All eighteen of us are now at Bethel. This morning Ann and I returned to New Orleans to pick up Sue and Tor at the airport, and tdrohen we went to worship at St. John #5. We were joined there by Melodie, Scott and Gretchen, and then we went for coffee in the French Quarter and from there through the lower ninth ward and St. Bernard Parish on our way out of town. The coffee place is nice (we went there three mornings during our time in New Orleans) but part of the reason for going there is to keep in mind that that French Quarter area, with no obvious signs that a hurricane ever happened, is only a short drive from the 7th or the 9th Ward, where the damage is so extensive. In those neighborhoods, as in areas of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the damage looks like a front-page or a lead story for the evening news, 22 months in.

Scott, Gretchen, Connor, Bill, Isaac, Melodie, Dave, and Stacey went this morning to worship with Patricia at Main Street Missionary Baptist Church in Biloxi, then returned to worship at Bethel (for the record, that made three different worship services in one day for Melodie, Scott and Gretchen).

Tomorrow morning four will stay and take another turn working in the kitchen (after having prepared wonderful breakfast and dinner today) and the rest will go for a first day at a home site in East Biloxi, not far from David and Patricia's house We look forward to seeing Judy Bultman on Tuesday (she is on a speaking visit in suburban Chicago) and to checking in soon with Bill. - Pastor Glen