Mission of Mercy

Max, Jim, Anand, Scott, Allen & I went on a Mission of Mercy on Sunday. Armed with a 15 passenger van full and a trailer full of baby diapers, formula, bottles, feeding accessories, baby food, feminine products, water, ice & hand sanitizer, we headed to Hattiesburg, MS, where Max lived for 2 years. We were directed to the Red Cross shelter, and unloaded our goods. After hearing on the way in the that surrounding counties were receiving little aid, we RE-PACKED our van & trailer, connected up with some students from Nebraska with another trailer-full, and headed north to Seminary, MS. The volunteer fire dept. there is being used as a distributing point for Covington County. They were still sorting things from an earlier shipment, and the 5 year old among us had the most energy. She would push past the older girls (10 & 12) to carry her own box of bottled water. it was impressive and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

the people of Fairfield Highlands UMC and Helena UMC are to be commended for their overwhelming response to this need and immediate response. Within 24 hours of this brainchild idea of Max's, both churches stepped up to the call, and met the need of their neighbors in MS.

The churches & individuals of Oneonta, Al - spearheaded by members of Max's home church, Lestor Memorial in Oneonta, MS, also repsonded in overwhelming grace. Sparked by the lack of action in New Orleans, a former Peace Corp member tired of sitting around, and charted a bus in Meridian, MS. The bus went to New Orleans, picked up 50 people, and brought them back to Oneonta. All of the city's churches have joined in in the effort to shelter, clothe, feed and educate their new neighbors. In fact, there was still room available in Oneonta, and at a shelter in Tuscaloosa at another UM church (where a former Lestor Memorial Associate Pastor is now serving) - - - so the bus went back, picked up ANOTHER bus, and they went BACK to new orleans. So now even more folks are re-building normal in Oneonta, AL.

The stories of grace and reception are overwhelming, and indeed, overwhelm the stories of crime and horror.