Back From The South

[crappiekid24]

I am back from Long Beach, Mississippi which is right next to Gulfport Mississippi. I was down there for a mission trip with my church youth group. It was a Katrina Relif trip. I spent 5 days hanging drywall and taping and spackling in a house that was wrecked by hurricane Katrina. Our group of 25 was seperated into 3 groups working on 3 different houses. One was sideing a house, one was painting the inside and outside of a house, and the group I was in was drywall. It was a week of hard work for a good cause. It was a fun trip. We flew into New Orleans last Sat. and spent the rest of the day in New Orleans and slept in a church in New Orleans. The next day a small group out of the 25 that went helped out a guy that was delivering funiture to residents of New Orleans that lost lots of there furniture. It was very painfull to see all of the abandoned houses and all the FEMA trailers and unfinished houses. Its been 2 years and it still hasnt been rebuilt. We then went to Long Beach, Mississippi and stayed at Camp Hope. Monday morning we broke into our 3 groups that the camp assigned and went to the 3 houses that we were to work on. We spent the first day and part of the 2nd day fixing the mistakes made by the group that worked on the house we worked on. We got most of the house finished with the drywall the only spot we didnt hang it was were there was plumbing. We did do 1 bathroom with greenboard and drywall though. 1-2 cases of water were consumed everyday. It was hot and humid making conditions hard to handle. We sweated and worked hard. We finished the first coat of spackle everywere we could put it. We got electical outlets unburied that the group before us never cut out. The homeowner has spent 2 years in a FEMA trailer. She was very happy to see us come in and get all that we got done. It was devistating to see all the damage the Katrina did and how it still hasnt been rebuilt. The whole beachfront in Long Beach hasnt been rebuilt. Its mostly empty lots and skeletons of buildings. Many houses are abandoned and left to rot. It was a fun trip with alot of hardwork and shock. Its amazing to see how 2 years after a Hurricane a city is still in ruins. The downtown New Orleans has been Rebuilt but many of the residents are still living in FEMA trailers. We went on a street and there were only 3 people left on the street of 20 some houses. I learned alot on this trip and it wasnt only how to hang dry wall. It is that nothing will get done if no one is willing to do it. I was willing to help out and so was the other 25 people in my group plus a group from upstate New York and North Carolina. I will post pictures as soon as I can get them.

[anchorpuller]

What a wonderful, giving way to have spent your summer vacation. I'd say that beats "camp" anyday! Those folks, I'm sure, were grateful to see your fresh faces and helping hands. I'll bet you couldn't have found a better time in some high dollar camp. Do you feel good about yourself? You certainly should!

I can't wait to see some of your pictures. It sure is refreshing to read what a really cool teenager can do/be. Thank you!

[sac-a-lait]

Thanks for coming down and trying to help. We need all we can get. Our Gulf Coast, along with New Orleans took are real whipin. Old times used to compare evey Hurricane to Camile of 1969...with 200+ mph winds. Old Timers used to say "well no water ever came this high during Camile, etc"...Now the NEW benchmark is Katrina. I know folks who live on the bayou and rode Katrina out, thinking the same area they live in today was fine during Camile...They had to fight for their lives when the water came up soooo high their house went UNDER...They hand to hang onto the roof.

THANKS AGAIN!!! Things will get back to normal, it generally takes about a decade...

[BamaFan]

You and your friends are highly respected in my book! Thanks for helping those in need.

[RagflyJigMan]

Way to go crappiekid! You should be proud of yourself for doing such a great job helping those people out. GOD bless you.

[Bullsprig]

thanks for coming. if you didn't we would have to do it ourselves.

[kycreek]

God bless you !!!

[crappiechappy]

The world needs more people like you.