Pearlington, Mississippi - hard-hit by Katrina in 2005

Check your calendars for the dates below to see if you can join us:
Presidents' Day Weekend, February 13-16
Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-25
Labor Day Weekend, September 4-7

The cost of each trip is $75 per adult, $35 for each youth accompanied by an adult. You will need to provide your own transportation or let me know if you need to carpool (and help the driver pay for gas). Any money left after paying for lodging at the church, meals, and building materials will go to purchase flooring and doors for Terry and Rita Breshears. Any donations to help purchase flooring or doors for Terry and Rita would be greatly appreciated. They are purchasing all of their materials from Lowe's and greatly appreciate gift cards. After living in FEMA accommodations for 3 1/2 years, they are out of money.

In February, we will be working on the parsonage - preparing damage left by Gustav. We hope to get it ready for a group from Whitesburg Academy to stay there Spring Break. In February, we will stay at the First Southern Baptist Church and sleep on air mattresses and cots (bring twin sheets, blankets, pillow and towels). Depending on what materials we can purchase prior to February 13, we hope to work on Terry and Rita's house. They have laminate flooring installed in their master bedroom and living room (donated by a church in Pearlington). They will need interior doors and trim installed in these two rooms (as well as the rest of the house). Rita hopes to purchase some tile for the kitchen and the entryway by the front door this week. I am sending her a $600 gift card to Lowe's from money that I have managed to scrape up here and there. She also hopes to use the money to purchase carpet for the other bedrooms with this money. They need framing built under the house so that a concrete pad can be poured. They are having trouble with two sets of french doors that leak. The original contractor (they had 3 builders take money and then skip town) installed the french doors, saw that they were leaking and boarded them up. A church group has donated $5000 to purchase Lowe's kitchen cabinets or materials to install cabinets (Rob?). Let's see how far we can make that $5000 stretch. They were told that the house does not appear to be sitting properly on the pilings in the front and back of the house and is sagging. A volunteer group is looking at that.

Carl and Donata Gipson are also still in need of kitchen cabinets.

Please prayerfully consider joining us for our February 13-16 trip. We would love to have you join us.

Mark your Calendars - Possible Future Dates:

If you are interested in participating in any of these trips, please email jbjohnsonhome@comcast.net.

May 26-29 – This is Memorial Day weekend, and school is out in Huntsville. Leave Friday morning 6:00 a.m., stay in the bunk houses on the field at the Distribution Center (or in your own tents), depart Monday May 29, Jennifer Johnson coordinator

Please let me know ASAP if you plan to join us on this trip. I do have spaces reserved at the Bunk Houses at the Distribution Center. I need to let them know the exact number of volunteers that are coming down. These are the people who have told me so far that they are going:

June 26-30– John Long from the Madison Baptist Association will be taking a group of Ukranians from Pennsylvania. Several Willowbrook members plan to go with them. We will be framing a house for George and Margaret Ladner among other construction work. Staying at First Southern Baptist Church, Presbyterian Camp, and in bunk houses at the Distribution Center. More details to come.

July 15-22 – Madison Baptist Association, under the guidance of Rob Peavy and Ron Lynch, will send a crew of about 50-75 people down there to roof some houses among other things as well as do Vacation Bible School. We will continue working on George and Margaret Ladner’s house as well. One group will do VBS in the morning and then do construction work in the afternoon. Another group will be doing construction work all day. Staying at First Southern Baptist Church, Presbyterian Camp, and in bunk houses at the Distribution Center. More details to come.

August 29 – It has been suggested that we have a celebration here in Huntsville (a shrimp or crawfish boil) of all that has occurred since Katrina hit and how the people have not been kept down.

September 1-4 – Depart Friday, September 1, 6:00 a.m., stay at the First Southern Baptist Church, return Monday, Sept. 4; Jennifer Johnson coordinator

October 9-13 – Doug Merchant will lead a team down during Fall break. Staying at the First Southern Baptist Church. More details to come.