Finishing Up

Installing the Kitchen Sink

The guys are prepping the kitchen sink for installation. It will be nice not to have to wash the dishes in the bathroom sink! All Tom needs to complete his kitchen is a stove top and over the range microwave. Tom is very frugal and always waits for the sales and closeouts. He'll be watching closely because he is expecting his FEMA trailer to be picked up in about a month.

Replacing Soffit & Installing a Door

It's the final day and one of Tom's concerns was little critters getting into the house once he started having food in the kitchen. So Dennis and Tom went to work to seal up the house. Before the storm Tom had a Florida room attached to the back of the house. The water tore off the room and the soffit. They replaced that soffit and also installed a door to the laundry room. You can see the opening to the right of Tom in the picture. Foam was tacked up over the opening where a door had once been. The new door will help to make Tom's home more secure. He never wanted to be gone for any great length of time because it was to easy for someone to gain entry to his home. Now Tom is excited about getting his laundry room fixed up. He's making plans for our next trip down!

Some Sights Around Biloxi

The Beach
The beach is a 3 block walk from Tom's house. This beach extends for 28 miles along the coast. You can see two of the casinos in the background.

Katrina Memorial

The Memorial was built by "Extreme Home Makeover"

Flowers at the Katrina Memorial

Praying for Tom

We are asking you to be praying for Tom. He has some serious health issues that need to be taken care of. He has no insurance and there are no longer any grants available to help Katrina victims. He had hoped to get a job that provided insurance but his health is preventing him from working. His only recourse is to apply for disability and receive Medicaid. He will need to go to a doctor to have his health issues verified. He has set aside some money to be able to do that. Tom has some reluctance in doing this as he really had hoped to be able to go back to work. Tom was a boat captain, but was unable to renew his license because of his health. Pray Tom will take the steps necessary to get the health care he needs. Also pray the process will not be drawn out too long. There is a noticeable difference in Tom's health since our last trip down here. Thank you for partnering with us in the gospel and disaster relief work.
"In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" Phillippians 1:3-6

Sunday Afternoon Drive

The Bayou at Bay St Louis

Crossing the Bayou.
These natural waterways wind through the Bayou and take you to the bay.

You still see washed up boats and cement slabs where houses once were. Notice the trees in the background. Whole subdivisions have grown up into woods to the point you cannot recognize that it was once a subdivision.


New homes along the coast are required to be built on stilts. This is just a single home that was once in a thriving subdivision along the bayou in Bay St Louis.

From the Kitchen to the Plumbing

Some of Tom's plumbing lines were filled with rust, sand and gunk from the hurricane. This part of the line hasn't been used since the hurricane, but to get Tom's sink in they needed to be cleaned out. The guys borrowed a plumbing snake from a friend and ran it through the pipes and it didn't work for all the pipes. So that required a maul to break up the cement and dig up some of the pipes. Then they had to clean out the vent from the roof. Tom was grinning from ear to ear when the water ran freely from the kitchen. Now they have to replace some of the plumbing pipes for the washing machine and things will be back in working order.

Two Working Fellows

The weather has warmed up and we are enjoying the 70's! Dennis and Tom finished installing the crown and valance on the kitchen cabinets.These are the before and after pictures. As you can see it is two happy fellows to have the job done. Tom appreciates the help as he was unable to do the work by himself and it is very difficult to get help for small jobs in Biloxi because of the commercial and new home construction. Everyone is very busy. And what did I do while the work was going on? I found the beach. It is only a 3 block walk and the day was beautiful. To the left of the boat you can see the top of a sunken sail boat. I have also been enjoying the flowers, unusual plants and the live oaks.



These trees are so amazing and they survive the hurricane so well. The live oak is my example of a life rooted and secure in Jesus and coming through the difficult storms of life.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

May you endure with grace every storm that comes into your life!

Getting Started

Today has been a chilly day but we are looking forward to warmer weather before the end of the week. The work was a little slow in getting started today for two reasons. First, Tom has not been feeling well and he was in quite a bit of pain today. Tom has needed medical care for a while but has not had any insurance or the finances since the hurricane. Also, a few decisions needed to be made about installing the counter top and that required a trip to Lowe's and to a metal shop for a piece of stainless steel to be installed behind the stove top. Lunch was here before work actually was started in the kitchen.

And that trip to Lowe's..................... was made in Tom's street rod in the picture. He has built this cotton picking truck twice. Once before the hurricane and once after the hurricane.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5,6

In another translation "bringing glory to God" is described as "the life of Jesus on display in us". May Jesus be displayed in each of our lives!

Back to Mississippi

Two years ago we went to Biloxi, Mississippi as volunteers with Samaritans Purse to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. At that time we met Tom and helped build a shed to store construction items for restoring his house. We remained in contact with Tom as different volunteers helped rebuild his home. Last January we returned to Biloxi to help Tom install his kitchen cabinets and a wood floor in his living room. Now Tom needs to be out of his FEMA Trailer in February. So we plan to go down this January to help him install Kitchen counters and finish up all the necessary things so he can move into his house.

Tom and his pal "Midnight"