Arrival in Mississippi - Day 5

We were awakened this morning with a "warm" wake-up call from Jordan. It took a lot of effort to leave such a comfortable bed and get on a bus for another 6 hours. We were provided with a continental breakfast at the hotel, had a group devotion before leaving and then we were back on the road.

On the bus ride we watched an influential film called "The Visitor," which involved the struggles of immigrant families and depicts the lifestyle of thousands of immigrants in the USA. After several hours, we stopped to eat lunch in Alabama where a few of us ate at the Burger King and others at Subway. Most of the local residents were curious as to where our group came from and we took the opportunity to let them know about Voices of Youth and what our mission is. Once we got back on the road, we played a few games on the bus and continued to get acquainted with the youth around us.


At most of the rest areas, the youth have thrown the frisbee in addition to just stretching their legs as well to help get out a little energy while we are stopped.

We made it to Heritage UMC in Mississippi around 4:15. When we arrived, we checked out the facilities and got situated in our rooms. The rooms in the building we are using are equipped with bunk-beds that can sleep 4-10 people. The bathrooms are also very spacious and private. We are extremely thankful because the accommodations are great for a place that is used almost everyday by workers coming to the area to help with the recovery effort.

A few minutes after arriving and getting settled in we met several of the Virginia District Superintendents that have come to work with us. We also had the opportunity to introduce ourselves to them, which was a awesome because some of the youth had never met their District Superintendents (DS). Now that they've met their DS, they will also have the chance to work hand-in-hand with them in the coming week.

As we prepared to leave Heritage UMC for dinner, we went outside and soon were struck with the humidity and heat of Mississippi. Tom took us around Mississippi and showed us the damages that Hurricane Katrina had on the city and we were able to see some of the buildings that have been "recovered" while other lots only a foundation remaining.


(Please excuse the blurry picture as it was taken while the bus was moving)

We ate dinner together with the District Superintendents at the Seashore Assembly Center. Tom even found himself working in the back, helping with dishes and being a great role model for the youth in what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in any and all situations.


Afterward, we went together with the District Superintendents to the Hurricane Katrina memorial in Biloxi, MS. It was incredible to see how high the water had risen when it was at its peak. Tom told us that there were parts where the water reached 20-feet.

At the memorial, there was also a sculpture of personal items collected from victims of the hurricane. Most of these were very treasured to the families such as crucifixes and other family heirlooms.

When we arrived back at Heritage, we had a devotional time along with the cabinet members that was led by Jenny's family group. We sang "Our God is an Awesome God" and talked about fearing God but also trusting in Him that he can heal and repair that which has been damaged and destroyed. Immediately following the devotional time, we had a rehearsal. We started working on memorizing our music and had difficulties singing because we were in such a hot room without much air conditioning.

David practiced playing his recorder solo and with the group during the song "In Christ Alone." After little practice in the last few days and being a bit overheated, it was quite challenging but we gave it our best.

Great are the rewards for those who persevere because Sandra had ice cream and sundae toppings ready for when we returned from rehearsal. After the delicious treat, we had some family group time and played a few games.

Later in the evening, we had a discussion about what to expect tomorrow at the work site and how our meals are going to work. We are all looking forward to getting to work and are anxious to see what exactly will need to be done. We are all very excited to help fulfill our theme for this year when we Recover, Rebuild and Revive!

Until Tomorrow,

-David and Jordan, Voices of Youth-