Hi everybody! I miss all of you and it's so weird to be home and not seeing all of you everyday. I've been meaning to write here for a while, but I've been a little nervous because I'm not quite sure how to express my time spent in Biloxi. So I'm going to try not to make this sound like a ramble or like my little talk in the circle at the end of the trip...
First off, I would like to thank you guys for making last week the best week of my life. Without you, there's no way my experience would have been the same, and I already cannot wait until next year!
Also, thank you so much Mr. Magee! I am so beyond grateful for this wonderful opportunity, and it is for sure a trip that I will never ever forget.
Thanks so much to all of the parents too! Your guidance was incredible, and without you guys, everything we did would not have been possible.
I had been looking forward to this trip ever since I heard about, and when it finally came time to pack I was so excited I couldn't speak. I was a little iffy about using power tools, especially after I realized that I used the hammer the wrong way, but once I got there and got to work, I realized that I was completely wrong.
I experienced every emotion out there last week. I laughed a ton, and cried more than I thought I would.
Biloxi was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I strengthened old friendships, as well as made new ones. I also found out a lot about myself. I accomplished things I never even thought were possible. It made me realize that we are truly capable of anything.
I know as soon as i post this, I'm going to think of a million more things that I should have also said here.
Thanks again everybody! I can't wait for our reunion! (: and Biloxi 2010!
-Magilla Gorilla (Maggie)
P.S. I just proofread this, and realized that it was all over the place. I apologize. Anyway, love you guys!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
sad to be home again...
Hey everybody!
It's crazy to think that just two days ago we were in Biloxi miles and miles and worlds away from our lives in St. Louis. To be honest, this last week was one of the best in my life. This week was full of new friendships - both with classmates and with citizens of Biloxi - full of happiness, laughter, and hard work, but it was also full of loss and a pain that many of us had never endured before. Working at Howard and seeing Mrs. Nguyen be taken from her trailer was one of the most painful and upsetting experiences of my life. It has taken me until today to completely process what happened at Howard and throughout this entire in Biloxi. Here is what I realized. Sometimes things will happen in our lives, or the lives of the people around us, that are simply out of our control. It is in these trying times that we must lean on each other and push on to something better. It is in these times that we must question authority, question justice, and question ourselves. In this questioning, we could learn that life is not fair to everyone and each one of us is immeasurably blessed. This last week, I grew immensely more grateful for my home, but also for my family and my friends (both old and new).
Leaving Biloxi this year was much more difficult because I was unsure of whether or not I would ever be returning, but as I started telling friends and family about this year's Biloxi trip I realized there is no way I could not return. Without a doubt I will be returning to Biloxi next summer. I wish I could be returning to Nerinx this fall, but, alas, I have to move forward. To those of you returning, enjoy the time you have left. Have fun with friends, learn lots, talk to new people, and appreciate and cultivate the relationships you have. The time flies and before you know it, May 28, 2010 will be here, and we'll be heading back to Back Bay!
Lastly, believe in yourselves and know that you are loved.
Peace,
Country (Jessi Pachak)
It's crazy to think that just two days ago we were in Biloxi miles and miles and worlds away from our lives in St. Louis. To be honest, this last week was one of the best in my life. This week was full of new friendships - both with classmates and with citizens of Biloxi - full of happiness, laughter, and hard work, but it was also full of loss and a pain that many of us had never endured before. Working at Howard and seeing Mrs. Nguyen be taken from her trailer was one of the most painful and upsetting experiences of my life. It has taken me until today to completely process what happened at Howard and throughout this entire in Biloxi. Here is what I realized. Sometimes things will happen in our lives, or the lives of the people around us, that are simply out of our control. It is in these trying times that we must lean on each other and push on to something better. It is in these times that we must question authority, question justice, and question ourselves. In this questioning, we could learn that life is not fair to everyone and each one of us is immeasurably blessed. This last week, I grew immensely more grateful for my home, but also for my family and my friends (both old and new).
Leaving Biloxi this year was much more difficult because I was unsure of whether or not I would ever be returning, but as I started telling friends and family about this year's Biloxi trip I realized there is no way I could not return. Without a doubt I will be returning to Biloxi next summer. I wish I could be returning to Nerinx this fall, but, alas, I have to move forward. To those of you returning, enjoy the time you have left. Have fun with friends, learn lots, talk to new people, and appreciate and cultivate the relationships you have. The time flies and before you know it, May 28, 2010 will be here, and we'll be heading back to Back Bay!
Lastly, believe in yourselves and know that you are loved.
Peace,
Country (Jessi Pachak)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
looking back...
Although its feels so good to be home and see my family and friends that i have missed this past week, I still think about all of the new and old friends that are down in Biloxi. This past week has been one of the best experiences of my life so far. I cannot say whether it is better than last year, because they both have such different memories, but I know for sure it greatly exceeded my expectations. I will never forget the times that I enjoyed cooking in the trailer kitchen, nailing in the subfloor, playing hide and go seek, painting three coats of eggshell paint, sitting out at the seashore picnic table, and so many more. I have truly been blessed to encounter the people of Biloxi and have the privilege to serve those in need. I will always remember my two weeks (and possibly more to come?!), and they will always have a special place in my life. The unimaginable amount of knowledge, spirit, and perspective that I have gained will always outweigh any material possessions that I may have.
To those who will return to Nerinx next year:
I never doubted that the hard work and and effort of a group of Nerinx girls could ever be less than extraordinary, and I am certainly proud of each and every one of you. It's sad to say that I won't be able to walk the halls next year, but I know you all will continue to do great things within our Nerinx Hall community. If you choose to return to Biloxi next year, please keep Miss Mary in mind and pay her a visit when you can. She enjoys visitors and would love to share all of her crazy life stories. Continue to be the beautiful, kind, and loving empowered women that you all are, and I hope to see some
To the parents:
Thank so so much for your patience and guidance. Without you, these accomplishments would not have been possible. I will never forget the life lessons that I have received, and you all are truly role models for all of us. Thanks for keeping us all in check and making sure that our week went that much smoother.
To Mr. Magee:
Thank you for everything. Without this trip, I would be a different person. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for all of your hard work. I will never forget everything you have done for me, and the opportunities that you have given me. Thanks to you I have grown so much more as a person. I hope that I can still be a part of this trip in the future!
--Sam (sammie 2 much)
To those who will return to Nerinx next year:
I never doubted that the hard work and and effort of a group of Nerinx girls could ever be less than extraordinary, and I am certainly proud of each and every one of you. It's sad to say that I won't be able to walk the halls next year, but I know you all will continue to do great things within our Nerinx Hall community. If you choose to return to Biloxi next year, please keep Miss Mary in mind and pay her a visit when you can. She enjoys visitors and would love to share all of her crazy life stories. Continue to be the beautiful, kind, and loving empowered women that you all are, and I hope to see some
To the parents:
Thank so so much for your patience and guidance. Without you, these accomplishments would not have been possible. I will never forget the life lessons that I have received, and you all are truly role models for all of us. Thanks for keeping us all in check and making sure that our week went that much smoother.
To Mr. Magee:
Thank you for everything. Without this trip, I would be a different person. I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for all of your hard work. I will never forget everything you have done for me, and the opportunities that you have given me. Thanks to you I have grown so much more as a person. I hope that I can still be a part of this trip in the future!
--Sam (sammie 2 much)
Thank You Howard, Thank You Hoxie, Thank You Irish Hill, Thank You Belvedere, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
I cannot tell you how proud of each and every one of you I am.
YOU ARE the change I want to see in our world.
You met, laughed with, worked for, and helped OUR NEW FRIENDS.
For the rest of your life, when people talk of poverty, you will know so much more --you have seen the face of poverty.
And you know that although there is a poverty of money, a poverty of housing, and a poverty of food, that in most cases there is not a poverty of spirit, there is not a poverty of hope, there is not a poverty of kindness. And if we work hard to share our spirit, our hope, and our kindness, the POVERTY we see today can END.
Hard work usually pays off, and when it doesn't the obstacles we encounter enrich our character and allow us to grow.
In your seventeenth or eighteenth year (or 48th, 36th, or 55th) you achieved greatness, even if it was just one week.
For the rest of your life, when you have doubt or uncertainty remember this week or remember that a tall man with an unbelievable sense of humor believes in YOU (and so do 22 other adults).
Harry Chapin, the songwriter, shared this anecdote about his grandfather.
"My grandfather was a painter. He died at age eighty-eight, he illustrated Robert Frost's first two books of poetry and he was looking at me and he said, 'Harry, there are two kinds of tired: there's good-tired, and there's bad-tired.' He said, 'Ironically enough, bad-tired can be a day that you won. But you won other people's battles, you lived other people's days, other peoples agendas, other people's dreams and when it was all over there was very little "you" in there, and when you hit the hay at night, somehow you toss and turn--you don't settle easy.' He said, 'Good-tired, ironically enough, can be a day that you lost. But you don't have to tell yourself, 'cause you knew you fought your battles, you chased your dreams, you lived your days, and when you hit the hay at night, you settle easy--you sleep the sleep of the just, and you can say "take me away."' He said, 'Harry, all my life I've painted. God, I would've loved to be more successful, but I painted and I painted, and I am good-tired and they can take me away.'
Last night, Saturday, I expect that you all had one of the best night's of sleep in your life. There was a lot of You in this week.
Thanks
YOU ARE the change I want to see in our world.
You met, laughed with, worked for, and helped OUR NEW FRIENDS.
For the rest of your life, when people talk of poverty, you will know so much more --you have seen the face of poverty.
And you know that although there is a poverty of money, a poverty of housing, and a poverty of food, that in most cases there is not a poverty of spirit, there is not a poverty of hope, there is not a poverty of kindness. And if we work hard to share our spirit, our hope, and our kindness, the POVERTY we see today can END.
Hard work usually pays off, and when it doesn't the obstacles we encounter enrich our character and allow us to grow.
In your seventeenth or eighteenth year (or 48th, 36th, or 55th) you achieved greatness, even if it was just one week.
For the rest of your life, when you have doubt or uncertainty remember this week or remember that a tall man with an unbelievable sense of humor believes in YOU (and so do 22 other adults).
Harry Chapin, the songwriter, shared this anecdote about his grandfather.
"My grandfather was a painter. He died at age eighty-eight, he illustrated Robert Frost's first two books of poetry and he was looking at me and he said, 'Harry, there are two kinds of tired: there's good-tired, and there's bad-tired.' He said, 'Ironically enough, bad-tired can be a day that you won. But you won other people's battles, you lived other people's days, other peoples agendas, other people's dreams and when it was all over there was very little "you" in there, and when you hit the hay at night, somehow you toss and turn--you don't settle easy.' He said, 'Good-tired, ironically enough, can be a day that you lost. But you don't have to tell yourself, 'cause you knew you fought your battles, you chased your dreams, you lived your days, and when you hit the hay at night, you settle easy--you sleep the sleep of the just, and you can say "take me away."' He said, 'Harry, all my life I've painted. God, I would've loved to be more successful, but I painted and I painted, and I am good-tired and they can take me away.'
Last night, Saturday, I expect that you all had one of the best night's of sleep in your life. There was a lot of You in this week.
Thanks
Thursday, June 4, 2009
A Sad Day At Howard
This past week, a group of us have been working on building a house for a lady named Ms. Nguyen. She has been living in a FEMA trailer for the past 4 years, but recently she has been sleeping on a cot in her unfinished house. She is afraid that the government will take away her trailer any day now because she was notified that trailers would be removed starting June 1st. Today, we arrived at Howard House to find two tow trucks preparing to take away her trailer. She wasn't home at the time, but it didn't even matter to them. One dad parked his car in front of the trailer to protest and they went down the street to call in the Federal Marshall. They came back and told us that they had to take the trailer away so we moved all of her belongings out of it. They said that if she wasn't home and we weren't there, then they would have taken the whole trailer with everything she owned inside. Everyone at our site was devastated, furious, and heartbroken. Instead of taking into consideration that this trailer had been her home, the two workers violently demolished her staircase and barged into her house. Everyone filmed and took pictures of the scene. One worker said that she didn't like to take people's homes away, but this was the only job she could find. When we asked one worker what they did with the trailers that they took back, we found out that they take them to sit in a field and possibly use them for scrap metal. No one could understand how taking away people's homes to sit and rot in a field could benefit anyone. We were all very worried about how Ms. Nguyen would react. If we were not in Biloxi, she would be homeless. When Ms. Nguyen came home, she at first could not understand what had happened, and kept asking where her trailer had gone and was even laughing about it. Later, we saw the look of distress in her eyes and saw that she was silently crying, but didn't want anyone to know she was upset. We chatted with her a lot today and tried to make her feel at home again. We even started taking pictures with her and feeding her chickens. As we left, we saw Ms. Nguyen lean on the new railing of her porch and look out with a feeling that she finally had a house of her own.
Kelsey "Stinky"
Katie "Tic Maber"
Jen "Quick Draw McGraw"
Kelsey "Stinky"
Katie "Tic Maber"
Jen "Quick Draw McGraw"
Howard House
So far, this trip has been a huge success and a lot of fun. Last night, we went to the Baptist Church and it helped to revive all of us because we have been so tired and worn out throughout the week. It was a lot of fun to see the way the people of the congregation worshiped God and how dedicated they were to their faith. We all had a great time and joined the parishoners in singing praise. Afterward, our entire group went to Café New Orleans for dinner and had time to chat and reflect on our week. It was also a lot of fun to have time to relax and eat a delicious meal after our hard work through the day. This week, I have worked on the Howard project. We have been rebuilding a home that was destructed during Hurricane Katrina. We are building this home for an elderly Vietnamese woman who will soon be able to live there with her sister whom she is taking care of. My favorite part in building this house was the gigantic ramp to help the women get to their front door easier. We finished the ramp yesterday, and it felt so good to see that our hard work had really paid off. Today and tomorrow we will be finishing the dry wall and other interior parts of the house that we have been working on. I look forward to the rest of this trip, and I hope for the best in its success!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Please Remember in Your Prayers
Brittany Roberts cousin, Mike Roberts passed away too young at the age of 30. I told Brittany today, that I am sure that her cousin was proud of her and the work she was doing. Brittany flew home today to be with her family, and she knows that she has 84 people in Biloxi who are praying with her and for her. I would welcome all of you reading this blog to join us in thinking about Brittany and the Roberts family and friends.
Pete's Grey and Maroon House
This week a group of between 15-20 people depending upon the day have been working on scraping, caulking, and sanding a house. The story of the man's house we are at is actually a little humorous. I was inside the house to use the restroom and as I was walking out I decided I'd ask him what happened to him when Katrina hit. He said the morning it happened he stepped out of bed and before he hit the floor he hit about 4-5 inches of water. This had happened to him before so it wasn't too much of a shock. As he walked into the kitchen he decided, hey, my tv is plugged in up high, there isn't much I can do, why don't I just kick back and relax (this is all at 3 a.m. by the way). So, he warmed up 4 cups of coffee, put a chair at the high end of the house, and turned his tv so he could see it from where he was at. The water only got up about 5 inches, but walking into the house you could tell that the damage it caused was devastating. All of his flooring had to be ripped up and the wood had buckled. His house was infested with bugs, yet it didn't seem to bother him a bit. I couldn't imagine living in conditions such as his.
The work we did was extremely rewarding after knowing his story and seeing the work that needed to be done. Every little bit helps, it truly does. As we sit in the hot sun sweating, we all remind ourselves of what this man and so many others have had to go through and it keeps us going.
Mary Ellen Carmody "Meeces"
In order to beautify Pete's house, a great amount of scraping and painting was called for. My crew spent Monday and a good majority of Tuesday scraping the whole exterior of the house. We also had to caulk what seemed like every board on the house. After we were finished prepping the house, we were able to start painting. We had no fear climbing up the tallest ladders or fighting off the wasps (ok..maybe a little). Pete's house is now gray with white and maroon trim! We successfully finished Pete's house on Wednesday and my crew was elated!
The most uplifting part of the experience was the support we received. Pete's house is on a main street and is very busy. If people didn't stop to tell us how much they appreciate what we were doing, then they honked, waved, or yelled words of encouragement. This let us know how much of an impact we were truly making on this man's life.
Megan Loudon "Soupy"
The work we did was extremely rewarding after knowing his story and seeing the work that needed to be done. Every little bit helps, it truly does. As we sit in the hot sun sweating, we all remind ourselves of what this man and so many others have had to go through and it keeps us going.
Mary Ellen Carmody "Meeces"
In order to beautify Pete's house, a great amount of scraping and painting was called for. My crew spent Monday and a good majority of Tuesday scraping the whole exterior of the house. We also had to caulk what seemed like every board on the house. After we were finished prepping the house, we were able to start painting. We had no fear climbing up the tallest ladders or fighting off the wasps (ok..maybe a little). Pete's house is now gray with white and maroon trim! We successfully finished Pete's house on Wednesday and my crew was elated!
The most uplifting part of the experience was the support we received. Pete's house is on a main street and is very busy. If people didn't stop to tell us how much they appreciate what we were doing, then they honked, waved, or yelled words of encouragement. This let us know how much of an impact we were truly making on this man's life.
Megan Loudon "Soupy"
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen- Day One!
Hi parents and friends!
Hello from Biloxi, Mississippi :) We are having an amazing time. Yesterday, our first day of work, we (Haley, Emily, Annie, and Claudia) were blessed to be able to go to Biloxi's soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes. The four of us began the day by helping with water/ice duties (which was very hectic but fun) and driving around with Mr. Magee (also hectic... p.s. Mr. Magee, that was specifically from Diablo...). But, by 10:30 A.M, it was time to go to Loaves and Fishes. When driving there we were all concerned that we wouldn't be needed at the kitchen because of excess volunteers, but fortunately that wasn't the case, and we were able to help out. It was a little overwhelming when we first walked in; there was a lot of work to do and we didn't really know where to start, but we quickly found our place rolling silverware. After a lot of silverware (we perfected the burrito technique of rolling!), it was time to serve lunch. Annie filled cups of gatorade and set them out, Haley served peaches or pineapple (and sang songs), Emily served saltines, and Claudia helped with dishes. It was humbling to interact with the people who came; they were all so gracious, and their happiness was extremely contagious. We got to talk to Sister Mary and Jean, fellow volunteers, a lot and it was inspiring, because they are so dedicated to their service. We also got to talk to Dante and Mary, who help run the soup kitchen; they taught us the ropes and were a ton of fun. After serving lunch, we cleaned the tables, surfaces, and dishes. We hugged our new friends and said our goodbyes.
The Soup Kitchen was such an awesome experience, and is something that will really stick with us. We were all inspired and encouraged by the people we met, and their inspiration will carry us through the rest of the week.
Peace and Love,
The Finisher (Emily Done)
Diablo Cazador (Haley Hunter)
Dancin' in the Moonlight (Annie Hagerty)
2 Chance (Claudia Evers)
Hello from Biloxi, Mississippi :) We are having an amazing time. Yesterday, our first day of work, we (Haley, Emily, Annie, and Claudia) were blessed to be able to go to Biloxi's soup kitchen, Loaves and Fishes. The four of us began the day by helping with water/ice duties (which was very hectic but fun) and driving around with Mr. Magee (also hectic... p.s. Mr. Magee, that was specifically from Diablo...). But, by 10:30 A.M, it was time to go to Loaves and Fishes. When driving there we were all concerned that we wouldn't be needed at the kitchen because of excess volunteers, but fortunately that wasn't the case, and we were able to help out. It was a little overwhelming when we first walked in; there was a lot of work to do and we didn't really know where to start, but we quickly found our place rolling silverware. After a lot of silverware (we perfected the burrito technique of rolling!), it was time to serve lunch. Annie filled cups of gatorade and set them out, Haley served peaches or pineapple (and sang songs), Emily served saltines, and Claudia helped with dishes. It was humbling to interact with the people who came; they were all so gracious, and their happiness was extremely contagious. We got to talk to Sister Mary and Jean, fellow volunteers, a lot and it was inspiring, because they are so dedicated to their service. We also got to talk to Dante and Mary, who help run the soup kitchen; they taught us the ropes and were a ton of fun. After serving lunch, we cleaned the tables, surfaces, and dishes. We hugged our new friends and said our goodbyes.
The Soup Kitchen was such an awesome experience, and is something that will really stick with us. We were all inspired and encouraged by the people we met, and their inspiration will carry us through the rest of the week.
Peace and Love,
The Finisher (Emily Done)
Diablo Cazador (Haley Hunter)
Dancin' in the Moonlight (Annie Hagerty)
2 Chance (Claudia Evers)
Belvedere and trash duty
Today was a very eventful day! we started off the morning with painting the house of Mrs. Fields. She was a very nice lady who lived alone in quite a good sized house. The house definitely needed repainting so it was awesome to be apart of such a good thing. Mid-day we got to eat at a Mexican restaurant(it was delicious) and after a few more hours of painting a few of us went to move a huge pile of trash into a dumpster. That job was tough! After, we stopped and bought watermelons from J.W. Carter ("Mr. Fat Carter") who was such a kind and generous man. We all ate the watermelons at dinner and we have a book club at 9:15. Can't wait for tomorrow!
Allie
Allie
Howard House Hoedown
Hey from the Howard House group! Today we finished decking the HUGE ramp and did all of the insulation. Tomorrow we will start to drywall the house. The owner of the house spent some time with us today and learned Jessies name. The power tools were full speed and we were working all day to complete the long, two-story ramp and finished all of the floor and most of the railing. Well, so long for now and hopefully we will have more to report tomorrow!
Amy
Amy
A Great Start
601 am started a little early as students began to rise up from different bunks in one of 5 dormitories at Seashore United Methodist, sleepy eyes looked at each other like were we really getting up now. But tiredness soon started the giggling process, and fairly soon 61 newly commissioned construction workers walked across the compound to breakfast and the 2009 work camp had started.. Walking back from breakfast the girls found a very large math teacher holding a magnet board with their names on in, Kope and Quantrill found out they would be working at 166 Hoxie with 16 others, and Blinky and Tic Maber went to a house on Howard and Kuhn with 14 of their crew. 'Ello Guvnor and Nice Tool Land would be delivering water and ice this day, while The Finisher, Danicing in the Moonlight, 2 Chance, and Diablo Cazador would be working at the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen. K-Sizzle Crazizzle, Mercy Mercy Me, and Baba Looey immediately started bringing some organization to the tool shed at the Back Bay Trailers. There was a lot of sanding on the house at Hoxie, building a handicap ramp at Howard street (new provisions had to be made as the young workers on Howard did not have the body weight to drive the screws). After a little bit of pre-drilling that crew was gettting after it. Paint 1 and Paint 2 crews waited patiently before they got started and soon were tackling a massive paint job on Gill. Baba Looey and the Rusty Crusty crew worked too hard and were finished just after lunch. Soon there was plans of a rope swing, and that too was accomplished in short order. (Of course it was painted and Nerinx Hall 2009 was officially part of Biloxi).
A group of 6 girls prepared a great taco meal for 80 people. It might be told later that Bloozer and Blampf spent more time entertaining dads with their conversation and playing on the new swing, but that would be an exaggeration as each kid really did do their best to help out. We had one minor ankle sprain, but since we had 3 different medical professionals as part of our group, she was quickly taken care of. The night ended with the dads setting up a big screen and the girls watching a movie "drive-in" style. The girls were also introduced to the tradition of a cartoon before the movie as Yakky Doodle and Chopper got to see Yakky Doodle and Chopper their name sakes. "Am I the smart one or are you the smart one?" asked Yakky Doodle to Chopper. Great first day, Tuesday morning would come early for some, but we are ready to work or swing?????
A group of 6 girls prepared a great taco meal for 80 people. It might be told later that Bloozer and Blampf spent more time entertaining dads with their conversation and playing on the new swing, but that would be an exaggeration as each kid really did do their best to help out. We had one minor ankle sprain, but since we had 3 different medical professionals as part of our group, she was quickly taken care of. The night ended with the dads setting up a big screen and the girls watching a movie "drive-in" style. The girls were also introduced to the tradition of a cartoon before the movie as Yakky Doodle and Chopper got to see Yakky Doodle and Chopper their name sakes. "Am I the smart one or are you the smart one?" asked Yakky Doodle to Chopper. Great first day, Tuesday morning would come early for some, but we are ready to work or swing?????
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