Last week I was a part of four people from our church and sixty-one people from three Iowa Presbyteries to travel to Pearlington, Mississippi, along the Gulf Coast,and to New Orleans on a Mission Trip to help folks rebuild. Our team did recovery work in conjunction with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance at the PDA Volunteer Village in the small, unincorporated town of Pearlington, just east of New Orleans.
The team stayed in a camp-like setting that encouraged community among various groups from all around the country. Team members shared responsibilities, like cleanup and meal preparation, while at the camp. They spent their days on worksites throughout the town, toiling alongside the homeowners, doing whatever needed to be done. We tried to help the homeowners a little further in their journey and perhaps get them into a new home. The Presbyterian way is to give a hand up, not a hand out.
As the many reports will attest, faith-based organizations have been paramount in the recovery process along the Gulf Coast. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance has been running several Volunteer Villages in the area since shortly after Katrina struck and is committed to this cause for five years. As mone friend put it, "A team of caring folks from a church in Iowa won't move mountains while we are there, but we will send a clear message to the survivors. We will bring them encouragement, hope and Christian love. We are going to make sure they know that we have not forgotten them."
And we did just that. It was a rewarding week. Praise the Lord!
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