The “Chuckers” had an amazing seafood team dinner last night at Daniel’s in Bay St. Luis. I realized when we got home that I haven’t laughed this much during a week in a long time. The team keeps me on my toes and always makes me smile. I was proud to see them all enjoying themselves during our celebration dinner. Interesting appetizer on the restaurant menu was the sweet patato fries that came with a delicious icing to dip. I had never thought of making sweet potatoes into a menu item, but they were really tasty. Thanks to Colt ordering and sharing them, we all got to try! The team also secretly ordered Greg a late birthday dessert which was also passed around the table to share.

This morning I woke up a few minutes late but still chipper and ready to work. One of our sites has been cancelled so three people will need to stay at camp to work. I know this won’t be the most fun for the last day but I am sure it will be a good time anyway. We are heading to New Orleans this afternoon for a short visit but I anticipate a swingin’ time in the city. When we get home it will be time to finish cleanning the bunk and head to bed to prepare for the early day on Saturday morning. We are debating whether or not it would be worth it to get up an hour earlier on Saturday so we could eat breakfast at the Waffle House in Waveland, but that decision is still in committee.

Shannon
“Chuckers” Team Leader

Well, it’s the morning of the last day and I’m tired from the week, but anxious to get to work. I can’t believe we are leaving tomorrow. I’ve had such a great time here and I just wish I could stay and continue to help more people. Yesterday, helping out with the kids was so much fun. Trying to remember how to do 1st grade math (I know, sad I have to think about it!) and trying to be able to tell which kids were telling me the truth about what they could do. They were all so excited that people were there that they would tell us anything thing to get us to help them. Just meeting so many different people and hearing so many stories has been amazing. This experience has been amazing and life changing. I thought that I understood the magnitude of the hurricane, but coming and actually seeing it has been such an eye opening. It’s impossible to totally understand the devestation without having lived it. Well, I must go and get ready for work. I can’t wait.
-Christine

Yesterday our group went to the future camp sunshine… a volunteer camp, and did some demo and construction. It was a little bit different feeling because we weren’t helping a local citizen but preparing the way for more volunteers to come.

Greg, young Greg that is, led construction on an imaginary set of plans. He was drawing a plan on the floor from what he was told by Conrad. We got started really quickly, to his credit! Unfortunately someone neglected to realize that there was a column where they wanted a door, so that created a minor problem, but our big team assembled the walls really fast. We finally got to use the sledgehammer too!!!

The Americorps folks weren’t too organized so for a time I was leading a team to get plywood sheathing on a wall, and that could have gone better but it got done in time. At the end of the day we had finished 3 walls and scraped alot of tiles… it was a hard day but productive.

It’s our last day today… I think most of us wish it wasn’t though, not because we don’t want to go back to Moscow but because we want to keep helping!

Brian

Al’right, this may be short. However, believe me that would be a good thing because I can’t write or spell to save myself. Thank the lord for spell check because I would die with out it! Oh, Wait! This blog dosn’t have spell check. I’m sorry guys if you have a problem understanding me. I understand, I cant understand myself haft the time.

Ok, so down here things have been amazing, I love it here. I work with people that I wouldn’t have have met any other way, and have started some really close friendships. More importantly I have had the oppertunity (seriously I know I didn’t spell that right, but what can you do?) to be a part of the rebuilding of this town after “The Storm.” (Thats what a lot of the locals call it “The Strom.” In the beginning, I found myself thinking that I’m doing something for others. However, I feel somewhat guilty because I feel like I’m recieving more then I am giving. Now everytime after I do a job. I thank the person. They look at me like I’m so crazy. Which my be true, however, I feel like my eyes have been opened.

Before this stuggled to keep myself falling into these apathedic thoughts, It was so hard. After this I dont think my heart can ever be apathedic. Its so easy to see something on TV. However, comming down here and hearing these peoples stories, inspiring or sad. You can’t help but want to be apart of it. It’s been real.

T-Dawg Sighning out!
(AKA Tara)

No matter where we go or what we do, everyone we meet in Mississippi has a story to tell. They talk about evacuating, they talk about coming back home for the first time, they talk about starting to rebuild, they talk about despair, pain, and most of all hope.
While working on job sites in and around Waveland and Bay St. Louis we have gotten a chance to meet a lot of courageous and dynamic people. They have different backgrounds, different perspectives, different ethnicities. Some lived in the area at the time, some have some to help rebuild, but despite their differences they share the common bond of being affected by the hurricane and they all want to talk to share their story.

In Waveland, we met Miss Genevieve. It was our first day of work in the region and we repainted her shed and house, cleaned up debris, and created a new walkway. At lunch, we all sat down on the concrete slab that used to be part of her house and Miss Genevieve shared her story. The Saturday before the storm, she buried her husband of many years and had to immediately pack up whatever she could (including her dog Scott) and head to Houston. She was an incredibly powerful and strong woman who was one of only five people in the area to go to college back in the ’50’s and to finish graduate school. Everyone who worked at the site was touched by Genevieve and her glowing spirit.

On Wednesday, a few of us spent the day at Our Lady Academy, a girls catholic school in Bay St. Louis. The 7th-12th grade school sits 30 yards from the beach and was hit extremely hard by the resulting 48-foot storm surge. The sisters and staff members all told stories of the damage… the pews in the old brick church flew through the back wall onto the school, their bus ended up in the school, the original 1930s school house was completely destroyed, the water flooded the entire campus and ruined everything it touched. Houses that sat next to campus were leveled when the surge came and swept out to sea leaving nothing but the foundation. When the storm hit, the school’s physical plant manager hid out in rafters of the gym with a net bag of soccer balls in case they needed something to float on. But with all that has happened they move forward filled with optimism and hope. Enrollment has been down since the storm but next year’s incoming seventh grade class already has a wait list and will be one of the biggest in the school’s history.

The morning thunderstorm brought doubt on what today would bring, but six of us headed out to Waveland to assist in building a new house. The Hoovers lost everything. The house was gone along with everything in it. We spent the day installing insulation, digging trenches for a foundation and cement pad under the house, and putting in windows and doors at a neighbors home. During a lull in digging, Conrad came over to talk. Conrad is a contractor from South Carolina who is in Mississippi helping families like the Hoovers with building new homes. A week after the storm, Conrad came down to Waveland for what he thought was going to be a two week volunteer trip. A year and a half later he is still here. He left his job in Myrtle Beach as a paid contractor to volunteer all of his time helping families get back on their feet and begin the rebuilding. He shared stories of his experiences, the people he has met and helped, and the struggles they have gone through. Conrad is by far the most inspirational and awe inspiring person I have ever had the pleasure to know. He gave up his job and financial security to come down and help those affected by the storm without any thought of self but only of others. He was humble, gracious, and has sacrificed a lot to help people he had never met before.

These are only a few of the people we have talked to and by no means are these the most important. Everyone has a story to tell and everyone has been affected in some way by the storm. People just want someone to talk to and listen to their stories. Though rebuilding is slow and sometimes tedious, people here are filled with hope. They survived Katrina, returned to their homes, began to rebuild, and are positive about the future. The people of Waveland and Bay St. Louis are strong and proud, and I will be forever changed by having the opportunity to share some time with them.

Bruce “Batman” Mann

The rain started at our first job site yesterday but has not let up. Last night it was storming so bad I was worried our tin roof was going to attract the lightning. Sadly Yuka’s pillow did get a little wet in the corner bunk but for the most part I haven’t seen any leaks. We had a good day of work starting in the morning with my team working along side the Union College team on wheelchair accessible ramps for people’s houses. With country tunes blasting from our suburban speakers Shiloh and Agnes swung around the top compacting the dirt. We ran out of dirt right as the rain started so the timing was good. Jonathon was kind enough to feed us a hearty southern hot lunch at his gas station. The rain ruined our original afternoon plans but Yuka, Brian and I had the opportunity to go to the Waveland Boys and Girls Club. It was refreshing to work with kids who always have such interesting views of the world.

The other part of the team went art shopping with Greg and were really excited about the pieces they chose. I look forward to seeing Waveland and the gulf area represented in Moscow; it will be wonderful for the community to learn more about what has happned here. The “Chuckers” got a nice treat from Greg instead of our usual team meeting in the evening. He treated us to Dairy Queen and the thoughts shared around the concrete patio table were well worth the time.

I am proud to be a part of such a wonderful team. Some of my favorite memories have already been the bedtime readings of the team journal and the hilarious, exhausted moments before falling asleep. The interaction between team members shows me that our group trusts one another and have come to be friends. The work has been productive and although it doesn’t always seem to be the most relevant, we realize the significane of the jobs we volunteer for. I am looking forward to our last two days (tear), let’s make ‘em count!!

Shannon
“Chuckers” team leader

p.s. without Papa Greg, I would probably have stressed myself out from the start; so thanks for being such a great advisor!

So today, well yesterday and today mixed together, has been the longest day of my life. All of us going on this Spring Break trip met at the SUB @ 2am to catch the buses that were going to take us to Spokane so we could get on our flight to Seattle. I wasn’t aware of how tired I actaully was until I sat down on the bus, because I fell asleep immediately. Next thing I knew, we were in Spokane and it only felt like a millimeter of a second had gone by. I didn’t sleep much in the Spokane airport, but I did get a Oreo smoothie thing that was kinda like a McDonalds McFlurrie, except this one totally sucked. Once we got on the plane to fly to Seattle I again fell asleep immediately and woke up once we were at the gate @ the Seattle airport.

We had plenty of time to kill in the Seattle airport which wasn’t too fun for me since I’m from Seattle and I know the airport well enough I could find my way around with my eyes closed. I went to get

Ok well this is the first blog that I have ever written, so here goes…
The first day in Mississippi was only really half a day as we all slept in until after lunch as we has only got here at 6.30am after about 26 hours travelling. I wasn’t sure what to expect before I came and I guess I just expected the worst. I was pleasantly surprised to see that some progress has been made since the hurricane and that they were starting to rebuild, although there were only sporadic houses.

The second day we went to Rudy’s house, which was pretty much the only house left on one road down to the beach. It was tiring to clean up the yard but also rewarding that we cleaned up some of the mess that Katrina had brought. In the afternoon we painted the outside of the house. It was really good to see the progress that we made on the house.

On Tuesday, I went to the state park with a few other people from the group. When we first got there, we were showed pictures of what the park used to look like. It looked so beautiful and full of plants and now there were just bare trees. We cleared up around the old wave pool in the morning, which was sad to see as it had looked so nice before Katrina. Later that day, we raked up bits of trees, as new trees were falling down every day. It was sad to think that the park wouldn’t realistically be re-opened for at leats 5 years!

Yesterday, I went to help build a disabled ramp to a house in the morning. There was a large group from Nebraska helping there too so we helped them stomp it down and shovel dirt until the heavens poured open and we had to leave as there was no dirt left! After a wonderful lunch at Jonathan’s, (the guy who owned the local store), I went with Brandi and Molly to a boy’s and girl’s club. It was fun to meet the children and help them with their homework.

So far, I have really enjoyed working with and getting to know my team. Everyone has pitched in and got on so well. I am already sad that it is Thursday and only a couple of days left!! Ok that’s all for now. Helen.

Well…I spent my second consecutive birthday in Waveland Mississippi. These have been birthdays of special meaning and ones I will always remember. I have a great team again this year. Much different and more diverse than last year. We have three international students. One from France, one from Isle of Man, and one from Japan. They are alot of fun and really add to the richness of the experience. We have worked very well as a team and when we have to split up we have volunteers ready to help. I took the Team to several of the sites we worked last year. We spoke to one women who had just moved into a new home seven weeks ago. Last year our team had removed all of her faimilies personal belongs from her trailor, dumped them in a ditch and then completely demolished her trailor down to the frame. It was really inspiring to see the progress there family had made and that the University of Idaho had made a diffence to this family. We also went to the convenience store where the owner, Johnny, had basically adopted us last year. He invited all 33 of us over for lunch and yesterday we were able to go. He cooked us a wonderfull homecooked meal and shared pictures and stories with this year’s crew. The living conditions are better this years. There are thirteen of us in makeshift barracks. I even have a mattress. A backsaving feature for my 54 year old body. Yesterday I took several students to the two galleries that have reopened in Bay St. Louis. Main street Bay St. louis used to be lined with galleries. It was an artist community. Many of the artists lost everything the owned and have struggled to even get art supplies to continue there craft. We made three purchases and will be able to have them shipped back to the Commons for display as a part of our permanent collection. I plan to get the personal story of each artist’s struggle to survive and recover to put along side the artwork. Finallly, I just want to say what a privilage it is to advise this very special group of students. We are so blessed to have students with the quality of character that is in everyone of these young adults. I am very proud to have had the oportunity to eat, work, sleep and spend time with each and every one of them.