Reflections and alignment of our hearts in Pass Christian

by Bill Morgan

Sunday: Mike appeals to the hearts of our brothers and sisters by asking for help unloading our truck at 6:30 am, before morning chapel service. A few people think that Mike is putting them on, yet a few actually step up. One of them is Dan Moreno. He comes with us to unload and we begin to connect with a brother from a San Antonio, Texas church, with a heart of gold. We discover he is with a group of two other adults and a youth group. The group is in danger of not being able to serve as they had planned, due to age restrictions at another work site. Mike welcomes them to serve with us and it becomes a blessing for everyone involved. We return to Lagniappe in time for service and communion. We finish the day in fellowship at Edie's with some fine pizza that Mike ordered a week in advance.

Monday: We meet at the gate and begin to exchange names. Mike immediately offers to write them down...with a sharpie - on our shirts! We travel to Lee's home ready and willing to transform it. Shawn and Christy ask about her story and how we became involved. Mike described a heartfelt story which sinks into the heart of every man, woman and child in the room. He casts the vision of what our effort means to Lee. As a result, we are energized and ready to give our all to be a part of this blessing. By days end, everyone has had a chance to catch and absorb the magnitude of the impact this effort will have in Lee’s life. We meet with Gayla and Jim of Mercy Housing and are blessed with some of Loretta’s fine cookin'.

Tuesday: We decide to get an earlier start after our Beatitudes devotion and take some extra time for devotion...on the shores of the Gulf. Mike plops down in the sand and begins making sand angels, and immediately becomes a hit with the kids. He opens his Bible and shares passages from Isaiah from a study he has recently completed, which have had an impact on him. He opens with a question of what does this passage mean to us? We each take turns reflecting on his words. John rephrases the question and invites the kids to share their answers. We proceed to the house and tackle the work ahead. Dan D shows his ingenuity in restoring life to an old Weber grill. I joke and say that if things don't work out for him at his current job, I know someone at Weber who would hire him. Edie and Nelia continue to do a remarkable job painting the walls up to the 6' mark - as far as they can reach! Everyone continues to build friendships that we will take into His glory. That evening, we have dinner on the beach with Chipper McDermott, the Mayor of Pass Christian. Chipper paints a picture of the devastation that Katrina left and the struggles on all levels. He also explains how the community has worked to where they are today and what still needs to be done. We are all blessed by the events of the day.

Wednesday: We begin the day with prayer, the Sermon on the Mount devotion, and homemade grits - Mike's favorite. We realize that even with our efforts we are falling behind schedule and we need to pick up our pace. Devotions are done at Lee’s home as we slowly install our materials. Mike talks about what Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria have meant in his walk, where he has been, and where he is currently feeling lead. We are invited to lunch with the “Baabtists” and we welcome Frank who has recently arrived. We work long and hard to get back on schedule. In the early evening a storm rolls in and we discover that not everyone is familiar with the term "caulk n walk”. As a result, we discover problems with our predecessors’ work. This dilemma puts a damper on us but Dan pulls us together by helping us to refocus on what we're here for and what needs to be accomplished before we leave. John, Shawn and I stay late to catch up. John shares some of his testimony with us. Dan and Mike are warmly welcomed with the plates they bring back for us to feast on.

Thursday: We say goodbye to John and get a dialect refresher from Mike on how to properly pronounce "Baabtists". Today is the last day we have the kids from Hope Church with us and they really work hard. Christy blesses us with lunch from Lagniappe as Shawn and I finally finish the floor. We leave a special blessing on the bottom of the last board we put into place and shoot the final nails together. Dan invites the group to Sonic to bless the kids with ice cream. Upon our return and almost everyone crashes except for those of us who are midnight evangelists in the group: Christy, Dan, Shawn and I. In addition, there is a kid from Glenbrook who is seeking, that we share scripture with.

Friday: I feel incomplete without the whole of the group. I muddle through the day finishing cabinetry installations and we get as far as we can before preparing for the home dedication. We meet many fine people and share wonderful fellowship with them. Mike and Nina present awards, which capture our growth and bloopers of the week. Once dinner has settled and the porch has grown calm, Dan, Frank, Mike, Les and I share in a vision of future projects and Dan opens his heart to us.

"We came to serve and found ourselves being served."

 

Compassion Cottages, Inc. funds are handled through the Barrington Area Development Council (BADC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  For more information contact us at info@compassioncottages.org

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