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