Sharing Pearlington

A Volunteer's Tale - Jane Els

2007-01-25T12:56:00.000-05:00

I’m going back to Pearlington, Mississippi.

I’ve been telling people for a long time to "just go." On our last trip to Pearlington I told my husband, Beaven, that it was such good physical exercise we needed to find a way to keep it up. Then Jon wrote about the power of just one person to make a difference. I noticed my calendar is empty for the next couple of months. This alone is an incredible and rare situation. So I decided to "just go." I’m leaving tomorrow morning.

From what I’ve seen in Pearlington, the goal to have the town up and running by the 2nd anniversary of the storm is do-able. I’d like to be part of that effort.

I started going to the Gulf Coast in March this year. My church is part of a cluster of nine Presbyterian churches in Dallas that work together on trips like this so it was real easy to hook up with the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. We went to Luling and Houma, Louisiana to help set up their camps in March. Then in October and December later that year we went to Pearlington. After our first trip to Pearlington we were hooked.

The town is small enough and the job is big enough that we knew volunteers could make a difference. The town is also poor enough that volunteers are the only ones who will make it happen; there’s no money to pay for the labor. Plus we fell in love with the people. I came home and wrote several postings to my blog explaining why we went, what we found there and how it felt. Once you’ve met ladies like Shirley Thompson and her mother, Miss Annie, your heart will belong to Pearlington. After you’ve met a character like Dallas Trammel you will never forget the town. My stories are all on my blog: http://janeels.blogspot.com/

When I got home after the last trip I started surfing the web and found Canada Jon’s blog and website. It kept me connected to the town and the people I met there. Then Texas had bad weather for a week and I found myself restless. And then Jon posted his entry on what a difference one person can make. I started thinking about just going by myself. I remembered a comment a friend made about why she was going to Louisiana to help with the hurricane recovery; "I have the time, the money and the energy to go. It would be a shame, no—it would be a sin, not to go."

I have the world’s most understanding husband. He encouraged me to just go ahead and go. He told me that he would hold down the fort; make sure our granddaughters stay spoiled and keep our dogs and cats happy. So, I leave in the morning.

I have no idea how long I will stay. I might last only a week and get homesick and I reserve the right to run back home with my head held high, knowing I gave it everything I had. I also might stay a couple of months and Beaven has even researched airfares to New Orleans. I do have some idea of where I’ll stay but that’s about all I know for sure. I don’t know what I’ll be doing. And I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. To me, that’s the exciting adventure that faith takes you. I leave those details in God’s hands. I am open to what God wants to use me for and for whatever God wants to show me. I hope I’ll be able to see clearly enough to write about it when I get home.

In the meantime, somebody remind Beaven to water the plants.

That House in Pearlington: Part II

2006-12-21T15:39:00.000-05:00

Much thanks to Danielle and all for their great articles. I wish I would have been there when they were at the house.

My wife and I purchased the house in 1995, had done a lot of improvements on it, and ran a small plant business called Gardner's Greenhouse. She did the planting, growing, etc and I did the leg work. She passed in 2003, and I kept the business going until the storm.

I was in the house when Katrina hit and the water went from my feet to over my head in about twenty minutes. I knocked out the window over the back door, swam out with three dogs out one at a time, and spent two days on my deck, which had broken lose until the water went down. There was a cat left in the house that somehow survived and we all are presently in Dallas. I do go down every couple of weeks and have just about gotten everything worth saving and brought it back to Dallas for refurbishing.

I plan to start working on the getting the rest of the junk out and see what can be done with the house after the holidays. The house itself is sound, but needless to say the inside is pretty trashed and will need extensive repair. I doubt in my lifetime it will happen, but I can try. The lady that sent me the article, also has a 100 year old house there and working on is as time permits.

There is a great deal of history in the area, and unfortunately I lost my books on the area which were rare and limited additions. The country's largest sawmill was located there at one time and during the Civil War solders camped there. Wonder how they survived the "Bugs"? When I was sown a couple of weeks ago, they ate me up.

We do appreciate and thank all the volunteers who have come to the area and there is no way we can repay your kindness. Everybody have a Merry Christmas and a Fun New Year and I'll be looking forward to meeting you one of these days should you pass our way again.

Above and below are pictures of my refugees.

With Love and Many Thanks Again,
Tony Gardner
Dallas, TX

That House: Danielle Larsen, 16

2006-12-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

The first time I saw it I knew it would live in my mind forever. The house was yellow, a soft yellow with white trim. The front yard was covered in large oak trees, with branches reaching in every direction inviting your gaze toward the house. This house seemed just like home to me. It was an older home, built around the early 1900’s or the late 1800’s. It was gorgeous. A fence surrounded the whole house, with an elaborate iron gate. Out of all of the destruction in Pearlington, Mississippi this house caught my attention, like a diamond in the rough.

It was our last day in Pearlington after a week of painting, cleaning, dry walling, taping and floating. The scorching heat reminded us that it was early October. I asked my Dad if we could go and explore the house, the one that was constantly picture in my mind. So Melissa, my Dad and I hopped out of the car and stepped over the fence. Since Hurricane Katrina, the bugs have been worse than ever. We stepped outside and were eaten alive by swarms of them. They were even worse when we stood by the house to take pictures. It appeared that no one had come back to the house since the storm and we were their first meal.

While looking at the house, I remembered the first time I had seen it. My initial glimpse was during my second trip to Pearlington in late May. As we drove to the Distribution Center I saw it on the right and did a double take, but in a flash we had turned the corner and it was gone. I remembered how the house just captured my heart. I became attached to it for some unknown reason. We began walking through the yard and stepped over the trees lying across the ground. To our left was a toppled light pole and an over-turned bench. When I saw these I thought of all the memories this place held before the storm.

As I took my first step on the porch I thought of the people that once filled this house. Then I said out loud and half to myself, “Wow, this house must have been tough to leave, with all of their belongings still inside, not to mention it’s just beautiful.”

We walked down the olive green hall looking into each room and staring in awe at the remains of a family’s life. Each room was white and boasted it’s own fireplace. Each wall contained a watermark roughly a foot from the lofty 12-foot ceiling. There were papers scattered over the floor, which was also covered in a layer of mud. As we looked harder we spotted pictures of their life before the storm, pictures from a life they left behind. All their furniture was scattered and strewn everywhere. And at the end of the hall was an elaborate grandfather clock leaning in the corner; its face was splattered with mud and stopped at exactly 7:44.

We explored this house like the “it” in hide and seek. We had no idea what we were looking for, but we were looking for something. It was an eerie feeling walking through the halls, but exciting at the same time. We touched nothing; removed nothing.

Although it was just a house, it taught me what the people of Pearlington had to come back to after the storm, or in this case, left behind. This house is my connection to Pearlington. I always remember this house when I think about Pearlington and wonder when I will get to go back and see it and potentially figure out as much as I can about it. It beckons me to not forget the people in Pearlington and draws me back to see what, if anything, has changed.

Danielle is a volunteer with The BRICK Layers of Alabama.

[Let's help her out. If you can identify the owners of this home, please contact me and I will forward the name to Danielle. Thanks. - ED.]

jonw@bconnex.net

A Volunteer's Tale : Hitchcock Foursquare

2006-11-11T06:08:00.000-05:00

Dear Saints:

The SMELLS have changed! As we say goodbye to our friends and co-laborers in the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I reflect on the fact that the smells have changed. I still remember the first days on the coast when all a person could smell was the stench of death and rotten sea mud. There was also the stench of HOPELESSNESS and despair as people were trying to figure out how to get started rebuilding their lives. I still remember Rick, Darren, Andrew, myself and a few other brothers as we stood in awe of the destruction and the stench in the air. But I also remember the fragrance of life as we began to see the hope and the hands of our lord Jesus Christ and the prayers of his saints being offered up in the midst of all the destruction.

As we have spent this past year helping people dig their lives out, we have smelled other things like the SWEAT of believers working hard and praying hard. To many, that may not smell good but to God it is a sweet fragrance of sowing life unto life. We have enjoyed the fragrance of brothers and sisters who have dropped denomination walls and stood shoulder to shoulder under the banner of the love of Jesus our Lord and who have became HIS visible body to those that could not see HIM because of religious AND ethnic walls. How will they know we are HIS disciples? By our love one for another! THAT’S A SWEET SMELL!

I was even thinking of teams who have come to do relief work but find themselves out of their comfort zone and under tremendous pressure. When relationships have been strained to the point of breaking, the Holy Spirit has shown up in power and grace and has changed the "odor" from the stench of hurt and misunderstanding to the fragrance of peace and joy in relationships made whole.

Probably one of the greatest smells has been to walk into God’’s Katrina Kitchen in Pass Christian MS or First Missionary Baptist in Pearlington MS when teams have been working all day and workers are swapping stories, laughing, and loving. No one worried about race or religious differences –– it was just the pure innocent love of Jesus. I think the revelation of Jesus’’ words come alive when he said "If two or more would gather in my name I would be in the midst of them". A room (or tent) full of believers eating and loving - it just doesn’t get any better than that! The fragrance makes you want to stay all day.

As for me, I am back on deck at the local church I pastor and back to work in the community where I live. God has already opened the doors in the new Galveston County jail for me and others to minister to almost 12,000 inmates every Monday night. And, on a personal note, I am definitely enjoying being a grandfather. I really am enjoying being re-focused on the new season in which God has called our church.

My prayers are the same for all you who have moved into new seasons - that God will help you to QUICKLY CONNECT to your new season. We must redeem the time because the days are evil!
THANKS so much to all you soldiers of the cross who have labored and are continuing to labor in these relief efforts. Thanks so much to TERRY & CYNTHIA OWENS, LANCE BURTON, STEVE & ELAINE BARLOW and TRACE WALDING. I want to thank "ALL" my friends at GOD’S KATRINA KITCHEN as well as RICK WALTH & his daughter SABRINA WALTH who run the Bay St. Louis relief camp. Lastly, I want to thank my wife PATTY and daughter LIZ as well as GLEN BURRIS, LISA PENWORTHY, ADAM DAVIDSON, my Supervisor TONY KRISHACK and our District Administrator ANNE SOMMER for their support.

THANKS to all of you for your love and help this past year. PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE CONTINUING ON IN THE FIGHT to restore the MS Gulf Coast. The work is not done yet.

THANKS TO ALL!!
Sincerely,
Pastor John Elliott
Hitchcock Foursquare

A Volunteer's Tale: Wendy Frost

2006-08-22T14:05:00.000-04:00

I returned Friday from an altogether short visit to Pearlington. My "group" just ended up being my myself and my fifteen yr old daughter Mary. We stocked shelf's, and minded the "store". We also did the LEAP home deliveries and that was really rewarding.

Unfortunately I got sick on Wednesday and we ended up leaving and not doing as much as I would have liked, but I will return!! My heart is in Pearlington.

My daughter made an interesting observation. She asked if Pearlington had ever really been a "town". Did it have houses, stores and schools? I assured her that it had indeed, and if you look hard you can still see reminders. The vacant spaces between the trees, the stone and dusty drives that lead to the aluminum boxes our people now call home and the school gym now known as the "Pearl-mart". She said that it looked like an overgrown campground, and the people were on a never-ending camping trip. So sad, yet true.

Except for the bright bits of light as churches and individuals work to rebuild Pearlington, one house at a time. One house at a time, one good deed at a time, we will get it done. The Lord isn't finished with us yet, and neither are the people of Pearlington!

Wendy

A Volunteer's Tale: Joel Adams

2006-08-02T12:58:00.000-04:00

Joel Adams is a local boy, born and raised in Pearlington. He has been a volunteer at the Resource Center for the past three months. He is willing to stay here as long as it takes. He keeps busy taking work orders from the locals. After inputting the data into the computer, he also makes himself available to the other volunteers for any of their needs.

Joel is recuperating from injuries received from a car accident one month prior to Katrina. He was released from the hospital just in time to evacuate the storm. Suffering from a broken hip, broken knee and dislocated jaw, he was set back three months on getting back on with his life.

Katrina changed the course of his life, like it did for so many others. He has graduated from living in his van, to his "mobile condo" (FEMA trailer). His house was demolished and he has nothing in the works yet for rebuilding.

He wouldn't give up living here though, connected to his "neighbors, not by blood, but by something greater."

Thank you, Joel, for all you do.

Written by Nancy Semple, Ontario, Canada - on the ground in Pearlington

A Volunteer's Tale - Jake Earle

2006-08-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

I work for the Charleston Water System, the utility that supplies water and sewer service to Charleston South Carolina. When Hurricane Katrina struck August 29, it was apparent this was a natural disaster of unprecedented magnitude in the US. I was anxious to do something. I literally paced the floor at times wondering what I could do. I checked into volunteering with the Red Cross, learning that you must sign up for training courses that filled up quickly. At that time, I hadn’t learned of my own church denomination’s Disaster Response teams, but they require advance training. I resolved to go ahead and sign up for training, and waited impatiently.

After the storm, I was anxious to go and render assistance in some way. I contacted the Red Cross, learning that they had a waiting list for their required training program. So I resolved to sign up, and wait. Shortly thereafter, my employer sent out a call for volunteers to go and assess drinking water needs in affected areas. I made sure I was at the front of that line. I became leader of one of four 2-man teams that assessed the Mississippi coast, and areas surrounding New Orleans.

The next 10 days were one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I made it into Bay St. Louis on September 16. One or two residents there wondered how they were doing "out there in Pearlington", so we made our way to them the next day. The Charles B. Murphy School was in the initial stages of being transformed into the relief center by the people from Florida Hazmat, and we discovered and planned the recovery of the school’’s well. From our assessments on this trip Water Missions International planned the well-recovery program.

I made a second trip as a Charleston Water employee to help get the well-recovery program started. Then I made 4 more trips as a private citizen, taking week long "vacations" to build storage sheds, repair wells, help families with insurance claims, and whatever else I could do. My time was pretty much split between Pearlington, and Lakeshore/Waveland/Bay St. Louis. I met Jean Larroux, originally from Bay St. Louis, but living in Memphis at the time, where he was a pastor at a Presbyterian church, and have had some involvement in his move back to Bay St. Louis to start Lagniappe Presbyterian Church.

John "Jake " Earle
Mt. Pleasant, SC

This is the barest abbreviation of Jake Earle's story, which is a fascinating history of many elements of the early recovery that most of us never saw or even heard about. Check the whole story at: http://www.dreamschoolinternational.com/pdf/Jake.pdf . I have added Jake's name - and a link to his full story - on the main Pearlington Blog. If ever a man deserved to be a part of C.O.D.R.A., it's Jake. He holds a place of honor among the volunteers of Pearlington. - Jon

A Volunteer's Tale - Amlin U.M.C.

2006-07-28T12:54:00.000-04:00

41 of us went to Pearlington from three churches here in Central Ohio. We had an excellent time of fellowship with each other and with the proud residents of Pearlington MS.

My work crew worked on Charles Acker's house and I am happy to say we hung insulation in 90% of the house (the bathroom still needs framing and plumbing). In addition to the insulation we hung 90% of the drywall and it is really shaping up. One of the crews got his roof put on and we all pitched in to cleanup and straighten up. I could not have spent 5 days doing anything more rewarding than working for this man.

On Friday our little crew of eight was out of work at Mr. Charles' house, so we dug down deep and pulled up enough strength to get another assignment. "Mrs. Linda is hanging sheet rock" is all we needed to hear. Off we ran to 4th Ave. and Mrs. Linda's house. We had such little time to help but were determined to get something done. We helped clean up and straighten up some joint compound, filled in screw holes etc... Some of us just straightened up in general and we felt so bad we couldn't get much more done.

Apologizing to Mrs. Linda we got to see how God really works. She told us that she woke up that morning and raised her hands to Jesus and said "I cannot go on, I cannot work in there another minute, please help me!" A short while later the PRC called and said there was a work crew ready to head to her house. We didn't get much physical work done but by the time we left Mrs. Linda was telling us what color she was going to paint the kitchen.

Our logo for this mission trip said "More than just a hand", quite appropriate in this case.

Jason Kent
Amlin United Methodist Church

Jason is from a small town outside of Columbus, OH - check out their web site at http://www.amlinumc.org

Keeping on "Keeping On" - Part III

2006-07-25T13:24:00.000-04:00

By Jennifer Johnson

Pearlington:
So many things look different since my first visit to Pearlington, when trees still blocked the streets and everything was brown. Brown with mud, brown due to loss of vegetation. Now you can see new roofs, new construction, new sheet rock and new paint. The brown is slowly being replaced by green. New growth, a little grass. Many are moving back into their homes. The community is coming together like never before to rebuild. And yet, some things remain the same. There are still some houses that haven’t been touched. Still piles of debris on the side of the road.

There is still so much to do.

So keep coming to Pearlington. Keep encouraging others to participate. But in the business of your preparations, don’t forget to take the time to be still and know that He is God. Don’t forget to take the time to ask Him what is His will for your involvement.

And if you listen very carefully, you will hear Him whisper:

"Keep on keeping on."

Keeping on "Keeping On" - Part II

2006-07-24T18:23:00.000-04:00

By Jennifer Johnson

Family:
Coming to Pearlington doesn’t seem like mission work. It’s more like coming home.

Harry and Nancy Bell were one of the first families to show us this. It was my birthday in November when I first met them. They treated me to the most amazing shrimp boil and birthday cake I have ever had....and they did it all from their FEMA trailers. Once Harry and Nancy moved back into their house, if you went to visit, you’d better not knock. You’d better know that you just come on in, like family. And you better be hungry, because there was always food around and it was going to be offered to you, and you’d better say yes.

This past week, we had to lay Harry’s body to rest. It was one of the hardest things to do because it was like losing one of my own family members. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Harry’s soul is celebrating in heaven and that one day I will be there with him. And I’d better not knock. I’d better just walk right in. And I know there will be plenty of food offered to me and that I’d better say yes.

Then there are the Ladner’s. If I could choose an additional set of grandparents for my children, it would be tough to choose from those that I have met in Pearlington. George and Margaret would be at the top of the list. We share in their excitement as they watch their new home being built. And when one of them isn’t feeling well, we hurt with them just as their children do. When I met their daughter Claudia and her family for the first time this weekend, it was as if we had known each other all of our lives.

All of the residents make us feel like this. We laugh with them. We cry with them. We celebrate with them. I guess that sleeping on someone’s concrete slab with exposed 2 x 4s all around you; eating jambalaya or red beans and rice surrounded with half finished construction projects has created a special bond that just can’t be beat.

Keeping on 'Keeping On'

2006-07-23T15:11:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Johnson, of the BRICK Layers of Alabama, is a great woman and a great writer. She writes, often, for the same reasons I do: to share, to inspire, to teach and learn and to understand.

I have received a letter from her today - three letters, really; one about God, one about Family, one about Pearlington. Within these letters you can hear the echo of your own thoughts and feelings. It is the echo of Faith in action, in walking the talk.

I would like to share all three with you over the next three days. We could not stand what was going on, so now we stand for what’s right. Dedication from many people like Jennifer Johnson has made all the difference. She is wise as she is determined. She loves Pearlington and its people....unconditionally.

And we all love her.

PART ONE:
If you’ve been to Pearlington once, twice, or ten times, there is a distinct feeling that you can’t deny. It feels like coming home. And God is the co-pilot.

God:
I don’t think that I can accurately describe to you how I feel God’s presence as we plan for each trip and as we work in Pearlington. Warren Tidwell knows. He described his and his father’s first drive into Pearlington to deliver George and Margaret’s doors and windows as "magical."

There are so many tales to tell from the last ten months, but some of the most obvious signs happened this past week. In my lifetime I have been a member of two different churches – Willowbrook Baptist and Latham Methodist, both from Huntsville, Alabama. While sitting in Café du Monde last Wednesday sipping coffee and eating beignets with my Willowbrook friends, I looked at the table right next to us. The man sitting at the table looked so familiar that I had to ask him where he was from. As I approached the table, I began to recognize more faces. It turns out that the youth group from Latham was doing mission work in Slidell and had chosen that day to come to New Orleans, to eat at Café du Monde, to sit at the table next to us. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

I have been on mission trips to two places this summer, Alaska and Pearlington. While in Alaska we worked at camp Laverne Griffin. There was one other group working there, a small group from Florida. They were delightful. Our groups bonded instantly. While we were still at Laverne Griffin, a group of four ladies walked in. I was curious about one lady wearing a New Orleans t-shirt, so I asked her. This group of ladies runs the Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans. They invited us to park at their facility when we visited New Orleans. So last Wednesday, we were reunited with these ladies that I had met in Alaska and parked in their parking lot.

A while later, walking down the streets of New Orleans, a group had on "FBI" shirts. I was trying to read what FBI stood for: ‘First Baptist I....’ I didn’t get to the last word before I saw the face.
"You look so familiar. Where do I know you from?" My daughter Meg jumped in. "Yeah, I’ve seen you before....wait....Alaska....you were the group at Laverne Griffin!" It was true. They were the group from Florida on a mission trip in New Orleans.

I’ve stopped believing in coincidences. In one day on the streets of New Orleans while doing His work, God placed us with the only two groups that we had met while doing His work at Laverne Griffin camp in Alaska - a continent away.

It is one way that God says to me: "Keep living in My will. Keep doing My work."

"Keep on keeping on."

What a Difference a Day Makes: Chestnut Grove Baptist Church

2006-07-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

The Chestnut Grove Gang

Contractor Kenny Williams and others from the Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Earlysville, VA realized something had to be done to help the people of the coast affected by Katrina. A fifth-generation builder, Kenny’s Great-great-grandfather has 19 sons - all in construction. Knowing he had a church filled with caring people, Kenny made contact with another church in Georgia who planned to come to Pearlington.

In the week I was there myself, I watched their miracle unfold. It was quite astounding and typical of what a small and dedicated group, with at least one skilled construction leader, can accomplish even in that short a period of time. Each of them worked exceptionally hard; always pleasant and good-natured, always ready to serve (and to be served....dinner).

I chose three projects on which they worked. On a tour with Charlie Holmes of CBF the weekend they arrived, I photographed the state of the constructions of the three homes. Returning the following Friday, I was struck by how much got done and took more photos.

I present one of them below; before and after:

The Bazor Home....

Kenny says, "We enjoyed it all a lot and a lot got done. We want to let the people of Pearlington know that there’s a lot of people out there who care. I think we’ll be back."

We hope so, too. Cheers for Chestnut Grove. They really know how to ‘git ‘er done!’

A Volunteer's Tale: Wendy Frost, RN

2006-07-16T13:52:00.000-04:00

I've read your mission statement and I fully support it, count me in.

I was the Red Cross rebel and got my wrists slapped for doing something that wasn't in my job description, if you can believe that. As I said in my blog, my assigned job was Staff Health, but my duty was doing outreach in Pearlington. When I got there no one was going out into the community, and the shelter was a joint effort between the Red Cross and another group. Dr. Marsha was in the free clinic and when I asked her what I could do to help she told me: "See all this stuff piled up under the awning? It needs to go out there to the people. There are people still too depressed, too sick and too old to come in for help."

So that is what I did every afternoon. I loaded up that Red Cross van and drove the streets of Pearlington handing out supplies. I assessed people and made referrals to the clinic, providing transportation if necessary. I gave out Gatorade like it was water and work gloves and masks. When I visited the other distribution centers in the morning and the workers in the warehouse if I saw something the people in Pearlington needed, I would beg or borrow and hand deliver it that afternoon. I worked out trades that would have made Radar and Klinger proud. In those days you wouldn't believe what you could get for a case of Depends!

Larry and Beth Randall know me, I got them a portable shower and treated Miss Teetee's infected bites on her ankles because she wouldn't go to the clinic. Sam and Lyn Bailey are also friends. I acquired a screen tent for Sam so he could have some relief from the relentless biting black flies.
I made friends with a Mississippi Gaming Commission agent while he was volunteering down there and with my slide show we were able to adopt five families for Christmas and help them with Easter. You just tell them "Nurse Wendy" said hi, they'll remember.

And I'll never forget. Please include me in C.O.D.R.A. and I hope to meet you someday,

I'm sure it will be in our second home - Pearlington.

Wendy Frost

Wendy has now joined C.O.D.R.A. - check out her blog and her slide show!

Back Home Again: The Taylor Family

2006-07-10T11:02:00.000-04:00

It’s getting close to the one-year mark of being homeless.

Homeless. That is not a word I thought we would ever be. It’s not just a physical state, but a mental and emotional state, as well; feelings of hopelessness, fear, sadness and worry that can rip a family apart.

But thanks to God, old friends, new friends and others who helped, we are back home again. The feeling of peacefulness is returning and I smile as we are once again able to sit down together for dinner, while sharing the day’s events. We laugh and act silly over things we had come to take for granted, like not having to climb over the toilet in the FEMA trailer to get in the shower. And when you got there, you had better wet yourself down quickly, turn off the water, soap up and then just as quickly rinse off - all before those seven little gallons run out.

The feelings of comfort, safety and privacy once again fill our home. But, as we reach the final completion, I hate to see our extended family move on. I thank them all, as they not only helped us stretch our funds, worked with us physically until we were all ready to drop, but so much more. They supported us when we felt we couldn’t go on, or so stressed we couldn’t even think.

They became part of our family, from the smallest pre-schooler helping scrape the floor to the eldest, passing nails as needed. This home was built with love.
My heart goes out to all the many others in Pearlington. I know how they feel as they face the long, hard journey of rebuilding their lives and homes. As always, I’ll pray, help where and who I can and open my doors to as many children as Holly brings home.

And I will do so until they are all safely back in their own homes.

Love and many thanks to all,
Sue, Ben and Holly "The Librarian" Taylor
Tatnall Avenue,
Pearlington, MS

The Real Story of Chas. B. Murphy

2006-07-09T10:05:00.000-04:00

Hi Jon. I enjoyed the posting about Larry Randall. Thank heaven for individuals who, even amidst their own adversity, have stepped up to the service of others.

I do want to correct one detail. Charles B. Murphy School was built on (I think) 16th Section Land. It was named for Charles B. Murphy, not because he donated the land - he didn't - but because he had dedicated his life to serving his community, first as a County supervisor, and, later, as a school board member, finally serving as that school board's president.

Charles Murphy was my grandfather and father of Margaret Ladner, whose home is being rebuilt in Pearlington by volunteers. He was not a weathly man in the sense that he had a lot of land and money, but he was wealthy in the sense that he had vision. He had the vision to know that education was the key to a better life and to a thriving community. He had the vision to know the value of working together to achieve a common good. He had compassion for others and a desire to rebuild and re-establish his community.

As I think about him now, I am struck by the thought that many residents of
Pearlington have, in a sense, come full circle. In the 1960s, the
communities of Logtown and Napolean were dismantled. The land was taken by the government for what is now known as Stennis Space Center (The Test Site).

Everyone was forced to either sell their land to the government (or give them a perpetual lease)...and leave. It was very traumatic for those who had lived in their homes for generations (many of them being born right there in those homes). Yet...what happens, happens...and these people found themselves as Pearlington does now...bravely making the most of it, grieving what was lost...but looking to the future and wanting to make it bright and better. My grandfather had that same pioneering spirit that I see in the residents of Pearlington today...the desire to survive, and the desire to rebuild his community. The desire on the deepest of levels to reach out to others and to not go down with the storm life has sent their way....but to rebuild and make even better.

I salute all those in Pearlington who have that same selflessness and desire
to survive, help others survive, and promote the common good. I think I
have, all my life, taken that for granted. It is so visible and bright and
beautiful now.

God bless,
Claudia Ladner Park

Claudia is the daughter of George and Margaret Ladner of Pearlington. Thanks, Claudia, for your information and beautiful writing.

A Volunteer's Tale: "Canada Jon" White and Marian Rose Killoran

2006-07-07T10:27:00.000-04:00

The night before last I wrote what is posted below. Intensely personal, I hesitated to share it publicly, so I read it to my wife Marian over the phone at our usual early calling time yesterday morning.

During the day, I was chatting with Charlie Holmes, of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, and he spoke very eloquently and "coincidentally," about his own wife Lois and their abiding love and support of each other.

I returned "home" last night after a jam-packed day and received the second letter - posted below, under mine - from my wife.

I decided to post them both. I hope more of our volunteers’ spouses and partners will do the same:

----------------------------------------
By Jon White
Wednesday, July 5, 2006

"This is my fifth trip to Pearlington. So far I have spent 71 of the past 315 days since the storm on the ground in Pearlington. I calculate that I have spent the equivalent of an additional 1100 hours (46 days) in my office in Canada, doing what I can do on behalf of Pearlington. I have spent the equivalent of another 336 hours (14 days) creating and posting the blogs. That’s 131 days - more than 41% of my life since Katrina made landfall.

It has been a labor of love for me, but what for my wife Marian? I waited all my life for her and we celebrated our sixth anniversary just before I left on this latest trip. How has it been for her? How is it for all the partners and spouses of those of us who have dedicated this portion of our lives to Pearlington?

Marian is the rock against which this particular crazy Canadian crashes. She loves me unconditionally, inspires and honors me in every way a woman can honor a man. She has never complained, never criticized nor been resentful, even though I, more than anyone, know the price she pays. I can only imagine what she coped with when I called in September and told her I had to stay another few days. She already had been on the phone, rearranging my very busy client schedule. She knows me all too well. Then again in late October, when I came for a week and stayed for a month.

What of Marian, when I cannot sleep; worried about Pearlington, its people and its volunteers? What of my wife, when I am hurt by careless words, crying with frustration or angry with a system that in some ways has failed the very people it swore to protect?

What of Marian and ALL the spouses, partners, parents and children of volunteers who, each in their own way, are also Dancing with Katrina?

Let's ask them.

Ask them to send me their thoughts and feelings. They, too, are making a remarkable contribution to the recovery of Pearlington. Show them this letter and invite them to speak their truth. They deserve to be heard. I will post their words on the blog.

And Marian - my Rosie - thank you for all you do to make this possible for me. I know you believe in me - even on the days I struggle to believe in myself. I miss you and sleep poorly without you by my side. I know you know this is a thing I must do. I know you wouldn’t want it any other way for me. On behalf of the people of Pearlington, Mississippi, thank you for supporting this Dance. Your contribution is no less than my own and I am proud to be your man.

I will fly home to you soon. I promise.

Your husband,
Crazy "Canada Jon"
----------------------------------------
By Marian Rose Killoran
Thursday, July 6, 2006

"I am the wife of someone whose dedication to Pearlington, Mississippi, some days seems all consuming. During our coffee time each morning, I am often on the listening end of something that is transpiring in Pearlington that needs my husband's help or direction or guidance. I notice his restless nights when storms (of many kinds) are on the horizon of the recovery of this little town in Katrina's wake. I observe the single-mindedness of his work on the computer and the phone to gather resources (human and otherwise) to assist in this recovery. I thank God I am not witness to the thoughts that must be firing constantly in his head around solutions and conversations and fund-raising and applications.

And yet, what if I was to "put my foot down" and insist that it all stop? What if I decided that Jon is needed more at home, more attentive to me and to our life together? What if I counted those volunteer hours and calculated the amount of money he could have been making instead?

I can tell you "what if." A part of Jon would die if he agreed to stop being a part of Pearlington. In fact, I could not stop him from doing this work if I tried! One of Jon's gifts is to see the big picture - to put the puzzle together ahead of others; to see it all working again as it should. Who else but Jon to be helping coordinate the efforts of all the amazing volunteers from several countries?

I watch Jon work tirelessly. I hear about his ideas, his stories, his successes, his challenges. I support him when he is weary when things go wrong, people die, communication fails. I observe his ability to take a break, breathe through it and go back with a new perspective and a solution. All of this is witnessing Jon living. Because without this kind of work, Jon will wither. With it, he expands, grows and lights up. How is that not good for me?

I know that some lost their lives in Pearlington, Mississippi on August 29, 2005.

A week later, Jon White came alive.

Blessings, my love,
Marian"

Back Home Again: Pam Kirkland & Mike Aultman

2006-07-05T14:47:00.000-04:00

You will never know how it feels until you walk in our shoes, or unless you were here in the early aftermath of Katrina. To turn in your driveway with excitement, wondering how bad it is going to be. And then you see it was worse than you could have imagined.

There was nothing there. I may only have been a renter, but for the last five years, this was home. Mike and I have worked hard and we managed to have everything I possibly ever wanted or needed. And I love my home and my life. Then in one night, Katrina took away everything I had to my name in a few short hours. My home, which to some might not have been much, but it was mine, and with it, my job which I loved dearly. You will never know until you have been there what it is like to turn in that driveway and there be nothing there. Nothing but mud - and a lot of it.

The first thing you think of is what are you going to do. We were still saying that months later. Then, by the grace of God one day, I was in the Pearl*Mart. Susie Sharp, our landlady, and I were having a conversation about rebuilding her house, as we were digging through some used clothing. We wanted to use them as work clothes, because the mud wouldn't wash off what regular clothes we had, so in the end you had to discard most of them. Pearl*Mart was the cheapest place to "shop" for work clothes....

As we were talking, this real nice, friendly man and his wife offered to come look at Susie's house. That wonderful man and his wife became my Guardian Angels. After we got to know each other, he asked me one day what was I going to do now, and I just said that I don't know. How do you get something when you don't have anything?

But he showed me. By the love of God and the good people of this world pulling together, you can do a lot more than you think. Jim and Susie Merritt (my Guardian Angels) went back to Beaufort, SC and started talking to some friends and church members. A few weeks later he called and told me he thought with my little savings and the material and money they had raised, that he thought he could build me a house. He said maybe a two-bedroom. I told him all I really needed was four walls a little bigger than that FEMA camper. I was not asking for much.

True to her generous nature, Susie Sharp gave us some land to put it on. One day soon after, down that once muddy driveway that Katrina created, I watched as my pre-fabricated walls coming down the road on a trailer. In a matter of a few weeks I already had more than I could ever ask for. I have a one bedroom beautiful home.

I am a few weeks away from escaping the FEMA camper and moving in. But it would have never been possible without the land from my best friend Susie Sharp from and my Guardian Angels, Jim and Susie Merritt, who put it all together.

Even better than the house, is to see how people from all over the world come to help people they don't even know. Thank God for these beautiful and wonderful people. None of the recovery would have happened and none of us would have been able to get our lives back, if it had not been for the volunteers that come to Pearlington to help as many as they can. I thank God for all of you and for what you have done, in all the ways you could, for Mike and I and our house.
It's funny how you can grow to love someone that you have never met until they come get in the dirt and sweat with you. You laugh together and mash fingers together and it starts out a job for the day but ends up as a good day with new friends. Thanks to everyone who help us and a special thanks to Charlie Holmes and Canada Jon with all their help in rounding up materials and things.

Charlie has been a good thing for Pearlington. I hope everyone appreciates him for all he has done for the people of Pearlington. Thank you, volunteers, for all you have done.

And if you come to the Volunteer Reunion in August, you will get to see my beautiful house that God and his Helpers built.

With love and gratitude,
Pam Kirkland and Mike Aultman

Note: A wonderful group of volunteers from Chestnut Grove Baptist Church in Earlyville, VA is currently siding Pam and Mike’s new home. They are pictured below, enjoying a Fourth of July feast at Susie's house, prepared by Pam. Pam and Mike are on the far left, rear and Susie is crouching down, right front.

A Personal note from Canada Jon: Pam and Mike deserve a place to call home. They have supported Susie through the tragedies that came for her and have been kind, generous and loving to me, as I stay on Susie's property and do my work in Pearlington.

The Joye of Gardening

2006-07-02T15:13:00.000-04:00

During the week of June 3-9, I was privileged to visit and work in Pearlington. A group of 55 from Calvary Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky brought several skilled construction crews along with others with willing hearts and hands. Because it was National Garden Week, I had inquired about sending a team to do landscaping and gardening and was so excited when that idea was accepted wholeheartedly. That week was given the emphasis of "Bloom in June." The Garden Clubs and the Master Gardeners of our city, along with other friends and gardeners, had donated to a fund to provide us the means to purchase trees, flowers, shrubs, and supplies to plant in community areas and homes there. We brought with us small garden tools, gardening books, garden notebooks and cards, 60 of our church cookbooks, and bags of goodies we had called "Calvary Cares Kits" - full of toys and other special treats for children and adults. We were also able to purchase locally things such as watering cans, garden hoses, and pots of blooming flowers - all to give away.

Our stay at the Recovery Center provided us the opportunity to get to know other team members better and was enhanced by the wonderful cooking team that accompanied us. They provided us with delicious food throughout our stay. It was such an exciting time!

Our garden team consisted of 12 members. Throughout our stay, we worked to provide small "pockets" of beauty so the people there could find a soothing place for their eyes to rest - an oasis type spot. We recognized that before the storm, this had been a beautiful place to live. Our prayer is that it will be again soon. We were able to plant shrubs and flowers at a few homes. Hopefully we can return and continue our gardening for others in town. I suppose before we arrived, I had envisioned making more of a visible difference. I was so discouraged on the Thursday before we were to leave, as I looked around to see how much more needs to be done. My heart was broken. I only pray that those who follow us will pick up where we had to leave off and that the trees and plants we placed there –especially those at the Fire Station and the Recovery Center - will stand as constant reminders of our visit. More than anything else, we wanted Pearlington to know how often we have prayed for them and how much we care about them.

In Pearlington we met lovely, gracious people who have the same needs as we do – a comfortable, safe home, surrounded by loving family and friends. I was allowed the privilege of meeting some of the people whose stories I had read on this website. I had thought about and prepared for my visit for so many weeks, speaking to clubs and organizations to solicit funds, and then the time there just seemed to fly by! As a group, we are humbled at what we have seen and heard and are amazed at the strength, resiliency, and determination of the people we met. We only hope we made a difference.

My prayer for you comes from Isaiah 58: 11-12

"The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations: you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."

God Bless You, Pearlington. I have fallen in love with your land and your people.

My life will be forever changed.

Joye Smith
Lexington, KY

The "Powers" of One....

2006-06-07T09:49:00.000-04:00

When I was in grade school, I used to hear stories about missionaries going to Africa helping needy people and dream about doing it. When I was in my 20’s, I thought it was a great idea to see how many different jobs I could have. It seems like Pearlington has provided both!

In my 2 trips there so far (Nov-Dec, May-June), I have helped with shed building, water pump assembly, brick wall removal, vinyl siding installation, mucking out houses, sheetrock mudding, data entry, community needs survey, pulling nails, library moving, listening, helping people with paperwork, yard clean-up, follow-up on requests, matching needs to volunteer skills. Who knows what the next trip will bring?

It’s been a mix: blood, sweat and tears, hugs and laughter, bad smells (who can forget the 3 month old shrimp?) and magnolia perfume, despair and hope, frustration and moving forward, total destruction and signs of healing and growth, witnessing struggles and unbelievable dedication of volunteers from far and wide, seeing neighbours help each other.

When I drove alone from Midland, Ontario to Pearlington in November ‘05, I had no idea what I would be doing, only that I had to go and do something to help. I was soon busy working with the Dog Soldiers MDI from Atlanta building sheds. They were an inspiration in the respectful teamwork among themselves and the other individuals who had joined their project. The reaction of the 6’x8’ shed recipients was as if they had won the lottery, astounding in our world of excess.

In working on a door-to-door needs survey, I met many people, saw their bewilderment and shock, and heard their stories, gave hugs and shared tears, and started handing out my "Pearlington chicks", pincushions that I was sewing in the evenings. These brought smiles to even the most troubled faces.

Learning how to assemble water pumps with Water Missions International was my next activity. These were so desperately needed in order to get a FEMA trailer. Professional installers from Atlanta made sure that the hook-up was done and worked long hours to do so. One of them asked for a chick pincushion and the fundraising idea was born - pincushions for donations!

So when I’m not in Pearlington, I do fundraising through my "Pearlington Chicks", and send the money to Parkway Presbyterian. It is 100% used for rebuild material through the Dog Soldiers for needy people in Pearlington. If you would like to donate, write a cheque in your country’s currency to:

Parkway Presbyterian, with "MDI" in the memo line.
Mail it to: Don Dollar, 43 Sycamore Station Decatur, GA 30030 USA. Receipts are provided.

Let’s keep the recovery moving ahead. Every bit helps. We can do it!

Eileen Powers,
Midland, Ontario, Canada

A Pearlingtonian Speaks

2006-06-06T07:17:00.000-04:00

Mr. White,

Thank you for adding my name to your list. I am a Pearlington native. My parents have lived in Pearlington for over 50 years. My parents, along with my brother and younger sister, all lost their homes in Pearlington. My aunt lost her life in Bay St. Louis the day of Katrina, another Uncle died soon thereafter from an infection, and another Aunt died on New Year's Day from a broken heart.

I don't know....this just keeps getting harder somehow.

I do know people like you and Jennifer Johnson have been lifesavers. I hope you truly understand that. Without hope, we die. Both of you (and many others) have offered the gift of hope to so many people. And what have you asked for in return for your hard work and extreme sacrifice? NOTHING as far as I can tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although I married and moved from Pearlington many, many years ago, it was and will always be "home." I have made many trips down there since the storm, yet I am still so very homesick. Thank you for being there for this community. Thank you for being there for all of us. Thank you for refusing to give up and for erasing "forget" from your vocabulary. You, and those like you, are unsung heroes and will have a special place in our hearts forever.

You, Jennifer, and countless others, who are nameless to me, have given so much of yourselves...it's a debt that will never, ever be paid in full...cannot be paid in full...but then, you've not asked that.

Thank you from the depths of my soul....and may God bless you.

Claudia Ladner Park

A Volunteer's Tale - Nancy Semple, Paying it Forward

2006-06-05T08:06:00.000-04:00

I was very fortunate to be invited along with Jon White (Canada Jon) during his October/November visit to Pearlington, Mississippi. Fact is, if he didn't invite me, I would have stowed away and come along anyway! I suspect he knew this.

I have never for a moment regretted that decision to go. In fact, it changed my life. I have struggled most days since my return between making a living and carrying on with my tidy little life here in small town Ontario and chucking it all and going and staying as a volunteer in Pearlington. I’d do this until I can't take it any more or they send me on my way. My sense is that I would never regret that monumental decision. For reasons out of my control currently, (an ailing mother), I cannot make such a big decision to move.

How do I put into words the strong sense of community, morality and humanity that coincides with doing selfless work, to improve a stranger's life with no desire for gratitude or remuneration. It brings such joy to my life to be able to do anything for these people. They have lost so much and they are more spiritual and grateful for the little they have left and the help that comes to them in dribs and drabs, than I can fathom having if I was in their situation.

There was a movie some time ago, "Pay It Forward," that impacted me greatly. I am a self-confessed bleeding heart and proud of it. Please rent it and watch it. Without giving too much away about this movie, the premise is to do a favour for a complete stranger, out of the blue, when a situation presents itself. No second thoughts. Just do it. The request for the recipient of the "good deed" is that they do the same for someone else when put into a position that they can make a difference. And so on, and so on, so that people are helping people selflessly. This is what is really going on in Pearlington, and I suspect many other Gulf Coast communities. The electricity of spirit, joy and love is profound. This energy is from the volunteers working there and the residents alike.

It is palpable.

After experiencing such a thing, how could I ever accept anything less? Can you spare a week out of your life?

Just do it!

Nancy Semple,
Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

A Teacher's Tale: Saying a Sad Goodbye to Charles B. Murphy Elementary School

2006-06-02T08:22:00.000-04:00

Charles B. Murphy E.S., Sept. 2005 - Photo by Canada Jon

The Gym - now the Pearl*Mart

Inside a ruined classroom

I am the lead teacher and librarian at Charles B. Murphy. After 22 years of teaching in Louisiana schools, I retired and moved to the north shore of Lake Ponchantrain. I had visions of volunteering in my son's school, chaperoning field trips, and watching Oprah in the afternoon. God had other plans. In 1997 I found myself facing one of the most difficult times of my life. For reasons that made no sense to me, my husband of many years simply didn't want to be married any longer. I was frightened, hurt beyond words, and facing life with no job, not enough resources and a 12 year-old son who was just as hurt and confused as I.

Each day was a struggle to pull myself together and make decisions about the day. My world had come crashing in on top of me and yet, I knew that I still had the most precious part of my life with me, my son, who now needed me more than ever before. One night the phone rang and on the other end was a teacher who had worked with me years before. As she related her story, I began to tell mine. She told me of a little school in Pearlington, just across the state line, who needed me to be their librarian and parent coordinator.

"Parent coordinator?" I sobbed. "How in the world can I work with parents and help them when I can't even help myself?"

"Just come take a look," she said, "and then give me an answer."

That was Friday night. Saturday I was in Pearlington and Monday I began the first of the nine years in which I've given my heart to this community.

So much has changed in the nine years I've been there. My husband returned and we daily work on the process of rebuilding our relationship and our family. Professionally there has been just as much work. All of us have worked hard and the results showed that work. Grants were written, programs begun, artists, storytellers, illustrators, and musicians brought their talents to share with us. A joint-use library, the only one in the state, brought in intra-library loans, summer reading programs, and opened the world through the Internet. Parent volunteers spent countless hours painting, weeding, cooking, and caring for the teachers and the children. A working branch of Hancock bank was established with real accounts for the students.

We partnered with local businesses like Boeing, Calgon, and GE and our children learned lessons of school and careers. Programs such as ReadingisFUNdamental and First Book put beloved books in the hands and homes of our children. We received the Governor's Award for Education, RIF's Community Reading Challenge award, many Presidential physical education awards, state awards, and national awards. Test scores soared. We had children who wanted to learn and parents who supported our efforts. One of the most touching photographs that came to me after Katrina was one of my students rifling through a box of books in the shelter. Books! She wanted a book when she didn't even have a home! It was humbling!

August 29th brought all our dreams and plans to an abrupt end. Like the movie, it was the day the earth stood still. We had started the school year August 1st and had celebrated our perfect attendance with a skating party for all the kids that Friday, August 26th. We begged and borrowed skates and limbo poles and that afternoon turned the gym, now Pearl Mart, into a skating rink, complete with a sound system and concessions. I had a book distribution with Rotary that day and reminded the kids to take their books home since our weather forecast was for rain....a good time to read a good book. All that changed as Hurricane Katrina twisted, turned and unleashed her fury on the Gulf Coast.

I evacuated Sunday only to return less than a week later to find utter destruction. Though my home was damaged, it was liveable. If only I had found that in Pearlington! As soon as I was able, I began to try to find my students, my teachers, my friends and bring help in whatever form I could find to this tiny community that was in such need. The rest of the story is one of long hours, countless tears, and working with people all over this country. The generosity and concern of ordinary people, rich and poor, black and white has been what keeps me going. On October 14th we came back together as a school....now only 54 of our original 126 children. We began the first week with two grades to an empty classroom in three rooms in the Middle School's 7th grade hall almost 20 miles from Pearlington. We were then moved to 4 portable classrooms. The school district provided children’s desks, children’s chairs, textbooks (though not at first),and some teacher desks.

The rest came from across this land as people responded to our pleas. With each donation came a story. From homemade suckers sold for us in Montana, to Christmas stockings made with each child's name and filled with treats from Maine, to boxes of books and clothing. Sweatshirts with our school name to help the kids retain some sense of identity came from schools in Hawaii and the Indian reservation in northern Mississippi. Computers and software were built just for us and provided through another wonderful business in Virginia. Notes, letters, pictures, and presents came daily. Christmas was like none other in the lives of my children as people sent box after box of brightly wrapped presents! As others cleaned debris and trees so residents could return, our student population rose. We ended the school year with 82. Who knows what would have happened if we had been allowed to remain?

So what is our status now? It certainly seems that things must be good! Things were coming together in spite of all that had happened. Yet, things are not good. Not at least for us....not in the eyes of those of us who understood what we had and what we've lost.
The school district has chosen not to rebuild Charles B. Murphy. There are lots of reasons: FEMA elevations, flood maps, insurance, loss of tax revenues, dwindling populations. Our children will remain in the portables where we are, but we will be combined with the other school that had been destroyed in Lakeshore. My teachers spent the last days of school packing once more to move to different classrooms and different grades; some to different schools or even to different lives outside of teaching. Our name, or at least what we'll be known as, is GV/CBM. Not exactly easy for a kindergartener to remember or catchy for a school cheer!

As we moved, we cried! Not just tears of frustration and despair but tears of grief and loss! Loss of a school, loss of a community, loss of friends! I will remain, though in a different capacity. I will pledge to do my best, though I feel my best wasn't good enough to keep us together.

I will miss you, Charles B. Murphy! You will forever remain in my heart!

Jeanne Brooks

Focus On....Tom Dalessandri - Carbondale, CO

2006-05-31T07:58:00.000-04:00

Tom (center) and friends preparing one of their

deliveries to Pearlington, December 2005

(and they say CANADA is snowy!)

When I first met Tom Dalessandri from the town of Carbondale, CO, I had already been apprised of his dedication and wisdom by the men in Pearlington who had worked with him. He was reputed to be sensible and honest and I immediately found that to be true.

Carbondale’s Pearlington Project is legendary. There almost from the beginning, they have donated over $100,000 of materials and goods to the recovery effort. Darrell Nelson and his brother Keith were instrumental in clearing hundreds of lots to allow for the FEMA trailers - a task that was critical and desperately needed. The County had no plan for such work. In the fall, I worked with Will Handeville, Frank Nadell and a young man Matt, whose last name escapes me (I’m sorry, Matt) who were instrumental with the first teams of Americorps volunteers, cleaning out the school and co-managing the Pearl*Mart. Each are firefighters and professional men who did a great job. There was the ambulance stocked with thousands of dollars of medications, donated vehicles; building materials, labor, work with Jeanne Brooks and the school - the list is endless.

Then there is Patti Clapper, a woman whose exuberance in helping Pearlington is infective, refreshing and deeply rooted in a spiritual understanding of the issues. Patti’s organizational skills and enthusiasm has provided the children and adults of Pearlington with many memorable moments. Behind it all is Ron Leach, the Fire Chief of Carbondale, whose vision and determination is the stuff that rebuilds hope.

Tom Dalessandri is a "man’s man" - that is to say, he embodies the qualities of leadership, personal integrity, openness and honesty that serves as a model for other men. In fact, if all the men of the world were like Tom - and others with whom I’ve served, like Tim Goodnow, Warren Tidwell and many others - the world would indeed be a very much healthier place in which to raise our children.

Yesterday, upon the conviction of the Enron Thieves, whistle-blower Sherron Walker wrote:

"Humility is an critically important trait in leaders. [It is] one of Jesus’ leadership lessons, found in Mark 9:35: ‘If anyone desires to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all.’

Tom epitomizes this concept of servant-leader, that the needs of those he directs are first, not last. It is his innate humility that distinguishes him, and those who he represents, as a leader in the recovery of Pearlington and a good friend.

A Volunteer's Tale - The Faith of Megan Springer

2006-05-26T08:04:00.000-04:00

I, too, have had hundreds of experiences of God helping resource meet need. It seemed some days back in the fall in the Pearl*Mart that I could merely NEED something and the wherewithal to provide it showed up immediately. Sometimes they were in the room at the same time and I merely had to introduce them....

- Canada Jon

A week of Faith, as captured by Megan Springer, volunteer for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance:

"God showed up everyday last week both spiritually and physically. Every group was divinely paired with the right work orders.

The houses we worked on were Jeff Johnson, Willie Santiago, Rhiannon Kelly, Linda Shaw, William Holden, Sam Bailey, Kat Hosty, Tim Blackwell and Pearl*Mart (Pearlington Recovery Center) and of course PDA Village Six.

Where there is the greatest need God is most physically evident. I truly believe that we can not out give God. The bank of God is always open and so it was this week.

Our warehouse has been sadly low on supplies and I had discussed this with some of the campers. We closed devotions in prayer and one of the ladies asked God to fill the warehouse. I had goose bumps, a personal sign of God in action. The next morning I called the warehouse manager to tell him what happened; no answer, left message. A couple hours later he called me back yelling excitedly to say that an 18 wheeler had pulled up full with appliances.

The next day at Willie Santiago’s house the group fell short on insulation. They called to ask if there was any here. I told them they could check; whatever is on site is fair game. The minute they pulled up so did a man with a pick up truck full of insulation. He drove it to Willie’s house and then brought back more.

The next day Willie was going to purchase sheet rock. His church called and asked if he needed some because they had extra he could use.

The next day they needed mud and electrical supplies. When the group came back to the site a man in a mini van pulled up with mud, electrical supplies and other materials.

I needed to see this myself as much as Willie did. I think that I can say that for the volunteers as well. I believe that God lives in the spaces between people. If bridging that gap fulfills the Great Commandment then God is truly at work here. I can’t describe the feeling of an old man weeping in gratitude. It is completely spiritual, as many of you know yourselves. Doesn’t it make you feel alive? Doesn’t it make you burn with love for our humanity?

This is the real world."

Megan Springer
PDA Jane of all Trades

A Volunteer's Tale - Corrie Ayers

2006-05-25T13:27:00.000-04:00

"Let the Children Come. . . ."

I was thrilled to read the article by Jennifer Johnson regarding the children that have been away from Pearlington for this past year. It helped put some perspective on a recent trip that my family made to Pearlington.

My husband and I took seven kids in March, ranging in age from 6- 14. We had been given counsel and received much information as to why we shouldn’t take kids, especially the two youngest - ages six and seven - to the Gulf Coast. My husband was adamant that we go as a family. I was struggling with taking our youngest child because of her special needs. She was born with bilateral clubfeet, which have now been corrected, and she also has hands and arms that do not function normally. She tires easily and can be difficult to deal with. I could not see any thing that she could do in Pearlington and I did not want to look after her for a week – I could do that at home.

We did go down to help out a family, but they had made much progress on their house and did not need a lot of assistance. Since we were not tied to a particular project, we were "on call" for projects that came up. The folks at Pearl*Mart and the Recovery Center were wonderful. Laurie, Larry and Charlie always come up with projects for us to do. The kids worked hard, tackled every project with gusto and did all their work well. They kids earned a reputation of being good workers, doing work without complaining and doing all with joy!

I got to know folks at the Recovery Center, Project Recovery and others fairly well. The Project Recovery office was right next to where we were sleeping in the school. Every one just smiled at Giovanna, my 6 year old daughter. She did what she does best – walks into a room and lights it up with her smile. She gave lots of hugs and became everyone’s friend.

What did not become evident to me, until the last day that we were there, was the effect that having seven kids in the town did for the spirits of the people of Pearlington. As we were getting ready to leave, I was asked two questions – "How was your time here?" Once they found out we loved it and wanted to come back, the follow up question was always, "Will you bring the kids with you?" The kids brought laughter, joy and fun to a community that has been under stress since Katrina hit. They ministered to the folks by just being there. It took some courage to take kids into this disaster area, but it was well worth it to see the smiles and joy it brought to the residents.

Submitted by Corrie Ayers, MN

Focus On....David and Patty Baldwin

2006-05-24T12:06:00.000-04:00

David and Patty Baldwin, of Vicksburg, MS

After weeks of waking at 4:00 a.m. and hearing God’s voice directing them to volunteer on the coast, David and Patty Baldwin first scouted Pearlington from their home First Baptist Church in Vicksburg, MS. Little did they anticipate that soon they would be one of the volunteer groups at the very center of things in town. They chose Pearlington like many of us did; the town had been forgotten in the surge of activity around New Orleans and David and Patty felt themselves called to make a difference.

After two such trips, they adopted the First Southern Baptist Church on Hwy. 604. They felt they needed a reliable place to base themselves and their expected teams, where those volunteers could be fed and have their work directed from a central location. They knew they had to "focus on the people first" and chose First Southern because it needed restoration and they were willing to trade the use of the building for the reconstruction effort. Since then, donations are paying for three separate contractors to do what has to be done to restore the church.

By mid-January they were in full swing. They invite groups from everywhere and every faith and denomination to come and serve. By April, 700 volunteers had appeared and worked through their mission. They generally house 60 at a time, but have put up almost 100. Supplies to feed them come partly through the Pearl*Mart and also through the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board. They accept voluntary contributions from visiting helpers and suggest $10 per person per day. This money goes completely to purchase building materials for the folks in town.

They have erected a tool shed, pantry, showers and all else needed to be completely self-sufficient. They recently acquired a convection oven and are working on ice-making equipment. Each visiting group is expected to bring one cook and two volunteers to clean up, so that task doesn’t fall to the same people all the time. The day I was there in April, a local woman named Raquel, from the Oak Harbor subdivision, was in helping a volunteer bake muffins for the work crews.

The Baldwins plan to stay in Pearlington until Christmas at least and have done an outstanding job assisting in the rebuilding of Pearlington. They know that any length of stay by volunteers - even a weekend - can make a huge difference in the life of someone who’s lost everything.

A very good thing for Pearlington that when God called, David and Patty Baldwin answered. As David says, "We finally succumbed!"

Raquel and a volunteer, in the kitchen at

the First Southern Baptist Church, Pearlington

Goodbye to LaToya Acker

2006-05-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

The church was packed on Saturday for LaToya Acker’s funeral.

It was held at 11:00 a.m. in Picayune at Rev. Langham’s church and seemed somewhat surreal to many who had gathered to say a final goodbye to one so young. It is a beautiful church and it was filled with flowers. All the ministers from Pearlington participated and several sang for LaToya. Later, there was a big feed at Rev. Rawl’s church in Pearlington.

Goodbye LaToya.

We’ll do our best to support your mother until you meet again.

A Volunteer's Tale - Jennifer Johnson

2006-05-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

As we come to the close of the school year, it’s important to take a moment to remember the children who were evacuated from their homes and who have now completed a school year in a new city, in a new school, with new friends. Sometimes we concentrate so hard on helping those that stayed in their rebuilding efforts, we forget that there are still so many who have not been able to return yet. This week, at my daughters’ school, children such as these - children in a new place, a new school - were acknowledged with a very special award.

This award recognizes the struggles they have faced and overcome this year. I had the distinct honor of presenting them with this award. As I wrote down what I was to say, I travelled back in time to August 2005 and the tears flowed. I was forced to think about some things I have chosen to forget about for a while. But when you take a moment to reflect on where we were then and how far we have come, new, happier memories help in the healing process.

I’d like to share the words that I spoke to the kids at the school here in Huntsville, with you....

"I can’t imagine what it was like the moment they decided to evacuate. What would you take with you? Important documents, family pictures, the family pet? What about the things that you did not have room for in your car – your baby scrapbook, your grandmother’s cross-stitch sampler, your child’s artwork from school? Where would you go and would you have enough gas to make it there?

On August 29, 2005, we all watched helplessly as Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. For those who evacuated, it was a nightmare. With only enough clothing to last for three days, they sat in local hotels trying desperately to contact relatives they had left behind. For some, it was days before they knew for sure if their grandparents, their aunts and uncles were alive. Only then were they able to start worrying about their homes. What kind of damage was done? Would their belongings be safe until they could return to check on them?

We continued to watch the national coverage. We watched in disbelief as the levees broke. As the government reported on the damage that had been done, the possibility of evacuees returning diminished.

Then reality hit. What started out as a temporary solution – fleeing to a new city - had just become more permanent. With limited resources, it was time to start looking for jobs and housing. It was time to enroll the children in school.

I don’t know about you, but I have never had to rely on complete strangers to provide me with food, clothing and housing. But if I ever do find myself in that situation, I hope that people like you will be there for me."

Welcome to Pearlington, Mississippi!

2006-05-19T08:47:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new blog, sharing the stories of the residents of Pearlington and the volunteers whose honor it is to support them.

Please note the poem entitled In This Place, by a young man who worked in Pearlington in April, from California. I think he says it all. It is permanently posted to this site, on the right panel.

Twenty-one years old! I wish I had been that wise at Jonathan's age.

The first article is posted below. Enjoy!

Focus On....Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

2006-05-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

Logistics Manager, Dan "Grump" Grimes

Village Manager Mary Wityshyn and step-son Chris

Photo by Canada Jon, April 2006

PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) has been in existence for eleven years. Until Katrina struck, PDA was an assessment organization which then provided money for relief. Katrina - which means "pure or cleansing" - changed all that. Presbyterians searched their hearts and knew they needed to do more than merely give; they needed to be involved in the physical rebuilding of peoples’ lives.

After August 24, 2005, PDA became a hands-on mission relief organization. The six Villages along the Gulf Coast are the first of its kind for Presbyterians. It is an on-going adventure. Like any baby, it requires many changes. Be flexible. Be patient. Be loving. The continuing needs of these people are great.

PDA is more than an immediate relief organization. We are here for the people and for the long term. People in need ask for our help; then after the work order is filled out, we pray in the materials and necessary volunteers, both the skilled and/or willing. God is good. Miracles not only are expected but actually happen - and happen on a daily basis.

After a five-minute explanation of what he intended, Dan "Grump" Grimes (Logistics Manager) made the deal in October of 2005 to start PDA Pearlington on the lot next to the West Hancock Fire Station. There is one large, white Community Tent with roll-up sides - the sort of tent used for weddings. Within this tent both breakfast and supper is served and eaten. It is also used in the evening for Group Devotions and sharing stories and miracles from that day.

Originally set up as a Camp with tents, PDA Pearlington is now a Village, with roomy 10’ by 10’ accordion, plastic pods. There are thirty pods, and each pod holds three cots. There is a food storage shed, and a kitchen with an oven-stove, two sinks, two refrigerators and one freezer. The Village Manager has an office as well as the Site Manager and Assessment Officer.

The most important thing for volunteers to remember before coming to a village is to leave behind preconceived ideas of what work needs to be done. Volunteers must be flexible in what they are going to do while at the Village. Jobs come to our attention by locals requesting PDA help. In true Presbyterian fashion, Work Orders are filled out and daily updated each evening as the work progresses. Some jobs are two-people jobs; some are three-people jobs; some jobs can be for six or more people, and continue for several days or more. We are willing to do 75% of the needed work, but expect homeowners to do the rest, including the cosmetic work.

There is still much initial work to be done, and the 2006 Hurricane Season is only two weeks away.

Written by Sandy Carlson