17 to 18

17 to 18

Friday, June 15, 2007

A Week in Biloxi

My experience in Biloxi is one I'll never forget. Before we left, I wasn't sure what to expect. I didn't feel completely prepared, and I remember thinking, "I've never put up drywall," and worrying that I wouldn't know how to do the work we were going to be doing in Biloxi. However, those worries were put aside after the first day of work. I was in the parking lot group who worked at the East Biloxi Coordinating Center. On Monday, we power washed the entire parking lot (so that it could be sealed the next day) and leveled the ground for a patio. I've never used a power washer, but I found out that it didn't matter if I didn't know how to do something because I would soon learn. At first we weren't too keen on power washing a parking lot for an entire day, but when we found out what the EBCC buildings were for, we realized that this project was indeed important, and it needed to be done. The EBCC is where all the volunteer programs in Biloxi meet and coordinate. The next day, we finished the patio, which was very exciting. It was nice to know that employees, volunteers, and clients would enjoy sitting on the patio that we had just completed.

The next project that I worked on was the blue house. I loved painting this house the very bright blue that it now is. On Friday, the last day of work, we finished about an hour before we thought we would. This sounds cliche, but with all of us working together, we accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. That is one thing I took away from this trip. I've realized that it doesn't matter who we are or where we are from, but if we want to accomplish something, and we work hard to accomplish it, then we can.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Prayers

Please keep the family and friends of Lesley O., Class of '07,
in your prayers.
I received word that her courageous battle ended this morning
at 4 am with her family with her.

I know Lesley's family and friends would appreciate
your prayers and good thoughts.

Lesley's Obituary is in Wednesday's Post.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Wow

I've been home from Biloxi for a while now, but I can't stop talking about it. I know my friends have got to get sick of listening to my stories from Biloxi. It was just so amazing though, for many reasons. Not only did I get to spend a week with amazing people , but I got to help people who really needed it with those people. My group built a deck, with a ramp and roof over it. It looked so good when we were finished. I couldn't believe we built it. We built it for a woman who had a stroke a few years ago and she was so appreciative. It felt really good. I was really glad we were able to help her. However, it was really sad seeing how some of the people down there had been mistreated. For instance, at the same house we built the deck the house had shingling falling off and many parts of the house, inside and out, were uneven. My intial reaction to the inside of her house was wow this is nicer than mine: then i walked across the hardwood floors. I sunk down about a foot and rose back up during this walk. We also met people from Habitat for Humanity who were working across the street from us. They were telling us the story of the house they were working on and how the woman who owned it had payed a carpenter, who said he was a minister, $20,000 to fix everything. He installed the cabinets wrong, the sheets of dry wall weren't even, and there were electric sockets that led to nothing, just to name a few things and left and told her the house was ready to move into. I just can't believe that people would take advantage of the victims of the hurricane so much.
Another part of Biloxi that had a huge impact on me was the second house on which I worked. We built another ramp, this time coming off of their porch for a woman in a wheelchair named Lucy. That's not what affected me. It was a little seven year old boy I talked to while we were building. While we were waiting for more wood, I took a water break and talked with him for a little while. He asked me what we were building, as he rode around on his bike with no breaks, and I told him a bike ramp just for him. He told me about the different places he lived after Katrina and which place was his favorite. I then asked him if he was on summer vacation yet and he told me he was. I asked him if he liked school and what his favorite subject was. He informed me he loved school and his favorite subject was math... but sometimes spelling too. He was seven. Most kids that age would respond recess or gym if asked their favorite subject. I looked around and wanted to start crying. His house was pretty bad off, and I don't know that it was all due to the hurricane and all of his uncles and cousins were sitting around in the back yard in the middle of the day. I'm not judging them for that, but I do know that this little boy wouldnt have half as many oppertunities with his education as those which I've been blessed. He made me realize to appreciate what I do have and not always want more. We finished the ramp and let our new friend try out his ramp. He loved it.
This trip was so amazing and I just want to say thank you to Mr. Magee and all the dads who went on it. They all were so awesome and it was so much fun spending time with them. It really meant a lot to me.

—Jenn Halaz

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Biloxi

It’s almost been a week since we’ve been home but I can’t stop thinking about Biloxi. Every time I see new pictures on facebook I seem to miss it more and when I got my picture developed I wanted to drive back right then. It took me 2 hours to explain pictures to my mom because every picture reminded me of 5 stories that I just had to tell. She didn’t seem to understand some or didn’t really see the importance of others. I’m so happy that not only did I get to partake in such an amazing experience but I got to do so with my dad. At first I thought it would be awkward or annoying having him around but once the week got started he became friends with the other fathers and friends with all the girls. My dad realizes how amazing this week was and helps me try to explain it to others.
Last week I worked on the Heidenheim house. That is the house with no siding, no rooms, no insulation, and no roof. I loved it! I love when people asked me what I did down in Biloxi because I can say without lying that I literally built a house. Even though getting 30 splinters and hammering the same finger 3 times was a blast I must say interacting with the people of Biloxi, the homeowners, and my classmates and fathers was the best part of the trip.
The first couple of days I worked on my house the results were hard to see. I knew we had worked hard and it seemed like we got a lot done throughout the day but looking at the house it didn’t look much different. As the week went on and the roof got built and the list of things to do suddenly got a little shorter I knew we were making a difference in this one man’s life.
Friday night was the best night of the trip. 40 teenage girls, 18 full grown men, and 2 moms sitting in a circle with most crying at some point. Listening to all the other houses stories and listening to everyone’s experiences of the trip taught me even more then I already learned. I will miss Biloxi every time I think of it and I plan on returning at some point to give William and Shorty a visit.

Biloxi

It’s almost been a week since we’ve been home but I can’t stop thinking about Biloxi. Every time I see new pictures on facebook I seem to miss it more and when I got my picture developed I wanted to drive back right then. It took me 2 hours to explain pictures to my friend because every picture reminded me of 5 stories that I just had to tell. I’m so happy that not only did I get to partake in such an amazing experience but I got to do so with my dad. At first I thought it would be awkward or annoying having him around but once the week got started he became friends with the other fathers and friends with all the girls. My dad realizes how amazing this week was and helps me try to explain it to others.
Last week I worked on the Heidenheim house. That is the house with no siding, no rooms, no insulation, and no roof. I loved it! I love when people asked me what I did down in Biloxi because I can say without lying that I literally built a house. Even though getting 30 splinters and hammering the same finger 3 times was a blast I must say interacting with the people of Biloxi, the homeowners, and my classmates and fathers was the best part of the trip.
The first couple of days I worked on my house the results were hard to see. I knew we had worked hard and it seemed like we got a lot done throughout the day but looking at the house it didn’t look much different. As the week went on and the roof got built and the list of things to do suddenly got a little shorter I knew we were making a difference in this one man’s life.
Friday night was the best night of the trip. 40 teenage girls, 18 full grown men, and 2 moms sitting in a circle with most crying at some point. Listening to all the other houses stories and listening to everyone’s experiences of the trip taught me even more then I already learned. I will miss Biloxi every time I think of it and I plan on returning at some point to give William and Shorty a visit.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

The week in Biloxi was not at all what I expected it to be. The work, however, was just as tough as i had imagined. The group I was in was actually building a house from the ground up. On the first day of work i remember coming back to the trailer and only wanting to eat and sleep-both of which i did- but i also remember thinking about how there was no way I could do this all week. After all, we only worked about 4 hours the first day, which didn't even come close to the 7 hours I had to look forward to each of the following days. I don't think it was until the final meeting on Friday night that I realized all of my hard work was worth it. That meeting put everything in perspective for me. While I was sitting there listening to all of the experiences and stories from both the girls and the parents I found myself looking back on the week I had. I thought about the man I was building the house for and how much I wished I could help him more. I also thought about all the wonderful people that I got to get to know even better through this experience. All of the dads and daughters were fantastic, and I now have so many new memories with them that will last a lifetime. I did things during this week that I did not expect to. For example, I drove around with Mr. Magee to stop and ask people if they wanted extra food; this is something I would never have even considered doing before. And yes, I even cried at the last meeting. Over all i realized that all the hard work was more than worth it, and this week taught me that there is so much more that needs to be done (not just in Biloxi, but everywhere) and that I really can make a difference. I had a great experience, unlike anything I have ever done before, and was able to share it with wonderful people.

The Blue House

I know it sounds like a cliché at this point, but the week I spent in Biloxi was one of the best of my entire life. I've rarely felt so proud or satisfied with something I've been a part of, and I feel like we made a real difference in the lives of the people we encountered. I was very glad to take part in the two projects I worked on: the Relief Center parking lot and patio, followed by the Blue House (I think there's a picture farther down.) The parking lot was hard work, but it was nice at the end of Tuesday to be able to look at the patio we'd completed and realize that we'd made a real and visible difference. I was also happy to be able to work on a home; we painted a house for a mother and her two children. At first, we were a little taken aback when the family seemed shy, and almost reluctant to interact with us. Mrs. White and Mrs. Yehling explained, though, that the mother seemed embarassed to need help, and had tried to explain why she did. They were amazing people; the mother had had to disobey her boss to return home to her children as the hurricane blew in; during the storm, her cousin had tragically drowned as a rescue team tried to pull her off her roof. Now, the woman whose house we were painting was going to college and working hard to turn the inside of her house into a home; her extremely bright daughter (only a rising sophomore) has already been promised scholarships by Washington University. Once we learned the family's story, all of us were eager to make their house look beautiful for them.
My other favorite part of the week was the Baptist service Reverend Morgan invited us to on Wednesday night. The members of the congregation were so warm and welcoming; the pastor went out of his way to tell us that they were grateful for our presence in Biloxi. We even got up into the choir pews and sang for them: "Testify to Love," and another spiritual. The event that touched me the most was forming a circle around the church and praying the Our Father with these wonderful people that we'd just met. After the prayer, members of the congregation came up to shake hands with and hug us. In a way, the service showed me the true meaning and value of the work we'd come to do in Biloxi.
Thank you so much to Mr. Magee, Mrs. White, Mrs. Yehling, Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Messmer, Mr. Mindel, Mr. Lestmann, and all of the parents who went with us, to the people of Biloxi: you made last week amazing for everyone.
~Jill Patton

Looking Back

Looking back at last week in Biloxi, Mississippi, I can barely even describe how great of an experience it was. Once I was at home I had trouble explaining to my friends and family how awesome it was. The first time I told my parents about it, I cried; and it's hard to tell someone about the best week of my life because I don't even have enough time to say all I need and want to share with them.
I think it was a great experience and it was a great group of girls and dads and moms. I learned a lot about myself and my friends and in general I learned how great it feels to help other people. I know that I want to go back again next year because Biloxi was such a great week and it was honestly the coolest thing I have ever done.
My work group was in Gulfport, which was a short drive away from Biloxi. We were helping Lucy build and finish the new kitchen in her house. When we first walked into a bare room with new windows but just a plywood floor, I wasn't sure how much we would be able to accomplish. But on the last day, nobody wanted to leave early to go to the beach; we all stayed later than some other groups and worked hard to finish as much as we could. When we left they finally had hot water in their house, a new gas stove, tile floor, and cabinents throughout the kitchen. It was an amazing difference from Monday to Friday and I loved how dedicated everyone in my group was. The dads I worked with were so great too because they explained everything to us and were very patient, which I'm sure had to be hard for them. Seeing the look on the family's faces on Friday afternoon made the entire work worthwhile for me and I was really proud of what we were able to accomplish in just five short days. We also made plans with the family to come back next year for a barbeque.
Becky Wissmann
Biloxi was one of the best experiences of my life. I helped those less fortunate and made new friends all in just one week. This is an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. The people that I interacted with made my experience a memorable one. The first day, our group was to scrape, caulk, prime, and paint a house. It was memorial day, so the people living in the house were having a family barbeque. By the time lunch came around, the famly came out with plates for us. They were so appreciative of our work, and this was there way of showing it. They were always coming outside checking to see if we needed water, trash bags, etc. By the end of the second day we had finished the entire house. It felt so good to see the progress that we made in just a two day period. We wanted to do the best job possible and worked well as a group to accomplish our goals.

On the third day I was assigned to go to Papa Pres' house. He was the cutest man ever. He was so glad to have our company and was always willing to help. He was always giving us something. He gave us each two packs of Certs, he bought us sodas and water, and he always wanted to just sit down and chat with us. Each morning we arrived, he was waiting to enjoy another day of our company. He was such a happy man, and seeing his smiling face everday made the job so much more fun. We were always listening to music and dancinig with Papa Pres. He was so much fun to be around, and I will never forget the generosity and gratefulness of Papa Pres.

The reflection at the end of the trip was one of my favorite memories. I liked listening to other peoples experiences because every person had something different to add to the discussion. Biloxi was a week of fun times and bonding that I will cherish forever. I thank Mr. Magee for making the trip possible, and I thank everyone that came, who made my experience unforgettable.

Megan Krupp

The Final Day

Today was the last day that we worked on our house. The final outcome of our house from when we started was amazing to see. The progress we made in five days was more than I could ever imagine. The Mississippi News came to our work site today because they were doing a special on hurrican relief groups since it was the first official day of hurricane season. I keep in mind all of the optimistic faces that I remember seeing this week from the people who we were called to help this week and I pray for them that they have a safe season free from more hurricane damage. I could not believe it when I heard that it will take another seven to ten years for Biloxi to build back up their city to how it was before Hurricane Katrina hit. I almost don't want to leave because I know that there is so much more that I can do to help out. This trip has exceeded my expectations becacuse I received so much more than I gave from helping others. My favorite part of the day was after the BBQ when we all shared our stories and experiences from the week. It was touching to see how much everyone gained in one week. I think that the dads on this trip had as much fun or more fun than the girls. Even if I am not able to return on this trip next year, it has inspired me to reach out to others and simply, give. One of my favorite mottos from this trip was from a sign in the cafeteria of Seashore which said: "It's not all about you." I have heard this saying from my mom numerous times as well, but I loved this week because for once I felt like it wasn't all about me. I now know that I can make a difference and how much I am really capable of.

-Caitlin Cockerline

Monday, June 4, 2007

Before and After

Last year we built houses, and in the last year,
these people built homes. The pictures on the
right are almost the exact same angles of the same
rooms.

Can't wait until 2008 and we see the houses we
worked on this year.

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Who made the potato salad?

Those were the words that started a special moment for Jennie Rocket, LA Chilly Elk, and myself. We had made a last minute stop to remind Eva Mae for dinner on Friday night. I think she was a little hurt that no one had stopped by since Wednesday. The two girls and I did our best to convince her to come anyway, but she said she could not make it now. We asked several times, but she was dug in and was not changing.

As I was about to close the driver's door, she said "Who made the potato salad?" Soon the four of us were back in Eva Mae's kitchen and she was finding a dish for her potato salad. As we stood there Eva Mae soon was packing up red beans and rice for us. She then pulled sweet potatoes out of her refrigerator, along with corn bread. We soon had a box of food to carry back to our ample supple of food.

An hour and a half into dinner, as I was separating the shrimp. Eva Mae walked in to join us. She also had a dish of fried chicken. Apparently after we left she went to the store, bought chicken, and fried it up. And of course she also made Kool-Aid (1960's style when sugar was king). Ask your daughters about the spirit and the generosity of the people we met.

And finally, I want to thank all 59 people I shared a week with. So often in our world, we wonder who we are and where we fit in. Of all the times in my life, this week I felt I was in exactly the right place with exactly the right people. I am honored to be called your friend and your teacher, you humble me with your talents and your friendship

Mr. Magee

P.S. I made posting a lot easier. Read your e-mails. It is now time for you to share your experiences.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Today was our last day in the Back Bay of Biloxi, Mississippi. This week has been an experience like no other. We left St.Louis May 26 with our group of fourty-two girls ready to work and about seventeen adults ready to teach and supervise. From the gas stations along the highway to the final seafood feast we have learned, befriended, talked, listened, loved, and talk so more to they many people we have encountered. I think that we all feel satisfied with the work we have done and we feel fulfilled in our service experience. We have been immersed in this community and grown in our own Nerinx communities. Adults and children in this group have created a special relationship that would be almost impossible to create back home. I am so proud of this community of people for working together and opening their hearts to grow together. I know that true memories have been made, sincere relationships formed, and I hope that this is not the last year for a trip like this and that everyone touched by this experience will desire to continue this work for a better life for everyone. I also want to give a 6'11 thank you to Mr. Magee who has made this possible and given us a spirit to do this.
-Lauren MacDonald

I love Biloxi, MS!!!! I am also marrying a fish!
-Emily Clote


-This year I worked pretty far from the trailors I stayed in last year. To get to the work site we traveled on the 110 and the 49. Our house was a little blue one, owned by grandparents, but inhabitated by all the family grand children. Our project was their kitchen. When we walked into the room the floor was old wooden floor, which we soon turned to tile. We also added the other essential kitchen items. The kitchen took all week, but it looked good when we finished. I particularily enjoyed the job, because we were blessed with an enthusiastic family, including Cameron, my favorite boy. No one in my group slacked, everyone had a positive. In fact, we all ventured to pet and feed the family pit bull, Big Girl, whom we also named. Thank you Mr Magee (owned of Magee grocery) and everyone else! I'm glad I came back! -kay