Damian Belt-Smith here … one of the interns at Terra Nova.  I want to tell you about a trip I went on to Mississippi.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance(PDA) moved to serve the people of the small town of Pearlington (population 900).

The town was tagged “ground zero” when Katrina hit and at one point was completely under water.  Almost everything was destroyed.  

It has been well over two years since the hurricane and this past October I traveled to Pearlington with some great people from Brunswick Church to work with PDA.  We stayed in a camp that is managed by the agency.  The camp for relief workers has been there since January ’06 and is likely to be there for another seven years!  There are still many families displaced and without homes. These families are still living in either the shelter which once used to be the local high school or in FEMA trailers.  The need is great and there is still so much to be done to help this town and its people recover.

The first week of April 2008 I am planning to go to Pearlington again.  I want to invite you to join me.  Im hoping to lead a group from Terra Nova Church to work side by side with our friends from Brunswick Church.  The trip is an opportunity to be the face of hope for people who are undoubtedly starting to see the flow of aid and workers start to dwindle.  If you are interested in joining a team from Terra Nova please get in touch with me (damian@terranovachurch.org)  If you cant travel with us there are opportunities to help us offset the cost of the trip or to serve as a prayer partner.  Check back here for updates as we get closer to departure.

Here are some helpful links as well.

www.pcusa.org/pda/

www.brunswickchurch.org/missions_blog.php

www.brunswickchurch.org