Sorry folks for not keeping the blog up-to-date these past couple days, we have been very busy here at Back Bay! On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen. Those of us who went made breakfast and lunch for the people in need and got to interact with them as we served them their food. We were also to sit and chat with the people there including some families with children. They were positive and friendly, and it was very rewarding to hear them share with us how grateful they were for our help. Meanwhile, work was started at a new site with tearing down siding and putting up new wood sheeting. After a long day of work, we spent the evening attending a Baptist service where they were very kind and inviting to all of us. We shared with them one of our favorite Christian songs, and after the service they shared a meal they made for us. Today, we were all able to experience something amazing- being able to welcome a family to their new home! After finishing their home this morning, the family was invited over, and we got to see their reaction to their home. The family was so grateful and so thankful for our help, and it was great to see how much our hard work had impacted them. I loved hearing from the family about their past. They were such caring people and so deserving of their new home. The woman who owned the house had done such great things for so many people, and she told us how this house was a reward from God for all of the good she had done in the past. After the welcome-home celebration, some of us were able to move another family into their new home as well through the Home At Last program. We moved furniture in for them, and it was great to know the family would have a place of their own. -Taylor -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today, the second day of work in Biloxi, I spent the day working on the house. I woke up at 6:47 and was ready to go by 6:50. After a wonderful breakfast of pancakes, we headed to the work site. I began and ended my day of work with a paintbrush in hand. In the morning, Gretchen and I worked around the house touching up all the enamel paint. When we would think we had it all, something else wold need to get touched up. Along with touching up the paint, I caulked around the house and caulking became my favorite, I did it the majority of the day. When lunch time rolled around, I had a delicious turkey and cheese sandwich with a bag of chips. When time to get back to work I resumed painting and caulking. When all the touch up and caulking was complete, Gretchen and I took on the project of fixing the exterior paint in the car port of the house. This job concluding or day. Working at Back Bay has given me an appreciation for what I have and a will to work hard for the families we are striving to help. ( Crazy Diamond) Kylee------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today, I woke up earlier than the rest of the crew to help make breakfast, and I flipped pancakes for the first time in my life. But this has just been one of many firsts on this trip. I went to the job site today to work on the house for a short part of my morning. I probably raked more leaves this morning alone than I ever have before! After that, a small group of us had the opportunity go to the food pantry. I helped sort a new food order, and I got to meet the people who help run the pantry. Lois and Bill were two of the nicest people I have ever met, and I learned all about the impact service has made in their lives. After sorting pudding, rice, and lots of cans of Chef Boyardee, my group went over to the Micah Center to eat lunch with the people who volunteer there and the people who use their services. The lunch was nice, but the people were even nicer! I look forward to rest of the trip and the many other "firsts" it will bring! Also, shout-out to my mom. (Icebreaker Email) Claire A. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Biloxi Day 1 28th Street

My first day of work on this trip was nothing as I expected it to be. The forecast called for scattered rain, but fortunately for us, there was not a drop that fell from the sky. I was expecting to walk in having no clue what I was doing and fearing doing something wrong. It turns out that that was not the case at all. It was exciting to be a part of a big group whose goal is to make another person's life better and safer. I look forward to the rest of the week and can't wait to see the improvements we will make in such a short period of time. In just one day, we cleaned up an entire backyard, repainted all of the doors, and installed shelves. The hard work each person was individually contributing was inspirational and made me want to work harder and do more. I felt part of the entire group and didn't feel as if I was just a young high school student who would be treated like a child. (Hellcat Air Zone) Claire H. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- My first day at Back Bay Mission, I visited the Micah Center and worked there and connected with the people for a few hours. This was an incredible experience for me because I had never seen something like this before and the people I was working with were wonderful. Kylee and I were overwhelmed with the work that these people do at the Micah Center and are eager to go back. After this, we went to one of the houses where I painted doors and worked on interior areas of the house. This was hard work but a great team work experience. The people I am working with are wonderful and I am very happy to be here. ------------------ (Shadowboxer) Fiona G. ------------------------------------------------------------ My parents would be really proud that I made scrambled eggs today. At 6 am, i was already learning new things 10 hours away. The day started off by waking up early to make breakfast or everyone (it was delicious by the way). At 8 am, we piled in the cars and got a nice view of the city as we drove to the work site. The house was in "the ghetto"...I wouldn't have called it that though. The house was a lot nicer than I thought it would be. The Back Bay Mission has been doing a good job :) . We were mostly working on the finishing touches of the house such as yard work, painting, installing appliances, etc. After only a few minutes of yard work, I got called over to the chop saw, and then was there for the rest of the day. Because of all my work today with the tool, I consider myself a chop saw master. I helped install all of the trim in the house today and am looking forward to what I'll be doing tomorrow. (Brooklyn Side) Sarah B. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today was my first day of volunteering at Back Bay Mission. I was pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had helping out at the food pantry. My morning consisted of helping stock the food pantry and helping clients shop. It was interesting to get to talk to some of the clients and hear about their families. Every person had a different type of family and I was excited to be able to help them in getting food for their families. I carried groceries to the clients cars and every single one thanked me before leaving. This simple "thank you" made my day especially great. I am excited to continue my volunteering for the rest of the week. (Rubangakene) Caroline F. --------------------------------------------------------

17 to 18...The picture becomes clearer.

I do not quite know how I deserve the grace I felt tonight. We had a good dinner, food was bought, 44 cases of water stacked at the front porch, we are ready to do our best tomorrow. Last year, for fun we put a kid in the hot seat, and several of the dads asked stupid or silly questions, and we got to see the smiles and learn a little bit about each new student. Caroline "Rubangakene" was picked first this year, and as we were preparing silly questions it was interrupted. Mr. Tim Milford, Biloxi dad all-star, had just driven 10 hours, almost all of it through rain by himself to join our team. The students who know Mr. Milford and have spent several of these weeks with him over the years rose to their feet and greeted him. How can you not love him, he greets each job with a smile and each new person with a warm laugh. He and his wonderful wife, Rita are simply selfless. but this is a story about 17 year olds.--------------------------------------------------------------------------- After we made plans and made lunches for tomorrow, a bunch of old men and good friends went were old men go --to the front porch and rocking chairs. We soon decided to get back to silly questions and we called Taylor "Spin" to join us on the porch for questions. Hayley "Beanie" not trusting the humor of Mr. Magee or her dad, joined her outside for moral support. The silly questions ended and we soon got into serious questions about helping people. People not just on the margins, but way past the margins. How do you fight the unwinnable fight? When that unwinnable fight is a real person, doing their best just to survive. I spent a month in Uganda last year with Hayley and really was amazed at all that she did, I introduced my Uganda friends and my favorite country to her. But here she was talking about our world and a woman she had met with an awful wound and a troubled mind. We just sat and listened. Listened to a kid (not really a kid anymore) tell us about how she processed her own doubts and how she was troubled that she could not do more. Beanie started this trip as a pint-size sophomore and has been sharing kindness with us ever since. It was neat the Taylor got to hear all of this and take it in and then tell us a little bit about herself. On this wonderful porch, we welcomed a 17 year old into our community. I cannot wait to see what she will do. I am so proud of her already and the trip has not even started.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taylor and Hayley left us and we cajoled Kamryn into joining us. Kamryn "5-speed" brought Liza "Small boat" as her muscle. They were apprehensive as they wandered out having no idea that the entire mood had changed into just talking. These two chose to pass up Graduation parties, concerts, and swimming pools so they could return to Biloxi. They chose to spend another week doing their best for our friends on the Gulf Coast. Maybe it was Sam and Megan or Mary Grace or one of the other superstars who helped them last year. But here these two were and we listened again. It was just a joy to talk about running, and Russia, and a grandfather who had just passed. They were and are amazing, but there is a polish to their words and a realness to their kindness that is a little different than a 17 year old. And here is where the grace happens. Taking all of this in...all of the love and support that they received from parents and grandparents and teachers and....two 18 year olds ready for college, ready for this week with an eagerness and love that made a pleasant night on a Biloxi rocking chair an amazing night. Parents when you are reading this-->Thank you. I know John and Marci Kuehner and it makes perfect sense how Hayley became Hayley, but hearing her words made us all listen. And made us all very proud. I get to spend the next week watching silly 17 year olds become compassionate and determined 18 year olds ... willing to do anything for anybody, learning to make a community that God himself would recognize. ----------------------------------------------- 10 hours is a long time in a car, and as I finish the first post, 26 amazing people are in bed and a song from the long trip rattles in my head. Five for fighting is singing "If God made you, he is in love with me." The "you" tonight was Hayley (who has been 18 for several trips) and Taylor and Kamryn and Liza but it could have easily been Tim Milford, or Maggie, or Gretchen or Megan. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Goodnight, John Magee

A new year, new faces.... Kinship so much you can see it.

At our best we hope to come close to the words that Father Boyle delivered to the students of Notre Dame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eQsHEjfRrY Our Shirts which I will pick up in an hour say this on the back. Kinship:/kin Ship/ noun – Seeking and Living the Compassion to obliterate the margins between us and them. Serving and Loving until there is Just Us. A Simple goal, we will strive to find that compassion. Keep us in your prayers. John Magee

Porter: Day 4

Today was my first time working at the house on Porter. We started out by sanding the bathroom ceiling which was very difficult but I had a lot of fun doing it with everyone. Next we put sliding doors on the closest in the bedroom which took a while but turned out great once it was completed. We all felt so accomplished. The people who we were building for were extremely kind and made us mango lemonade. It was delicious and refreshing! After that we started to paint and put boarders on the bathroom walls. That was probably my favorite part of the day and we all got really messy with the paint. It was so much fun! I am really enjoying my time in Biloxi. The people are absolutely fabulous and i am constantly surrounded by a indescribable atmosphere. Hopefully I will see this place again! I am sad this week is almost over but I can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store. :) -Shortcake

Wednesday Baptist Service

After a long day of hard work at many different locations, the Back Bay Crew gathered together to eat a huge dinner, consisting of shrimp, crayfish, corn, potatoes, and watermelon. After everyone was full, we piled into cars and headed to a Baptist Service at a church down the road. This was a really unique experience for all of the rookies, and something we won't forget anytime soon. We found the faith of the people of the church inspiring. The positive attitude they bring to each church service is so unique and we loved their hospitality. We continued the night by singing with our new friends and hearing about how we should be whoever God made us to be. We hung around with our new friends for a little while longer before we climbed into the cars again, off on another adventure. We took a drive down Beach Road and grabbed some McDonald's along the way. When we were close to the beach, someone started shooting off fireworks! So (of course) we stopped to watch the display. We concluded the night with singing and dancing back at the mission. The day taught us the importance of teamwork, as well as how to be confident with ourselves and use the talents to our best ability. ~Battle Rancher

Homeport 2: Tuesday

After working at the house on Nichols Street until lunch, five volunteers headed to Walmart to gather home supplies for a homeless veteran household called Homeport 2. Homeport is an apartment complex used to house homeless veterans so that they can move out of poverty. All of the apartments contain a washer/dryer, refrigerator, water utilities, electricity, and other basic commodities for living. We learned that there is a large population of homeless veterans in Biloxi. The apartment that we are furnishing has a German roach infestation which is currently being handled. We were given a budget of $175 to purchase a wide variety of items including towels, a bath rug, a shower curtain, pots and pans, and bedding, to name a few. We also purchased flowers, a balloon, a candle, and supplies to make a poster to make the house feel more welcome for the veteran. We plan to return tomorrow to clean out the house and set up all of our purchases before the veteran moves in. It is our hope that he feels welcomed in his new home. Breakin' Glass and Guerriere

271 Nichols: Day 2

Today was our second day serving at the Nichols household. We finished taking down the paneling on the sides of the house, and we began to put up plywood boards as a start to our new paneling. We had to work together to hold up and nail in the plywood. Measuring each board and nail placement was a tedious task, but we felt a sense of accomplishment when we were able to nail the boards into place. Learning to use the nail gun was another fun and challenging task because many of the girls on our team have never seen or used this tool before. The son living in the household helped us with the demolition and paneling, and we were able to talk to him and his mother throughout the day. After our lunch break, we regrouped and continued working. Moving the scaffolding to the front of the house, we continued to put up plywood on the sides of the roof. We learned to use circular saws to cut pieces to fit into smaller and differently shaped spaces on the walls. This was a challenge because none of the new volunteers had used this tool before; however, we had fun working together and learning this new skill. Today was another fun and productive day, and we hope to continue our hard work in the days to come. Breakin' Glass and Guerriere

344 Porter

This is Yea! B! (Tessa) and Small Boat (Liza). We had an awesome day today, filled with many new, great experiences. We started the day off with a construction meeting and then went straight to work. We both got to work on a very nice and welcoming couple's house. It was so great seeing how appreciative the couple was and how happy they were to have people there to help them out. We were able to completely fill in a hole that used to be used for heating before they got a central air system. We also got to put dry wall up on a ceiling in one of their bathrooms. Although there were some challenges throughout the day, we really enjoyed getting to have such a fun experience that truly impacted these peoples' lives. The couple told us their story and how they have suffered through many different obstacles, such as Hurricane Katrina, but ultimately fought hard to work through these things together. It was really inspirational to hear how this couple was able to fight through these situations, and we were really happy to be able to make their lives a little easier by helping out around their house. They were so grateful that they even offered us lots of food, such as hard boiled eggs and potato salad. The lady talked a lot about how she truly believes that the Lord has been watching over her and believes this is the reason they have survived through such tough times. It was really inspirational hearing her say this, and really encouraged us to work as hard as possible throughout the day. In the end, we were able to cover the hole and get most of the dry wall up in the bathroom. We are very excited to continue this process in their house to be able to see the final result. We are very proud of what we accomplished today and can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us.

271 Nichols: Day 1

The day started at 6:30 AM with a safety talk and ended at 5:00 PM, by which time we had gained so many new experiences. By 5, we had done much more hands-on construction than I had ever thought I was capable of. The entire group was split into teams. The team I went with was at a house where we took down damaged siding to be replaced with newer supplies. We used scaffolding to get to different parts of the house, and I was not expecting to conquer my fear of heights when using the scaffolds. We built the scaffolds up layer by layer in order to get to the higher parts of the house, and it was scary yet rewarding to have so much trust and responsibility placed on me. The son who lived in the house came out and started helping us remove siding, and it was awesome to see him get involved. It also helped us gain a better perspective about our work, because we finally saw and interacted with someone who we were helping. At the end of the day while we were cleaning up, the juniors performed their Junior Ring dance that we had learned and performed at our school, Cor Jesu, which was super fun. To say the very least, it was a productive day, and although my arms ache from tearing off stubborn siding, I am so excited to get back out there tomorrow and continue our mission. Ah Sure! and Someday Somewhere

340 Haize

Hello this is Mad skillz (Gabby) and 5 speed (Kamryn). Today was a great day in Biloxi! Our group had the opportunity to renovate a porch and bathroom of a women who's house was damaged from Katrina. Together we scrapped old paint, applied new paint, and even hung up and porch swing. By coming together, we quickly exicuted our newly acquired skills and left our mark on both the house and the women inside. This first day got us excited for the rest of the week showing how we can use our talents to make an impact on an important cause.

Day 1

Today was a great day filled with lots of smiles and laughter! We watched some great movies, made some awesome new friends, took some stellar naps, ate some rad Mexican food, and had a pleasant time at Chick-fil-a. We had a great sending off ceremony this morning and want to say thanks to all of you who came out to support us. We stopped at Chick-fil-a for lunch, and even though it was a little hectic, we still had a good time getting to bond together over some great food. We then continued out journey on to the hotel, and got settled in. We had a party in 312 and it was pretty cool. We then went to our Mexican dinner and had an awesome time attempting to speak to the waiter in Spanish and eating some good ole' Mexican food. now we are just hanging out in the hotel, watching some fun movies. We are very excited to finish our trip to Biloxi tomorrow and can't wait to get to work. Everyone is looking forward to the rest of the week and pumped to get started. We know it's going to be a week to remember. :) -yea! b! & bulldog

Moving Together as One

It is always interesting to see how strangers greet each other and how those friendships often grown. Last night, we had almost the entire group of 35 together and it looks like a very promising year. This will be my 11th year on this trip, and it is always interesting to see good people become friends. Who would have every thought Mary Grace Barry and Molly Milford would become besties? Or Darcy Neier developing a real mentor in Mary Grace Graf. These friendships are real because they get forged through the sweat of sanding a wall for the 4th time or watching with our new the tragedy of poverty when it is right over the porch railing. It is these friendships where we really are two sides of the same coin that give us the experience to learn how to talk and to listen when we meet people who at first seem much different than us. This is where Father Boyle talks about the Theology of the Feet. Too often we pat ourselves on the back because we feel sorry and have sympathy for those that struggle. This is our heart. We might even join in a conversation to think about and find ways to help those that need our help. We might send money or a check or buy cookies at a bake sale. These are all good, this is our head. But starting tomorrow, we will move not only with our hearts and our heads, but our feet. Our feet will be in the Micah Center talking and listening to the stories of those that are hungry and homeless. Our feet will be in a house, building up walls and attaching door knobs for a young mother who wants to turn this house into a home for family. If we do this right, people will see that we are standing with those that have been endlessly excluded. We will be standing with the disposable, so maybe it will be just a little harder to throw people away. In the middle of the communities of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi we will stand no matter what the result. We will give our best and stride over the obstacles in our way. We hope to lean into the intractable problems of the poor with our shoulders strong and push that boulder up the hill. We hope to do this with the tenderest heart we can find and just be a little part of the big picture that always is the slow work of God. And through this week we will, "seek the BOUNDLESS compassion to stand in awe of the burdens the poor have to carry, and NOT in judgment of how they carry them. Check back each night for more stories from your daughters.

Today, I, Chimpf Chompf (Emily Kempf) worked with Mr. James at the food pantry. The food pantry is set up to provide the homeless and impoverished in the Biloxi area with food bags containing food that will last a substantial amount of time. Mr. James is a previously homeless man who was given an apartment through the Back Bay Mission "Home At Last" program. I helped Mr. James organize and rearrange the food pantry. Throughout the morning, we assembled food bags and gave them to people who came in. Mr. James was quiet at first, but soon enough, I started to hear a lot of his story. Mr. James worked at a shipyard as a welder for twenty years before unexpectedly losing his job. After performing odd jobs here and there, Mr. James found himself in over his head and unable to make rent payments. As a result, Mr. James was homeless for three months. After using the Micah Center, Mr. James learned about the "Home At Last" program. He was given an apartment with financial assistance. Mr. James was so grateful for all of the work Back Bay had done for him that he decided to give back. Since November, Mr. James has been in charge of the food pantry program at Back Bay. Although I could not fully understand how much of a difference I was making in these people's lives, I felt humbled by Mr. James' story. After going through much hardship, he was so grateful for everything that was given to him. He told me that he could never thank Back Bay enough and not even ten years in the food pantry could equal the amount of help they provided him with. I feel blessed to have been able to have worked with Mr. James. We are all having a great time and have plenty of stories to tell you when we return, -Chimpf Chompf

Loaves&Fishes

This is Aber (Molly Milford) and Craic (MGB) and we are two of the four girls that helped serve food at Loaves and Fishes today. We had a wonderful experience and even got asked on a couple dates! Our eyes were opened, along with our hearts as we served a breakfast of grits, eggs and toast, and a spaghetti lunch. It really made us take a step back and appreciate our blessings when we were feeding homeless people who were our own age, and even younger. We are so happy we had this opportunity and we are ready for our next adventure!!

Day 1-- #2 Fleetwood

TGOF and I, Cha Cha, spent most of our day laying ceramic tile on the floors at #2 Fleetwood. While we are exceptionally gifted, this was tedious work--almost forty minutes to lay one row of tiles. Most of the dads on on our site joked around with us, saying we could skip college and take our talents as a tile laying team to the next level. One dad, Mr. Kuehner, enlightened us with a new perspective when he stated, "Could you girls imagine waking up every morning and doing this for 30 years?" We are fortunate enough to go to almost any college and pursue any career, but obviously the people who will live in this house will not have as many opportunities handed to them. Craig was telling us that a family with three kids was looking to buy our house, and its nice to know that all of the work we're doing will help provide a stable home for a family despite their low income. Having a stable home will drastically change their lives--maybe giving them a place to do homework will allow them to get scholarships and pursue the high levels of education we all take for granted. TGOF and I had a lot of fun, but the best part of our day was definitely realizing that our small efforts can have a huge impact. Peace and blessins, Kara and Maria

You Can Call Me Al

This year we are wearing Royal Blue t-shirts with the long awaited 13iloxi logo with the split B. But on the back are the words that talk about Poverty being the cloak that covers the greatness of the human spirit. We wonder how many different people in our world could contribute so much more with the right opportunity. This morning I learned the cloak can also cover me seeing the world in the best way I should. Rushing to St. Gabe's this morning for our send off prayer service, it is a tradition I stop at Do-nut Drive-in for our Biloxi alumni who rise early on a Saturday to wish us well. As I ran through the rain with a delicious dozen, a man approached me and asked for a ride to Jamieson for $5. "Nooooooooooo dude, I am in a hurry, I am taking students on a trip, I don't have time....my voice continued with excuses as I closed the car door and left him in the rain. I sat in the seat and looked at him...just that quickly the cloak was removed. Honked the horn. C'mon brother. He stood in the rain as I fumbled to unlock his door on the rental. He said thanks and set a wet $5 bill on the console between us. I told him that this ride was free. I told him I was taking students to Biloxi to help people down there and this was a good way for this trip to start. I told him my name was John and he told me his name was Al. He had done the high iron work on the high floors of the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. We drove by Ted Drewe's and he told me he had been hit by a car recently while walking and he was still recovering from surgery. And then our short ride was over. As I told this story to our 2013 group and family. My mother exclaimed, "You didn't pick up a hitchhiker!!!". I talked to her later and she told me she thinks I picked up an Angel. So Diablo, Jump Around, Baba Laxxy, Ed Poth, and Tim Milford...I hope you enjoyed your doughnuts they were delivered to St. Gabriel's by an AngeL. ...maybe that is what Angels do...they remove the cloak...and let us see

First Night in Uganda--Standing on the Shoulders of An Amazing 30 young women

Although I did not sleep more than a 5 minute nod off on any of my flights. I got a 3 hour nap tonight and ready to begin the latest chapter. Good night in NYC with Frank Hellwig who got up at 500 am to help me hail a cab. A 7 hour flight to London....there just enough time to buy 2 waters with the 5 pound note, I had saved from several years ago, then on to Uganda.... We arrived at 715 am Monday, and walked across the historic Entebbe tarmac. Soon got to see my good friend James our Kampala driver. Spent an hour in the phone store trying to get ipad internet access with Dana Larkin. We were not successful, but I loaded up more time on my stick and that should get me internet access in Atanga. We are going to the US Embassy tomorrow, and then home to Gulu... I cannot wait. After a tough year, I am so inspired by the 30 students I just spent a week with. They are amazing talented, but most of all the spread joy and love to everyone they touch. We did incredible things there, and most of them were done by the hard work of the students.... of course could not have done it without the adults either. For the first time in 13 months, I am ready for the classroom. I am going to work tirelessly to do my best, because Boo Yah, Aahahanana, Jump Around, and 27 others have shown me that hard work and love can make a difference. to see my Uganda blog www.mageeinuganda.blogspot.com

School's Out for Summer

As I transition to Uganda from the wonderful week in Biloxi ... I ran into Alice Cooper at the Gulfport airport. What a week !! Once again, we did amazing work here. I wish all of the parents who were unable to join us could see how amazing thee young women are. Each house, each little job was done with smiles and sweat. We made a house a homes and made it accessible to an elderly women n a wheel chair. We tore out a house and readied it so it could be rebuilt. Many of our student s at this fire gutted house reacted with tears as they could see that they were throwing a family's lifetime and memories into a dumpster. Horace WalPole famously said that everything in life is both comedic and tragic..those who think, cry.... And those who feel, cry. Although this week was filled with laughter, I cannot imagine anyone laughing about this fire. Sorry plane is boarding.