Oh! I Get It!

This is my fourth trip to the Gulf Coast and every one has had several "Oh! I Get It!" moments. My first trip, I learned how to hang soffit (and what soffit is) and how to hang and finish drywall. If you've never done this, trust me...there are lots of "I Get It" moments. My second trip, I learned how to do drywall so you only have to sand once. Sanding drywall is a miserable experience so this was a GREAT "I Get It"moment. The third and fourth trips had theirs as well as I learned tricks to laying laminate flooring easier, how to hang door, and other little tidbits. But to steal a concept from the camp coordinators, those are things you learn from the tasks on these trips.

What is just as important are the things you learn from the mission of these trips. The healing of hearts as well as homes.

I knew there was a storm. Everyone knows the name, "Katrina". But coming down here for the first time one of the landmarks I used to help get around (there were no street signs) was a boarded up house on 20+ foot stilts - the house itself was another 12 feet or so up to the roof. It was boarded up because the house - the ENTIRE house - was under water during the storm. Surely the owners thought this was hurricane proof - and to their credit, the structure survived the worst Katrina could throw at it, however the storm still flooded it. A year after the storm, there wasn't much else around to see until you walk around and find empty lot after empty lot where the houses USED to be. Half a mile of empty beach where there used to be conference centers and homes. Seeing this was a huge "Oh! I Get It!" - the devastation was total.

I knew there was a need. My second year, I could still use that house on stilts for a landmark because a year later it was still there. A little more weathered, but otherwise untouched. And there were still no new homes within site of the camp where we stayed. More than two years after the storm and not a single building, other than the temporary one known to us as Camp Gulfside was even started. Is there need now, five years later? You bet. Reflecting on this provided me with a big "Oh! I Get It!" moment.

I knew there would be fellowship. We work hard and we have fun here. On my second trip, I went with John Newcomer and Craig Mosier. By the time we were headed home, John just introduced us as his sons and we whined, "Are we there yet?!?!" while in the car. Why? Because it was fun. And last night I was witness to the loudest, most outrageous, entertaining, and fun game of Yahtzee I have ever seen. I wasn't even playing and it was a blast. Fellowship is a huge part of these trips - they have to be as you are going to be very, very close to your team for some quite a long time - but the degree and speed with which a team forms is amazing to experience.

But the biggest "I Get It!" moment is when I met homeowners. One of the most popular bible readings during devotions on these trips is the parable of the sheep and the goats. When asked when his faithful followers has provided him food or clothing or drink or companionship, he replies, "what you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." and it's a great passage. But Jesus uses a very worldly definition for "least". I've gotten to hear the stories of what these people endured and how they are coping with it. I've worked on the home of a retired lady who spent her days driving people to doctor appointments and delivering food to people. She had everything in her home destroyed, as well has the business she owned and operated, and she spent her days helping others.
This week, I've worked on the home of a single mother with six children who has a full time job and STILL has found the energy to work on getting her bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. These people have endured the loss of every physical thing they owned and come out the other end fighting and striving and succeeding. Yet when they walk into their house and breath, "I have walls" it melts the heart. I'm humbled by what they have done and the stories they tell.

I don't think I fully get it yet, but I'm trying.

Jeffrey Hoyt