Challenges

I think that the spirit of Coastal Residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast is ultimately a can-do, never-give-up spirit. But underneath the surface is a question mark. Will we ever make it? The people I talk to generally will admit their blessings and know that they have made progress since August 29th. But at the same time, they just wonder if there is going to be a time when they can sit down in their living rooms and relax, knowing that the whole thing is over. For some, this energizes them and makes them work with vigor. For others, this paralyzes them and causes them to be overwhelmed at the mass of unfinished repairs. A cloud of depression hangs over the hearts of many people here. Everyone deals with it in their own way. Aside from making great progress with repairs and work crews ... this is one reason why the presence of workers coming down to help is crucial to our community. It blesses us to see fresh faces that aren't burdened with the cares of today's Coast. It reinvigorates us to witness the energy of people who aren't tired and weary. It gives us a moment to stop and thank God because His Family is so big and so generous and so awesome. Thank you to those who have come to help us, who are here, and who will come. Taking a look at our work crew report, the next few weeks are going to bring a firestorm of activity to Central / Pascagoula. I can't wait. There are logistical problems to having big crowds. Overnight housing is, of course, one of those problems. We work hard to make sure everyone's got a place to lay their head! Feeding the volunteers is another challenge. (Elsie does a great job in the kitchen, but it's a big big big job. Often the kitchen duties are overlooked when volunteers come - any cook's helpers out there? Come on down!) Large groups of unskilled labor can be a challenge because these jobs ebb and flow a bit. One thing David works hard at is keeping everyone busy while they are here ... busy with important jobs. Some jobs do not seem important to volunteers, I'm sure ... but they are important in terms of helping us with small stuff that gets overlooked. Now a challenge is not a complaint! I'm not complaining a bit about these problems ... we will work them all out and have a great time ... but I'm just sharing with you a little bit of the day-to-day stuff we work with. Just a note: If you have been here and taken a set of pictures, please make sure I get a copy! I need to get on my way ... but please take a moment and read THIS NEWS STORY. The hard-hitting reality of our journey is something we deal with on a daily basis. Pray for us.