Arrival
Now that we've arrived and gotten settled a bit, I've asked members of the team to share some of their thoughts & reflections (hurray for Gautier Presbyterian church and wireless internet!);
'Allo, this is G. Here we are in Gautier, Mississippi. We arrived shortly after 3 p.m. today after a bit of a detour. South of Jackson, we drove through state parks and forest preserves, and noticed a lot of damage to trees in addition to the damage to homes and businesses. In many places, the trees were all leaning north. In other places, dozens of trees were flattened. For the last stage of our trip (Gulf Port to Gautier), we started out on Highway 90, which parallels the beach. We made it as far as Biloxi before we learned that the bridge over the bay was still out, so we detoured north. On that short half-hour drive along the beach, we were astounded at the devastation. The words that came to mind--devastated, smashed, shattered--don't even begin to describe what we saw.
This church is one of the many smashed buildings we encountered along hwy 90 in Gulfport.
When we arrived at Gautier Presbyterian Church, where we are staying this week, we met an amazing group of staff and volunteers. One of the couples we met came down to Gautier on a detour to their trip to Texas for the winter; they're still here, helping teams of volunteers get connected with the needs in the community.
As the church staff and volunteers helped us get oriented, I was humbled to hear their stories of people who have given up months of their time to come to Gautier, stay in campers or tents, and work twelve hours a day helping people recover. We've been here for six hours, and already meet people who are so amazing. -G
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The drive down was a good experience to get to know Brian, Gabrielle, and Ezekiel better. Yesterday and today were a blur. I thoroughly enjoyed driving, singing, and joking with my compatriots. Isiaiah took our gentle ribbing well. Brian had a Screaming Demon sausage from Love's, which is a convenience gas-mart. Needless to say, the burn will be felt again. Lowe's had some small alligator heads for sale. I really hope that I get the opportunity to get some to scare the kids with.
When we arrived at the church, it was an introduction to the realities of the situation here in Gautier, placing names and faces to all of the reports that I've heard in the past. It was amazing to see the level of dedication of the volunteers that have managed their way here from beginnings unknown.
George and Susan are a husband and wife team that got here not too long ago. Their energy and spirits are high. Ray and Jane are similarly a husband and wife team from Iowa. They came for a short stay, but ended up staying on for a longer basis. Ray is a very nice man, working day after day without a break. He's the main maintenance guy here. We spoke with him, and at one point, he showed empathy to the suffering of the people here, barely able to keep back the tears. All of these people are giving of their lives for the benefit of others. They have truly inspired me. Chris is the pastor here. I worry about the strain of the situation on him.
Things here won't be fixed for years to come. This is the message that I would like to convey to the 'people up North' as others have put it. It may be out of the mind of CNN and the like, but the reality here is that rebuilding has only just begun. -Tony
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'Allo, this is G. Here we are in Gautier, Mississippi. We arrived shortly after 3 p.m. today after a bit of a detour. South of Jackson, we drove through state parks and forest preserves, and noticed a lot of damage to trees in addition to the damage to homes and businesses. In many places, the trees were all leaning north. In other places, dozens of trees were flattened. For the last stage of our trip (Gulf Port to Gautier), we started out on Highway 90, which parallels the beach. We made it as far as Biloxi before we learned that the bridge over the bay was still out, so we detoured north. On that short half-hour drive along the beach, we were astounded at the devastation. The words that came to mind--devastated, smashed, shattered--don't even begin to describe what we saw.
This church is one of the many smashed buildings we encountered along hwy 90 in Gulfport.
When we arrived at Gautier Presbyterian Church, where we are staying this week, we met an amazing group of staff and volunteers. One of the couples we met came down to Gautier on a detour to their trip to Texas for the winter; they're still here, helping teams of volunteers get connected with the needs in the community.
As the church staff and volunteers helped us get oriented, I was humbled to hear their stories of people who have given up months of their time to come to Gautier, stay in campers or tents, and work twelve hours a day helping people recover. We've been here for six hours, and already meet people who are so amazing. -G
------------------------
The drive down was a good experience to get to know Brian, Gabrielle, and Ezekiel better. Yesterday and today were a blur. I thoroughly enjoyed driving, singing, and joking with my compatriots. Isiaiah took our gentle ribbing well. Brian had a Screaming Demon sausage from Love's, which is a convenience gas-mart. Needless to say, the burn will be felt again. Lowe's had some small alligator heads for sale. I really hope that I get the opportunity to get some to scare the kids with.
When we arrived at the church, it was an introduction to the realities of the situation here in Gautier, placing names and faces to all of the reports that I've heard in the past. It was amazing to see the level of dedication of the volunteers that have managed their way here from beginnings unknown.
George and Susan are a husband and wife team that got here not too long ago. Their energy and spirits are high. Ray and Jane are similarly a husband and wife team from Iowa. They came for a short stay, but ended up staying on for a longer basis. Ray is a very nice man, working day after day without a break. He's the main maintenance guy here. We spoke with him, and at one point, he showed empathy to the suffering of the people here, barely able to keep back the tears. All of these people are giving of their lives for the benefit of others. They have truly inspired me. Chris is the pastor here. I worry about the strain of the situation on him.
Things here won't be fixed for years to come. This is the message that I would like to convey to the 'people up North' as others have put it. It may be out of the mind of CNN and the like, but the reality here is that rebuilding has only just begun. -Tony
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posted by Brian at 6:28 PM
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