Mission to Mississippi Days Two and Three

I won't be writing much tonight and, unfortunately, my part of the trip is going to be cut short because I learned tonight that my grandfather passed away today. I'm flying home tomorrow night to go to the funeral.

The weather has been superb and, though we're all sore, tired, and itching because of the bugs that keep after us, I think all will agree it has been well worth the trip. I spent some of the day on the roof, putting shingles up and also part of the day putting a new lattice around the foundation of Miss Ethel's home.

I've realized that it will take decades for this area to fully recover. So much to do. We drove down to the gulf (if you look at Hwy 90 along the Miss. southern border, you'll see where we drove) and parts are like a ghost town. You can see slats where houses where, swimming pools, torn down trees, but nothing else. Some homes have rebuilt, but those are nicer homes with folks who could probably afford to do so.

I've also been struck by how nice everyone is. You hear about southern hospitality, but I've been experiencing it first-hand. Today I had to call the electric company to ask them to shut off Miss Ethel's power so we could work on the roof (the line was in our way) and even the customer service rep was nice.

It's hard for me to collect my thoughts right now. So much to take in and now thinking about my grandfather and preparing the eulogy for his funeral Saturday. God is good, though, and I have been blessed.