First Presbyterian Church

860.246.2224       136 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106     E-mail Us    

February 2010 Mission Trip

     First Presbyterian Continues to Move Gulf Coast Forward by George Blick

home

HARTFORD FEB. 2010

The recently concluded FPC Mission Trip to the Gulf Coast saw fifteen members and friends of the congregation embark on the fifth Katrina related trip sponsored by the church.  The group flew into New Orleans and moved on to its eventual base camp at Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, Mississippi after an overnight stay at the Mission on the Bay facility in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.  Camp Victor was an ideal spot for the work to be undertaken as the former garment factory has been reconfigured into a facility that can house and feed 200 volunteers at one time and also has ample space to stage and supply construction activities. 

Following a day of parade watching in New Orleans, Monday saw the group split into four sections.  Shirley Dudley and Carol Pajor were dispatched to help install kitchen cabinets and a new sink in the home of a senior citizen who has been washing his dishes in his bathtub since the storm.  The group eventually overcame myriad complications and the kitchen was nearly complete by the end of the week. 

Another group consisting of Sue and David Labins, Grant Spears, Marissa Cort, Akosua Adzenyah. and George Blick were assigned to work on a home in nearby Gautier.  The youth embarked on a nearly endless course of mudding and sanding the walls of a master bedroom, putting down additional flooring underlayment, and finishing up by priming most of the room.  The resident, a Gulf War veteran who had been struck down by colon cancer, has been forced to recover in his chilly living room while awaiting the arrival of workers to help redo his home.  Hopefully, his bedroom will be done by mid-March and the living room and kitchen shaped up shortly after that.

Two other groups were assigned to houses that needed laminate flooring installed as well as finish work on the bathrooms at one of the homes.  Karen Spears, Solana Gadson, Shannon Hopkins, Renee Aligata, and Carolyn Blick became well versed in the art of floor installation (and painful knees) as they finished room after room with a glossy, dark cherry wood material that required precision measuring, cutting, and fitting to achieve a great end result.  Shirley Dudley joined in on the bathroom fun and the group was able to mud, tape, sand, and primer/paint two powder rooms as well as see their resident's son move back into his bedroom.  At another house, Saundra Spinelli and Juliana Mantey were also churning out the flooring work as the ladies finished a whole house worth of laminate.

Tuesday was a day to take in the Mardi Gras festivities back in the Crescent City.  Only in New Orleans can you ride in on the highway behind a parade float with the crew dressed up as doctors in hard hats getting ready to build everyone some health care.  We parked and found a spot on the barricades as we awaited the Zulu Pleasure and Assistance Krewe's lively parade.  After a slow start, we were all weighted down with beads and even Zulu coconuts as five of the youths managed to snag the most sought after Mardi Gras prize.  We then watched as the Rex parade rolled through Canal Street and then retired to the French Quarter for a dinner of local cuisine at the Gumbo Shop.  The following evening was a bit more somber as we headed over to Gulfport to participate in Westminster Church's Ash Wednesday service which was followed by a fun visit to the local Sonic for drinks and desserts.  Our eating adventures continued the next evening at the Shed BBQ as we made our annual pilgrimage to sample the smokey, saucy meats and delicious side dishes amidst the funky decor.

Many thanks to this year's participants who again paid their way, gave up vacation time, and really expended a great effort on tasks that they were unfamiliar with at the start of the week in getting four families in eastern Mississippi further along toward a brighter future.  Many thanks as well to the congregation who continue to lavishly support the missionaries' efforts, efforts that will continue on for at least a few more years as the Gulf Coast continues to rebuild.  We hope to be able to add your name to the over 100 volunteers who have served under the FPC banner next year!

George Blick (along with his wife Carolyn pictured above left) are Youth Group leaders. Each mission trip he handles logistics.  Thanks to their commitment and dedication our youth and adults get the experience of going on a mission trip.

Home