Church group returns from mission trip to Gulf Coast
Eight people from Wesley United Methodist Church in Georgetown spent a week in February working in Biloxi, Miss., helping some people rebuild their homes.
Working through the East Biloxi Coordination, Redevelopment and Relief Center, the Georgetown parishioners were connected with Ken Wetzel of the Biloxi Christian Church and the New Life Church. Wetzel and the relief center organize volunteer efforts to help people in Biloxi and Gulfport restore their homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
The Wesley group worked on three different homes in the Biloxi/Gulfport area. One of the homes needed the exterior shingles primed and painted.
When the painting was finished, the house looked as good as new, but one look inside showed a different story. Inside there were bare walls, a toilet and shower but no sink, and no furniture.
One of the family members is battling cancer, so all the family’s resources and time are directed to that. Not much is left for rebuilding the house.
In another house the repairs were nearly finished inside and out. The Wesley group caulked, painted and finished up a plumbing repair on the tub.
The family greatly appreciated the help. Family members had tried to do all the repairs themselves, but the years of work had taken a toll financially and emotionally.
The third home parishioners worked on had been flooded to the top of the doors. All the drywall, windows and doors had to be replaced, along with everything else that had been in the house.
The Wesley group helped clean the house and lot, hung drywall, finished it and primed it. The group was able to purchase three doors for the homeowner from funds Wesley Church members had donated.
Two of the doors were hung before the group left. The house looked much better after the group had spent four days there. The homeowner fixed shrimp and chicken gumbo for the group one evening for dinner to show his appreciation. His family has lived in the area for many generations, and the house had been owned by his father and grandfather.
This is the second year Wesley has had a Volunteer in Mission trip go to Biloxi. The first trip was just a year ago, and members could see real progress from last year to this year. There were more people and many more businesses either being built or opened since the group was there last year.
