When we first went to Mississippi in 2005, Mark Ebert (Moravian Volunteer Coordinator) told us that the Moravian Church would be active in Katrina relief for at least seven years. It is hard to keep up enthusiasm for support in relief for such a long time. Friedland is preparing to send its sixth team to Mississippi on November 5th. The trash on the sides of the road that we encountered on our first trip is now gone. Destroyed homes and businesses have been removed so things look back to normal, but they are not. Many families have not returned home because housing is in short supply and therefore very expensive. Homes that were flooded look okay, but they are not ready for occupancy. Many people are holding on and making house payments on homes that they hope will be repaired. Vacant lots offer a clue to the problem. The Moravian church has bought a house that was flooded and repaired it Now, work teams have a place to stay. This trip we will be working on Habitat housing rather than home repair because a large grant was given, land was donated, foundations were, poured and materials are on site. We do not know at what stage the houses will be because groups work for a week continuing where the previous team stopped. We hope, in the future, to return to the development where the Moravian home is and repair homes there. Our group this time will be for the most part a veteran group. The number beside their name represents the number of times they have been. They are: Scott Brent 5, Sarah Brent 3, Linley Parnell 4, Loretta Parnell 4, Craig Smith 2, Larry Fagge 2, Joe Phipps 1, Joyce Phipps 1, Bill Flippin 1, Bryan Polk 0 , Anh Nghiem 0 As we prepare for our sixth trip, we once again ask for your prayers and financial support. |