Trip to Perk and Bay St. Louis Day 3 & 4

Wow. I can't believe how time is passing me by and I haven't updated the blog. If you are a regular viewer, please forgive me and know that we are still in communication with our friends in Perkinston and Bay St. Louis.

Day 3 and 4 were as memorable as the rest and maybe more so. On Sunday, we had the great pleasure of being at Tuxechena Baptist and hearing Pastor Daniels speak. He has such a great way of spreading God's word to his flock. Walking through the doors, we were met with great big hugs and welcome back's. For me, it was a joy to be returning and for the rest, it was a time to meet the people who's lives we had touched and see their warm welcomes first hand. After church, we were able to visit and met a gentleman there who actually worked for the Mississippi Department of Health. We told him where we were going and the gift of air purifiers we had been given. He was overjoyed and wished the state could get more of those but it's not "budgeted". He was able to tell us that what we were giving out was a blessing to those who got them and more than we would ever understand.

After church, we headed back to the house to change and get the cars packed with our cleaning supplies. We were blessed to be able to take the back of my Envoy and Sarah's van packed with cleaning supplies to the church in Bay St. Louis. We then got on the road and prepared to show Sarah, Lisa and Josiah what our eyes had viewed the day before. We stopped at a Wendy's on the way down. It was in Gulfport. They were unable to open the dining area but were living in trailers outside the restaurant and working the inside. Amazingly, they were almost as fast as those in our area that have no excuse.

Upon arriving at the church, we found out that Pastor Murphy had taken some much needed time off and was home resting. We knew where he wanted the cleaning supplies so we unloaded them and left the Envoy there until we got done visiting the town. We were able to take Sarah, Lisa and Josiah into the area we had originally found the day before. We went in the back way this time and they began to see the horror of what we had taken in the day before. For us though, it was almost too much. This time, the sorrow, loss and depression seemed to come to the forefront and the smell seemed to hit us 10X harder. When we came out of that area by the Hwy 90 bridge, the officers that we had spent time with the day before were directing traffic and not allowing people to stop, like we had the day before. However, the officer was kind enough to come over and talk to us and explain why. When I asked if we could stop, he said he couldn't let us, even though he knew us from the day before. It seems that a lady had gone to the site of where her mother's house used to be and found a looter. Her mother was killed in the storm and she was trying to get whatever she could from the property. There was nothing of "value" there but some trinkets and such. She ran into a looter and had to "fight" for her Mom's things. Because of that, they decided it was time to close it off. It amazes me how much people will take advantage of those who've lost everything.

We thanked the officer, again, and then ventured towards the area we had found the Veterans Memorial. However, God blessed us with a new area. Downtown Bay St. Louis. Having never been there before, we tried to picture what the town was like before a 30 ft. wave wiped it out. There were still many buildings standing but it was obvious they were going to be condemned or damaged severely. The road was wiped out that ran alongside the Bay. The train bridge was laying alongside the beach and then disappeared into the Bay. There was a sign standing and a payphone on a pole, where a beach side bar and restaurant used to be. And under our feet, there was corrosion that was probably 3-4 ft deep. Buildings had spray paint on them warning people to stay away due to molds and feces. It was a very sad time and I'll never forget the mud stained rag doll that sat on the window sill of a building. Some child had lost everything, but hopefully not their life.

We then ventured towards the memorial and the losses we saw down there. God continued to give us directions in a town that we knew nothing about and had no map of. I am thankful that God gave me a sense of direction and that He showed us how to get back to areas that we met people the day before and were able to talk to some again. Again, for Sarah and Lisa, the words just kept coming of "Wow" or "Oh My". For Jean, Trisha and I, it became too much to bear. Trisha had a very tough time seeing it again and yet we met some who lived this daily. People who had 15 family members living in a 3 bedroom house. People who lived in tents where their million dollar homes used to be. People who literally were fighting for their lives from looters and those trying to take advantage of a devastating situation. And we met those, like Pastor Murphy, who said we will rebuild. We will not leave and we will be a beacon of light for God in our deepest time of despair.

We then returned back to Perkinston, only to have missed church at Perkinston Baptist. We went and visited briefly with Pastor Irvin and Debbie and then headed home. About 10 minutes after we got home, we went over to John and Clarice's for dinner. We were so blessed by them and their stories of family and love. They fed us, housed us and prayed for us. Wow. Thank you God. We were joined in fellowship by Pastor Irvin and Debbie and the kids. It was sweet joy to fellowship with these wonderful people, who we never would've met, if it wasn't for God. We went home and talked for a bit and then went to bed, knowing we had a long trip home the next day and feeling emotionally drained and blessed at the same time.

The next day, we had the pleasure of Ms. Clarice's breakfast again. She, again, made us some ham and eggs but also biscuits this time. She was so kind and loving and made the day start good. Pastor Daniels met us there about 9:30 to take us to Ms. Carol's house. Ms. Carol is someone I asked for prayers from right after our first trip. She had a triple heart bypass and still needed further surgery to clear out both arteries in her neck. She was going to be the recipient of two of our air purifiers.

When we got there, our hearts ached. Ms. Carol and her husband, James, are so kind and warm but the house they lived in was not in good condition. You see, James lost a leg (up to the hip) when he was younger and Ms. Carol is not in good health. But as God continues to show me, you don't need much to love Him and be thankful. We could tell off the bat that Ms. Carol was not feeling good and it was more than her need to recover. She was having trouble breathing and thankfully, Lisa was a nurse. The Home Health nurse had not been by yet and they had put a call into them but they hadn't responded. While we were there, the nurse called and was on her way. We decided to let Lisa have some time with her to "evaluate" and talk to her so Jean, Trisha and I went outside with Josiah and left Sarah and Lisa inside. Pastor told us about how she had gone downhill since being home and he was very worried about her. The house did not have drywall or anything to prevent molds and bacteria. It had particle board walls and floors. Please don't get me wrong. We were so thankful for the air purifiers and knew they'd help. After a while, Lisa and Sarah joined us and we said our good-byes. It was sad to leave this time because I didn't know for sure when I was going back.

We went back to the house and packed up the truck and van. Pastor came by and picked up the air purifiers and headed straight back to the house to await the nurse. We locked up the house (forgot to leave the keys) and said good-bye to our new "home away from home".

It was good for me to see this community getting back on it's feet. The college football stadium was alive Saturday with it's homecoming game and the town seems to be breathing. The destruction is still visible but each time, it's less and less.

On the way home, we spoke with Pastor Daniels and found out that Ms. Carol had been take to the ER. She was expected to stay there for 3-4 days and then be home again. I have since found out that she is back home and doing well. The air purifiers are making a huge difference and really helping her to breath better. Praise God.

So, as this journey continues, and it will, please know that we are still on a mission from God. We don't know what the next step will be at this time but we know that we made a LONG TERM commitment to this community and now Bay St. Louis. As long as they and God will have us down there, we will answer the call.

Please continue to pray for Perkinston and Bay St. Louis. Please pray for Pastor's Daniels, Irvin and Murphy as they minister to those who have lost so much and yet have lost themselves. Please pray for their ministry in church and their communities. Please pray that help will continue to roll into Bay St. Louis. We are looking forward to seeing the dedication of the new Shoreline Baptist when it opens it's doors.

Thank you for God's blessing and love throughout this mission. Thank you for your prayers and support. Thank God for blessing us with such a wonderful community and new family. Thank God for saving so many from the devastation that took their homes. And most of all, Thank God for His son dying on the cross and the many blessing we get to experience because of that ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you and please check back......The journey continues......

In His time....

Cathy