When something is plumb, it's lined up properly. In the context of a statewide mission endeavor, plumb means “straight for the Lord.”
In conjunction with that theme, this year's Impact Gulf Coast had church volunteer workers going on a 19-hour trip to Gautier and Pascagoula, Miss., to do volunteer construction on 28 homes. Three of the houses worked on were in partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
The trip was organized by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board's Terry Raines, who served as the on-site coordinator. Impact team leaders Brian Clabough and Caleb Jones from Virginia Tech, Dan Worley from James Madison University, and Daphne Almarode, a collegiate minister serving James Madison and Mary Baldwin College, provided leadership. The worship leader was Dana Jorgensen and the camp minister was Israel Cox.
During their trip, which lasted from June 23 to July 1, more than 250 youth from 16 Virginia Baptist churches nailed roofing shingles, painted and put up sheet rock to help repair Hurricane Katrina's awful damage. They worked in groups with cute names such as High Pitch, led by Donnie Gray; Shingler's List, led by Dean Vincent and Hope Medlin; Desperate Housepainters, led by Eddie Glass; and the Build Guild, led by Louie Cash and other groups and leaders. They put in hard work in hot weather, working from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m., breaking for lunch. Their goal was to help homeowners return to a more normal lifestyle.
Even now, a year after the hurricane blew through, it's really hard to fathom the extent of damage caused unless one has seen it first hand. Pictorial documentaries show the devastating destruction, but pictures can't begin to capture the scope of the devastation. Boats are still found in unlikely places far from water; homes and businesses need major repair or in some cases complete rebuilding; families are still displaced and scattered. A compelling photo from Biloxi shows a huge guitar standing in front of what used to be Hard Rock Cafe. The cafe is no longer there.
The mission workers were only to happy to apply their construction skills to the repair needs of homeowners. Those volunteering stayed at churches in Pascagoula or at First Baptist Church in Gautier. First Baptist Church had a lot going on during the Impact Team's stay. Workers were putting a roof on their building. Each day the roofers, day care workers and the children and parents arrived while the Impact Gulf Coast workers were leaving. It was a beehive of activity for a while.
For many the week of mission work was an emotional time. “One of the countless heartbreaking sights was the location where Sulphur Springs Baptist Church once stood,” said Terry Raines. “Now, hanging in a beautiful 100 year-old tree in front of where the church used to be, is one of the church's pews, all that is left of the church.”
The vivid visual reminders of the hurricane's fury motivated the Virginia volunteers. Robert and Nancy Greene from Suffolk were among those providing logistical help. They planned, transported supplies and equipment and generally applied themselves to whatever needed to be done. Nancy serves as the administrator for the Blackwater Baptist Association. In addition to their on-site work she and her husband, Robert, transported the Blackwater Baptist disaster relief trailer to the mission site. Afterward, they towed a shower trailer back to the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association.
Sharing equipment and resources makes the statewide network function more effectively. Watching the youth help others while growing in their faith is rewarding for the leaders.
Friday night, each team invited the families involved to dinner at the college nearby for a worship service for a family and team blessing. This proved to be a highlight of the trip as different family members tried to explain what the help had meant to them. They not only expressed gratitude for the construction done on their homes but for the relationships they had formed with the Impact Gulf Coast team members.
Recalling that service, Nancy Green said, “Some families gave testimonies. A young couple had evacuated and when they came home they knew the situation wouldn't be good when they saw a boat in the median strip. When that family got home, they opened the door and the storm surge had come all the way up in the house. They'd lost everything. Furniture had washed up to the wall. By that point while inspecting their home, the whole family was crying and they realized they'd have to stay with other people.”
The dad recalled that day with emotion and said that as he looked at the destroyed home, his small son looked up at him and said, “But Dad, we're all alright. We'll be okay.”
Like other Good Samaritan stories, a business called to adopt families in need. According to Greene, a business showed up to mud out the house and rebuild it.
“It's people like you from Impact Gulf Coast and businesses like that one who use their time and vacations to come down and help us who really give us hope,” said the grateful homeowner.