Fountain City Presbyterian Church has made 13 independent work trips and worked on 56 houses. On their first trip they stayed in the First Presbyterian Church in Bay Saint Louis in November 2005. The church shuttled workers between there an the airport as they came in. First Baptist Church of Los Angeles arrived with two big refrigerator trucks full of food and set up two big dining tents in the parking lot. They fed anyone who came. They placed a big sign out front, “No Donations Accepted.”
This time Fountain City is helping us get a couple into their home in Pearlington who are facing loss of their MEMA cottage. I managed to get the CARE group to help us rebuild the disaster a local contractor made and re-roof the house. Fountain City started hanging drywall last Sunday afternoon and it looks like they will finish by Friday so we can finish it and then tackle the floors.
The homeowner's MEMA “representative” had scared them to death asking them to sign a “demo” notice since their “lease” expires March 31. What does “demo” mean to you?
They spend weeks worrying they would come back and see all their belongings piled out on the ground and the cottage gone.
I was there with our case manager liaison when the MEMA representative, her “advocate” came by.
“This notice means that at any time from now on, MEMA may show up to demobilize this cottage.”
”But we have to be in Mobile for a medical procedure on my husband April 1.”
Only after persistent questioning were we able to extract the information that their cottage would not be removed until they had vacated it and removed all their belonging. We also found out we could request an extension, hopefully beyond the time we estimate it will take to get her house ready.
Thank you, State of Mississippi for your compassion.
Bay Road Presbyterian Church has been coming since November, 20005. They came to Gautier, MS with 17 people that first year, 9 church members and 8 from the community, then 28 the next year at Houma, and by the third year they had 60, enough they decided to break into 20 person groups and come over three weeks. This year they are back again for three more weeks at Orange Grove. The have people from Mexico City, Savannah and Canada with them.
They are putting the finishing touches on a couple’s home in Gulfport. We started this work last Fall and we ought to see a home blessing this week or next.
West End Presbyterian Church is down for he third time. Their first trip to Orange Grove was the day before Easter in 2006 – the flower baskets that they placed on the front of the church are still there.
Trinity Presbyterian Church is on their 10th trip. They first came to Orange Grove in November, 2005. The camp was rough. They used PVC framed showers with black plastic bags for walls. They returned in December and again the following March.
These two churches are working in the Gulfport area to complete two homes. One of them is the one in Pascagoula where a couple are taking care of a 100% handicapped adult child. The other is the home of a couple west of here. This couple has taken in foster children and adoptees building character and values in them. The family retrieved their two sons from school so they could work with the group one day.
Although I don’t like to see kids taken out of school frivolously, I imagine this was a good thing. The boys, 12 and 13 worked side by side. I’m sure they learned something valuable about giving of one’s self from the volunteers. I know the volunteers learned something.
These ministers, along with the thousands who preceded them, achieved the great end.
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