Saturday's Trip

Our time in Mississippi was amazing.  We received a few dozen thanks, a couple of hugs, and more than one teary eye for our efforts.  We were very surprised to see that so many families are living in tents or under tarps in their yards, next to their flooded homes.  With all the shelters that are open in the area, we did not expect that. 

We handed each family a Family Care Package, full of toiletries, books, pens and paper, a Bible, snacks, candy, gum, Band-Aids, wet wipes, and more.  We gave babies a Baby Care Package with toiletries and a baby toy and bottles and a bib; and we gave each child a Kid's Care Package with activity toys in it. 

We saw a lot of aid in the area.  Churches' parking lots were full of boxes of food and items to get; trash bags of clothing were in store parking lots; FEMA had an occasional set-up. 

When we drove through the main street, we thought, "Well, they don't really need us, with all the aid that's everywhere."  But then we drove into the neighborhoods, where people are living in or next to their damaged homes.  The people we met did not have transportation out, to go get the available aid.  Their cars, if they had them, were flooded.

The boxes, full of items that would give the families a bit of comfort for a while, were a good thing to give, but I noticed that the people of Mississippi needed something even more than our donations:  they needed a listening ear. 

We were happy to give them that. 

Thank you all so much for supporting us in this, with your donations and your prayers.  We are going to Mississippi at least twice weekly, until we are no longer needed.

Go to http://www.SurvivedKatrina.org , our new website, for new photos of our trip to Mississippi. 

Lori Seaborg

4:10 PM - Sep. 14, 2005 - post comment