After staying at Long Beach Presbyterian Church on previous trips, we headed about twenty miles west to Diamond Head, MS. What was the camp like?

Think Camp Brainerd, a dining hall, shower and toilet house, a laundry cabin and a twelve person cabin nestled among the trees. A pretty setting, but a bit more rustic than Brainerd.

When we arrived, the Holler family of three generations (father, son, grandson) went straight to work to get electricity in the new women's cabin and an operable air conditioner for the men's cabin. The Hollers were busy all week installing and redoing electricity around the camp. They also worked at an A frame house and on a new build. What a handy crew to have around.

Another crew with Bill Eves, Matt Clausen, and two girls from Temple University laid tile and Pergo flooring. They also did several finishing projects on a home for a couple whose husband was away on a business trip at the time of the storm and he did not get back for several weeks. His wife and their neighbor rode out the storm at the house.

People shared their stories of surviving the storms and then the months after the storm with no electricity or water.  One homeowner told the story of her neighbor running into her house yelling, "get your shampoo and soap." It was raining outside and they all laughed as they took their first shower in weeks, thanks to mother nature.

A large crew was dispatched to work on the Page home, a new build. Under Clem Bonnell's leadership, they sided the house and installed insulation amid cackling chickens. At lunch time, the homeowner gathered the crew for a time of prayer and a homily. When he read from Paul's letter concerning women obeying their husbands, a few of the female workers slipped away to feed the chickens.

A crew of volunteers returned to the site of one of the Amish homes that was worked on back in March of 2008. Ruby and Andrew had a front porch but needed a roof over it to give them shade. When the crew arrived, Ruby gave them a tour of her furnished home. They reveled in her pride for her home and the crews accomplishments at having been a part of making her dream come true. Ruby wanted her porch floor, steps and railings to be painted burgundy to match the shutters. The site construction leader agreed that typically porches were painted white. From the pictures you can see who won that battle.

What a great trip this was, a lot of work was accomplished with moments of hilarity. The new participants were solemn when taken on a tour of the devastation still there. Suzanne Boundy pointed out the markings on a building which told when it had been searched, what group had been part of the rescue, and the number of bodies discovered.

It really hit home the fact that some houses will never be restored or have new steps.

Gwen Johnson

             Volunteers hard at work!