A Time to Build Up

Wednesday, February 28th, 2007

“A time to build up” Eccl 3:3
 

This scripture reference is on a lot of store fronts around here.  There is a lot of building going on for sure.  Today, riding along Hwy 90, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of debris that still covers empty lots where houses once stood.  All up and down the coast there are machines and people working to build up that which was torn down.  There is a sense of urgency and at the same time some hesitancy.  One of the Redeemer parishioners told me that she had not unpacked the last six boxes of stuff that she had saved from the water.  We talked about why she was reluctant to unpack them.  With a bit of an embarrassed smile she said “once they are all unpacked I will know for sure that what is not here was lost.  As long as they are packed I can still imagine that I saved some particular item.”  We talked for awhile about the finality of knowing and the difficulty in going on with life after such loss and grief.  She wondered if the boxes were in fact allowing her to stay with the disaster and not move on with her life.   A couple of weeks later in the Sunday morning Eucharist I heard this in the prayers of the people, “I offer thanksgivings for empty boxes”.  I looked up and she was smiling broadly.  It is indeed a time to build up.

It has been awhile since I have written.  No, I have not been on vacation, although, the weather has been stellar so it has felt that way.  We have been working on our new Parish House.  The youth/adult group from Epiphany, Winchester finished the painting for us.  They spent most of the week working in Bay St Louis.  I will let those folks tell their own story, but I will say that they were phenomenal.  The gnats were way more than annoying and the accommodations left a bit to be desired, but the energy and the passion of the group did not flag.  They erected a Quonset (sp?) hut, perhaps 2 (I missed their last two days).  For Mardi Gras we went to a parade in BSL that was pretty small, but we all had a great time.  They also came over to Biloxi and shared the Ash Wednesday Eucharist with us.  We all gathered after at my house for a “Lenten Meal” (gumbo, pizza, salad, and cookies).  All in all a great week for both Epiphany and Redeemer.

Our PH is pictured at www.flickr.com (contact = janebbearden).  There are lots of other pictures there also.  Some from today are of some modular houses in Pass Christian (pronounced chris’/chee/ann).   These houses come in sections and are assembled on site.  That is no small feat as they are assembled 18ft in the air.  The FEMA guidelines for building in that area call for 18ft.  In addition, the pilings on which the structure sits are either these HUGE wooden pilings or cinder blocks, reinforced with steel and poured concrete.  The foundation adds $20,000 to the cost of the home.  I suspect that you can predict the next issue…  how does someone in a wheelchair get in the house?  Elevator of course – which adds another $8,000 to the cost.  

One effort underway is finding funds to support these building projects.  Low income home owners often need financial counseling in order to get and to keep their home.  Frequently, they would have been able to afford a replacement mortgage, but with the new building codes there is a gap in their available funding.  Enter ERD and others.  Gap money comes in grants from individuals and from institutions like ERD and is used to buy down the mortgage to a reasonable level for the homeowner.  Many of these loans are forgiven if the owner does not sell for ten years.  All of this is income dependent.  The help is going to those who need it the most.  The smiles on the faces of the families who have just moved from a FEMA trailer into their new home are the greatest reward.  Check out a website called STEPS.  It is an interfaith coalition that is a great model for what we could do in Massachusetts.  These guys are organized!

Parish life moves on too.  We are in the midst of Lenten Study, youth group spring activities, choosing SS curriculum and all of the rest of the stuff that makes parish life so great.  The Red Sox tied the Twins tonight.  I caught the last couple of innings.  That is my connection to New England when all else fails.  I love my team.  One of my 5th graders came into SS with a Red Sox hat.  We grow ‘em up right down here!

I pray for my brothers and sisters in Massachusetts daily and hope you do the same for me.
 
Blessings on you Lenten journey,

Jane+