BILOXI UPDATE   12/01/05
 
Thanksgiving was a huge success.  We celebrated Thanksgiving and East Howard’s 100th birthday with over 100 volunteers serving approximately 1000 meals.  We had work crews from Iowa, Huntsville, AL, Clemson, SC, Charlotte, NC, NE AL, Meridian Springs, MS, and Bonita Springs, FL totaling about 700 man-days of effort.  Each of the teams divided their efforts into 3 parts:
1) The renovation of the church:  Our goal was to have the building able to support the ministries that the church focused on before Katrina--church services, Friday night community dinner, food pantry and clothing pantry.  Plus we wanted to leave a useable sleeping area, and men’s and women’s baths with hot showers, to support future work crews. 
2) The community:  Helping homeowners “gut” their homes, removing all furniture, cabinets, carpeting, walls, ceilings, hardwood flooring, etc. usually requiring about 30-40 man days each.
3) Evangelism/Relationship building in the community: This was done primarily by seeking out families who needed our help, then helping them.  If they were living in a tent, we provided camping supplies.  If they were waiting for a FEMA trailer, we helped prep the site for the trailer while meeting immediate needs.  If they were just receiving their trailer, we helped with kitchen provisions and linens.  If the family was trying to live in their house, then we helped improve their house by removing debris and tarping their roof. All this was done while sending folks who needed food, clothing or blankets to the church where these were being distributed.  Hundreds of families were provided for through the food and clothing pantry.  We also distributed over 100 bicycles that had been donated.
In summary, all of the short-term objectives were met.  The church is now able to operate as a church, a distribution center and as volunteer housing.  Many families were helped and are continuing to be helped, and many homes are being saved.
What’s next: 
1) The building:  The church is now the last non-casino building standing to the south and to the east on the point.  All of the electric power to operate the church is coming from the temporary electric pole.  So the next priority for the building is to replace all the electric panels, plugs, switches, wiring, etc. on the first floor and in the sanctuary.  An electric company is donating the materials, and we hope by mid-January to begin that task.  The exterior sanctuary walls and roof need to be replaced.  Both of these projects have been adopted and should be under way after Jan. 1st.  The rest of the building needs drywall, painting, etc., which will follow the completion of the electric.  There is no heat or AC in the building, and we will be better able to determine which, if any, of the AC units can be salvaged after the electric is completed.
2) The community:  Thousands of families, who have no insurance, and who must continue to pay mortgage payments on a house that is either gone or severely damaged, need our help.  This help will consist of meeting their present needs while helping rebuild their homes.  Different grants and FEMA money will be coming available, and we hope to provide as much volunteer labor as possible to maximize each dollar.
3) Evangelism/relationship building:  We just intend to continue loving and helping as many families as possible while giving Christ the glory.
Right after Katrina, all the newspapers and even the people were saying that “we must get our casinos back.  They are our only salvation.”  Now nearly every person we meet says, “If it wasn’t for the church…” There is a legacy being built in Biloxi.  The legacy is that thousands of Christians are volunteering their time and money, and it is Christ who is rebuilding Biloxi.