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For the last several years, a group of Hope members have traveled to Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Believe it or not, there still is a lot of work to be done!
“For Mississippi Volunteers, Katrina hammers home what matters” says Hope member Bob Hasse. “As one of the recent volunteers, I can attest to this statement first hand. Thanks to the wonderful work of Lutheran Disaster Relief (LDR) and the generosity of the congregation at Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, many of us who want to give hands-on help are able to do so in a highly efficient and well-coordinated way. No meetings, no bureaucracy - just show up and get going. Perform some of the grittiest work you can imagine, work as hard as you know how, eat and sleep in makeshift dormitory conditions and feel better than you've felt in a long time – truly helping someone in need and remembering "what matters."
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“It's been a few weeks since
eleven of us from Hope traveled to Ocean Springs to
offer help to those affected by Hurricane Katrina,”
says Hope member Keith Miller. “As I think
back, there are a few memories that I think will always
be with me:
The trip was a great opportunity
to really get to know ten other Hope members and
friends. Our group bonded together extremely well. The
time was filled with lots of laughter, lots of hard
work, and lots of time to talk. Sharing my experiences,
and hearing the experiences of others during the week
made for a great trip.
I guess I had forgotten some the
pictures and video that had occupied most of the
television news immediately following Katrina, but what
we saw firsthand was sobering. Usually as we drove, the
van was filled with friendly banter, but the afternoon
that we traveled along the gulf coast into Biloxi, the
van was mostly silent. Even after 18 months, much of the
gulf coast we saw is still devastated. The remnants of
buildings – steel and concrete skeletons really – still
stand as though they've been bombed, and street after
street of empty lots remain where houses once stood.
Our team spent all of our time
together working on Jackie White's house; a modest home
that needed significant external repair. By the end of
the week, I think everybody knew that what we had
accomplished made a real difference in the life of
Jackie and her family.
The last day we were in Ocean Springs, Jackie served the
team lunch; it was her way to thank us for the work we
did. As we sat eating and talking, Jackie and her friend
sang a song for us. They sang it cappella, and it was
magnificent. I don't remember all of the lyrics, but one
phrase stood out in my mind. They sang, "I've had high
times and low times. I've had good times and bad times.
But I'm not afraid because God is with me." Jackie's
home had been severely damaged by Katrina, but she still
had faith enough to sing about God's protection. I
originally thought our team would travel to Mississippi
to minister to others. As it turned out, it was the
other way around.”
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