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Return Trip to the Gulf Coast

Easter in Ocean Springs

March 23, 2008
- Melanie

It’s our first morning in Ocean Springs. Though it was a little colder than I expected, I went for a jog down along the beach—a morning ritual a few girlfriends and I started while on the trip last year.

Today is Easter, and in the spirit of rebirth I decided to visit a site I worked on on last year’s trip.

Just a block off the beach, the house stood no chance against the winds and floodwaters Katrina brought in. It was completely destroyed. When we were assigned to clear the lot last year, we arrived to find a twisted mess of brush, bricks, and scattered household decor: meagre indications that a home once existed where we stood.

In just a day and a half, we cleared the lot and sorted the trash and brush into piles for pickup. It was so rewarding to leave the site knowing we made a difference. The lot was clear, ready and waiting for a home to occupy it once again.

I don’t know much about the process of building a home, and I’m especially not aware of the laws and regulations in Mississippi. In my mind, however, I imagined that the year would bring progress. I envisioned a brand-new house on the lot, with a freshly landscaped yard, maybe with cars in the driveway and toys out back… When I rounded the corner and jogged to a stop at the site this morning, though, I saw the exact opposite.

The lot had grown over. The brush and brambles are back. The entire plot is a jumbled mess. There is no house, no yard, and no car.

Where is the rebirth? Do our efforts down here even matter? How could such hard work go to waste?

Disheartened, I finished my jog back to camp.

As I walked the hallway to my dorm room, I spotted the mural our group left on the wall last year. Next to my name, I’d written the most important message I took away from my work last year: “Work big picture: ALWAYS.”

Seeing those words again, I regained my hope. I’d forgotten what I learned from last year’s mission, that though your work may seem small and meaningless, it does make a difference.

Every bit of effort down here helps, though we may not understand it or see the results immediately. We have to work for the big picture, the long-term growth and rebuilding, and it has to happen one small piece at a time.

Women Working

March 25, 2008
- Rachel

Yesterday my crew was working with the city’s public works department. They set us up with reflective vests, a set of cones and the task of repainting the sea wall.

It was a hard detail, I have to tell you. Although it was a little cool at first, pretty soon it was a sunny day with a light wind coming off the bay. Just to our left was the new bridge arching up over the Biloxi Bay toward that city. Only one lane is open going each way for about another month, but everyone I ask about it is quick to tell me to come down at night—it has lights both on the bridge and reflecting down at the water and they tell me it’s lovely.

It’s also a very visible sign of recovery in a place where other things are more incremental.

As we worked yesterday, people would slow down as they eased by our painting crew. Some would roll down their window and ask where we were from. A number of them thanked us. We got a few “God Bless You's” as well. And then one man stopped next to me and asked, “Where are the men?” in reference to our Men Working sign and my efficient crew of eight young women.

I have been leading Habitat for Humanity trips for about eight years now and with 15 male students in this group of 47 we are at an all-time high for male student participation. And that’s great, but it is also having an interesting effect on our group. I am finding that we are all following pretty traditional gender roles, whether it’s intentional or not.

Typically, our group might have one or two male students and so the female students jump in and do any number of the jobs on the construction site. I think it sometimes surprises both the supervisor and the student because in a construction setting more times than not we will turn to the male rather than the female no matter who has more skills. Because of our more balanced group this year we’ve been more intentional about making sure that we keep challenging the gender roles and changing society’s (and our own) expectations about who is good at what.

And as for my Women Only crew…when we got back from our lunch break today a Public Works truck pulled up and out hopped two guys with our new safety sign: "WOMEN Working."