Homeless

Wow. What an adventure. I’m now in the fourth trailer I’ve had in five days. Trailer #1 was when I left New Orleans and went to the Gulfport camp to one of the many empty trailers in the Gulfport camp (PDA headquarters)...Then I slept on the floor of a church in Meridian Mississippi (ok, not really a trailer), then I had a trailer set up on the parking lot of the same church (I slept there two nights in a row) then this morning we returned to Gulfport and a different trailer here where I think I’ll be for a while at least. Based on the understanding that all plans are subject to change, especially considering Hurricane Hannah and then Ike. The staff jokes that we're looking forward to the "W" hurricane because they've pre-determined it will be named Wilf. Our Logistics Manager is named Wilf. That one will be a pussycat of a hurricane if it's anything like my friend Wilf.

I am so happy to be back on-line. Now I don’t know where to start.

I guess this means it will be a three-part book now. I had the perfect ending for it, too. I just have to trust that the new ending God intends to write will be even better. When I started this book I wrote a little sticky note on my laptop that said “God, this is your story. How do you want me to tell it?” Apparently God wasn’t finished talking.

I’m not finished, either, and I have a lot of things to say and questions to ask when I meet God face to face. But, by then, as I am promised, I will understand. I just try to be content to leave the conversation unfinished for now.

Basics: the plan now is to sit tight here until we get more info and permission to enter Houma and Pearlington. Everyone feels sure NOLA is OK but we haven’t actually eyeballed it yet. Our top priority will be Houma to get Kevin back up.

We have also heard the news that his mother’s house is OK. That’s a big weight off his mind. And a neighbor has salvaged some things from Kevin’s house that Kevin says will make a huge difference. The biggest problem after Katrina was leaving things in the mud for so long. If you can get the clothes washed soon enough they will be fine but if you wait too long there’s no salvaging them.

Our focus for now will be getting dining tents and sleeping tents back up and ready for the volunteers scheduled to show up on a couple of weeks. I would imagine my camp in New Orleans will be OK with minimal work needed especially compared to Houma and Pearlington. I hear that Houma had more of the storm than any other camp. We assume this means more damage.

OH!! I forgot to mention my new roommate. I can’t remember her name and she’s hiding under the bed for now but I’m sure we’ll get along great once she stops being scared of me. It’s a gray cat that belongs to the village manager at Pearlington. Her owner was home on leave during the evacuation. Jeremy the worksite mgr at P’ton took her with him but Jeremy also has a dog. So, with going back to the camp not being in the best shape and everything so up in the air, Jeremy asked if I would take her. So us two homeless chicks, swept from pillar to post for the past few days will bond for a while.

That’s enough news for now. More tomorrow. I’m just glad to be still for a while.

Thank you, daughter for all your words. I wouldn't trust my blog with just anyone. You did a great job. I probably didn't tell you the times I called to ask you to post was just to talk to you because I was a little scared. Sometimes the world can get too big for me too.