a note from Alex O.

This day has been a very proactive work day for part of my crew and me. Pastor Shelley said a couple other team members and I got to work at the main camp while the others were allowed to go work at their original work sites. Originally, I thought it would kind of stink. While six of the workers started up on the boxes full of “assorted items,” William and I hauled twelve generators. After getting all of the generators inside the trailer for departure we also had to carry thirteen shop-vacs. As we were carrying the vacuums, the other teammates were startled to find a four foot long and wide colony of fire ants! I decided to valiantly kill every single fire ant with the help of William……and wasp repellent. After minutes of conflict we ran out of spray and were overwhelmed with the ant horde, but finally after much pain and suffering I single handedly killed the queen ant. We were greeted with much rejoicing from all the workers knowing the evil colony of fire ants was defeated.

a note from Andrew B.

Today was a very fun day! Today was our turn to do the morning chores. I was on the breakfast clean up crew; it wasn’t too much work. Shortly after that we went to our sites. At my site we did a lot of dry walling. We spent most of the time sanding, but we did do a little mudding. After dinner we went to the beach for devotions. A few of us decided to have a mud fight! That was a lot of fun!

on a sad note

Early this morning my husband's grandpa, Bill Gander, passed away. Grandpa had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. On Friday before we left for the trip I was able to spend a wonderful hour visiting with Grandpa and Grandma and giving him a big hug before I left. This picture was taken a week ago with Grandpa, John, my mother-in-law, and all my boys. William, my 4-year-old, is named after Grandpa Bill. I have booked a flight home out of New Orleans early Thursday morning so I can be with my family. Though he's technically John's grandpa, he's been like my own grandpa since I was 16. The kids and adults here have been fantastic. It will be hard to leave them behind, but they will be in great hands. We couldn't have a better crew down here of adults and youth!

New Skills!

One of my favorite things about mission trips is the new skills we all learn. There is a crew of 10 helping out back at the camp today. Check it out -- Nicole L. learned how to operate a fork lift!

a note from Meredith M.

Today has been interesting so far. Every day, a group of five from each work group has to stay at the camp to help take care of cleaning up and dissembling the camp for close down. Today is my day. Currently, however, it is raining, causing us to run for cover to the main hall so we don't get drenched! My brother, William, and Alex were hauling generators, while the rest of us had to carry all of this other stuff in boxes to the truck. It is 10:00, and we are already taking a break! Later today, we want to go to the beach again for devotions, and the friendly local, Craig, might join us again. Well, I should get back to work. Bye!!!!!!!!!

Pictures of some hard workers

I don't have pictures from all the work crews yet, but here are some from the group I was with today. I'll do my best to get some pictures from the other groups.

Lunch break

Mitch G. after a lot of sanding.

Andrew B. Parents, consider this your warning...the clothes are going to come home very DIRTY.

Another sander - Nic N.

Meredith M. and Nick N.

Our ceiling crew -- Andrew B. and Courtney O.

Alex H. mudding the ceiling.

One of my favorite quotes of the day was when I asked Megan N. if she had done this before (she was clearly experienced in this work). She looked at me and said, "Honey, we built our own house." I love it when the kids on the trip mentor the adults on the work site.

Nicki Y. hard at work.

Our View of the BP Oil Spill

Yesterday as we drove to and from our work sites we had a chance to see up close some of the reality of the Gulf oil spill. This first picture shows the oil workers that we saw walking the beach all day. A local tells us that the workers (the ones with the yellow vests on) are local fishermen that are out of work and have now been hired by BP to monitor the beaches for oil washing up on the beach. They carried large white garbage bags with them and canvassed the shoreline.

This next picture doesn't show much...and that's the point. We drove along Long Beach for miles yesterday and saw just one person set up with her umbrella in the white sand. The beach and the view is beautiful, but there is nobody here to enjoy it. The impact of the Gulf oil spill reaches far beyond the impact on water and sea life, it's having a significant impact on the economy of the region, only now starting to recover now from Katrina.

We looked to our left and saw the foundations from where houses and buildings were before Katrina. We looked to our right and saw the empty beaches as a result of the oil spill.