February Group Completes Four Weeks

This is the February group ready to head off to work. We enjoyed each one and will miss the three couples who left this weekend. It was great meeting old friends and also making new ones.

Tuesday after work we had a two hour river and marsh tour. Although it was a bit early in the season we did see some small alligators and numerous birds to add to our birding list.

Our guide grew up in the area and was well informed about life in the bayou. He took us along the Pascagoula River and several bayous which were all linked. We were all confused where we were but he knew his way about pointing out alligator dens, bird nests, trees and plants.



Wednesday evening we had a farewell supper honouring the couples who were leaving the group. We had camp-iron pies (bush pies), hotdogs, salads and banana boats. The evening was mild and much more pleasant than our welcome wiener roast at the beginning of the month.



Work has been progressing well at Shun and Shiela's home. Verna, Irene and Annette painting the high walls of the Kitchen/Family room.

Don and Charlotte have been on their knees alot doing all the ceramic tile in this home. Ceramic tile make a durable floor covering for this humid climate and sandy environment.

Doreen and Al put up fans and light fixtures on the high ceiling.

Shun and Sheila have been living with her mother for the last five plus years and are looking forward to having their own place again. He had been renovating their home when Hurricane Katrina hit. Sheila suffers from a work related back injury and is not able to work.

Our First Week at Mr. Shun's Home

Bert, our director allowed the women to take Monday off for some "shopping therapy" and bonding because he needed to get this new project started before his whole crew would be there. It is quite a beehive of activity when fourteen people all work in one house.
Some of the guys had removed the old siding last week and started off Monday with the house wrap.

The weather was just great this week with sunshine and temperatures near 20 degrees C. Spending all day outside made for some sunburned necks.

By the time our work week ended on Thursday about half the siding was done.

Jim completed the stairs from the great room making life easier moving about the house.

With a large crew we worked on indoor jobs like painting trim, doors and walls, ceramic floor tile and laminate flooring, and texturing a ceiling. When we left on Thursday Mr. Shun was amazed at how much we got done and how well we worked together.

The great weather encouraged us to explore two different nature trails besides doing a coastal drive.

This is the scenic Highway 90 running along the Gulf of Mexico all the way through Mississippi. We enjoy the leisurely 45 mph speed limit here compared to the rat race of the I-10. Many empty building lots, mangled live oaks and for sale signs show the effects of the last hurricane.

Completion of Mr. Leroy's House

Another week has gone by, so it's time to give you an update again. MDS works here under International Relief and Development (IRD) who choose the clients and supply the materials.

This photo was taken two weeks ago still showing where the siding was replaced due to water damage. Mr. Leroy shared how he and his wife had survived the flood water by waiting in their flooded van for twelve hours to be rescued.

The exterior painting is finally done in a bright cheerful yellow picked by the owner.

Jim prepares trim boards for stain and varnish.

The painting crew, Georgia, Irene and Annette happy to be nearing the end of this project.

Those window panes won't stay clean long with Luke the friendly Rotweiler putting his nose up against the glass. It was a challenge painting the back of the house with Luke's affectionate nudges to get your attention.

Jim examines a sculpture at a Katrina memorial park in Biloxi made out of the remains of a damaged live oak tree.

Another stop in our Sunday outing was at the new Biloxi Bay Bridge. Hurricane Katrina having destroyed their previous bridge.

Annette admires a portion of the long curved mosaic at the base of the bridge. We marvelled at the beauty of the ceramic artwork featuring gulf coast scenes.

A Week of Extremes

The old and new crew of Mennonite Disaster Service here at Ocean Springs, MS had a get acquainted evening by having a wiener roast Sunday evening at the campground Pavilion. Jake and Verna directed this site for the first four months and now Bert and Doreen are taking the lead for the next two months. We are all Manitobans except for one couple from Saskatchewan.

Our week started out mild which allowed us to have our coffee breaks and lunches outdoors. Since the home we are working on is in Pascagoula about a half hour drive east along I-10 we take bag lunches.

Much of the work left to finish Leroy and Linda's house is painting the exterior. When we started Monday conditions were great, but by Wednesday we had to bundle up.

There is an eatery with lots of character next door to our campground. The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint is not a fancy place, it's an experience. We as a group went there to dine??? (with plastic plates and cutlery) on Thursday evening. This Southern barbeque joint serves up great ribs, pulled pork, sausage and chicken in a very unique atmosphere.

The front doors to this award winning establishment.

The ceiling was adorned with rope lighting and personalized by patrons one dollar bills stuck to the ceiling with plastic forks and much grafitti.