A View From the Coast

It has been almost one year since we’ve been to Waveland and Bay St. Louis.  As we drove in we saw familiar sites–vacant lots where houses used to be and limbs piled waited to be removed; and we saw some new sites–the bridge between Bay St. Louis and Pass Christian open, a new KMart, and new homes completed.  There has been enormous progress and there is still an unthinkable amount of work to be done.

 The volunteer teams are not a regular sight.  The FEMA trailer parks will be closing at the end of December and the looming question is where will the hundreds or thousands who are living there go in January.  There are almost no or very few affordable housing options for people in Hancock County. 

If you have ever wondered how things are 2 years after the hurricane consider this:  there are about 14,000 people still in FEMA trailers.  There are still entire neighborhoods that are vacant slabs.  The tax base for Hancock County is still viturally non-existent and those who provide services are overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. 

What can you do–yes, what can one person do?  First,  pray–for wisdom for those who are in leadership positions both in government and private sectors; pray for those who are still trying to rebuild their lives.  Second, find a reputable rebuilding organization and support it with your time and your finances.   Third,

You Can Make A Difference!

Many people wonder what is left to do along the Mississippi Gulf Coast more than 2 years after Hurricane Katrina.  The answer is:  more than you can image.  Much, but not all, of the clean up work has been done.  Much, but not all, of the demolition has taken place.  A great deal of repairs have been made to standing structures.  New construction is beginning.

As homeowners continue to wend their way through the morass of grant applications and goverment forms, they wait in FEMA trailers and pray for help from volunteers.  Eight Days of Hope continues to be committed to helping those who are not able to help themselves.  We are looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We are excited about helping build new homes for people whose homes have been totally destroyed.  Imagine the hope that these families must feel–after 2 years of waiting.

As we spend the end of 2007 on the Gulf Coast we know that this is not the hot topic that it was 2 years ago.  Funding and support for rebuilding efforts are virtually non-existent.  As a non-profit organization we rely solely on the generous support of those who believe in our mission.  We are committed to continue to help those who need so long as we are able. 

Join us!

EDOH V–Get Ready!

December 29 through January 5 Eight Days of Hope will once again descend on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the Bay St. Louis area.  This area is just east of the point where Hurricane Katrina made landfall.  The storm surge reached 30 feet in many areas.  Homes that were left standing were flooding and suffered wind damage.  Thousands of people are still living in FEMA trailers.  What a wonderful time to give a family the gift of their home to return to during this Christmas season.  Everyone can make a difference.  You can volunteer and join us on the Coast.  If you can’t travel to Mississippi you can make it possible for someone else to go.  You may also become one of many faithful financial partners Eight Days of Hope has.  In between “disasters” we continue to work to rebuild without the sense of urgency that translates into financial support.  We will continue to work where God calls us–be a part!

The Community of Eight Days

All of us at one time or another has been part of a group.  We’ve participated in Boy Scouts, or 4-H, or The Rotary Club, a mission group.  While we’re with the group we are a close-knit people, but once we go our separate ways the people and the bond are virtually non-existent.  From the very first Eight Days of Hope there was a difference.  People who were complete strangers 48 hours earlier were truly best friends.  The contact among volunteers does not stop once the eight days has passed.  At first, this was a little odd–even annoying.  It is much easier to “manage” people if you don’t know into the depths of their soul.  Once you do you have to actually treat them like human beings and children of God.  As our volunteer base has grown the depth of the bond has also grown.  New volunteers become life-long friends with “old-timers” quickly–as if they’ve known each other for years.

What we see, without any sense of piety, is the bond of Jesus Christ in action.  The Word says that we are members of one Body if we are in Christ.  Eight Days of Hope is an amazing, living image of the Body of Christ.  In the past 18 months we have met over 2,000 volunteers (missionaries).  In the course the life of Eight Days of Hope we have experienced the reality of life and death.  During Eight Days of Hope III a group of volunteers were traveling to join us when they were hit by another motorist.  One of the members of the group was killed and another seriously injured.  The remaining members were shaken, but were physically well. 

After Eight Days of Hope II one of our volunteers was playing soccer–giving back to his local community–when he suffered a heart attack and died.  He was a young man who still has family members participating.  He brought us great joy during his time with us!

Last weekend a volunteer from Eight Days of Hope III was leading a group (Christian Motorcyclists of America) and was hit head on by a truck.  He died within a short time of the incident.  His friends and family are grieving and we grieve with them.

In each of these circumstances the family members and friends of the Eight Days of Hope volunteer contacted us within a matter of hours of the incident.  They knew we would stand with them in prayer.  That’s what the Body of Christ does!

FEMA Trailers 2 Years Later

It has been almost 2 years since Katrina ripped through the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  In the wake of the devastation FEMA provided more that 46,000 trailers for homeowners.  The good news is that about half of those people have moved out of the trailer–some have rebuilt and some have moved to other parts of the country.  The reality, though for almost 20,000 families is that the FEMA trailer is still “home”.  If you’ve not had the opportunity to visit someone in a  FEMA trailer imagine that you and your spouse and two children are living in a 300 square foot home that sways every time you walk from one place in it to the other.  This has been and continues to be the life for these families. 

The images of devastation that we saw blanketing the airwaves in late August and early September 2005 have faded from our mind.  We have gone on with life:  weddings, births, new school years, and new cars.  For the families in FEMA trailers life has gone on also.  They have demonstrated the resourcefulness and resilience that is the best of mankind.  They have adapted to the new life they face. 

We need to re-energize these folks.  There is hope of a home and a safe place for children to play.  Closets and storage rooms and a garage are more than just a dream.  With the army of God–His people–committing to continued assistance of people who still struggle in the aftermath the hope will become a reality.  This is the message of Eight Days of Hope.  If you would like to help transform the hope into a reality be a part of Eight Days of Hope!  There is still much to be done.

EDOH As a Short Term Mission

Eight Days of Hope provides a unique opportunity for people from all walks of life.  We are formed and operate to serve as the Body of Christ to a hurt and hurting world.  While many of our volunteers are followers of Jesus Christ and He is their motivation many do not see that EDOH is really a short-term mission vehicle. 

Churches who would like to mobilize those within their congregation to greater service can look no farther than an Eight Days of Hope event.  For as many as 8 days individuals and groups are challenged to live out the Gospel.  We are called to serve those who are less fortunate; to love those who may be unlovable; and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone we meet. 

We bring the Body of Christ together in this setting with joy and exuberance and awaiting the great things God will do in our midst.  It is a faith-building, faith-strengthing, faith-sharpening, faith-stretching experience for all who make themselves available. 

There is much work to be done!  There should be a sense of urgency among us all to finish strong and finish well in what the Lord has set before us.  Join us in this race!

Is There Still a Rebuilding Need in Mississippi?

It has been almost 2 years since Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  For those who do not live along the Coast Katrina is a distant memory with fuzzy images.  To those who have homes along the Coast (or had them prior to Katrina) the aftermath is still all too real.  There a many people who have had homes rebuilt and repaired.  Many businesses are opened and the major even this year was the bridge between Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis was opened.

There is still much to be done.  If you drive along the Mississippi Gulf Coast you find remnants of the vital communities that used to be.  The grand homes along Beach Boulevard are no more.  A few new homes have been built on the vacant lots.  There are fewer blue tarps, but FEMA trailers are still easily spotted. 

A recent new article reported,

“There’s a gap in funding,” said Michele Wilson, director of Jackson County’s long-term recovery committee. “You do wonder, ‘Why are there such tight regulations, when in Jackson County alone, there are over 3,000 open cases of people who need help getting back in their homes?’ “

Also, the fund’s preference of using volunteers for rebuilding “is not always realistic, especially at 22 months (after Katrina),” said Paige Roberts, director of the southeast Mississippi chapter of the American Red Cross. “The volunteers are fewer and harder to find.”

Eight Days of Hope is still encouraging volunteers to participate in this rebuilding and be a part of the continuing army of needed volunteers to assist in the aftermath of a disaster.

Homeowners

Sometimes in a task-oriented ministry we can become focused on the task.  The true task in anything we do in this Christian life is to serve as Christ would in each situation.  As volunteers who come together to help homeowners rebuild our primary task is to serve the homeowners and to love them as Christ would.  In the process a lot of homes get repaired!  Meet some of the homeowners we’ve come to know

Sights of EDOH IV

Each Eight Days event is unique and special.  The sights and sounds hold a lifetime of memories.  Here are a few as reminders!

Facing Disaster

With the 24-hour news cycle we are exposed to the ravages of natural disasters every week.  This week it’s a massive wildfire in California and deadly floods in Texas.  We see homes destroyed and lives changed overnight–almost instantly.  As we view these there should be several responses that are automatic.  The first is to pray for the safety of those involved–homeowners, rescuers, and firefighters.  The second is to pray for spiritual health of those involved. 

We live in a world in which the size and location of a home is paramount.  When you watch it burned to the ground or swept away by flood waters you must decide in that moment what is truly important.  Those who realize that stuff is just stuff will eventually find themselves in a healthy place.  Those who emotionally cling to the stuff will have a much more difficult time.  God understands the pain of being stripped of everything!  We don’t need to wait until we see the possessions of a lifetime floating away to cling to the unshakeable power and love of Jesus Christ. 

Join us in praying for those who face these life-changing circumstances.