[Wylde-Tremonti]

I spent the past week in the Gulfport/Biloxi area doing Volunteer work trying to help people who's homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. A group from my church left Monday July 24th and were on the road for 14 hours driving from Belleville IL to Gulfport MS. There were 19 of us in a rented Mini Van, My Pastors 91 GMC Suburban and his 04 Excursion. we Stayed at Camp Biloxi at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. They house relief workers and volunteers and give them worksites where people need help. I'll just give a quick run through of our week...

On tuesday we all started to paint this nice lady's house. Her House was completely ruined in the hurricane but was still standing... the inside was almost completely rebuilt by volunteers and all it needs now is electricity... I spent most of the day up on a latter painting the top of her wood siding.

On wednesday we split up our group and 12 people went to a house and teared down a fence and cleaned up this woman's yard which was only a few blocks away from the beach. She owned a House and right next to it was her Business (she owned a nail salon) the House was completely washed away (she now lives in the back of her salon)... the rest of us stayed and worked on Painting the other house. Again I was on a latter the whole day painting... haha (needless to say my back was a little sore)

on thursday 6 of our group stayed back at camp and worked there doing camp maintenence and cooking meals for volunteers.
a group also went and started to build this handicap ramp at a house that needed it badly. I, again, stayed and helped paint (apparently I'm a really good painter!!! lol)

on friday I went with a group that started out early... we went to continue work on the handicap ramp at 7 in the morning... a few hours into working there we found that the other group would be tearing down 2 sheds in the back of a person's yard and needed some more help so myself and another worker volunteered to go to that site... we got to use wrecking bars and sledge hammers to start demolishing these sheds... but most of the work was cleaning out all the stuff that was inside them.

Saturday was our last day working... One group finished demolishing the sheds and were done by around one... I stayed with a group of about 6 and finished working on the Handicap ramp... we worked from 7 in the morning to 8:30 at night. I worked non stop the whole time with only a few water breaks and a break for lunch. It was Draining, to say the least, but we had to finish it that day.

On sunday we went to church, and then went to dauphin Island in Alabama and went to the beach for the day. we Went to the Dauphin Island bakery for lunch(I had the Best Almond/carmel cinnamin roll I've ever had there!!!) and went to this AMAZING Mexican resturant for supper! There Hot wings ROCKED!

Yesterday we drove another 14-15 hours back home and we arrived at 10 at night. It was Another Amazing Experience with some Amazing People... and it was All To God's Glory!
Go in Peace To Love And Serve the Lord.
Thanks Be to God.
-Matt

PS- I'll Post Pictures as soon as I get them Developed!