Eight Days of Hope is a non-denomination group of individuals who are working to make a difference in the lives of those so severely affected by Hurricane Katrina. This is the second trip for this organization to the Bay St Louis and Waveland Mississippi area since December 10, 2005. This was the idea of a man in Buffalo, NY by way of a telephone call to his son in Mississippi. The Holy Spirit inspired the planning and motivated the hearts of those who have participated in both sessions.
This trip was from May 28 through June 3 2006. Eleven Hundred and forty (1140) people gave of their time and energy to assist those who have had little or no insurance reimbursement for their homes. The following was used during the week:
4150 pieces of sheetrock/drywall was installed |
700 squares of shingles were laid |
15 homes were completely rewired due to flood damage |
25 additional homes had some type of electrical work done |
Hundreds of rolls of insulation were installed |
More than 80 homes had extensive carpentry work |
Homes were gutted and cleaned with Clorox for black mold |
17 homes were primed and painted |
Daily work was started with prayer with many of the home owners in the prayer circle and working side by side with the volunteers. At the conclusion of each home project many of the groups placed drawing of their hands on walls of clo
sets with names and scripture verses. We used Joshua 1:9, for encouragement and as a reminder that God is with us regardless of where we are or the circumstances. Many home owners stated they would never cover up the hands.
We had the opportunity to serve a lady who is caring for her 92-year-old mother, an 83-year-old aunt who is mentally challenged and four of the aunt’s mentally retarded adult children. Two of the three homes were completely destroyed and the group is rebuilding in the 
shell of the one remaining home. As we all worked together, God’s presence could to felt and seen in the eyes of those trusting adult children.
One evening as we sat looking as the ocean, a couple stopped us and related that because so many had come to help with the rebuilding, they were encouraged to stay and help themselves. Life is beginning to return to the area. It was good to see and hear birds and to see lights in homes that in December were completely nothing but a shell of a house. The one thing that remains missing is the children.
As often happens, those who go to serve come back as the ones who feel blessed. We had the opportunity to return to the home of Muriel, a lady we worked for in December. She is now back in her own home and grateful to be out of her FEMA trailer. FEMA trailers are the marks of nature’s destruction, and bright orange and yellow shirts on God’s people are a sign of God’s hands and feet at work.
Thank you for assisting us in the travel expenses for this mission project.
