Ocean Springs

Arrived at Ocean Springs about 10 am, The church is a ware house teeming with life and many volunteers ready to help the next people coming in. The pews look like a Walmart. A team from Kentucky brought several pickups and trailers full of food supplies. The church warehouse seems to be well stocked and they are serving people all day long. They have a welcome center both for volunteers and another for those needing help. They are holding services on Sunday in the yard.

After the initial shock of seeing "the war zone" of the remnants of Katrina, I knew that the focus would begin to shift from the PHYSICAL to the PEOPLE. Let me tell you about some of them... remember, these are just the people I met or heard about today, just at Ocean Springs:

• I finally reached Todd Hayes, son of Jack and Rachel of Valdosta. They were hit really hard but he said he was very thankful for people from all over who are teaming together to help everyone get back on their feet. He is staying with his in-laws.
• I met Terry Adams and Sarah-joe from Wicksburg, Christian Home; they are Amber Gross' cousins. They told me to tell you Hi, Amber. So Hi. They are going up to GulfCoast Bible Camp where the Hunter Hills Church of Prattville AL is coordinating a home clean up camp. The church there brought 4-5 pickups full of stuff and about 12 UHaul trailers. This is the church's second trip.
• The two "point men" at the church have been the preacher, Al Sturgeon and an elder Gene Logan. They have a LOT on their plate. Al's home was wrecked pretty bad so he's staying on the church lot in an RV.
• Lebanon Church of Christ from Sedulah KY sent a team of stuff and people
• The Creekwood Church of Mobile AL sent a team of stuff and people-- They have a special link for the hurricane effort
• Bartlett Woods Church out of Memphis brought in truckloads of fans and cleaning instruments and a team of about 40 people willing and ready to work
• Great Oaks Church also had a team, they came with Bartlett Woods
• The Mayfair Church of Huntsville AL came in last weekend and HOOKED UP the Ocean Springs church with a media center including wi-fi, a computer so people can check their email and also view the new website they created for the church
• One sister named Jenn came all the way down from New York-- Long Island Church of Christ. She's got some contacts with Orange Grove Church and will be traveling all around in a rented RV for indefinitely--as long as she has something to do .

Many of the work crews are arriving to work through the weekend. May God bless them all with safety, energy, and good travels.

It was good visiting with church folk, but also to meet some of the "victims" (there's got to be a better word). As you can imagine, there are many hurts going around and the opportunity to meet people where their needs are should be the Christian's specialty.

• I met a lady whose brother is stationed in Valdosta at the base as a fireman; the rest of the family is around here and fared really bad.
• The cross the street neighbors to the church buidling was an older couple who were watching the church saying, "ya'll are doing a good work over there." They were thankful that their grown children were safe even though they had varying levels of damage to their homes.
• I visited the Red Cross shelter at Cristus Victor Lutheran Church. It was a full fledged mass care facility. The nurse who gave me my tetanus shot flew from California to help... she had grown up around here. There were so many people there who looked tired, distraught and needing a friend
• The couple my friend Steve has been staying with are the Berry's. When I met Chryste (pronouned Kristy), I recognized her from working with her at Georgia Bible Camp back in 1996! I was at Dasher Church and she was from Lipscomb then.
• Some of the sisters from the church were in the parking lot discussing their losses. I hugged them both and told them I came all the way from Valdosta to do that.

I'm sitting down while I can to write this... as you can imagine, there is way much to tell. I was in touch with Tim Hines today and he said that they have plenty of help but the workload is so large to come on when I can. Denham Springs is my next stop.