Merry Christmas! from me and the other Young Adult Volunteers.

Picture of PDA staff members

Ninjas are very wise and deadly! We all know they're deadly, but not everyone knows how wise they really are. Maybe those who've spent time getting to know ninjas never live long enough to tell anyone how wise they really are!? Well, now we have technology and the internet. So, we can learn of their wisdom in the comfort and safety of our homes and not have to fear dying because of our close proximity to the ninja(s). Who knows when a ninja might get bored and suddenly fell like killing someone? Ya, know! Become wise to the ways of the ninja (without fear of death), visit:

www.askaninja.com

When I arrived in Buffalo, NY on the 19th of Nov. it snowed that night. Now I'm back in Biloxi. It's the 27th of Nov., and the airconditioner is on! I was moving tree stumps to the firepit to use as seats today. I was sweating my butt off. I can't believe how drastically different the climate is here.

Have you heard of UFC (Ultimate Fighting Competition)? Well, something interesting happened to me today concerning this. I was at the Atlanta airport during my layover and I guy asked me to watch his stuff (i know you're not supposed to do that, but i did it). Anyway, he comes back and thanks me, shakes my hand, and tells me his name. Ok, no big deal. Then he asks, "Do you watch any fights on tv?" And I said, "Yeah, like UFC?" Then the guy shows me a few videos of fights he has on his laptop. I realize that it's him in the fights!

So, this guy is training to become an ultimate fighter. He's just come back from a fight in Brazil (he won). And has traveled other places to fight too. He also faught/sparred with Tito Ortez in college. And his trainer fights on UFC. Now he's going to Biloxi to condition with his trainer until his next fight. In the next year or so he's going to be on "Ultimate Fighter", the series on Spike Tv that is about guys competing for a title with the UFC. Pretty cool!

Well, that's not all. Marcus doesn't know the area and doesn't know anyone in the area yet. So, he gave me the address to the gym where they train and told me to come by and hang out, even train with them (obviously not at their level, and he said I wouldn't be sparring either). So, I invited him to 25 cent beer night at Slippery Nick's on Wednesday. He should be there. Man, of all the people to meet at the airport.

Mmmm, pumkin pie!! PIE! (look out for the walrus!)

Just finished dinner. It's 2:08. Waiting for the pumkin pie. Can't wait much longer. Then it's off to dinner #2 at Walker's. It's at 4. Then it's off to the pool hall. It's our tradition. Been going on for years now. I think even before I got my first car. Hmmm, I've had like 8 cars, so that means this has to be 8 years or more that we've been going to the pool hall on Thanksgiving. After dinner at my house and Walker's house, one needs a break from family. Hence the reason for such an ongoing tradition. We will always have family and therefore always need sloice at the pool hall.

This is Captain. He's a kitten at our volunteer village. He keeps me company sometimes at night. He noticed the shutter in my camera go off and came to further inspect it. And I got a cool pic out of it. Cats are such curious creatures.

stupid tagboard. i had to remove it. i want another one. one of these days. i'm still improving my knowledge of HTML but it's limited to begin with. i just need to take the time to learn it. i know i can. i have a general understanding of...anyway, enough random nonsense.

we're leaving shortly from houghton. it's going to be a nice drive. i like road-trips with friends.i haven't done anything like this in awhile. i needed this break. i keep saying it but it's so true. it's been going great. i hope this keeps up.

i'm really enjoying this break. i slept in today. i didn't have volunteers constantly asking questions. i had no responsibility what so ever really. it was a nice change of pace.

i had dinner in the cafeteria. it was good. i enjoyed talking to walker and ashley's friends. i never had the whole college experience...living in dorms, hanging out in the lounge. being around people mostly only your age. it would be so easy to make so many new friends. there's so much to do. walker and i played raquetball. it was my first time. so obviously he beat me ever time. the first three times was by alot. but the last game ended at 17-15. and i had a huge lead in the beginning but i blew it. it was so much fun. i need more exercise and physical activity.

being here really makes me want to go back to college. i'm 25. and i wonder about being too old to go back. but that wouldn't stop me really. it might just make me feel awkward. but that doesn't take much to do.

andy and chris are hopefully coming to chill at walker and ashley's apartment/dorm.

I'm in Houghton!! It's really the middle of nowhere. I'd show you a picture but no picture is almost as descriptive. There's a gas station (I missed it the first time we passed it) and a Subway next to it (I missed that too b/c it's in a house, like, a home).

Walker, Ashley, and Kerry picked me up from the airport in Buffalo. We went to Niagra Falls in Canada. It was fun. We went to the Hard Rock Cafe and got a drink. Then we went to Boston Pizza (in Canada, eh?) and got a pizza and I had a few more cold ones. It was really good to unwind and chill with good friends.

Has anyone noticed the severe t-storms we're getting here in MS? It's been raining like crazy. The road by our volunteer village is flooded. And I was driving down the highway and the median was flooded almost to the level of the highway. And we saw a truck in the median, under water.

Things are looking up. Walker and I chatted for awhile. It's been good to keep in touch with him. And my email is finally working. Thank God. I've been stranded without it. Also, Joe called me the other day. It was a suprise. After loosing my cellphone I wondered if I'd ever connect with people back home. I'm going home for thanksgiving!! Visiting Walker and Ash first at Houghton (and Andy). Then on the 21st we drive to albany. can't wait. i miss everyone. wish I could see you all. why can't the olson's have a thanksgiving party where everyone gets together at their place. it seems my only chance to see you all is at the annual christmas party when EVERYONE goes. oh well.

related news: uhhhh. yeah. more volunteers. more work. more less sleep. more less...huh. i suprise myself sometimes. anywho, i gotta get ready for the group coming back to camp. oh wait, here's something. i'm playin' holdem with a few guys tommorow. $5 buy-in, with rebuys. and the pastor of the church is playin' too. he's a cool guy. i hope to show them some of my skills, or lack there of. it all depends on the cards...hehe, right.

It's one of those days. It's my day off and I don't know what to do with myself. Well, I know what I'd like to do but I'm afraid of doing it. I feel like it's about time I got over it and just took the risk. Yet, there's something good going on and I don't want to ruin it. I always ruin it....I need to go pray about it.

Our group of 93 has almost finished their first day of work. Some of them are working fast and will need more soon. Others are getting things organized still (materials, skilled helpers) and will be in full swing by tommorow. I finally caught a break, so I'm reading Sabbath and thought I'd blog a bit.

I am amazed at how God has been working here. Prayers are being answered. I never know what's going to happen when I hand out a job to a group. I had one group adopt some abused puppies out of a house. I didn't know I was sending a humane society person to a house with these dogs in it, but God did! And I sent a group to see if they can work on a trailer. And in my heart I was hoping the workers would be solid Christians who could maybe be a witness to the owner. I talked to the guys there after they started working and they are amazing Christians. The love of God oozes out of them. Sure enough, I didn't know who I was handing the trailer job to, but God did! This has been happening constantly. God has been arranging these details and I've been able to see it happening. It's amazing how it's all fitting together.

And a situation has come up in my life. I have been wondering how to deal with it. I talked to one of the guys at the trailer job. He brought up an interesting questuon which allowed me to share my situation. He shared a few stories about God working in similar situations to mine. And then I received some great advice from him.

After delievering sheetrock and insulation to this house, I took a picture of the volunteers eating lunch outside. The homeowner was not there. She is in Houston, Texas getting radiation therapy. She has cancer.
The homeowner did live in this trailer. We hope we can finish her house before she comes back. That way she doesn't have to live in her trailer, or should I call it "goverment housing".
The houses in her neighborhood are mostly one-story. They were completely under water at one time. This area is East Biloxi. It's a penninsula, with the Gulf of Mexico in front and the "Back Bay" behind it. It flooded twice. Once as the storm came in. And again from the backbay when the surge changed directions. Many homes are still abandoned.

A sunset here a Orange Grove Volunteer Village. Notice the plastic corrigated pods the volunteers sleep in.

What keeps me going here in the Gulf Coast?? A lot of prayer and Dr. Pepper

PDA uses blue as their color. For Halloween I had PDA blue hair and fake tattoo sleeves (look closely). I also dressed in black.

We have 6 cats. A mom, dad, and 4 kittens. They sleep alot!!!!

Update From Gulfport, MS on 11-4-06

Good morning! It's my day off and it's 8:30am. I woke up early today (6am). I wanted to sleep in. I even stayed up late so I would be really tired. Oh well. I guess I'm awake b/c my mind has been so busy processing all thats happening around here.

First, we have 90 people arriving tommorow. It was supposed to be 143 people. So this is going to be a smaller group for us. Ha!

I went to a house two days ago and it was still not touched. There is mol,d growing on walls and ceilings. The ceilings are falling down in some rooms. The roof is still mangled. And one of our volunteer groups found out that a body was found in a house next door to their worksite just a few days ago. It's sad that 14 months after the storm there are places which have yet to be touched. There is so much more work to do. It's nowhere close to over!

Here at camp things are getting dramatic/interesting. There was a spree of robberies yesturday (5) and one of our live-in travel trailers, where 2 PDA staff live, was robbed of some very valuable items. Also, I learned something today that suprised me. I should have seen it coming but I often don't catch the obvious things. It's making things interesting around here.