Monday, March 19, 2007

Mississippi was awesome. I couldn't believe all of the damage down there though. They said it would take at least 10 years just to rebuild everything to Pre-Katrina status, and that doesn't include growth. Warning: this post is probably not dial-up safe, and I'm sorry.
There were 16 college students (ranging from 19-29) and 2 leaders that went with us. We left bright and early on Saturday morning, and stayed in West Memphis on Saturday night. We were in Ocean Springs, MS by Sunday evening. We started working Monday. We cleared a yard for a lady, who's husband was an invalid, and she wasn't able to keep up the yard herself. Most of these work pictures are not mine, I didn't trust myself with the camera at the work sites.
This was the yard that we worked on. It was covered with vines that had washed in with the flood and started growing in the yard.
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The next day we gutted out a house. I think most of agreed that we should just get some gasoline and a match, but this was a historical house. It had flood damage, and the salt water shorted out the electricity and caused a fire. There was also a lot of termite damage. We basically tore the plaster off the walls.

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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Me... and Debbie's butt... lol.

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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket Working hard, or hardly working?

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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket The dumpster we filled from the house.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket The church we stayed in.

These are some pictures of the damage:

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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket A bridge being rebuilt in Biloxi.

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We did have time to have some fun though :)

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Future roomies!

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Spoons! I love that game!!!!

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Katrina Memorial in Biloxi.

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A sample of my handwriting ;)

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I wish this wouldn't have turned out blurry, I had the night setting on my camera, so it didn't work so well.

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Mine! Mine!



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Turtle that Becky made!

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3 comments:

Greg Hazelrig said...

Thank you for coming down. There are not words to say to show the appreciation of all the volunteers like yourself who've come down since Katrina. I do not live on the coast, but have been a pastor here in Mississippi for the last 8 years. I live in Vicksburg, which is about three hours out of Biloxi. I was there a year ago this January and we did a lot of the same things you did for a family. You're right. It will take a long time to get back to pre-Katrina.

Again, thanks for coming.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Anonymous said...

If you upload all your pictures to a flickr acct, we could see all of them. :) Its a yahoo thing.

~mom

Valerie said...

go mom.
your photos are amazing...good for you! the closest thing i did was going in junior high was week-long trips to Baja California for mission work, but not nearly as admirable as what you did.

you really showed the love of Christ to those around you. i am soooo proud of you!!!

xoxoxox - auntie valerie