I just realized that I posted pictures of Biloxi a few weeks ago, but I forgot to add a post about it. So here’s a blurb about our trip. To see all the pictures, check out “browse my photos” on the left of this page.
On June 3rd, around 40 excited people boarded one of 6 vehicles in our caravan to trek across 3 states to the city of Biloxi, Mississippi. Our goal for this mission trip was to minister with the people of Biloxi through manual labor, repairing the damage done by hurricane Katrina 20 months ago. We went also with the intention of pouring into the people we served and loving them with Christ’s love.
Most of the group was from Decatur, TX but we also had a few from Dalhart, TX, and then myself on the trip. The 12 hour trip to Mississippi was quite entertaining and seemed to go by fairly painlessly as we watched movies most of the way. The return trip however proved to be a little more trying. It ended up taking us 17 hours to get home. We all feel like we have had our share of time spent in church vans lately.
We arrived into Biloxi on Monday afternoon and found our way to First Methodist Church. We all moved in and got settled, somewhat taking over the church. We were weclomed by an amazing group of church members that exhibited superb hospitality. FUMC Biloxi is less than a block from the beach and it seemed to be located in the part of town that got hit by Katrina the hardest. However, something really neat happened when the 12 foot surge of water came upon Biloxi. 
There stands a huge apartment building located between the church and the beach. This building served as a dam as cars and debris piled high against it, pushed by the water. When this happened, the water was redirected around the building and thus around the church. In a neighborhood where the damage was atrocious, the church itself received minimal damage in comparison. At the very peak of the church steeple sits a cross. The winds bent the cross down quite a bit, but didn’t break it. Since then, FUMC has adopted the phrase “Bent but not broken.” They have been a hub of activity since Katrina, housing and organizing thousands of volunteers that come from all over the US to help. It is a well-oiled machine to say the least. From arrival to departure, FUMC helped us in everything we did and we are forever grateful for their hospitality and for allowing us to come and serve.
While in Biloxi, we had 3 full days of manual work. The large group of 44 split up to work on 3 different houses and then we had some other projects as well delivering construction materials, moving sheetrock, etc.
The house that I was at was Peggy’s house. Peggy is a sweet woman that we got to know over the 3 work days. She was very quiet and reserved and lived in her FEMA trailer parked in her front yard. Peggy was always very encouraging and appreciative of the work we were doing. She shared with us how her house was washed completely off it’s foundation, like all of 
her neighbors. With several volunteer groups, FUMC came in and helped rebuild her house on its original foundation. Her house was nearing completion and we were able to help get it one step closer to her moving in. During the 3 days, our team painted the ceilings, textured the ceilings, finished some electrical work, and layed baseboards. Outside we dug up tons of wheelbarrows of red clay around her house and replaced it with good soil that would actually grow grass. We also leveled out the sloping back yard so that the next team that came through could lay sod in her yard.
There was a lot of work done those 3 days and numerous fun stories floating around. We all had a great time serving God and His cherished people in Biloxi. And I know we left with much more than we were ever able to give. The people of Biloxi have all taught us much and impacted our lives!
