The Aftermath

It's Sunday and Rita is mostly out of the news....except for the clean-up. At church today we found out that the second load of supplies is now leaving for Lake Shore Baptist Church in Mississippi. My son had established an "online" relationship with the pastor well before Katrina hit....and saw the devastation on his website blog, "elbourne.org". Just go look at the pictures and read the stories! Our pastor is planning to take the next load sometime next week....then several others are planning a long weekend trip Oct. 15-17. THAT'S WHEN I GET TO GO!!! The ladies are going to go and see what we can do to help the women organize the basics of life. You would think they no longer need basics (toothpaste, etc)...but they do! We are still collecting the following supplies and would love for you to join us in giving to these dear people:
Bottled Water/jugs of water
bleach for purifying the water
suntan lotion
bug spray or wipes
Purell pumps and individual packets
toothbrushes
toothpaste
Hair brushes/combs
Men and women's disposable shavers
Deodorant
soap
feminine products
wash cloths
towels
baby wipes
diapers
Batteries
pillows
ziploc bags/gallon for dividing supplies
Gator-aide powdered
baby food
packaged meats/cold cuts
peanut butter
jelly
Vienna sausage
Spam
Tylenol
Band-Aids
alcohol
hydrogen peroxide

We are led to believe (by the media) that FEMA is helping....but the red tape is miles long (one form is 60 pages long!)...and in order to receive a trailer to live in you must already have electricity, water & sewage! We are talking.....these people are living in TENTS in their front yards!! Water, electricity and sewage would be like having a mansion! So, as you are able, please join us in reaching out to them in any way you can!

CNN featured Lakeshore MS Tuesday night in a piece called “Forgotten Town.” Gary Tuchman narrates:

You’ve probably never heard of the tiny town of Lakeshore Mississippi, but you are unlikely to forget about it now; because no place was hit harder by hurricane Katrina. The homes in this coastal town have simply been blown away. Block after block of nothingness. Piles of rubble covering the memories of family lives…

People from here are still missing. Prayers for them are being offered behind a steeple that was recovered from a decimated church.

Tuchman interviews a few folks and shows just a small glimpse of the devastation. The camera pans across some of the destruction and then to our blue tarp make-shift shelter and our salvaged steeple. You can watch the video on the CNN web site.

"Just Another Day in Paradise"

Any time I email Tiffany to tell her that we need to meet at the mall because I miss them she replies with some neat photo (like the ones I've posted here) and says something like, "Just another day in paradise"....with a note about how we need to move there!

Alaska Cruise

Did I tell you that my parents took me on a cruise to Alaska in August?? Ohhhhh....what beauty! I had no idea it was so magnificent!

Katrina-Rita

While you are hunkering down (wherever you are!) awaiting the arrival of Rita...enjoy my grandkids pictured here in the "Garden of the Gods"! They now live in Colorado....and I miss them dearly!

Katrina HELP

As many of you know, our church has begun sending supplies to a small church in Mississippi...just across the border from New Orleans...that was hit hard by Katrina. Every church member (except one) lost their home and all of their belongings. At the present time they are camping out in tents on their home property. (see www.elbourne.org for photos) They do not want to leave, they do not have hotels to go to, they do not have stores to purchase supplies, and they are not getting FEMA or Red Cross help because they live in the country. (they are 5 miles from the beach). If you wish to send help in the form of any kind of supplies (from gasoline to shampoo!) please email me and we will find a way to connect before our church truck heads their way. We will all Thank You!!!

Greetings from The Georgia White House News!

We have given in to peer pressure (or family pressure!) and have finally created our own blog! I hope you will enjoy and will RESPOND by clicking "comments" which will be located somewhere on this site! We are doing this in order to hear from YOU and see what's going on in your life too!
Enjoy~ Ann (& Chandler too...but I doubt he will be participating much....we'll see!)