Thank you for the memories Bay St. Louis! By Beth Plummer

FROM Center for Spiritual Living Habitat for Humanity Volunteer Beth Plummer

I'd been to Mississippi with the CSL group of Habitat for Humanity for the 2 previous years, and when Tim Brincefield proposed a third trip I was eager to go again. Each of the previous trips had been a deeply touching and thoroughly fun experience and I knew this year would be no different. The worst part is waiting for the day to arrive! But as we grow older time spins faster so it was barely any time at all before we were on the plane headed for New Orleans. Thanks to Tim's brilliant choreography and Spirit's divine guidance the group and all our gear (think about packing for a week, and then adding a tool belt and tools) gathered at Lagniappe that evening, ready for the week ahead. Lagniappe-the word is creole and means 'a little extra'- is the brain child of a local man who was called to move back to the area after Katrina and begin serving his community.

Lagniappe offers dorm style accommodations to groups coming to work in the area. We had a brief orientation that included our duties for the week (KP, bathroom and grounds clean-up) and the rules, such as 'do not try to alter our buildings'. The rules all have a history, and apparently one fellow decided the large metal building that served as church/dining hall/gathering place/etc. 'could use another door about right here' and fired up his sawzall...

Day one on the build with Habitat was a bit different this year. Usually the Habitat crew has numbered and stacked the lumber needed to build the walls and we set to work knocking those together. This year we shared a site with a group from South Carolina who had previously assembled the walls in a parking lot and then shipped them down (called 'a house in a box'), so we started by taking those chunks and putting them in place. It was an amazingly fast process and by lunch of the first day the walls were up and we were sheathing. Sheathing is the process of nailing on the outer plywood, and in hurricane zones the nails are 4 inches apart around the edge of the sheet and every 6 inches down each stud in the interior of the sheet. That's a lot of nails.

There is a style and rhythm to a group endeavor of any sort, and one of the best things about these Mississippi trips is watching that unfold. The crew that we worked with were the same group we've had in previous years and they are wonderfully patient and helpful. By the end of the first day we had, despite the extremely cramped workspace, the wonderful moist heat, and the general confusion of a new build, managed to erect all the walls and most of the roof trusses. We also had the pleasure to meet and work with the delightful young couple who are the future homeowners, and hear their story. Everyone affected by Katrina has a story and it's such a pleasure to be a part of making at least one story have a better conclusion. That is, for me, the best reason to go.

And a great reason to go back- this year we found the house that we had built last year and stopped in to see Brittany. She welcomed us with a huge grin and showed us around her beautiful home. That gave the tear ducts a workout.

By the end of the week we had a house. Along the way we had bonded with each other and the homeowners, managed to avoid major injury, collected a lot of wonderful memories (and bug bites), eaten some really good local food, and acquired a feeling of having done...something. For me there are times when 'something' just means "some thing", and there are times when it escalates to another level. I guess you could say it acquires Lagniappe.

Thank you for the memories Bay St. Louis!

Beth Plummer

Thank you Bay St. Louis... from Sue Soller

FROM Center for Spiritual Living Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, SUE SOLLER:

In the time leading up to both of the Mississippi trips I have attended, I have found myself getting overwhelmed by life in preparation of taking a week off from the busy pace of life. As I prepare, I wonder “what was I thinking…...I can’t possibly go away for a whole week!

What I have found, however, once I actually got on the plane and arrive in Bay St. Louis is quite the opposite. The people here are so grateful that we come, and are such a great demonstration of community, and as a result I find myself immersed in an attitude of gratitude that my life allows me the freedom and resources to help others. I enjoy meeting the homeowners, learning about home-building, and giving back to such a grateful community.

Our CSL group is always full of wonderful, helpful spirits and the added gift of these trips is getting to know more of my CSL community. I come home more energized than I do after any other vacation. As long as I can manage it, I will participate in these trips for Habitat.

Thank you for creating the opportunity!

Hope all is well with you!

Sue Soller

Inspiring

As usual, a week on a Blitz build has left me energized and inspired. I look froward to seeing our beloved partners in Bay St. Louis, this June, both the Habitat peeps and our homeowners to be Richard and Laura. It is always a pleasure to work with the Bay St Louis Habitat affiliate. I always come back froma trip to the Gulf Coast, fully inspired. I have started a new project for 2010. I am creating a family re-union/build for June 2010. I am looking at Minnesota as I have an Aunt and Uncle up there and it will serve as a cooler climate for some of the little ones my cousin's have. This last year, Minnesota did have some tough times with all the flooding up there. As the idea developed this last weekend, it seemed like the perfect destination.

Thank you to all of you for being a part of the continued journey!!!!

Philanthropic Developer out of Atlanta helps keep H4H afloat with a 100 million dollar donation

Excerpts:

Donation from Atlanta developer will help build 60,000 homes around globe...

The donation comes from J. Ronald Terwilliger of Atlanta, a former chief executive of housing developer Trammell Crow Residential Co. and a longtime member of Habitat's board of directors.

Terwilliger said through his work with Habitat and in the private sector he's witnessed the depths of poverty, seeing people living in cardboard shacks and unspeakable filth, as well as the struggle for middle-class families to find affordable housing.

"People need a decent, safe, clean residence where they can get a good night's sleep and families can be together," he said. "If they have that as an anchor, they have a way to send their kids off to school regularly and a better chance those children will be healthy."

For full article, go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30745762/

Seattle Habitat for Humanity Blog via the PI

Seattle Habitat for Humanity joined us on this blitz. Read Vince's blog entries for the PI http://home.comcast.net/~vinces99/site/?/blog/&PHPSESSID=c36b2c45d7219590c9c3272836985c9c
Cheers,
Vince

"With Passion" ... Construction Manager, Mark Scott

And off the top of his head Mark Scott the Construction Manager wrote:
""With passion pray. With passion, work With passion, make love. With
passion eat and drink, dance and play. Why look like a dead fish in
this ocean of God?"- Rumi
and with passion, build this Habitat Home! Thanks for your spiritual
passion, I hope we see each other many more times."

Come Again! Says H4H Bay-Waveland

"Thanks once again for bringing down such a great team of volunteers.
There are certain repeat groups that we always look forward to working
with and CSL is definitely one of those. Thank you for supporting our
affiliate and for the gift you have helped make possible for Richard and
Laura! Come again! Erica Painter" [Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland]

Big Thanks from home owner to be Richard

"Thank you, thank you thank you. There are no words to express my
gratitude for all you have done for us. It means so much to me and
Laura. I don't know what we would have done without this. You've
given us more than a house, you've given us a great new start to our
life. PS: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Richard
Kidd" [homeowner-to-be]

"Speechless" from home owner to be Laura

"I don't know how to thank you and your crew. I am speechless. Y'all
are so generous and kind. I have fallen in love with each and every one
of you. Y'all are so much fun and I hope you know how much Richard and
me appreciate all the hard sweaty work. Thank you and love, Laura Kidd
[homeowner-to-be]
PS: This has been unbelievable and amazing and I am glad to have worked
with you."

Thank you Bay St. Louis

Here is to Laura and Richard, Bay St. Louis Habitat for Humanity and all who made our trip from Seattle a wonderfully successful one!

Come back and visit our site for much more; including photos, video and stories.

Peace,
CSL Seattle