Upon arriving in Biloxi and working there throughout the week, so many sights were incomparable to anything my eyes had ever beheld, and the astonishment of the devastation left me unsure whether to cry or be joyful that now was the season of recovery, and even more, a season of humanity. With such a great need for help and supplies and human labor, so much room is made for people to come together, not because of creed but rather need and love. In my life I have never met more humble, grateful people, fully aware of their being at the mercy of God.

I was able to service several homes and families by cutting down and hauling away damaged trees. Just as we showed up at one lady's house, before any work had even been done, words of appreciation and thanks poured out of her smiling mouth. Residents didn't care whether we got the job done or even did anything at all. What was most significant and emotional for them was the recognition that they were important, they mattered, and strangers from all over desired to embrace them and help them back on their feet. Strangers cared enough to hear their stories.

Boy did they have stories to tell! Some told exactly what happened minute by minute through the storm, while others told of the plight of their friends, seemingly unaware that they themselves had lost everything. It was stories like these that truly helped me see God's grace through this disaster. No matter what harm has been done to me or in my life there are always others struggling more than I that need my help and encouragement. It is in remembering that we are the body and thus the hands of Christ that compels us as a group and me individually to reach out beyond grief for His greater glory. As stated on the billboards we saw, we will not be defeated. We will rebuild, we will come together, we will be stronger.

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