Biloxi Trip by Louise Gebel
[Jesus said] In this world you will have trouble. But take heart, I have overcome the world John 16:33.
As Jesus told His disciples they would have trouble in this world, so our group of 22 saw much trouble down in Biloxi, Miss. The destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina is almost incomprehensible. For miles and miles shells of buildings sit abandoned, the foundation all that remains of many. Enormous piles of debris were on the roadsides. It would be easy to succumb to despair, but we have God's assurance He is still in control. He has overcome the world.
God is working through people at The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (LCMS) and Bethel Lutheran Church (ELCA) to overcome the hurricane damage. These two churches have built a tent city (Camp Biloxi) that houses and feeds over 200 volunteers a day. They have also set up a free medical clinic and a distribution center. They have an empowering vision to use hurricane recovery efforts to spread the gospel message of hope and salvation in Jesus Christ.
For five days, we clean up volunteers from Our Redeemer called Camp Biloxi home. We joined 300 other people eager to serve and rebuild. The men in our group put up dry wall in a house, as well as doing electrical and plumbing work. The majority of us picked up debris and painted a house. A few hardy souls even signed up for morning kitchen duty in the camp. We met many local residents and were touched by their incredible stories and gratitude.
Our trip to Biloxi was definitively life changing; it gave each of us a whole new perspective. Now that we are back, we want to share our experiences so you may see how God is overcoming the world through our brothers and sisters in the Gulf Coast region. Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is planning return trips to Biloxi; contact DCE Kaja Heinecke at (319) 338-5626 if you would like to take part.
