mississippi
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On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana/Mississippi border as a category-three hurricane with winds of 125 mph. Gulfport, Mississippi, was directly in the path of the storm, which traveled north/northeast and destroyed the town and surrounding communities. Two years later, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) was an active partner with the city and state, building new 1400 sq ft homes for those left homeless and living in small FEMA trailers. Debbie Bennet, a single mother with two grown sons, was one of those living in a FEMA trailer for more than two years.
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St. Andrew’s Mission Team decided that we had to do something to help. After months of fundraising, nine adults and three youth were ready to travel to Gulfport to help build a house. PDA coordinated our visit and supervised our work. Our assignment: put a roof on Debbie’s house. With the help of Presbyterian volunteers from all over the country, PDA had built 26 houses in ten months in Gulfport. Our week began with an orientation by Lynn Lanier, PDA supervisor, and during the next five days, we put up roof overhangs, rafter braces, plywood base, metal edging, felt, and then shingles on the roof. Our team was so quick we also wrapped the house in TYVEC and installed all the windows, as well as all the vinyl under the eaves for ventilation. It was difficult and physically demanding work, and at the end of our stay the house was ready for siding and finishing on the inside. We still had a bit of the roof to finish, but a mix-up in shingle color and a lack of nails left some work for the crew coming in the following week.
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Bookending our stay in Mississippi we explored New Orleans, both the French Quarter and the 9th Ward, which was destroyed by the flooding of the hurricane. There were opportunities for individual side trips and exploration of the region during our free time. In reflection, God’s hand was at work in every facet of our time in Mississippi. We worked hard, played hard, and prayed hard. We heard so many stories of survival and the strength of the human spirit: we were blessed.
On a final note, we had the privilege of staying in Grace House, a home donated to the Mississippi Presbytery for housing volunteers as they came to build houses in Gulfport. Grace Presbyterian Church in Long Beach, California, sold some property and bought Grace House as part of their commitment to national mission. It was a huge house. Even with an onsite manager living in part of the house, there was room to sleep 19 people, plus a bunk house on the property that could sleep 28 more. What a blessing to every person who came to help PDA in Gulfport, to have a safe haven to relax and rejuvenate after a hard day’s work. |