Wednesday, November 30, 2005
"Good Morning America" is partnering with the Salvation Army
Sept. 21, 2005 "Good Morning America" is partnering with the Salvation Army and the Corporation for National and Community Service to adopt Robin Roberts' hometown of Pass Christian, Miss., which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Here are some facts on Pass Christian: Pass Christian sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is 15 miles west of Biloxi. Population is about 6,600. The median age is 41 years old. The median income is $40,743 (2000 Census). The median house value is $99,500 (2000 Census). About 65 percent of the population is white, 28 percent is black and 3 percent is Vietnamese. Founded in 1699, Pass Christian became a popular getaway for Louisian's elite, especially plantation owners. The town's beachfront is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its antebellum estates.
Sept. 21, 2005 — Robin Roberts' family traveled the world during her childhood because of her father's military career. When he retired, the family decided to move to the picturesque Gulf Coast town of Pass Christian, Miss., about 15 miles west of Biloxi.
The Roberts purchased their first home, and the family settled into quaint Southern living in the beachfront town of 6,600 people.
"'The Pass,' as it is called, is the kind of place everyone actually knows your name and takes care of one another," says Roberts. "We loved the tranquility of the coast and Southern charm."
Roberts frequently brought "Good Morning America" viewers along with her when she went home to visit her mom and the Pass house.
She also brought viewers along when she visited her high school in 1999 to mark her 20-year reunion.
"I thrived in this small town — honors, sports, even voted most likely to succeed," says Roberts, who graduated as the Pass Christian High School salutatorian in 1979.
The Pass Takes a Direct Hit
Three weeks ago, Pass Christian took a direct hit when Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast. Nearly every structure in the elegant town — listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its trove of antebellum estates — was destroyed.
"Nothing prepared me for the total devastation I found when I returned. The familiar streets of my childhood — gone," says Roberts.
Even the high school was destroyed.
"I found the young girl I had met six years before who wore my basketball jersey," says Roberts. "Now she is a young woman dealing with the loss of her home. All we could do was console one another in disbelief."
A Hometown Changed
The Roberts family survived, but the town will never be the same.
"So many of our neighbors and friends [were] left homeless," she says. "Many died here, and there are still over 100 people missing from our small town."
Melrose Devenny, who is 84 years old, told Roberts, "It's almost like God wanted the world to end. It pretty — pretty darn near did."
Roberts and her sister took their 81-year-old mother, Lucimarian, back to the family's home for the first time.
"While we are heartbroken to see our home of 30 years destroyed, my mother, as always, held us up," says Roberts.
"Everything is not lost," Lucimarian told her daughters. "It's going to take some time to rebuild."
Like many of the towns and cities so battered by Katrina, there is a feeling of despondency, but it is mixed with hope.
The chief of police told Roberts that what is needed is a "new town."
But the townspeople have also been blown away by the generosity of their fellow Americans, and they are eager to rebuild.
Another local resident, a nurse named Kathleen Quinn, said, "We will not be erased. We will not be forgotten. And we will not be ignored."
Click here to visit the Salvation Army. Don't forget to earmark your contribution from "Good Morning America/Pass Christian."
Sept. 21, 2005 — Robin Roberts' family traveled the world during her childhood because of her father's military career. When he retired, the family decided to move to the picturesque Gulf Coast town of Pass Christian, Miss., about 15 miles west of Biloxi.
The Roberts purchased their first home, and the family settled into quaint Southern living in the beachfront town of 6,600 people.
"'The Pass,' as it is called, is the kind of place everyone actually knows your name and takes care of one another," says Roberts. "We loved the tranquility of the coast and Southern charm."
Roberts frequently brought "Good Morning America" viewers along with her when she went home to visit her mom and the Pass house.
She also brought viewers along when she visited her high school in 1999 to mark her 20-year reunion.
"I thrived in this small town — honors, sports, even voted most likely to succeed," says Roberts, who graduated as the Pass Christian High School salutatorian in 1979.
The Pass Takes a Direct Hit
Three weeks ago, Pass Christian took a direct hit when Hurricane Katrina blasted the Gulf Coast. Nearly every structure in the elegant town — listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its trove of antebellum estates — was destroyed.
"Nothing prepared me for the total devastation I found when I returned. The familiar streets of my childhood — gone," says Roberts.
Even the high school was destroyed.
"I found the young girl I had met six years before who wore my basketball jersey," says Roberts. "Now she is a young woman dealing with the loss of her home. All we could do was console one another in disbelief."
A Hometown Changed
The Roberts family survived, but the town will never be the same.
"So many of our neighbors and friends [were] left homeless," she says. "Many died here, and there are still over 100 people missing from our small town."
Melrose Devenny, who is 84 years old, told Roberts, "It's almost like God wanted the world to end. It pretty — pretty darn near did."
Roberts and her sister took their 81-year-old mother, Lucimarian, back to the family's home for the first time.
"While we are heartbroken to see our home of 30 years destroyed, my mother, as always, held us up," says Roberts.
"Everything is not lost," Lucimarian told her daughters. "It's going to take some time to rebuild."
Like many of the towns and cities so battered by Katrina, there is a feeling of despondency, but it is mixed with hope.
The chief of police told Roberts that what is needed is a "new town."
But the townspeople have also been blown away by the generosity of their fellow Americans, and they are eager to rebuild.
Another local resident, a nurse named Kathleen Quinn, said, "We will not be erased. We will not be forgotten. And we will not be ignored."
Click here to visit the Salvation Army. Don't forget to earmark your contribution from "Good Morning America/Pass Christian."
Thank You God
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.
USA SOUTHERN TERRITORY----GULF COAST & FLORIDA HURRICANE RELIEF
FAST FACTS
Released November 28, 2005:
Published by Territorial Headquarters,
Community Relations & Development Department, Atlanta, Georgia
The Salvation Army responded immediately following Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, serving the immediate needs of survivors by providing shelter, food, water, ice, cleaning supplies, baby supplies, and hygiene products. Over One Million have been served in at least 30 states. The following information represents the Southern Territory’s fifteen states and the District of Columbia.
* The Salvation Army has served 5,324,043 hot meals, 7,516,515 sandwiches, snacks & drinks.
* The Salvation Army has provided 178 Mobile Feeding Units (Canteens), 11 Field Kitchens, capable of producing 20,000 hot meals per day (each), (Incl. 8 Southern Baptist Kitchens.) in the many areas affected.
* The Salvation Army has distributed 157,957 Cleaning Kits. (Broom, bucket, mop & detergent) and 185,363 Food Boxes (groceries.)
* The Salvation Army has ministered through Pastoral Care to 238,134 individuals.
* The Salvation Army has registered and begun helping with 263,608 Social Services Cases.
* The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) has received over 61,000 inquiries and has found 25,5o8 survivors.
* Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers have served a total of 751,062 hours.
* The Salvation Army has assisted a total of 1,368,603 individuals.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Photos telling Stories from Mississippi
Halloween at Yankie Stadium
Friday, November 25, 2005
Time Now Stands StillRecovery Is Stagnant In Post-Katrina Towns
In Miss., Time Now Stands StillRecovery Is Stagnant In Post-Katrina Towns
By Michael PowellWashington Post Staff WriterFriday, November 25, 2005; A01
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. -- Three months ago, Katrina all but scoured this old beach town of 8,000 off the face of the Earth. To walk its streets today is to see acres of wreckage almost as untouched as the day the hurricane passed.
No new houses are framed out. No lots cleared. There is just devastation and a lingering stench and a tent city in which hundreds of residents huddle against the first chill of winter and wonder where they'll find the money to rebuild their lives.
Billy McDonald, the white-haired mayor whose house was reduced to a concrete slab by 55-foot-high waves, works out of a trailer. He doesn't expect the word "recovery" to roll off his lips for many months.
"Lots of folks don't have flood insurance; lots of folks don't have jobs; lots of folks don't have hope," McDonald said. "We're a hurting place."
This is the other land laid low by Katrina's fury. Like New Orleans to the west, hundreds of square miles of Mississippi coastland look little better than they did in early September, and many people here harbor anger that the federal government has fallen short and that the nation's attention has turned away. At least 200,000 Mississippians remain displaced, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is short at least 13,000 trailers to house them.
Fifty thousand homeowners lack federal flood insurance and cannot rebuild. The casinos, which employed 17,000 people, won't begin to reopen until next year, and the unemployment rate has quadrupled, now topping 23 percent in the coastal counties.
Half a dozen towns, Pass Christian among them, are borrowing millions of dollars to pay bills, and some officials are talking about surrendering charters and becoming wards of the state.
"FEMA continues to be able to mess up a one-car funeral -- we don't begin to have enough money for major reconstruction," said Rep. Gene Taylor (D), who lost his own home in Bay St. Louis. "We're going to have a lot of defaults and bankruptcies.
"The federal response, from highways to housing to trailers, is completely unacceptable."
The personal shock of it all hasn't subsided. Locals say it's not uncommon to hear perfectly rational people talk of suicide.
Developers and casino companies and local politicians have begun to map out a rebuilding plan, but that stirs anxiety, too. In this poorest state in the nation, where nearly 22 percent of residents live in poverty and 40,000 homes lack adequate plumbing, thousands of Mississippians could find themselves unable to afford to return to the land of their birth.
The hurricane pushed tens of thousands of coastal residents north and west, spreading over four states. The longer it takes to rebuild houses and businesses, the more officials worry that the dispossessed, particularly the working class, may never return.
"The response of the federal government is bewildering and deplorable," said Bruce Katz, director of metropolitan policy at the Brookings Institution, who has written two studies of the Katrina response. "We know how to deliver quality affordable housing in the United States -- we just need the will and leadership to do it."
Public housing authorities along the Mississippi coast lost 2,000 apartments and suffered $155 million in damages. But the federal government, which expects to spend close to $2 billion on temporary trailers, has not offered a dime to rebuild public housing. A spokeswoman with the Department of Housing and Urban Development said the agency's budget could remain just as tight next year.
Roy Necaise, chief operating officer of a regional Mississippi housing authority, said: "We have no federal funds, absolutely none, to rebuild. There's absolutely nothing standing on the coast right now, and it's going to be a long time before we're able to bring folks home.
"Washington has totally let us down, and it's a disgrace."
The lack of federal flood insurance is an even greater problem. When 30-foot walls of water crashed into coastal towns, thousands who lived outside official flood zones lost their homes.
Ross Stanley, who rebuilds old boats, stands in alligator cowboy boots, jeans and reflector shades, cradling a Bud Light. He is hosing down his patio and a lawn chair, which are all that's left of his house. D'Iberville was a roiling lake for eight hours on Aug. 29, and Stanley says about three-quarters of his neighbors had no flood insurance.
"You figure it ain't happening to me," he said. "Well, time to cowboy up. That's all you can do because you sure as hell ain't rebuilding. It's like a nightmare you can't wake up from."
Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has asked FEMA to let Gulf Coast area residents buy flood insurance retroactively if they pay 10 years of premiums, or about $3,000. But FEMA lacks the money even to pay existing claims. It is waiting for Congress to appropriate more.
Two weeks ago, FEMA officials began releasing guidelines that will require most coastal houses to be built on stilts. That is perhaps advisable in a hurricane zone, but it will add tens of thousands of dollars per house to construction costs.
Not all the news is grim. Workers in Biloxi have carted away 1 million cubic yards of debris. They have stretched blue tarps over tens of thousands of damaged roofs. Every town along the Gulf Coast has an operating school -- the last one opened in Bay St. Louis on Nov. 6, albeit with only 100 of its original 300 students.
But this politically conservative state has a threadbare safety net. Two weeks ago, county officials lifted an informal moratorium on evictions. Tenants cannot claim rent breaks for water-damaged apartments. One can sit now in housing courts in Gulfport and Biloxi and watch judges order the evictions of hundreds of tenants, often with a speed that startles the tenants.
"There's a hanging judge mentality and, my God, it's going to create a social crisis," said John C. Jopling, a lawyer with the Mississippi Center for Justice, which represented a few tenants.
The mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi's second largest city, recently removed a tent city of contract workers from a golf course. And under pressure from developers, he balked at signing off on emergency trailer parks, even though the inhabitants would be displaced city residents. "It creates an environment people don't want to live around," Gulfport developer Don Hall told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors recently, according to news reports.
Katrina left behind a great swell of land speculation. Signs reading "Cash for Homes" and "We Pay Top $ for Waterfront Property" are ubiquitous, as are developers hanging around city planning offices. It's urban renewal by hurricane, clearing land for a new Mississippi of upscale condominium towers and parks and many casinos. The many working-class residents who live within view of the coast could be outward bound.
"It's possible you're going to see a demographic shift because a lot of people are going to like the opportunities," Robert Latham, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said on a recent tour of Gulfport. "We're going to clear a lot of land. . . . You're going to see such a great economic boom down here, you won't believe it."
Keith Burton is a longtime Biloxian, a certified dice dealer and editor of the much-read Gulf Coast News online service. With local officials concerned there are still bodies buried in homes and casino ships lying like beached whales along the highway, he advised slowing down a bit.
"Maybe this is a future boomtown -- it's super-prime land," he said of Biloxi. "But if that kind of rebirth happens, it will be on the backs of the lives of a lot of Biloxians. It's like talking bad about somebody at their funeral."
A Little Kingdom
There are twin devastations in Mississippi, and it would take Solomon to pick the worse of the two. There are the coastal cities and there are such places as tiny Pearlington, deep in the woods and marshlands along the Louisiana border. Here a 35-foot-high storm surge roared up the Pearl River.
The Rev. James O'Bryan fled hours before the storm, and afterward he asked a neighbor: How far can you get into town?
Until you get to St. Joseph's church, the neighbor replied.
"My heart danced," O'Bryan recalled. "I said, 'Well, that's far enough for me.' "
The neighbor shook his head. Father, he said, your church is sitting on top of three cars in the middle of the road.
Almost three months later, O'Bryan, 79, sits in a shaft of sunlight on the site of his former church, in a white wicker chair atop a four-foot-wide swatch of orange carpet. This is a self-reliant corner of the state, and his neighbors sawed and hauled debris -- one even shot a 12-foot alligator lolling in a living room. But the local school remains shredded, its roof a spaghetti of metal beams. Everyone lost cars and trucks, and there's no money for replacements. Many people sleep in tents or shacks that have been roughly thrown together.
The county's only supermarket is gone. Six shrimp boats still sit on the river bottom. There's a good bit of drug smuggling, but that isn't really a sustaining industry.
Two weeks ago, the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi informed O'Bryan that it won't rebuild the church.
"The bishop tells me we were insured for Camille [a 1969 hurricane] but not for Katrina," O'Bryan said. "I remember going for a walk just before the storm and saying to myself, 'Lord, you aren't going to take my little kingdom from me, are you?' I realized now that he was."
Point Cadet
Point Cadet was the soul of the steamy port city of Biloxi, a place where generations of blacks and whites grew up, joined by Yugoslav and Vietnamese immigrants. It was much beloved and nothing fancy, and it's gone.
On Fourth Street, a row of old wood houses still lies in the street like toppled dominoes. At night, no lights shine. Councilman Bill Stallworth, who represents a poor black neighborhood, points to the gleaming casino towers that edge Point Cadet on three sides. Developers, he said, already talk of the condo towers and green parks in between.
"Without some quick federal money, we're going to look up and see nothing but high-rises in a few years without everyone pressured out," Stallworth said. "If we lose these people who made this city, that would be a lowdown dirty shame."
The anxiety about what was lost and what might come exacts a psychological toll. Before Katrina, county officials said ambulances made about eight calls per month on mental health emergencies. In October, ambulances transported 167 people for psychiatric treatment, many suffering from post-traumatic stress and some talking of suicide.
Rosie Alexander, a woman around age 50 with a fast smile, grew up in Point Cadet and lives in a nearby apartment. She has a master's degree in nursing and worked in a casino. She's out of work, and this state pays the lowest unemployment premium in the nation. Her old casino sent a letter stating that if she's rehired, she must accept an entry-level wage.
Her home stinks of mold, and FEMA hasn't delivered a trailer. She rode out the hurricane in Biloxi and was stunned by what she saw. Bodies in drainage canals, children's dresses and dolls in trees, her best friend's house collapsed and destroyed, along with her friend.
She keeps trying to pack up her possessions. She wrote to Oprah Winfrey and asked for help, but she knows that's foolishness. In her darkest moments, she worries that bridges will be repaired and freight trains will rumble through Biloxi again -- and too many desperate people will seek their end on those tracks.
"I have nightmares, I have flashbacks." She shakes her head; she has talked for an hour with many tears. "I get so upset with all these rich people who say Biloxi will come back bigger and better. Not for us. No, no, no. Nobody I know is getting better."
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
By Michael PowellWashington Post Staff WriterFriday, November 25, 2005; A01
PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. -- Three months ago, Katrina all but scoured this old beach town of 8,000 off the face of the Earth. To walk its streets today is to see acres of wreckage almost as untouched as the day the hurricane passed.
No new houses are framed out. No lots cleared. There is just devastation and a lingering stench and a tent city in which hundreds of residents huddle against the first chill of winter and wonder where they'll find the money to rebuild their lives.
Billy McDonald, the white-haired mayor whose house was reduced to a concrete slab by 55-foot-high waves, works out of a trailer. He doesn't expect the word "recovery" to roll off his lips for many months.
"Lots of folks don't have flood insurance; lots of folks don't have jobs; lots of folks don't have hope," McDonald said. "We're a hurting place."
This is the other land laid low by Katrina's fury. Like New Orleans to the west, hundreds of square miles of Mississippi coastland look little better than they did in early September, and many people here harbor anger that the federal government has fallen short and that the nation's attention has turned away. At least 200,000 Mississippians remain displaced, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is short at least 13,000 trailers to house them.
Fifty thousand homeowners lack federal flood insurance and cannot rebuild. The casinos, which employed 17,000 people, won't begin to reopen until next year, and the unemployment rate has quadrupled, now topping 23 percent in the coastal counties.
Half a dozen towns, Pass Christian among them, are borrowing millions of dollars to pay bills, and some officials are talking about surrendering charters and becoming wards of the state.
"FEMA continues to be able to mess up a one-car funeral -- we don't begin to have enough money for major reconstruction," said Rep. Gene Taylor (D), who lost his own home in Bay St. Louis. "We're going to have a lot of defaults and bankruptcies.
"The federal response, from highways to housing to trailers, is completely unacceptable."
The personal shock of it all hasn't subsided. Locals say it's not uncommon to hear perfectly rational people talk of suicide.
Developers and casino companies and local politicians have begun to map out a rebuilding plan, but that stirs anxiety, too. In this poorest state in the nation, where nearly 22 percent of residents live in poverty and 40,000 homes lack adequate plumbing, thousands of Mississippians could find themselves unable to afford to return to the land of their birth.
The hurricane pushed tens of thousands of coastal residents north and west, spreading over four states. The longer it takes to rebuild houses and businesses, the more officials worry that the dispossessed, particularly the working class, may never return.
"The response of the federal government is bewildering and deplorable," said Bruce Katz, director of metropolitan policy at the Brookings Institution, who has written two studies of the Katrina response. "We know how to deliver quality affordable housing in the United States -- we just need the will and leadership to do it."
Public housing authorities along the Mississippi coast lost 2,000 apartments and suffered $155 million in damages. But the federal government, which expects to spend close to $2 billion on temporary trailers, has not offered a dime to rebuild public housing. A spokeswoman with the Department of Housing and Urban Development said the agency's budget could remain just as tight next year.
Roy Necaise, chief operating officer of a regional Mississippi housing authority, said: "We have no federal funds, absolutely none, to rebuild. There's absolutely nothing standing on the coast right now, and it's going to be a long time before we're able to bring folks home.
"Washington has totally let us down, and it's a disgrace."
The lack of federal flood insurance is an even greater problem. When 30-foot walls of water crashed into coastal towns, thousands who lived outside official flood zones lost their homes.
Ross Stanley, who rebuilds old boats, stands in alligator cowboy boots, jeans and reflector shades, cradling a Bud Light. He is hosing down his patio and a lawn chair, which are all that's left of his house. D'Iberville was a roiling lake for eight hours on Aug. 29, and Stanley says about three-quarters of his neighbors had no flood insurance.
"You figure it ain't happening to me," he said. "Well, time to cowboy up. That's all you can do because you sure as hell ain't rebuilding. It's like a nightmare you can't wake up from."
Gov. Haley Barbour (R) has asked FEMA to let Gulf Coast area residents buy flood insurance retroactively if they pay 10 years of premiums, or about $3,000. But FEMA lacks the money even to pay existing claims. It is waiting for Congress to appropriate more.
Two weeks ago, FEMA officials began releasing guidelines that will require most coastal houses to be built on stilts. That is perhaps advisable in a hurricane zone, but it will add tens of thousands of dollars per house to construction costs.
Not all the news is grim. Workers in Biloxi have carted away 1 million cubic yards of debris. They have stretched blue tarps over tens of thousands of damaged roofs. Every town along the Gulf Coast has an operating school -- the last one opened in Bay St. Louis on Nov. 6, albeit with only 100 of its original 300 students.
But this politically conservative state has a threadbare safety net. Two weeks ago, county officials lifted an informal moratorium on evictions. Tenants cannot claim rent breaks for water-damaged apartments. One can sit now in housing courts in Gulfport and Biloxi and watch judges order the evictions of hundreds of tenants, often with a speed that startles the tenants.
"There's a hanging judge mentality and, my God, it's going to create a social crisis," said John C. Jopling, a lawyer with the Mississippi Center for Justice, which represented a few tenants.
The mayor of Gulfport, Mississippi's second largest city, recently removed a tent city of contract workers from a golf course. And under pressure from developers, he balked at signing off on emergency trailer parks, even though the inhabitants would be displaced city residents. "It creates an environment people don't want to live around," Gulfport developer Don Hall told the Harrison County Board of Supervisors recently, according to news reports.
Katrina left behind a great swell of land speculation. Signs reading "Cash for Homes" and "We Pay Top $ for Waterfront Property" are ubiquitous, as are developers hanging around city planning offices. It's urban renewal by hurricane, clearing land for a new Mississippi of upscale condominium towers and parks and many casinos. The many working-class residents who live within view of the coast could be outward bound.
"It's possible you're going to see a demographic shift because a lot of people are going to like the opportunities," Robert Latham, executive director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said on a recent tour of Gulfport. "We're going to clear a lot of land. . . . You're going to see such a great economic boom down here, you won't believe it."
Keith Burton is a longtime Biloxian, a certified dice dealer and editor of the much-read Gulf Coast News online service. With local officials concerned there are still bodies buried in homes and casino ships lying like beached whales along the highway, he advised slowing down a bit.
"Maybe this is a future boomtown -- it's super-prime land," he said of Biloxi. "But if that kind of rebirth happens, it will be on the backs of the lives of a lot of Biloxians. It's like talking bad about somebody at their funeral."
A Little Kingdom
There are twin devastations in Mississippi, and it would take Solomon to pick the worse of the two. There are the coastal cities and there are such places as tiny Pearlington, deep in the woods and marshlands along the Louisiana border. Here a 35-foot-high storm surge roared up the Pearl River.
The Rev. James O'Bryan fled hours before the storm, and afterward he asked a neighbor: How far can you get into town?
Until you get to St. Joseph's church, the neighbor replied.
"My heart danced," O'Bryan recalled. "I said, 'Well, that's far enough for me.' "
The neighbor shook his head. Father, he said, your church is sitting on top of three cars in the middle of the road.
Almost three months later, O'Bryan, 79, sits in a shaft of sunlight on the site of his former church, in a white wicker chair atop a four-foot-wide swatch of orange carpet. This is a self-reliant corner of the state, and his neighbors sawed and hauled debris -- one even shot a 12-foot alligator lolling in a living room. But the local school remains shredded, its roof a spaghetti of metal beams. Everyone lost cars and trucks, and there's no money for replacements. Many people sleep in tents or shacks that have been roughly thrown together.
The county's only supermarket is gone. Six shrimp boats still sit on the river bottom. There's a good bit of drug smuggling, but that isn't really a sustaining industry.
Two weeks ago, the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi informed O'Bryan that it won't rebuild the church.
"The bishop tells me we were insured for Camille [a 1969 hurricane] but not for Katrina," O'Bryan said. "I remember going for a walk just before the storm and saying to myself, 'Lord, you aren't going to take my little kingdom from me, are you?' I realized now that he was."
Point Cadet
Point Cadet was the soul of the steamy port city of Biloxi, a place where generations of blacks and whites grew up, joined by Yugoslav and Vietnamese immigrants. It was much beloved and nothing fancy, and it's gone.
On Fourth Street, a row of old wood houses still lies in the street like toppled dominoes. At night, no lights shine. Councilman Bill Stallworth, who represents a poor black neighborhood, points to the gleaming casino towers that edge Point Cadet on three sides. Developers, he said, already talk of the condo towers and green parks in between.
"Without some quick federal money, we're going to look up and see nothing but high-rises in a few years without everyone pressured out," Stallworth said. "If we lose these people who made this city, that would be a lowdown dirty shame."
The anxiety about what was lost and what might come exacts a psychological toll. Before Katrina, county officials said ambulances made about eight calls per month on mental health emergencies. In October, ambulances transported 167 people for psychiatric treatment, many suffering from post-traumatic stress and some talking of suicide.
Rosie Alexander, a woman around age 50 with a fast smile, grew up in Point Cadet and lives in a nearby apartment. She has a master's degree in nursing and worked in a casino. She's out of work, and this state pays the lowest unemployment premium in the nation. Her old casino sent a letter stating that if she's rehired, she must accept an entry-level wage.
Her home stinks of mold, and FEMA hasn't delivered a trailer. She rode out the hurricane in Biloxi and was stunned by what she saw. Bodies in drainage canals, children's dresses and dolls in trees, her best friend's house collapsed and destroyed, along with her friend.
She keeps trying to pack up her possessions. She wrote to Oprah Winfrey and asked for help, but she knows that's foolishness. In her darkest moments, she worries that bridges will be repaired and freight trains will rumble through Biloxi again -- and too many desperate people will seek their end on those tracks.
"I have nightmares, I have flashbacks." She shakes her head; she has talked for an hour with many tears. "I get so upset with all these rich people who say Biloxi will come back bigger and better. Not for us. No, no, no. Nobody I know is getting better."
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Yankie Stadium
More photos from Mississippi
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Slide presentation of my trip
If you want to see an enlarged picture of a slide just double click on each picture and it will make it full screen. I do hope you enjoy what you see and Pray about what you read.
I also have one personal Prayer Request at this time. I would ask that you pray if it is God's will for me to go back to Biloxi Mississippi that he opens the doors and paves the way for me to go. I feel I have so much to offer and especially being single with no kids or obligations to keep me here for Christmas I would love to go back and help serve Christmas to these people.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you have about the slides you are about to see.
Sharing stories of loss in Biloxi
JULIANNA KERR, TIMES STAFF
Alexis Bennett , a Salvation Army volunteer, was in Mississippi from Oct. 27 to Nov. 9, helping with hurricane relief efforts.
By Julianna KerrTimes Staff(Nov 22, 2005)
Alexis Bennett has always wanted to help people and dreamed of working in a Third World country helping those less fortunate than herself.
Her dream came true recently, but in a different way.
On Oct. 27, Bennett, 44, left for Biloxi, Miss. She was selected as a volunteer to represent the Salvation Army and help those who were suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"When Katrina hit, I immediately contacted people I know and said I'd like to go," Bennett said.
After a few sets of changed plans, it was settled and Bennett was headed to Mississippi.
"For me, I've come to believe even more so than I ever did, that if God wants you somewhere, he'll pave the way," she said.
Bennett was the only Cambridge resident on her eight-member volunteer team. Salvation Army paid for the flights and accommodation.
"When we went, we were told that our responsibilities would be volunteer, canteen worker or emotional/spiritual caregiver (ESC)," she said. "We were to assist wherever we could. We were there to listen to the stories, to give people an opportunity to vent, to cry; to give them some encouragement and to pray with them (if they wanted that)...whatever they needed."
Volunteers travelled on canteen trucks, with each truck carrying an ESC and canteen workers.
"As canteen workers, we served up the food and anything else we might have," Bennett said. "Cleaning kits, blankets, backpacks, stuffed animals and toys for kids... We had snacks - mostly chips, beef jerky, chocolate bars, cookies, cold drinks and water; whatever we happened to have."
The canteen workers also distributed hot meals.
"Then we talked to people and shared with them and things like that," Bennett said. "I personally felt blessed. We were sent around to different areas. I got to see the real devastation of it all."
Bennett said that although she knew the south was traditionally strong in faith, she still expected to hear people being angry at God and angry at the world.
"But because of their faith being so strong, we didn't see that," she said. "Everyone seemed to be very positive. Even though they're distraught, they've picked themselves up. There's a positive attitude among the devastation and their faith is still shining strong."
Bennett said that although the situation is still serious, progress is slowly being made. Garbage and debris are piled up everywhere, and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to which buildings withstood the storm and which ones went down.
"There are no words to describe it," she said. "You see it in the news, you see it everywhere. But until you're there, you can't even imagine. You don't see the rubble anymore. You see that person's life in front of you."
Bennett met people who were left with nothing, such as the woman whose photos were all lost. And the people who wondered how a boat ended up on their front lawn.
"I was really shocked to see how positive and up everybody was," she said. "I feel honoured. I feel it's a privilege to have been there. You sit and you look at the pictures or you remember someone's story and you wonder about them. You just want to go back. This is probably a lifetime's dream fulfilled."
Bennett said everyone was so grateful for help, and couldn't believe that people were coming from Canada to help them.
"You couldn't give me a million dollars to replace that experience," she said. "We can't forget those people out there because they need us."
Bennett will do a presentation and slide show about her experience on Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. during the Salvation Army's service. The event is open to the public.
The Salvation Army is located at 16 Shade St. To contact Bennett, e-mail her at alexisbennett@sympatico.ca.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Day 13 ---------- Last Day out in the Field
Today is our last day here in Mississippi to help the people. Again there is another area which has been identified as a very high need area. I went to Waveland to a stationary location. When we pulled in to the parking lot that this canteen set up, people see us, and they come running. We served around 300 meals and we could have easily done another 100 to 200 meals. 1/2 of the people we feed on this canteen are the relief workers from the area and the other 1/2 is the people from the area who have lost everything.
I spent a lot of time talking with people hearing their stories. Today I have several stories to share cause I never want to forget them and want the world to know what people face here every day.
Story 1: A car pulls in with this lady and her son. I ask how they are doing and receive a polite response. I ask the young man if he is back to school and his mom jumps in about how he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut and stop causing their family more grief than what they already face each day. I sensed a lot of anger from the young man. I sense he really has no outlet to express his emotions around this disaster. So I just spent time talking to him. I asked him if he wanted a Canadian pencil, he said he would love one. I joked with him and suggested he used it to study hard and do what he needs to do cause if not this Canuck would come back to haunt him. He was where an arm band which I asked him about. He explained it was a basketball team from New Orleans. I gave him a backpack for school, a Hershey bar and a stuff animal. He hugged me and told me thanks for making him feel so special. He took off his bracelet and told me to remember him. I was touched because this man was around 10 years old and I just touched my heart cause he was so thoughtful for such a young man.
Story 2: A family of 3 pulls up with mom, dad and their 16 yr old son. I believe God drew me to this young man. He was around 6 feet tall. He was carrying what looked like a staff, and walked on his toes. I asked him if he need a book bag of his schoolbooks. He said he really could use one. I also gave him a candy bar and a stuffed animal. As we got talking his parents joined us and started telling a little about their story. This young Man David is in remission for 3 years now of bone cancer. This family has their Femma trailer and are so grateful, but what they just discovered is that David would never complain about anything but because of his cancer situation David needs to be in a bed where he can be fully stretched out and his bed is not situated conducive to his medical situation. They are going to talk to Femma to see what they can do about getting a bigger trailer to suit his needs better. David's mother is diabetic and has congestive heart failure. We had a prayer and shared the Lords word. This family is very well churched and belief in the Lord is very strong. David is being home schooled due to his health conditions.
Story 3: A lady Rose and her daughter Dianne came for a meal and Rose came over and talked with me. She shared a little of her story with me as well. He husband wanted to flee and so they went and stayed with his sister in another state. Rose thou wanted to come back to be with her children and she had some anger cause once before she put her husband before her children and as a result she lost a son. Her and this son still stay astrange from each other, she said never again. I picked up the sense her husband is loosing faith. We had a prayer and they head out to feed her grandchildren. What a wonderful lady, she reminded me so much of a couple of older women from my home league. She was such a pleasure to speak with.
Story 4: A young women comes up and she looks very distraught so I went over to offer my assistance. She was looking for the morgue as she just got word she needs to come and identify her biological mother. Another lady on the team said she would get the information for her, so I took her over where there are a few chairs and we sat and talked. Her biological mothers sister is the lady who raised her and she is being given a lot of grief from her about going to identify her. She said why bother; just let the State take care of it. The young women expressed about the on and off relationship she had between both mothers. She also shared that her biological father passed away a year ago and now her mother. She just feels she needs to do this. She loves her mother even though they had their differences. She begged me to come with them to help give her support to do this. I explained I am not allowed to leave my location but I would be there for a couple of hours if she wanted to come back and talk. I also explained someone would be here at this location every day if she wants to come back and talk. Her adopted mother got out her car and came over and yelled at her to get going. I explained I need a few more minutes. We prayed and then I came over to their vehicle and offered support to them all. I really felt for this young woman. I think her face will stay with me for a very long time.
Story 5: This man pulls up on his motorbike. Gets himself a meal and a drink and ask if he could sit down to eat it. I said sure and I sat with him. We shared a few comments back and forth and then the opportunity presented its self for me to ask him to share his story. Glen began by stating his mother called him and made him promise he would look after Jessica and her to young daughters, as their father is a Marine and off working. Glen's father also worked for the marines so he had PFD (personal floatation devices) he grabbed them, a few other things and headed to another friends home which made it through Camille so they thought this would be a safe place to be. Well as they kept moving higher and higher in this home, they suddenly heard a big bang and it was the roof being ripped off the house. Glen then had everyone put on the PFD's and tied everyone together with a phone line. He feared they were going to be sucked out of the house and he wanted them all to be together. He began to kick out the windows to keep the pressure on equal ground so they do not get sucked out. He then noticed a boat down the street so he went out one of the windows to get the boat in case they would need it. Glen cut his feet badly but decided not to tell anyone nor take his boots off so that no one would be worrying about him. When it was safe he took everyone back to their homes and everything was gone but their boat was still there. He got everyone on the boat until help came. Jessica's husband sent help to get them out and took them to another state. Glen stayed, cause he needed to find his dad. Glen took off his boots to examine his feet to see how bad they were. They were very bad, he now was getting a high fever and as he took off his boots his feet swelled to the size of watermelons. They were badly infected. He found some Listerine in the front of the boot that he used as a disinfect ion. He cut the heel pad off his one foot and poured the Listerine over his foot. He apparently passed out and was on the boat for 10 days when they found him. He was told the Listerine saved his life. Glen is a hero and yet very humble and just said he was doing what he was asked to do. We prayed with him and I felt very compelled to help him out the best I could so we got him a backpack to carry a few supplies on his bike.
This day will remain in my head forever. I had a hard time tonight cause I feel that there is no closure. I feel like I just connected with these people and now I have to go home. I wish I could stay. God is so very cool and blesses us all everyday. For the last 13 days he has Blessed me in more ways than I will ever be able to share.
Thank you Lord for this opportunity to serve for you.
I spent a lot of time talking with people hearing their stories. Today I have several stories to share cause I never want to forget them and want the world to know what people face here every day.
Story 1: A car pulls in with this lady and her son. I ask how they are doing and receive a polite response. I ask the young man if he is back to school and his mom jumps in about how he needs to learn to keep his mouth shut and stop causing their family more grief than what they already face each day. I sensed a lot of anger from the young man. I sense he really has no outlet to express his emotions around this disaster. So I just spent time talking to him. I asked him if he wanted a Canadian pencil, he said he would love one. I joked with him and suggested he used it to study hard and do what he needs to do cause if not this Canuck would come back to haunt him. He was where an arm band which I asked him about. He explained it was a basketball team from New Orleans. I gave him a backpack for school, a Hershey bar and a stuff animal. He hugged me and told me thanks for making him feel so special. He took off his bracelet and told me to remember him. I was touched because this man was around 10 years old and I just touched my heart cause he was so thoughtful for such a young man.
Story 2: A family of 3 pulls up with mom, dad and their 16 yr old son. I believe God drew me to this young man. He was around 6 feet tall. He was carrying what looked like a staff, and walked on his toes. I asked him if he need a book bag of his schoolbooks. He said he really could use one. I also gave him a candy bar and a stuffed animal. As we got talking his parents joined us and started telling a little about their story. This young Man David is in remission for 3 years now of bone cancer. This family has their Femma trailer and are so grateful, but what they just discovered is that David would never complain about anything but because of his cancer situation David needs to be in a bed where he can be fully stretched out and his bed is not situated conducive to his medical situation. They are going to talk to Femma to see what they can do about getting a bigger trailer to suit his needs better. David's mother is diabetic and has congestive heart failure. We had a prayer and shared the Lords word. This family is very well churched and belief in the Lord is very strong. David is being home schooled due to his health conditions.
Story 3: A lady Rose and her daughter Dianne came for a meal and Rose came over and talked with me. She shared a little of her story with me as well. He husband wanted to flee and so they went and stayed with his sister in another state. Rose thou wanted to come back to be with her children and she had some anger cause once before she put her husband before her children and as a result she lost a son. Her and this son still stay astrange from each other, she said never again. I picked up the sense her husband is loosing faith. We had a prayer and they head out to feed her grandchildren. What a wonderful lady, she reminded me so much of a couple of older women from my home league. She was such a pleasure to speak with.
Story 4: A young women comes up and she looks very distraught so I went over to offer my assistance. She was looking for the morgue as she just got word she needs to come and identify her biological mother. Another lady on the team said she would get the information for her, so I took her over where there are a few chairs and we sat and talked. Her biological mothers sister is the lady who raised her and she is being given a lot of grief from her about going to identify her. She said why bother; just let the State take care of it. The young women expressed about the on and off relationship she had between both mothers. She also shared that her biological father passed away a year ago and now her mother. She just feels she needs to do this. She loves her mother even though they had their differences. She begged me to come with them to help give her support to do this. I explained I am not allowed to leave my location but I would be there for a couple of hours if she wanted to come back and talk. I also explained someone would be here at this location every day if she wants to come back and talk. Her adopted mother got out her car and came over and yelled at her to get going. I explained I need a few more minutes. We prayed and then I came over to their vehicle and offered support to them all. I really felt for this young woman. I think her face will stay with me for a very long time.
Story 5: This man pulls up on his motorbike. Gets himself a meal and a drink and ask if he could sit down to eat it. I said sure and I sat with him. We shared a few comments back and forth and then the opportunity presented its self for me to ask him to share his story. Glen began by stating his mother called him and made him promise he would look after Jessica and her to young daughters, as their father is a Marine and off working. Glen's father also worked for the marines so he had PFD (personal floatation devices) he grabbed them, a few other things and headed to another friends home which made it through Camille so they thought this would be a safe place to be. Well as they kept moving higher and higher in this home, they suddenly heard a big bang and it was the roof being ripped off the house. Glen then had everyone put on the PFD's and tied everyone together with a phone line. He feared they were going to be sucked out of the house and he wanted them all to be together. He began to kick out the windows to keep the pressure on equal ground so they do not get sucked out. He then noticed a boat down the street so he went out one of the windows to get the boat in case they would need it. Glen cut his feet badly but decided not to tell anyone nor take his boots off so that no one would be worrying about him. When it was safe he took everyone back to their homes and everything was gone but their boat was still there. He got everyone on the boat until help came. Jessica's husband sent help to get them out and took them to another state. Glen stayed, cause he needed to find his dad. Glen took off his boots to examine his feet to see how bad they were. They were very bad, he now was getting a high fever and as he took off his boots his feet swelled to the size of watermelons. They were badly infected. He found some Listerine in the front of the boot that he used as a disinfect ion. He cut the heel pad off his one foot and poured the Listerine over his foot. He apparently passed out and was on the boat for 10 days when they found him. He was told the Listerine saved his life. Glen is a hero and yet very humble and just said he was doing what he was asked to do. We prayed with him and I felt very compelled to help him out the best I could so we got him a backpack to carry a few supplies on his bike.
This day will remain in my head forever. I had a hard time tonight cause I feel that there is no closure. I feel like I just connected with these people and now I have to go home. I wish I could stay. God is so very cool and blesses us all everyday. For the last 13 days he has Blessed me in more ways than I will ever be able to share.
Thank you Lord for this opportunity to serve for you.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
2nd Last Day---Wind down
They told us when we got here our first name should become Flexible Alexis, well that I have become. I have really enjoyed my time here and would really like to come back down for a while in December to help with Christmas.
Being flexible has allowed me to see many different areas which have been effected by Katrina. Today I got to go to a section called St. Martin. Wow is all I can say. Very little has been done in this area. It was our first time in their and the people were so happy to see us. They expressed a great need for us to be over their talking with them, allowing them to share their stories. Many just needed that friendly smile, hello how are you, we are coming back tomorrow, and we care let us know what we can do for you.
Most in this area lost every thing. Some have their Femma trailers but most do not. People here seem very down and like they were forgotton about. The pictures here tell again a thousand stories. When I put my presentation together this will make sense to all.
Pray for the people of St. Martin that they can see Hope, and hang on as we are now here and are going to do what we can for them.
Well time to get ready for our last day out on the trucks. It will be a sad time cause most of feel like we have just begun and now it is time to go home. We all know there is so much more we can be doing. Pray for our replacements and that they do get here soon.
till tonight
Being flexible has allowed me to see many different areas which have been effected by Katrina. Today I got to go to a section called St. Martin. Wow is all I can say. Very little has been done in this area. It was our first time in their and the people were so happy to see us. They expressed a great need for us to be over their talking with them, allowing them to share their stories. Many just needed that friendly smile, hello how are you, we are coming back tomorrow, and we care let us know what we can do for you.
Most in this area lost every thing. Some have their Femma trailers but most do not. People here seem very down and like they were forgotton about. The pictures here tell again a thousand stories. When I put my presentation together this will make sense to all.
Pray for the people of St. Martin that they can see Hope, and hang on as we are now here and are going to do what we can for them.
Well time to get ready for our last day out on the trucks. It will be a sad time cause most of feel like we have just begun and now it is time to go home. We all know there is so much more we can be doing. Pray for our replacements and that they do get here soon.
till tonight
Monday, November 07, 2005
Mike & Canteen #15, stories
Today I want to share these few shorts stories from one of our team members Mike from HOPE FORCE who went home to Maryland yesterday. After you read his stories I ask you to pray for him. I closing his email to a few of us on the team he stated the following:
"In closing, let me say that it was difficult to go home. I was sitting in church yesterday with no sense of closure. I was thinking of my crew on No. 15 and wanting to be with them as they drove through the neighborhoods. I am praying for whatever closure God wants me to have so He can help me see a bigger picture, and continue to use this experience for His glory."
He states "I wanted to quickly relate a few stories to you before they slip from my memory. Perhaps you can somehow use them later."
Story 1: I saw a mother standing in line for drinks with her 2 kids in tow. Having 2 kids of my own I felt an overwhelming compassion for this woman and wanted to help her. So, I took her some drinks so she would’t have to wait. Her response stunned me. She said, “Thanks but no thanks. I’m trying to teach my children to stand in line.” I was blown away at how despite her circumstances; she was using her situation as a teachable moment. I had no category for this kind of response in my own mind before going to Biloxi.
Story 2: When Deborah came to our canteen truck, she eyes were red and swollen, and her body frail looking like it had been fighting sickness for some time. She was already a grandmother and didn’t look older than 35. We talked with her and she told us that she was sick from the mold and mildew in her house. She invited us in so we could see it and also talk with her mother. Both women appeared depressed and broken. We informed them about the local clinics and service centers nearby where they could get help. We also talked about God’s love for them. We were glad when they gratefully received the Bibles we offered. I prayed with Deborah before leaving that God would reveal Himself to her everyday through someone or something. I prayed for her to have hope. Afterwards, I gave her a long, hard hug like I really truly loved her as a sister in Christ. She hugged me back hard and began to cry. For a brief moment, our souls seemed locked together clutching to God’s provision. I’ll never forget it.
Story 3: Regina and her husband are both around 80 years old and have been married to each other for more than 50 years. They lived in the same house since 1955. Today, everything they owned, including their cars and all the little things they had collected over the years that represented so many memories, is gone. They now live in a small room in one of their children’s homes. Two months ago they had a nice house, no mortgage, and no car payments. But, because they didn’t have flood insurance, the only compensation they received from their insurance company was $8,000 for roof damage. They are too old to take on a new mortgage, and Regina cries every night because all she wants to do is “go home”. We prayed with Regina and her husband for God’s provision and love to meet all their needs.
Story 4: Many people we encountered are still in various forms of denial. One woman whose house was very severely damaged seemed most concerned about the bushes in her front yard because they always flowered this time of year. She wanted them to flower so badly, but they were dying because of all the saltwater from the hurricane. We gave her a Bible and told her that we’d pray for her. We continued to see her husband in the days that followed as we drove through their neighborhood and we always inquired about his wife. He said that she does a little better each day, but that she continues to worry heavily over the bushes. Also, Gloria and Howard’s house was lifted off its foundation and slammed into their neighbor’s house about 500 feet away. Everything they owned, including the equipment for their lawn care business, was either gone or destroyed. Howard also has back problems and is unable to work. We gave Gloria a Bible and asked if she would like us to pray for her. She said yes. When we asked her what she particularly wanted us to pray for, she said that her biggest fear right now was getting the bird flu. She worries about it day and night.
Story 5: We first saw Mona Stockstill, now a widow, crying in her front yard, picking through the debris of what used to be her home. She had lost all her photo albums, and all her other meaningful possessions that were attached to the memories of her kids’ weddings, etc. We fed her, gave her a Bible, and prayed for her. We didn’t see Mona again until a few days later. We asked her where she had been? She said that she had been too depressed to come out of her FEMA trailer and get our food. She said that the cold dark nights are always hard for her. We hugged her, prayed for her again, and told her that from now on, we’re bringing the food to her door and knocking hard until she answers.
Story 6: Nelly is 78 years old and had helped the Salvation Army for more than 50 years. She had spent most of her life in service to others. Now, she lives in a FEMA trailer and her house is damaged beyond repair. We took special care of Nelly and made her trailer a stopping point each day so we could pray and have a nice conversation with her. However, one day Nelly’s son answered the door and said that someone had found Nelly collapsed on the floor of her trailer. She was rushed to the hospital. We were crushed. That night, we went to the hospital to see Nelly, pray for her, and tell her that we loved her. She was so glad to see us.
"In closing, let me say that it was difficult to go home. I was sitting in church yesterday with no sense of closure. I was thinking of my crew on No. 15 and wanting to be with them as they drove through the neighborhoods. I am praying for whatever closure God wants me to have so He can help me see a bigger picture, and continue to use this experience for His glory."
He states "I wanted to quickly relate a few stories to you before they slip from my memory. Perhaps you can somehow use them later."
Story 1: I saw a mother standing in line for drinks with her 2 kids in tow. Having 2 kids of my own I felt an overwhelming compassion for this woman and wanted to help her. So, I took her some drinks so she would’t have to wait. Her response stunned me. She said, “Thanks but no thanks. I’m trying to teach my children to stand in line.” I was blown away at how despite her circumstances; she was using her situation as a teachable moment. I had no category for this kind of response in my own mind before going to Biloxi.
Story 2: When Deborah came to our canteen truck, she eyes were red and swollen, and her body frail looking like it had been fighting sickness for some time. She was already a grandmother and didn’t look older than 35. We talked with her and she told us that she was sick from the mold and mildew in her house. She invited us in so we could see it and also talk with her mother. Both women appeared depressed and broken. We informed them about the local clinics and service centers nearby where they could get help. We also talked about God’s love for them. We were glad when they gratefully received the Bibles we offered. I prayed with Deborah before leaving that God would reveal Himself to her everyday through someone or something. I prayed for her to have hope. Afterwards, I gave her a long, hard hug like I really truly loved her as a sister in Christ. She hugged me back hard and began to cry. For a brief moment, our souls seemed locked together clutching to God’s provision. I’ll never forget it.
Story 3: Regina and her husband are both around 80 years old and have been married to each other for more than 50 years. They lived in the same house since 1955. Today, everything they owned, including their cars and all the little things they had collected over the years that represented so many memories, is gone. They now live in a small room in one of their children’s homes. Two months ago they had a nice house, no mortgage, and no car payments. But, because they didn’t have flood insurance, the only compensation they received from their insurance company was $8,000 for roof damage. They are too old to take on a new mortgage, and Regina cries every night because all she wants to do is “go home”. We prayed with Regina and her husband for God’s provision and love to meet all their needs.
Story 4: Many people we encountered are still in various forms of denial. One woman whose house was very severely damaged seemed most concerned about the bushes in her front yard because they always flowered this time of year. She wanted them to flower so badly, but they were dying because of all the saltwater from the hurricane. We gave her a Bible and told her that we’d pray for her. We continued to see her husband in the days that followed as we drove through their neighborhood and we always inquired about his wife. He said that she does a little better each day, but that she continues to worry heavily over the bushes. Also, Gloria and Howard’s house was lifted off its foundation and slammed into their neighbor’s house about 500 feet away. Everything they owned, including the equipment for their lawn care business, was either gone or destroyed. Howard also has back problems and is unable to work. We gave Gloria a Bible and asked if she would like us to pray for her. She said yes. When we asked her what she particularly wanted us to pray for, she said that her biggest fear right now was getting the bird flu. She worries about it day and night.
Story 5: We first saw Mona Stockstill, now a widow, crying in her front yard, picking through the debris of what used to be her home. She had lost all her photo albums, and all her other meaningful possessions that were attached to the memories of her kids’ weddings, etc. We fed her, gave her a Bible, and prayed for her. We didn’t see Mona again until a few days later. We asked her where she had been? She said that she had been too depressed to come out of her FEMA trailer and get our food. She said that the cold dark nights are always hard for her. We hugged her, prayed for her again, and told her that from now on, we’re bringing the food to her door and knocking hard until she answers.
Story 6: Nelly is 78 years old and had helped the Salvation Army for more than 50 years. She had spent most of her life in service to others. Now, she lives in a FEMA trailer and her house is damaged beyond repair. We took special care of Nelly and made her trailer a stopping point each day so we could pray and have a nice conversation with her. However, one day Nelly’s son answered the door and said that someone had found Nelly collapsed on the floor of her trailer. She was rushed to the hospital. We were crushed. That night, we went to the hospital to see Nelly, pray for her, and tell her that we loved her. She was so glad to see us.
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Today I recieved the following email; That I thought I would share with you all.
Subject: Re: Your album has been shared!>Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 08:34:39 -0500>>Alexis>I never realized that there was as much devastation as there >obviously is down there. How are the people holding up down there >when they have lost everything but their lives, and some even that. >We continue to pray both for you and your work down there, and >those affected by the storms.>God bless>Gary
Here is how I responded to that email.
Gary it is the most awesome experience in my life time. The people are doing what they need to do to survive. Each person has their stories and then, each house, street, business, car, tree, animal and so forth. Each thing is beautiful in Gods world and even amongst all this devistation they find beauty. Last evening coming out of the resturant I stopped and spoke to a women who was obviously holding a premature baby in her arms. I asked her when the baby was born, she said Ella was born the day Hurricane Rita hit. Now Hurricane Rita hit around 2 weeks after Katrina. Now when I asked her when the baby was due she said Ella real expected date was for the end of November beginning of December.
So you see out of tragedy good things has risen. Our Lord is so much bigger and greater than we can ever imagine and for the past 12, 13 days he keeps revieling this to me and our team.
Today our 2nd last day I had the opportunity to talk to a lady who through all the devestation around her she was able to talk and dream of beauty that would come from the rubble around her home. Her home is slated to be bull dozed later this week or early next week. She comes from her daughters daily to go through the rubble to see what she can or wants to try and save. She shared with me how last year she wanted to build a rock garden and to build a small wall around it but could not afford to do this. Well today she was gathering up salvagable bricks from her home to build the wall and garden. She said once they bulldoze that was the first thing she was coming home to do. Sohe needs to see beauty their on her land. So even though her home of 30 yrs was gone, she could see Hope through her faith and building her garden would be the beginning of beaty to return.
If in God we tust and have Faith, then through all things we can and will see beauty.
Subject: Re: Your album has been shared!>Date: Sun, 6 Nov 2005 08:34:39 -0500>>Alexis>I never realized that there was as much devastation as there >obviously is down there. How are the people holding up down there >when they have lost everything but their lives, and some even that. >We continue to pray both for you and your work down there, and >those affected by the storms.>God bless>Gary
Here is how I responded to that email.
Gary it is the most awesome experience in my life time. The people are doing what they need to do to survive. Each person has their stories and then, each house, street, business, car, tree, animal and so forth. Each thing is beautiful in Gods world and even amongst all this devistation they find beauty. Last evening coming out of the resturant I stopped and spoke to a women who was obviously holding a premature baby in her arms. I asked her when the baby was born, she said Ella was born the day Hurricane Rita hit. Now Hurricane Rita hit around 2 weeks after Katrina. Now when I asked her when the baby was due she said Ella real expected date was for the end of November beginning of December.
So you see out of tragedy good things has risen. Our Lord is so much bigger and greater than we can ever imagine and for the past 12, 13 days he keeps revieling this to me and our team.
Today our 2nd last day I had the opportunity to talk to a lady who through all the devestation around her she was able to talk and dream of beauty that would come from the rubble around her home. Her home is slated to be bull dozed later this week or early next week. She comes from her daughters daily to go through the rubble to see what she can or wants to try and save. She shared with me how last year she wanted to build a rock garden and to build a small wall around it but could not afford to do this. Well today she was gathering up salvagable bricks from her home to build the wall and garden. She said once they bulldoze that was the first thing she was coming home to do. Sohe needs to see beauty their on her land. So even though her home of 30 yrs was gone, she could see Hope through her faith and building her garden would be the beginning of beaty to return.
If in God we tust and have Faith, then through all things we can and will see beauty.
Day 8 & 9
So for 2 days I was in bed sick with the flu. It really has been travelling through our team. I felt much better for day 10 so I went out on a truck. I will blog more on this later. Today I am going to try and get to see someone from one of the medical teams as I think I have a touch of strep.
Ok got to run for now will blog tonight when I get back from Day 10 and Day 11.
Have a great day and remember us all in prayer.
God Bless
PS: I sure do miss Sunday dinners.
Ok got to run for now will blog tonight when I get back from Day 10 and Day 11.
Have a great day and remember us all in prayer.
God Bless
PS: I sure do miss Sunday dinners.
Thursday, November 03, 2005
Day 7 --- People Helping People
Today Henry my driver of the canteen I ride started to train his replacement. Miss Delores. Very nice lady from Virginia.
Today Brian was in seeing a doctor but one of his mother’s workers got meals for his mom, his sister and him. People helping people. I have been noticing that everywhere I go. Everyone out there is willing to help each other, families coming together to help each other, neighbours coming to help each others, then Salvation Army, Southern Baptist, the Amish, HOPE Force, Camp Hope--Calvary Church, City Team Missions, Red Cross, Army, Air force, & FEMMA. I am sure there are many more we have missed we need to add. Hundreds and Thousand coming from all over to help fellow people with whatever we can do for them.
Today a met a lady named Leona who has a heart condition who’s house moved 12 ft off the foundation. She finds it very hard to come to her house. Femma gave her a small trailer, which she has at her daughters because of her heart condition. You could see how broken she is, I offered a hug and she just broke down, she was so afraid for her daughter to see her tears. She has a 1 yr old grandson who is acting out and showing fear since the storm. The tornado apparently went through her house because her bedroom blew up. She says it literally looks like a bomb went off in her house. She lives in the bayous near Cody & his dad. Pray for them.
Delta & Tillman are a Cancun senior couple that was told there house could be fixed up. They were given $5000 dollars for renovations. That probably will not even do their roof. They have fabulous family there helping them out. Great people. Their children want them to come and stay with them but they will not leave because of the looters. They said there are many looters in the area.
Audrey and Buddy stayed on the roof of their home. Audrey said they were praying as they saw the tornados coming up the street. She said it was going all around them. She really felt they were not going to make it through this. They lost 5 dogs in the storm. She has them buried all around their property. All there statues were gone but there was one left it was Jesus she feels God looked out for them. They have been working very hard to get things back to normal. What will normal be for these people.
We met a man who said he also stayed on top of his roof then he and his brother decided to leave. They got into a 12-foot boat with their dogs. He said one of the dogs jumped over board so he went over looking for him to save him. He said in their area the water was around 30 feet deep.
I meet a few single men that I am sure could use a treatment centre of alcohol, but until they admit they have a problem I cannot help him out at all.
One of the members of our team was down for 3 days with flu. There are 4 others on our team who are trying hard to fight something off. My throat is very raw and I have a fever. I decided I would not be and asset to my team today and asked to return to my room for some rest and TLC so I can be well tomorrow.
God Bless
Today Brian was in seeing a doctor but one of his mother’s workers got meals for his mom, his sister and him. People helping people. I have been noticing that everywhere I go. Everyone out there is willing to help each other, families coming together to help each other, neighbours coming to help each others, then Salvation Army, Southern Baptist, the Amish, HOPE Force, Camp Hope--Calvary Church, City Team Missions, Red Cross, Army, Air force, & FEMMA. I am sure there are many more we have missed we need to add. Hundreds and Thousand coming from all over to help fellow people with whatever we can do for them.
Today a met a lady named Leona who has a heart condition who’s house moved 12 ft off the foundation. She finds it very hard to come to her house. Femma gave her a small trailer, which she has at her daughters because of her heart condition. You could see how broken she is, I offered a hug and she just broke down, she was so afraid for her daughter to see her tears. She has a 1 yr old grandson who is acting out and showing fear since the storm. The tornado apparently went through her house because her bedroom blew up. She says it literally looks like a bomb went off in her house. She lives in the bayous near Cody & his dad. Pray for them.
Delta & Tillman are a Cancun senior couple that was told there house could be fixed up. They were given $5000 dollars for renovations. That probably will not even do their roof. They have fabulous family there helping them out. Great people. Their children want them to come and stay with them but they will not leave because of the looters. They said there are many looters in the area.
Audrey and Buddy stayed on the roof of their home. Audrey said they were praying as they saw the tornados coming up the street. She said it was going all around them. She really felt they were not going to make it through this. They lost 5 dogs in the storm. She has them buried all around their property. All there statues were gone but there was one left it was Jesus she feels God looked out for them. They have been working very hard to get things back to normal. What will normal be for these people.
We met a man who said he also stayed on top of his roof then he and his brother decided to leave. They got into a 12-foot boat with their dogs. He said one of the dogs jumped over board so he went over looking for him to save him. He said in their area the water was around 30 feet deep.
I meet a few single men that I am sure could use a treatment centre of alcohol, but until they admit they have a problem I cannot help him out at all.
One of the members of our team was down for 3 days with flu. There are 4 others on our team who are trying hard to fight something off. My throat is very raw and I have a fever. I decided I would not be and asset to my team today and asked to return to my room for some rest and TLC so I can be well tomorrow.
God Bless
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Tomorrow is 1/2 way for us. It is so important for all of too continue to pray for compassion, strength, endurances, & wisdom for the team and all those coming and going. Our bodies and our minds are starting to tire but after each day we replenish our bellies, get a good nights sleep ready to go again the next day. For most of us we awake by 6 and return after 8pm, then we have emails, blogs, phone calls & laundry to complete before turning in for the night. Thus making for a very long day.
Now today was a day most of Gulfport/Biloxi were praying and hoping for. It rained & the general consensus was that they still feel like they need more but little at a time is better. The reasons most were hoping for rain was to wash the salt off the trees, grass, & vegetation as the salt is starting to kill things off. Then this creates another problem. Forest fires are starting already.
Also in most areas the children were starting back to school. However it is going to take time before they all get back. They estimate all should be back into school before the end of the year. The children are excited to be back with their friends, however the older ones feel they should stay home and help with the rebuilding. Some are choosing that.
On our run today for some reason we found a lot were not home. I feel that was because people who could were taking advantage of the wet to go and do errands instead of doing outside work at their homes. And since children were going back to school they were scarce as well. We did how ever still do 125 meals. We also where able to get to areas we do not always get to regularly.
Every time you drive down your run you see something different, your heart feels something different and you hear another story and then another. Each time you hear these stories you wonder how they could ever go through this and some keep getting kicked over and over and over again. The thing you heard or saw the day before is still in your mind and you hope for the opportunity to minister to them again and they are not there. So you worry a little as to where they are and if they are ok. However a few more feet down the road is another story waiting to be told or shared.
The thing that most sticks in my mind from yesterday is Kim and her story how she goes home after we all have left the area for the day, gets into her bathtub, closes her door, and cries for the next few hours. The other story the sticks in my mind are Guy and his wife Rose who cried with me as they showed me what was left of their lives. What they had lost, and how the thing they most like to get back is their pictures. I am praying for water restoration to their photographs.
Today I received 2 new stories. Henry has been telling me for 2 days now about Brian. During the storm a tree came down and hit Brian in the head. He has had at least one surgery and is waiting for another one. He has had many test, and many more to come. He has Great Spirit and says God was not ready for him and he feels blessed by this. I see his community and family coming together to help fix up his place. It is a pleasure to finally meet him today. What a great positive friendly man. He is so very grateful for what we do.
As you do your runs you cannot help but get attached to a few special people who stick out in your mind. There are those who you would love to give them the world and make it all better for them, however you know that this is just not a reality.
I have the cutest little boy on my run by the name of Cody; he is so cute you could just gobble him up. He wears the most adorable coveralls and the nicest decomposition you could ever ask for. Yesterday I gave him a Canadian pencil and his eyes lit up. He was going to dress up as spider man. I noticed he could use a pair of boots. So this morning I went and found a couple I thought might fit him. Good thing cause when I arrived today at his house he was running around in flip-flops and mud about 2 or 3 inches thick. Now for most kids that dirty in mud it would be ok cause you just rinse them off with a hose and into a bath they would go. I think we are in day 60 something since Katrina hit and they still have no running water. They are using bottled water to bath with. This little boy is being raised by his father as his mother left shortly after he was born. He does not know his mom.
Cody and his father Patrick have had one bad experience after another. Femma lost their application, and then when they finally got that straightened out and arranged for his trailer to be delivered it arrived with a broken frame. The cell phone they were given will not work, the pump that he had delivered was damaged upon delivery and had to be returned. Today 2 of the transformers in their area blew up and so they were without power. Patrick and Cody have many other stories like this that I still do not know all of them but it makes you very grateful for what you have and makes you wonder how they keep on going.
Patrick said they have each other and God and they believe God will provide for them and he keeps sending them special little extra like we deliver to them. Patrick had not been in touch with his family in Alabama in day’s cause of the phone not working so I gave him a 120-minute phone card. When I asked Cody if there was anyone special he wanted to call and speak to he said his poppa. I asked where his poppa was and he pointed up to heaven. He said he died and he misses him and needs him. When I asked him if he wanted to call his grandma he said yes, but he was quick to tell me she is still in the bar. So I gave him his own 30 min phone card to call his grandma, his face lit up again. It just about broke my heart. I asked if needed anything tomorrow he asked for socks for his boots and some clean clothes.
God is Good. We were told that we are always on call 24/7 while we are down here. I have found on several occasions I have had to do ministry work after hours. You just do not know where the Good Lord will use us. Tonight as we were settling in for the night Nicole & I heard something that felt we both needed to go and do ministry work. We helped to reassure some people and to build trust and faith. We put a plan in action and will help to follow it through. Please pray for the young women from Florida.
God Bless and Good night
Now today was a day most of Gulfport/Biloxi were praying and hoping for. It rained & the general consensus was that they still feel like they need more but little at a time is better. The reasons most were hoping for rain was to wash the salt off the trees, grass, & vegetation as the salt is starting to kill things off. Then this creates another problem. Forest fires are starting already.
Also in most areas the children were starting back to school. However it is going to take time before they all get back. They estimate all should be back into school before the end of the year. The children are excited to be back with their friends, however the older ones feel they should stay home and help with the rebuilding. Some are choosing that.
On our run today for some reason we found a lot were not home. I feel that was because people who could were taking advantage of the wet to go and do errands instead of doing outside work at their homes. And since children were going back to school they were scarce as well. We did how ever still do 125 meals. We also where able to get to areas we do not always get to regularly.
Every time you drive down your run you see something different, your heart feels something different and you hear another story and then another. Each time you hear these stories you wonder how they could ever go through this and some keep getting kicked over and over and over again. The thing you heard or saw the day before is still in your mind and you hope for the opportunity to minister to them again and they are not there. So you worry a little as to where they are and if they are ok. However a few more feet down the road is another story waiting to be told or shared.
The thing that most sticks in my mind from yesterday is Kim and her story how she goes home after we all have left the area for the day, gets into her bathtub, closes her door, and cries for the next few hours. The other story the sticks in my mind are Guy and his wife Rose who cried with me as they showed me what was left of their lives. What they had lost, and how the thing they most like to get back is their pictures. I am praying for water restoration to their photographs.
Today I received 2 new stories. Henry has been telling me for 2 days now about Brian. During the storm a tree came down and hit Brian in the head. He has had at least one surgery and is waiting for another one. He has had many test, and many more to come. He has Great Spirit and says God was not ready for him and he feels blessed by this. I see his community and family coming together to help fix up his place. It is a pleasure to finally meet him today. What a great positive friendly man. He is so very grateful for what we do.
As you do your runs you cannot help but get attached to a few special people who stick out in your mind. There are those who you would love to give them the world and make it all better for them, however you know that this is just not a reality.
I have the cutest little boy on my run by the name of Cody; he is so cute you could just gobble him up. He wears the most adorable coveralls and the nicest decomposition you could ever ask for. Yesterday I gave him a Canadian pencil and his eyes lit up. He was going to dress up as spider man. I noticed he could use a pair of boots. So this morning I went and found a couple I thought might fit him. Good thing cause when I arrived today at his house he was running around in flip-flops and mud about 2 or 3 inches thick. Now for most kids that dirty in mud it would be ok cause you just rinse them off with a hose and into a bath they would go. I think we are in day 60 something since Katrina hit and they still have no running water. They are using bottled water to bath with. This little boy is being raised by his father as his mother left shortly after he was born. He does not know his mom.
Cody and his father Patrick have had one bad experience after another. Femma lost their application, and then when they finally got that straightened out and arranged for his trailer to be delivered it arrived with a broken frame. The cell phone they were given will not work, the pump that he had delivered was damaged upon delivery and had to be returned. Today 2 of the transformers in their area blew up and so they were without power. Patrick and Cody have many other stories like this that I still do not know all of them but it makes you very grateful for what you have and makes you wonder how they keep on going.
Patrick said they have each other and God and they believe God will provide for them and he keeps sending them special little extra like we deliver to them. Patrick had not been in touch with his family in Alabama in day’s cause of the phone not working so I gave him a 120-minute phone card. When I asked Cody if there was anyone special he wanted to call and speak to he said his poppa. I asked where his poppa was and he pointed up to heaven. He said he died and he misses him and needs him. When I asked him if he wanted to call his grandma he said yes, but he was quick to tell me she is still in the bar. So I gave him his own 30 min phone card to call his grandma, his face lit up again. It just about broke my heart. I asked if needed anything tomorrow he asked for socks for his boots and some clean clothes.
God is Good. We were told that we are always on call 24/7 while we are down here. I have found on several occasions I have had to do ministry work after hours. You just do not know where the Good Lord will use us. Tonight as we were settling in for the night Nicole & I heard something that felt we both needed to go and do ministry work. We helped to reassure some people and to build trust and faith. We put a plan in action and will help to follow it through. Please pray for the young women from Florida.
God Bless and Good night
Day 5 Photos
So once again to recieve these photo's just click on the link
Day 5: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=afjsqzuf.7aji7ge7&Uy=-lxybow&Ux=1
Day 5: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=afjsqzuf.7aji7ge7&Uy=-lxybow&Ux=1
