Salem Katrina Team - Last Report from Gautier, November 21

Tonight was a wonderful end to a hard day which taxed our resources emotionally. We enjoyed a world-class dinner including--brace yourselves-- homemade bread and three types of homemade pies--from scratch including crust! The fellowship hall was wonderful all day long with the aroma of rising dough! Don’t think for a moment that Katrina relief has turned the Gulf Coast into some sort of Presbyterian resort, but we now have a group of neat volunteers from Big Bend, Michigan (they live north of a bridge where -if you are south of it- you’re considered some sort of “troll”... if there’s a joke here, we’ll have to ask somebody from the UP of Michigan to explain.) We are blessed by a woman who knocked our socks off with breakfast and dinner! Why did this have to happen on my last night here, and not our team’s first night? Anyway, she's a blessing for the teams here and those on their way. I really don’t want to make light of this, but we had expected to be eating MREs in a sort of primitive “field kitchen” and, instead, Gautier Presbyterian, by opening their restored fellowship hall, has given us warmth and good food. Disaster Lesson #1 - don't leave for a disaster without a great cook! Keep him/her happy!

After such terrific refreshment, we cleaned up quickly for a group using the fellowship hall this evening, so a handful of us gathered for another campfire together. I have enjoyed this fellowship so very much and wish it had been cool earlier so we could have had more such gatherings.

And now a special note: my towel became sour in the humidity, and I accepted a bag of personal hygiene items, one of many such kits shipped to the Gulf Coast. Somehow, a box ended up here at our camp. Inside was a note prepared with love by Ms. Joanne Campbell of First (Scots) Presbyterian Church of Charleston, South Carolina. And included with this heartfelt note was a gift of money, clearly meant for a Katrina victim rather than a church relief volunteer. But, Ms. Campbell, it fell to me to get your towel, soaps, toothbrush and note, and I thank you and will give the money to Christus Victor Lutheran Church which still shelters victims. I'll wash the towel and pass it along, of course.

Dear friend, thank you for caring so much, for casting your bottle on the ocean, for being so generous to strangers.

I fly home tomorrow, at least for a couple weeks until we again head back to Gautier in December. I already miss my team friends and look forward to being with them. Thank you, each of you wonderful people from many different walks of life, for the awesome gift of your time, your love, your strength, your friendship and your faith. I am coming home a better Christian for knowing you.