Tuesday

Today was a full day! The weather was windy with a threatening thunderstorm on the way, but we were able to get a lot of good work done today. After the night at the Recovery Center, Matt and I made our way over to the PDA camp for breakfast. I was delighted to discover real cream for the coffee. After breakfast, Bill Bradbury led devotions for the group. We were blessed with the warm voice of one of last year's participants - Bill Finlay. We heard the cd recording of the song he wrote last year after his experience in Pearlington. Bill Bradbury explained that this year Bill Finlay would have added another verse; one that was full of hope. This small town is finally experiencing some of its own "resurrection". Every year we experience Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and glorious Easter Sunday. It seems this town has been stuck on Good Friday for some time now in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but we are so happy to see that Easter has finally started to poke its head upon these faithful people. The new life, new birth, even evident in the landscape that was once so ruined by the storm surge is now everywhere around us.
I was happy with my job today - laying subflooring for Freddy and his family. Those on this job with me even put up with me refering to tools as "thingies". Steve Kiss and I were proud that by vent-hole cut number 3, Garry Miller told us that it was "good enough". (We are kept to high standards around here!) There were others who worked outside on preparing the porch for siding. We had our usual southern spread for lunch at the Baptist church. By 5:30 we had all of subflooring laid in the living room, so our group had a great feeling of success as we left our job site. We'll be back tomorrow ready for moulding and other tasks.
I'm off soon to pick up our last two missionaries - Jill Simmons and Alexia Tomlinson are flying in to New Orleans tonight. We are expecting thunderstorms tonight and are a little weary of how the temporary housing will hold up. I can tell by looking at the 8 of us - we are happy to be here, enjoying the work and each other's company; enjoying the conversation with the locals.