Frequently asked questions about volunteering at Trinity United Methodist Church, Gulfport, MS

Editor's note: There will be a major news story in the September 22nd edition of THE REVIEW featuring Courtney Allen, Rebuilding Coordinator, Trinity United Methodist Church, Gulfport, Mississippi. Courtney graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2005 and was an integral part of the Wesley Foundation at Vanderbilt. Tennessee Conference support of campus ministry was important in touching Courtney's life and the lives and many others.

Where will we stay?
We have been housing our volunteers in our Christian Life Center at Trinity. Groups have been sleeping 4-8 per room in Sunday School rooms. Individuals will need to bring their own air mattresses/cots as well as bedding (sleeping bags, pillows, etc). If bringing an air mattress, we ask that you bring a twin sized air mattress due to space limitations in our facilities.

Do you have a kitchen facility?
Yes, we have a full kitchen with everything you will need during your stay. All pots, pan, utensils, are on site. We also have an ice maker that can be used to fill ice chests, etc.

Do you provide meals?
We provide the food necessary to prepare meals. Someone from the church does provide lunch (except on the weekends), but breakfast and dinner are prepared by groups. Because we usually have more than one group staying at a time, different groups share the communal responsibility of preparing meals.

Do we need to bring our own food?
We provide most of the food you will need during your stay here. If you have individuals in your group with special dietary needs (vegetarian, diabetic, etc), please know that we cannot always cater to those needs. If there are specific food items that you will need while here, please bring them with you or you can purchase most things at a nearby grocery store.

Can some members of the group stay at Trinity to help in the kitchen?
Yes, we always appreciate having extra help in the kitchen. There is usually plenty to do in and around the kitchen

Are there hotels nearby?
At this time only 1/3 of the hotel rooms that existed before the storm are open. For obvious reasons these rooms are booked with contractors, insurance adjustors, FEMA employees, and evacuees. If for some reason you are hesitant about staying at Trinity, please understand that our facilities are some of the best in the area. Volunteers who stay here at Trinity are really living a lot better than many folks in our community.

Do you have laundry facilities?
Yes, although limited. We have one washer and one dryer. It is not possible for every individual to do laundry while here, so please bring enough clothing to last during your stay here.

How many showers do you have?
At this time we have one male shower and one female shower inside the Christian Life Center, and 4 additional portable showers. There is usually plenty of hot water for everyone!

What is the cost of staying at Trinity?
We ask for a general contribution to our Katrina Relief fund. These dollars allow us to pay the electric bill, provide food to volunteers, and continue to assist families with building supplies and other needs. If hard pressed for a specific per diem amount, we have suggested $10/day/person as just beginning to cover our actual costs. We also have t-shirts available for $5.

What kind of work will we be doing? What kind of skills are necessary?
We are focusing on installing insulation, hanging sheetrock, and painting. But, we have done some roofing and a multitude of other things. We encourage groups to have some skilled individuals, but that is by no means a requirement. There is still plenty of debris removal and other non-skilled work to be done. We appreciate all volunteers tremendously from the unskilled willing helper to the most skilled professional!

Do I need to bring my own tools?
Yes. We ask that all groups be self-sufficient as far as tools are concerned. We have a few tools that you are welcomed to use to supplement your own tools, but we are not capable of fully outfitting work teams.

What kind of tools do I need to bring?
Please look at our tools list on the website for a detailed list.

Do we need to provide our own transportation to job sites?
Yes, groups are responsible for transporting team members to different job sites.

What kind of things does Trinity need?
· A Pickup Truck
· Shop Vac’s
· 6’ ladders
· Stepladders
· Bleach
· Saw horses
· Work Gloves
· Gift Cards (Home Depot and Lowes)
· Drywall screws
· Drywall T-squares
· Roto-Zips
· Drywall saws
· Drywall - all sizes
· Insulation, R-13 Kraft Faced and R-19
· Drywall compound, tape paper and mesh.

How many people can I bring?
We are open to all sized groups. The group size just depends on how many other volunteers we have at the time of your visit. If the group size is known far enough in advance, we can make the appropriate accommodations.

How do I schedule a team to come?
Contact Carrie McGhee at cmcghee@trinityumc.com or 228-863-2717 with possible dates that you are considering. Our schedule books up pretty quickly, so please contact us as soon as possible.

Can couples stay together?
Generally, the answer is no. Because space is at a premium, we do not have the luxury of having couples have their own rooms.

Do you have an electrical hookup for RVs?
Yes, we have one electrical hookup for an RV, but no water/sewer hookup. Please let us know if you are planning to come down in an RV.

What will the weather be like?
Temperatures can vary a great deal. The summer months are obviously extremely hot. But, the spring temperatures can range a good bit. Check the weather before you head down, and don’t forget sunscreen.

Society of St. Andrew Releases New Statistics and Current Highlights

Date Issued: 9/8/06
For Period: January 1 – August 31, 2006

STATISTICS
Total Pounds Saved: 21,202,486
Total Gleaning Network Pounds: 12,088,849
Total Potato Project Pounds: 9,113,637
Total Servings Provided: 63,607,458 (one pound of produce equals approx. 3 servings)
# Gleaning & Potato Project Events: 2,071
# Volunteers: 22,561
# Harvest of Hope Events: 11 events scheduled (6 conducted so far / 331 participants)
Historical total lbs. / servings saved
& distributed by SoSA 1983 to date: 518.5 Million pounds / 1.55 Billion servings
Admin. & Fundraising Overhead: 6.8% (93.2¢ of every dollar provides food for the hungry)
Cost per lb. of food saved: About 6¢
Cost per serving provided: About 2¢

HIGHLIGHTS

Ø SoSA PASSED THE 500 MILLION POUNDS MILESTONE! As of the end of August SoSA’s historical total of pounds saved/distributed to the hungry is 518,596,918 — 1.555 BILLION servings!

Ø SoSA VBS mission project makes heroes of kids – 145 churches in 30 states adopted SoSA as their mission project for Vacation Bible School this summer. By collecting pennies and other coins, their children became “Heroes Fighting Hunger.” The $32,000 the kids contributed will provide more than 600,000 pounds (that’s 1.8 million servings) of fresh, nutritious produce to the nation’s hungry people.

Ø Advent is just around the corner – “Signs and Wonders” is the title and focus of SoSA’s Advent Devotion and Mission Giving Program this year. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, of the Mississippi United Methodist conference, contributed the devotional readings for each of the Sundays of Advent. The devotional program will guide you through Advent with daily scripture, reflection and prayer while offering an opportunity to share in the work Jesus has called us to – that of feeding the hungry. For a free sample kit, order online at www.endhunger.org/advent.htm, by phone at 800-333-4597, or by email at church@endhunger.org.

Ø Mississippi Sweet Corn Co-Op Coup – SoSA-MS regional office copped a coup with the Delta Harvest Corn Co-Op. This second-year endeavor produces sweet corn for major grocery retailers nationwide. In only it’s first year of operation, SoSA-MS was given extensive access to Delta Harvest’s rejected (below-standard quality) produce. With more than 864,000 pounds of sweet corn saved and distributed to agencies in MS and 6 nearby states, SoSA-MS is well on its way to the biggest first-year SoSA operation ever! SoSA-MS regional director Bob Fritchey reported, “Everyone who has called from the various agencies that got corn said their hungry clients told them it was the best, sweetest corn they’ve ever had in their lives. And these were the ‘rejects’!” Next year’s Delta Harvest project is expected to be even bigger.

Ø “Partner Churches” feed the hungry – 214 churches in 26 states partnered with the Society of St. Andrew through the first half of the year to feed the hungry. Their combined donations of $224,178 provided nearly four million pounds (11.2 million servings) of fresh, nutritious food to the nation’s hungry people. For information about SoSA’s “Partner Church” program: 800-333-4597; church@endhunger.org; www.endhunger.org.

Ø Grant to open full-time SoSA operation in southern Georgia – The St. Marys United Methodist Church Foundation in St. Marys, GA, has awarded SoSA a $135,000 grant to establish and operate a full-time regional Gleaning Network office in the agriculture-rich southern half of the state. The new office will be located in Tifton.

Ø SoSA is active coast-to-coast, distributing food to all 48 contiguous states. SoSA has 43 Gleaning Network offices in 22 states: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MI, MO, MS, NM, NC, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV. Current news and information available at http://www.endhunger.org/; click the spinning “News-Press Release.” n

Mountain family now has running water, thanks to ministry

A UMNS Feature By Henri Giles*

Even in the 21st century, indoor plumbing remains but a dream for many Americans.

Kathy and Jerry Lynn Jackson of Lake City, Tenn., know this all too well. The picturesque surroundings of the Appalachian Mountains cannot mask the poverty in their rural area. Their four-room house, built during the Great Depression, is tucked way in the mountains of east Tennessee and has seen few improvements over the years.

"We were sitting here with no hope, no money, didn't know what we were going to do to fix the place up," says Jerry Jackson. "The things that needed to be done, we just couldn't afford to do."
For the past 13 years, the Jacksons lived with a makeshift bathroom.

"Our toilet was non-flushable," Kathy Jackson recalls. "We had to take a 5-gallon bucket of water and flush it, and in the wintertime it was like a deep freezer. Our water would freeze, even in the bathtub."

Like so many of their neighbors, the Jackson family was in need. Help came by way of the Appalachia Service Project, an organization founded by a United Methodist minister and comprising volunteers from around the country who make home repairs.

The Cup of Cold Water Project, which is a part of the Appalachia Service Project, provides plumbing to homes without running water. Last summer, Kathy's sister, who lives nearby, was having work done on her house by a team of service project volunteers. Kathy approached the workers and asked for help.

"These people just happened to be in the neighborhood," Jerry says. "(It was) just like God had sent them here because they knew it was work to be done."

After going through the application process, she and Jerry became eligible this past summer to receive the improvements their house so badly needed. For eight weeks, volunteers worked all day in oppressive heat to make the Jackson home more comfortable.

Linda Honea, external relations coordinator for the service project, tells what the renovation includes. The Cup of Cold Water Project "is providing them with a first-time septic system, a room addition which is their brand new bathroom, complete with tub, shower, vanity, sink and toilet. We're doing a complete re-wire of the house."

Jerry is grateful for the new electrical work. "The switchbox wouldn't carry enough electricity to supply the house," he says.

Adds Kathy: "Gosh, we were so worried it would burn the house down because the fuse box was real loose."

Travis Packer, one of the Appalachia Service Project's community coordinators, likens the work to an extreme home makeover and notes that it brings many levels of satisfaction for those involved.

"It feels great to have a purpose every day, to walk out and know what things you need to do that day and that those things are the right things for other people. It's very satisfying for us to hang out here and do work with them, so I don't think of it as us coming to serve them. It's all of us serving together."

Need still remains
Since 1969, the Appalachia Service Project has helped reduce the number of families living without running water and in dilapidated houses. Founded by a United Methodist minister, the Rev. Glenn "Tex" Evans, the service project has helped thousands of families enjoy a safer, warmer and drier home.

The organization serves people in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Each summer, more than 13,000 volunteers venture out to help improve the living conditions for 400 families.

"The thing that I love about ASP the most is that it's a relational ministry and that the work we do is really wonderful. It will last a very long time, and it will make a difference in a family's life," says Dorota Pruski, a service project summer director.

Great need remains. The organization is able to assist only one in six people who apply, according to Linda Honea. "Quite a number of families around here do not have adequate facilities, and we did not have a problem finding homes to work on this summer. It takes everything large and small coming together in these hills and hollers to make ASP go."

Changed lives
The volunteers range from teens to retirees. Meeting and working with the families is often a life-changing experience. This is 17-year-old Justine Norys' third summer. "When I come here, I'm definitely changed from before. It makes me more appreciative, humble, and I feel like it's my way to help serve others while serving for God. I can go home and be so thankful and do my best to help others." The Woodstock, Ill., student has also encouraged family and friends to volunteer.

Retired carpenter Merle Freund takes a quick break from his saw to survey the work site. He is also a repeat volunteer from Woodstock. "At first I used to come down here because I thought I would be helping people. Now I come down here because it's just darn fun!"

To show his appreciation, Jerry helped the team of workers with the renovation. He says the volunteers' dedication has restored his faith in people helping others. Because of the kindness of strangers, Jerry and his family will spend this winter in a home that is warm. They won't have to carry in water from outside to cook and bathe. Jerry and Kathy Jackson will be able to turn on a faucet, flush a toilet and enjoy a hot shower.

These simple conveniences that many Americans take for granted have forever changed the lives of a family. This experience has also changed the lives of the workers who wanted to make a difference.

*Giles is a freelance producer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Roots run deep for Gulfside

By Linda Green*

WAVELAND, Miss. (UMNS)--The sea and wind swept away the 64 acres and 14 buildings that once comprised Gulfside Assembly. Only one mighty oak tree that framed the entrance to the historic African American conference center still stands.

According to Wilma Dunbar, Gulfside's business manager, the tree is a reminder that roots run deep and the roots of Gulfside run so deep that she and African-American church leaders from across the country are confident that the concrete slabs that remain on the grounds will once again host people seeking a place of refuge.

"Gulfside got blown away by Hurricane Katrina. It is painful," said Dunbar, who became the business manager in 2001. "I loved the mission that Gulfside was on, making people whole through reconciliation and healing. It reached out to all people of all colors and all religions.

"No matter how well you plan, the force of nature is something that no one can contain," she added. "When it moves, it is only by God's mercy and God's will as to what ends up there. But, we have a strong faith and belief that God put Gulfside here in the first place and by his grace, it will be back, bigger and stronger than it was before."

Prior to being demolished by Katrina, more than 5,000 people of all ages and backgrounds annually came to the assembly for spiritual retreats, training of clergy and lay leaders, meetings, workshops, and family reunions. Only two weeks prior to the Aug. 29, 2005 storm, the facility dedicated a new building.

Before the waters flowed from Katrina, Gulfside had six hours of high winds, which caused the first wave of damage.

A year after Katrina's destructive winds and water, debris still hangs from the remaining trees and also remains strewn around the grounds. Piles of concrete are all that is left of building and homes that once surrounded the assembly. With no signage remaining and without prior knowledge of the grounds, it would be impossible to identify which buildings stood where.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Mississippi Coast CARE (Community Aid Relief Effort) and Amish Relief have set up shop on the grounds to host work-teams who come to assist in the rebuilding of Waveland and surrounding communities. But, not much work occurs on the assembly grounds.

Dunbar urges teams of all kinds to come to Gulfside and work on the grounds. "Before any rebuilding is done, cleanup has to take place," she said.

Staff members work on Gulfside cemetery
A team of African-American denominational staff members journeyed to Gulfside July 23-25 to remove brush, bramble, sticks and weeds from a historic cemetery that was once a centerpiece of the assembly grounds.

The group planted flowers and erected a new trellis to flank the graves of Bishop Robert E. Jones, his wife Elizabeth and Bishop Robert Brooks, three people who were instrumental in creating the retreat facility.

Bishop Robert E. Jones, the first general superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Church, founded Gulfside in 1923 as a residential school for African-American boys living in rural areas of the country.

The center became a popular vacation and meeting spot during a time of racial segregation in the South. When the United Methodist Church integrated in the late 1960s, the retreat center declined in usage but still hosted meetings and conferences. In recent years, it regained ground.

"Gulfside is a place of refuge, a place of history and will always be involved in ministry to women, children and youth and for those who are in need," Dunbar said.

She, as others, envisions Gulfside returning as a place for camps, retreats, education, love, healing and grace. "You will always be accepted here. You will always find a place where people will open their arms and receive you. The people who come here are people of faith," she said.

The assembly's board of directors is continuing to develop long and short range plans for rebuilding. The facility was insured and Dunbar said plans call for buildings to dovetail with programs.

"People have faith and believe in the mission of Gulfside," she said. People are donating money for rebuilding, and it shows the love, care and regard that African Americans and others have for the institution.

Ms. G lost two homes
Genevieve Gordon, 70, first arrived at Gulfside as a little girl. As she wonders around the grounds and talks to those who listen, one can see the love and admiration "Ms. G," as she is affectionately known, has for Gulfside while the tears flow from her eyes.

She reflects on the assembly's illustrious past and recalls how her father became a minister under the tutelage of Bishop Jones. "Only two of five children got the bug for Gulfside. I kept hanging around."

Gordon lost two homes as a result of Hurricane Katrina: her home in the Waveland community and Gulfside. Volunteers in Mission teams and other groups helped her restore her home and she wonders when people will arrive to help restore Gulfside.

Gordon, a member of St. Rock United Methodist Church in Waveland, said she sometimes still stares in disbelief at the results of Katrina. Once the waters receded, she participated in a scavenger hunt to find relics and mementos and tools.

Remembering what was and seeing what is now, she said, "We need to hurry and get Gulfside back. It just does not look normal here."

Gordon said she misses the camaraderie that Gulfside afforded through interacting with the people. "I want the synergy to return."

"I did not know what to think when I saw all of these African Americans get out of the vans to begin work at Gulfside," she said when United Methodist staff members arrived. "I could only wave. It was refreshing to see that because I had not seen a group of African Americans in a long time."

Seeing them reinforced for me "that they have not forgotten about us. This place was extremely beautiful. It was a source of pride. It was ours."

She wants "the United Methodist Church to get up and come in here and let us get this place back together."

This will not be the first time that Gulfside has been rebuilt. In 1969, the camp sustained massive damage following Hurricane Camille, leaving many to ponder the camp's fate at that time. Hard work and dedication brought the facility back.

Gulfside receives funding in part through the denomination's Advance for Christ and His Church. Donations can be designated for "Gulfside Assembly Program," Advance Special No. 761337-2, or "Gulfside Assembly Capital Fund," Advance Special No. 760235-1, placed in church offering plates or sent directly to Gulfside, 950 South Beach Blvd., Waveland, MS 39576.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Boy Scouts do good deeds for Mississippi residents, fire department

By John Gordon*

D'IBERVILLE, Miss. (UMNS)--Their red shirts and caps say SEMA, but they are not to be confused with staff of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a federal organization that has been criticized for its sluggish response to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

SEMA stands for Scouting Emergency Management Assistance, a title coined by Boy Scout Troop 566, sponsored by Trinity United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, Ga.

"We've come here seven times now," said Michael Hilton, 13, a member of the Georgia troop that rebuilds homes on the Mississippi Gulf coast.

SEMA's latest project was to repair homes in D'Iberville, Miss., and to deliver $5,000 worth of equipment to the Waveland, Miss., Fire Department.

In D'Iberville, the Scouts are familiar faces at a tent city that has housed more than 4,000 volunteers who have contributed more than 160,000 hours to the recovery effort.

The Scouts tore down walls in a house damaged by floodwaters and mowed the grass for another homeowner.

The troop also put up insulation in a home being built by Russell Baygents. "Right after the storm, I had enough money to build this house," said Baygents. "But as prices went so high, now I don't have enough money to build this house. And if I don't have some volunteers to help me some, then I'm not going to be able to finish it."

Travel to Waveland
After working in D'Iberville, the troop delivered tools, equipment, office supplies, furniture, and bottled water to the Waveland Fire Department, located some 40 miles away. The gift of bottled water was appreciated since Waveland residents are still unsure about the safety of the municipal supply.

Waveland's downtown fire station, the post office and other businesses were swept away by the storm surge.

The troop also gave the fire fighters a lawn mower and a weed cutter to trim around overgrown fire hydrants.

"When you're faced with what you're faced with, some people just want to give up," said Mike Smith, Waveland's assistant fire chief. He said a lot of groups "have come along to give all of us hope to rebuild and know that it's going to come back." He expressed appreciation to the Scouts and called their efforts "incredible."

"These items would have taken awhile for us to regain them again, because of the magnitude of the storm and the financial situation that we're in," he said.

"We're helping out people and that's just what Scouts do," said 11-year-old Patrick Nakayama.

The Scouts spent several weeks collecting donations from friends and businesses before loading up two trailers and making the seven-hour trip to Mississippi. Many have been shocked to see the devastation first-hand.

"When I first came here, it made me cry," said Clifford Aungst, 12. "I mean, they had nothing there on the slab. They just had nothing."

Ben Leon, 13, said the values he learned in the scouting program led him to volunteer for the Mississippi trip. "You just know you're doing a good thing. It makes you feel good," he said. "It's just my duty."

Also on the trip was John Bishop, 19, a former scout who is now one of the troop's leaders. "They need a lot of help," said Bishop. "They are very gracious for every minute that you help them."

Billy Miller, assistant scoutmaster, said D'Iberville residents and Waveland firefighters were not the only ones helped by the outreach. He said the troop is planning more trips to help Gulf coast residents.

"I think it's changed all their lives," Miller said. "I have brought several boys down here, and I've never taken one back. They've all gone back as young men."

*Gordon is a freelance producer and writer based in Marshall, Texas.

Katrina cost Vietnamese fishermen their livelihood

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

BILOXI, Miss. (UMNS) - Sweat glistening off their backs, Hung Van Lai and a young friend struggle to load a heavy ice chest onto the deck of the Tiger Shark.

Selling one or two ice chests full of shrimp will not give Lai's family all they need to survive but it is the best he can do these days. Fishing is not the same since Hurricane Katrina cost him his livelihood.

Lai is one of many Vietnamese shrimp fishermen who have lived on the Gulf Coast for 20 years or more.

"There used to be boats everywhere," says Zondra Davis, a case worker for Boat People SOS.

"Now there is just a handful. It is almost spooky, the boats were a part of the community and now they are gone."

Navigating the bureaucracy
Boat People SOS is a national Vietnamese community organization formed in the late 1970s to help the community navigate the U.S. bureaucracy and social services available to them.

Boat People SOS is also one of a consortium with nine other organizations, called Katrina Aid Today, headed by the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The organization received a $66 million grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Homeland Security. The grant consists of international donations that were received after the hurricane.

A branch office of the national organization opened last March in Biloxi after Hurricane Katrina and has become a lifeline to the local community struggling to navigate through FEMA applications and government grants forms.

Hien Nguyen and Bao H. Le, with Boat People SOS, are visiting with Lai trying to get him to come into the office for help. After some prodding Lai tells them he used to fish at Bayou La Batre, Ala. He had to cut a hole in the bottom of his boat to store it underwater when the hurricane was approaching. Everything was destroyed and he doesn't have the means to restore his boat.

Lost hope
Lai tells them he has lost all hope. "I am too tired of forms and applications," he says. Instead he invites Le to join him in the afternoon when he will go out to sea and fish.

Walking along the docks looking for people who need help, Le says the high coast of fuel makes it impossible for most of the shrimpers to get out to sea and stay for ten days-the time it would take to bring in enough shrimp to sell to maintain the crews and make a living.

"It costs $50,000 to $60,000 to fill up a boat," he says. "When the storm hit they had to dump their fuel. Social service agencies won't give them a loan so they are shut down."

Many in the community were not in the mainstream, Davis says. They have a fear of the government and it often keeps them from stepping forward and asking for help.

Boat People SOS offers classes in English and computer skills. "Their job skills don't translate, they are in a very specialized industry," Le says.

It is especially hard for the Vietnamese community to recover because of the language barrier but it difficult for everyone, Le says. Boat People SOS helps their clients apply for citizenship, loans and other necessities. "But we can't supply them with a boat or a car or a house," Le says.

"I have done the research and there is nothing out there to help them," Davis says. "I feel like they (shrimpers) are being shut down because the community doesn't want them here anymore."

The hurricane shut down the seafood-processing plants along the coast so even if shrimp fishermen could get out to sea they would have no one to whom they could sell their catch, she adds.

"I think the community doesn't want them, the plants smell bad and it hurts the tourist industry."

The Vietnamese community has been a part of the Gulf Coast for 20 or 30 years, she says.

"It seems like everything in the world is against them," she says. "They can't get anyone to help."

Le waves goodbye to Lai and says maybe he will be back later to go fishing. Lai smiles and says maybe he will give the forms one more try.

It's a start. Le heads back to the office to add another name to the list.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

United Methodist pastor ministers to Hispanics on Gulf Coast

By Kathy L. Gilbert*

BILOXI, Miss. (UMNS) - The Rev. Sally Bevill spends a lot of time in dark places looking for her flock.

Bevill, pastor of Beauvoir United Methodist Church, serves as coordinator of Hispanic Ministries for the Katrina Response Team of the Mississippi Annual (regional) Conference.

For Bevill, that means seeking out those on the edges of society - the "invisible" immigrant population.

Bevill was appointed pastor in Biloxi and Hispanic ministries coordinator in June. Prior to that, she served Ridgeland United Methodist Church near Jackson, some 170 miles north of Biloxi.

She also worked with the Hispanic community in Jackson.

Following Katrina in August 2005, she started getting a lot of SOS calls from the coast.

"We had people calling who didn't even know a hurricane had hit," she says. Calls came in from people with no electricity, no medicine or diapers for their babies; many lost jobs and had no money.

A lot of the calls also involved confusion about Federal Emergency Management Agency and Red Cross funding. When callers went to apply for help, no one at the offices spoke Spanish.

"A lot of them got turned away when asked for certain documentation that they really didn't have to have," Bevill says. "You don't have to be a U.S. citizen or even a resident to get Red Cross money."

Bevill went to the Mississippi Conference and said something needed to be done.

"I knew after six months (at Ridgeland) I was supposed to pick up and come," she says. It has not been easy she admits. Her family gave up a home and community they loved.

"The bottom line is we are just not sure what God's vision is at the moment," she says. "I trust it to be revealed or I wouldn't be here."

Hispanic community grows
The Hispanic/Latino population on the Gulf Coast has increased by 25 percent since Hurricane Katrina hit the coast Aug. 29, 2005.

"They were the ones who came in and did a tremendous amount of the cleanup work," Bevill says. "They were the ones pulling out the dead bodies."

As the area moves into the rebuilding stage, she predicts the Hispanic population will increase even more.

"Within a one mile radius of Beauvoir United Methodist Church there are 3,000 to 4,000," she says. "If you are not intentionally looking for immigrants they may seem invisible but if you really set out everyday to look … the community is huge."

And Bevill is looking every day.

Recently she found a group of immigrants living in "awful" condition in a trailer park. They had no water and the children had no shoes, she says.

"I encountered a man who had been mugged. They had burned the bottom of his feet with cigarettes until he gave up his money," she says. "We had suspected our Hispanics were a target because of getting paid on Fridays and walking around with a lot of cash because they can't get checking accounts. That just affirmed what our suspicions were anyway."

Establishing trust
Bevill says she hangs out at Wal-Mart, day labor places and apartment buildings handing out flyers about the church.

She is fearless in her quest. She talks about walking up to an apartment complex where Hispanics were drinking and playing loud music. "Look, you don't need to make this harder than it has to be," she told them.

"Right now everything is OK, but we are going to move to a point where the police and border control are going to start being called in," she said. "When people decide they don't like the presence (of the Hispanic/Latino community) it won't be hard for them to get rid of it."

Recently, Bevill held a Saturday night gathering at Beauvoir for Hispanics in the neighborhood.

She says the turnout was lower than she had hoped but a lot of bilingual people in the neighborhood volunteer to help the ministry.

"Right now we need to listen and organize the community," she says. "It is a mess. It almost feels like I think people must have felt right after Katrina."

She says little is being done for Hispanics/Latinos.

The Catholic Church celebrates mass and a couple of independent churches hold service but there is no social justice outreach or advocacy, she says.

"Everyone is very interested in having church … that is always a lot of fun, but not too many folks are interested in the other part that goes along with being church," says Bevill.

She has hired Mary Townsend, a bilingual case manager for the United Methodist Committee on Relief who is also canvassing the neighborhoods. Townsend is also making a lot of calls looking for places that will offer "English as a Second Language" classes. Bevill and Townsend also have started the process of accreditation for a legal clinic for immigrants.

"It is a most exciting time to be here," says Bevill. "It is overwhelming, but it is very exciting. God will lead. My being here is very much a God thing."

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville.