Dec 31 Gulf Coast Trip

Wow. That's all I have to say about today's experience. Today was the first day everyone went to the "disater area" (and my first experience). As we were traveling there was a place where 8 roads were together and our vans were the only vans on the roads. A very strange feeling for a major interstate highway. Then we hit the area. Fishing boats, turned over coach buses, smashed homes all along the side of the road. The devestation was incredible. The smell was hirendous. There were trash piles about 20 feet high all over the roads. All I can say is Wow.

Today we split into three groups. 2 worked on gutting homes and one big group worked on repairing a church building that was 15 feet under water and was covered with up to 8 feet of mud at one point. We were rebuilding and adding the outside walls of the church. The area was completly diserted. We did not see one person around the church during the day.

A very cool experience was lunch today. We ate at a diaster relief center run by some authentic "hippies". It was a neat experience. There were people that were there who had just got to their homes for the first time in 4 months. It was neat to see people all working together to help out. Both the relief workers and the people there for food, clothes, etc were very appreciative of the work we were doing. Some of the relief workers from the lunch place wanted to come and work at the church so hopefully we'll see them soon here.

Tonight we celebrated New Years alittle early by going out to eat at some restruants. It was a good time. We get to sleep in tomorrow (8am) because of morning worship and then we will go to New Orleans to the French Quarter for lunch and looking around the city.

Have a happy and safe New Years!!!