All Done

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Thursday
Word of the Day: FINISHED!!!!!

We are finished with our brick patio!! No minute today was wasted as we raced to finish the patio before the end of our final work day. The morning was a little chilly, but we got to work as soon as we arrived. There were bricks to be laid, bricks to be found and cleaned, and a flower bed to be built. At the far edge of our patio, we used landscaping timber to create a flower bed, so eventually flower and shrubs could be planted to block the view of the parking lot beyond. Zan and Susan became master brick layers while they worked diligently to finish the brick laying and Kelly learned how to run a tamper. Morgan and Asel worked inside the house cleaning windows. We took a mid-morning break to try out some Tato-nuts that Miss Kay brought us. Tato-nuts are a local specialty: donuts made out of potatoes. The day soon warmed up to the hottest day so far. The word of the day could have sun burn because nearly all of us got burned somewhere, despite constant application of sunscreen. Zan and Kelly got the most burned. We finished our patio just in time, and as Scott laid the last brick into place we admired our work. Miss Kay thanked us once again by giving us ornaments of the Bohn house we were working on. After one last look at our fine work, we were off to Camp Victor. We quickly got cleaned up and headed to the Maundy Thursday service at Cristus Victor church at 7:00. After church we picked up Brian and his girlfriend Julia and headed to the Buffet at the Beau Rivage to use the tickets that Miss Kay gave us. By the time we got to the Beau Rivage Casino, we were STARVING! When we were all full we said goodbye to Brian and Julia for the last time and headed back to Camp Victor for our final night.

Friday
Phrase of the Day:
“There’s no place like home … There’s no place like home…”

On the Road Again… Our morning began excruciatingly early at 6:00 a.m. when we all rolled out of bed to finish packing. By 7:00 we were loaded and ready to head north. We said goodbye to Camp Victor, which had been our home for the past week and we were off. The trip was a pretty quiet one, with most people sleeping off the week’s wear and tear. Katelyn finally got her wish when we stopped at a Waffle House for breakfast. The trip was a long one, especially when we all were anxious to get home. We saw a LOT of flooding in Missouri after they got 10 inches of rain yesterday. The farther north we got, the colder it got. The drastic temperature change was a shock to our systems. We finally rolled into Cedar Falls at 2:10 in the morning. We had just enough energy to drag the luggage into the LSC and crash on various couches, mattresses and beds. Thus ends our spring break trip.
Even though we won’t miss standing in line for showers and food, or being waken up at 6:00 by the lights turning on, or the numerous cell phones that would go off BEFORE the lights came on, we will miss Camp Victor. On our first night at Camp Victor they told us that when we left we would want to come back, and for many of us, that became true. There is something special about Camp Victor. Is it the people? The camp’s mission? Or the fun we had there? It’s hard to say. But I think we all would agree that this was a good trip. We are extremely proud of the project we accomplished. Even though many of us had hoped to be helping build homes for people who had lost everything, we came to realize how much restoring the history to Biloxi meant to its people. Old historical buildings were the heart and soul of Biloxi before the storm, and with most of them gone, our small part in restoring Biloxi’s history will go a long way. We were extremely humbled by the thanks that we got from Miss Kay and people everywhere else that found out that we took our Spring Break to come and help out. Their gratitude for our work was overwhelming.

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Photos

Zan Henry was a Steel Driven Man
Zan in the middle of a full day of cutting bricks with a chisel. (OK is was a chisel and brick instead of rock and drill BUT it does look like the machine might win at this point.) However he does have potential as a brick mason!!!!!

On the Patio
The Patio that we built!

The House we Worked On
Very few old homes survived the hurricane in Biloxi, this one did and now it has a back patio built by Iowa College Students.

Susan
Even though I will surely miss the beautiful Mississippi sun and green grass and trees as we head back to the dreadful Iowa weather, I will carry my experience from Camp Victor in my heart forever. I will miss the people and Gulf spirit. Seriously, your bricks are my bricks

Kevin
Before we left for the Gulf Coast, I was not sure what I'd be doing during my spring break, but I had a lot of fun playing in the sun and working in service to others. Overall, it was a great trip because I learned new things and served some groups who were in need.

Zan
I worked hard and was moved even harder by the people. Their strength and spirit is incredible and I can only wish I would have the same strength if I had to go through what they did. Oh yeah, your brick is my brick
seriously.

Morgan
Though this past week was spiritually challenging and taxing, I know I can have the satisfaction, not of earthly accomplishments, but of obedience. As a follower of Christ, I have been shown, through Jesus’ example, to become humble and serve others. Thanks be to God for His mercy and grace!

Asel
Magic is in love with this place, cuddled with the waves of the ocean. I’m leaving my enchanted heart with you, Ocean Springs. Oh, yeah, and don’t eat raw oysters. You never know if they are still alive.

Katelyn
I never imagined that this trip could have been as fun as it was. I was prepared for hard work, but I wasn’t prepared for the fun and fellowship I experienced with everyone.

Kelly
It was a joy and an experience to work in Biloxi. There is nothing better than working with good friends and family to make a small difference in the lives of others.

Matt
I think a lot of people don’t realize how hard the people of Mississippi were hit by the hurricane
at least, I didn’t. The work we did may not seem like that big of a deal, but I’m really happy with the things we were able to accomplish for the people of Biloxi.

Scott
It’s always a privilege for me to be able to see how incredible the young people of this generation are in service. Whether they are AmeriCorps volunteers, a class from Kent State, or our own group from the Lutheran Student Center, they change the world one brick at a time.