Al's Journal.... 11/25/06

November 25, 2006
We thought the holidays would be really sad, but Thanksgiving was actually a good day. In fact, I would rate it pretty high. I missed my children and grandchildren, of course, but our volunteer family was wonderful to celebrate with. It was a rather odd Thanksgiving day because we worked. The teams that were here had come for Michigan, Illinois and Tennessee and they wanted to make their time count. I worked a short day with the hope of watching a football game, which seemed the cultural thing to do. While I was working, the "man of the house" was watching the game in his FEMA trailer. His Thanksgiving day activity was the only thing I saw that resembled my cultural concept. As I sat in my truck eating my lunch I observed the neighborhood. This is a poor, black neighborhood in Biloxi. Seeing how they relaxed on a holiday gave me a great appreciation for Alden Ave. There are no nice porches with nice furniture or even nice yards. There is trash everywhere and construction debris. One man was sitting on the edge of his porch floor beer can in hand and another guy was lying in the sun on the sidewalk. The family I was working for was sitting in the car port on broken chairs munching potato chips from a bag they passed while watching two little boys play with trucks. Dad was inside watching the game as I mentioned. All in all it seemed a rather meager existence. I asked about their Thanksgiving dinner. They weren’t having one. It would be too hard fixing dinner in the trailer. Maybe they could go out, she hoped.
That evening, the teams had dinner together at the usual time, but there was nothing usual about the dinner. Anitarae had arranged the tables by families ( the teams) and had decorated each table … her forte’. There were tablecloths, flower arrangements, which she had made heerself, and of course candles. It was very pretty and the teams were surprised and appreciative. Rosemary, our cook, prepared the feast and it had everything you would expect and more. The pie table was so tempting that some didn’t resist choosing their dessert first. As the eating was concluding, Dee, our director’s wife, called for testimonies of thanksgiving and that’s when the celebration kicked in. These were people who had given up family time and vacation time and the comforts of home on a holiday to drive miles and miles and spend their own money to come to a mess and try to bring help and hope. They testified to their love for God and the blessings He had given them. One man told how he had accepted Christ four years ago and how Jesus had helped him become free from addictions that were bringing him down. A woman told how she had come for selfish reasons. She didn’t want to spend another Thanksgiving with family who always drank until there was brawling. She had prayed that God would give her an opportunity to spend Thanksgiving in another way that would be meaningful. One told of how he had been impacted by the need he saw while being here working and how thankful he was to be able to reach out and help. The spirit of the testimonies was uplifting and a real time of giving thanks to our God.
It’s Saturday morning and it’s a beautiful day here in Mississippi. A new RV has arrived this morning and it brings a family who chose to sell their house and go on the road for a year to serve wherever God would lead them. There are three elementary school age children are undoubtedly getting a great education. I’m anxious to hear more of their story and get to know this adventuresome couple. Right now I should go and try to reorganize the tool shed which is surely a mess after a week of work. Later we may go out on a shrimp boat.