We would like to thank all who support us financially and prayerfully, it was definitely a life changing trip for all of our team members. Thanks to Mr. Kemerling and the DCHS staff that helped in the organization of this trip! We only wish that we could have stayed longer to help these people more. The immense amount of destruction is unbelievable. There is a DVD of the trip available if you would like one please email me at kolby@dukeslumber.com with Katrina DVD in the subject line.

The top picture is Mr. Rod, Mr. Bruce, and me, Kolby. These were two awesome guys we got to work with over the course of the week. They are wonderful guys at heart. We had a great time talking about the Lord together. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that our paths crossed for a purpose. Bruce and Rod, we are praying for you guys! The 2nd down picture is Mrs. Lisa she is the Leader of the camp, Camp Hope, at which we stayed. Her house is set to be demolished but they are expanding their garage to accommodate her family. Our team helped paint and work doing some shelving for their family. The third picture down is Mason and Miss Verla. She was a 86 year old lady that had much damage to her yard and some water damage through the roof. Our team cleaned up her yard and repaired her mold problems and gave her new paneling drywall and new hope. The fourth picture down is Mr. Don and his family their home suffered water damage from the nearby bayou over flowing, We installed insulation, drywall, painted and trimmed his house. He planned on being in his house by the late summer, but because of our team's efforts he is now looking into being in this month. At the bottom pictured is part of our team and Mr. Chris Dancer and his wife, they saw us across the street insulating and inquired if we were professional insulators. He wanted us to insulate his house, but he had not gotten the electrical wiring done yet. We did help him out with some yard work and Camp Hope is going to send a team to his house to insulate and drywall even though he is not a member of First Presbyterian, Gulfport.

Katrina Team Testimonials

Now that we're back from Gulfport, we continue with our normal lives, but none of us will ever be the same again. We wish to thank our Principal, families, and friends for helping make this trip possible. The testimonies written below are from everyone who went on the trip. Please enjoy.

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I am really glad that I got the opportunity to go to Mississippi to help out others. All of the devastation and damage made me realize what we take for granted. God really opened my eyes and heart. It was a life changing experience, and I would definitely go back.

-Miranda Smith

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I’ve never been a big camping guy, and I’ve always mocked those who left for mission trips, saying that maybe they just didn’t have enough to do back at home. Boy has my attitude changed since going on the Hurricane Katrina Relief trip to Gulfport, Mississippi.
From the moment we arrived in Gulfport, I knew that this was going to be one of those true life-changing experiences. Being able to help those less fortunate made me realize that in order to leave a legacy in this world, we must serve others. We have so much stuff that keeps us busy, stuff that keeps the focus on ourselves. This trip helped me realize that to be a person of greatness, I should have Christ’s attitude - I should live to serve, not to be served.
Without a doubt, one of my favorite parts was bonding with all the young folk at the camp and at the jobsites. It somehow seems like the perfect life…working hard all day to help out people like Mrs. Verla, or Mr. Don, then coming home and spending time with friends and enjoying the simple things in life, like laughter and B&B runs. I’d love to go back again to help. I know for certain I will always remember this special time for the rest of my life, mainly because I’ve got it on video! In either case, peace, love, and holler back.

-Bryan “B-Love” Simon

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My reflection of our trip to Mississippi was so cool. The travel was long to get there, like Paul going to the Gentile lands. He had things and people to overcome like we did. Paul wrote and Jesus said that persecution is part of our walk for Him! We had persecution in the camp. “Wipe the dust off and be Christ like.” I was able to win the hearts of that group one at a time each day as the need arose for help. AWESOME. The stiffed neck look became soft and attitudes melted away. We “killed them with kindness.” In the field, God challenged me with my patience and will. There were times of great blessings. I was able to see the need, not only in the homeowners but in the children as well. Some with hurts, some with insecurity, and some with grace and love. It was awesome to be there.
My hope is that the kids can see how hard it is to overcome devastation by Mother Nature. Through troubled times, God still works to help the needy. My hope is that they see the parallel of devastation in our own culture here at home. I hope they see the need to be Christ-like in all we do before God puts a similar problem in our homeland or community. It was awesome to see people stretch and to witness to people who don’t know Christ and the church. My wife and I took a friend out in Gulfport to meet the people that are pulling together and weathering the storm of rebuilding their lives. It was worth missing the great meal that the girls made on that night. We met a pregnant girl and talked with her at a restaurant. Talked to military men about their world being upside down with war and Katrina problems. In my experience, we always leave the field with tasks still undone. But God knows all and I hold my faith in Him to continue His will where we left off. A friendly smile. A hello. A helping hand. A hug. Who knows? It’s awesome to serve a living God!

-Todd East

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I will always remember this trip. It was definitely life changing. I know I blessed others and will be blessed for that. I really saw God work in not only my life but others. It was awesome!

-Brittany Vicalvi

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Mississippi was nothing like Jamaica. You had people who had everything lose it all. What do you do when you come home to find your house in the neighbor’s yard? All your possessions tossed about and ruined. Your great grandmother’s prized quilt wrapped around the limbs of a tree fifteen feet in the air along with someone’s clothes, tarps, and a beach towel. As you sit on the stairs that once led to your home. What are you thinking?
You look and see shattered dishes, torn appliances and cars, a baby’s shredded teddy bear. What would you do? Cry for everyone and everything lost? Stand lost in mute shock of what was once your life? Thank God your family is safe and together unlike a thousand others? I learned a lot in Mississippi, but not the answer to this question.

-Jennifer Hawkes

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This trip affected me in many ways. It showed me how much God really loved me and how God was using us as an instrument to show the people of Mississippi how much He loved them and was there to comfort them in their time of need and trial.
This trip also brought me on a closer walk with God and a new refreshed spirit, a servant’s spirit. This trip also gave me a new perspective on life and how we should live. One thing that struck me was amidst the destruction and devastation there was a little girl who was playing basketball like nothing had ever happened.
This trip showed me that, though we have many objects, true happiness cannot be achieved through objects and money, but through Christ alone.

-Bryan Daudt

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Going on this trip was certainly a blessing for me. I loved the fact of being able to help a few families that lost so much. This trip really put into perspective for me how we can lose everything we have so quick. I found myself often taking my house and what I have for granted. The worship time was totally awesome, even though it was outside and cold. I found it to be some of the best worship I have ever been in. So I truly thank God for giving me the opportunity to come down to Mississippi. It was really a blessing.

-Jordan Ward

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This was my first mission trip and I am glad I was able to go and humble myself. This trip really made me thankful for what I have. It puts that thought in your mind that what would you do if you lost everything. Now that I am home, it makes you proud of yourself to know you were working for something other than yourself, but for others in need. People always wonder how can God use me, but I feel God used me to help these people. Thank you for this opportunity to attend this trip and I would like to do some more missions.

-Justin H

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Where to begin…This trip was different than any other mission trip I’ve been on. It has definitely made the most impact on my life. The relationships I made with team members and resident of Mississippi will last for the rest of my life. God moved through the empty destroyed homes and gave hope for the families that lived in them.
I was so excited that I could be God’s tool to minister and use my talents to help in whatever way I could. The work was a great experience and I learned a lot from the hands-on work. I worked alongside an unbeliever and I know that God set that up because I was able to share what God has done for me and what He could do for Rod. I have a strong burden in my heart for Rod and I will continue to pray for him. That really touched my heart.
Something else that hit home for me was the first day that we got there at Gulfport, Mississippi, and we rode along the coastline and I was literally in a state of shock. There was just an overwhelming amount of debris and trash everywhere, and this is four months after Hurricane Katrina hit. Homes that were million dollar homes were no longer on their foundation, but were shattered to pieces. I honestly can’t put it in words, but the feeling inside me was the worst. I was so upset for the people there. There’s so much work that needs to be done. Little by little it will start to rebuild, and I’m so thankful that I could be a part of that restoration. The look on the faces of the families we helped was a reward in itself. I can’t wait to go back and see everyone again.

-Hannah Dukes

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The trip down to Gulfport, Mississippi really impacted my life. When I was going down I really didn’t know anybody very well, but after the first day, I became very close to everyone. When we arrived I was in shock because I didn’t realize how bad everything was going to be. When we drove down the beach, there were cars out in the ocean, and trees, and many more house items.
The day when we went on a prayer walk, I looked at the houses and I couldn’t believe how much damage was done to them. The day after that I met a man named Rod. He had a low voice and when he introduced himself to me, I knew we would be buddies. When I introduced myself to him, I did it in a low voice also. He pulled me to his side and gave me a big hug. Every day for the next week I walked up to him and I prayed for him because he didn’t know Christ. Throughout the rest of the week I became closer to God and throughout the week I spoke to at least 15 people that I did not know.
But before I would talk to anybody I prayed that God would show me the right person to talk to and every time He did. What was cool was that the majority of the people knew Christ or heard of Him before but I was there to confirm their salvation, and out of the 15 people that I spoke to, two of them recommitted or gave their life to Christ.
The best part of the trip was getting to know the people of Gulfport. And the worst part was leaving. This is what God had put on my heart.

-Thomas Perry

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This trip was awesome. I would go back in a heartbeat. I gained several things, like many personal bonds, a servant’s heart, and a greater love for people. A burden for the people is now heavy on my heart.

-Chris McIntosh

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I had a great time in Mississippi. The toughest thing for me was all the destruction that I saw. Just seeing the joy on the people’s faces as I talked to them made it worthwhile. I thought, “How come they are happy?” They have barely anything left. I don’t think I could do that. How would I react coming back home to see absolutely nothing? What I learned is don’t take anything for granted because we don’t know what will happen to us.

-Jasmine

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For me, this mission trip was heart breaking and amazing at the same time. Seeing the destruction that hurricane Katrina caused made me think that any effort of trying to help in only a week and a half would be worthless. But God really showed me what He could do through willing servants in a short period of time.
This trip also showed me how blessed I really am. It showed me how much I really take for granted. For how much all these families lost, they never asked for sympathy. They showed a strength I’m not sure I could match through this huge ordeal.
I really hope to be able to go back soon.

-Kyle Shirvani

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This is my first mission trip. I am so glad I picked this one to be my first. I seriously never realized how blessed we all are. I loved helping all the people. I also made a lot of new friends. I just hope I could come back and just help the people out again.

-Sabina Mall

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The mission trip to Gulfport was a life changing experience. I never knew that there could be that much devastation in such a large area. Just seeing all the people’s homes and belongings spread all over the ground made me feel very sad for them. I wish I could just help everyone but I can’t. I never knew that one week of work could do so much. In one week we had someone that would be back in their home in a week. If we were never there he wouldn’t be in his house until late summer. The man we did this for was not a Christian and he didn’t understand why we were helping him for free.
Also, we helped an old lady and we repaired water damage in her house, and she was so happy. One day we started insulating a house and we finished in just a few hours. We had someone come over and ask us if we were a professional crew and wanted to know if we could do his house next. We couldn’t do that but we helped him clean his yard.
It felt really good to help these people who had lost everything. I wish I could go back and help them until everything was done.

-Justin Davis

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The mission trip to Gulfport was a very big change in my life. Before I went on this trip my mother told me that it would be very hard to see all the destruction in a very small area. Seeing all the devastation made me feel really bad for the people of Gulfport.
I wanted to help each and every one but I am only one man. Plus I think we needed more time to stay down there and help more of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. One of the victims we helped was a non-believer in Christ. He was confused why we were helping him rebuild his house. Then we did this one ladies house, and she had lived there for about her whole life. She was very thankful for what we did.
I liked this trip because it changed me a lot. It made me help people, and it changed my heart and bettered me spiritually, mentally, and physically. I would love to come back again.

-Yannit

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I got quite a lot of stuff out of this trip. I got a chance to learn some new skills and then get better at them. I learned how to evangelize and help minister to Rod and Bruce. Those are two great guys. They have compassion but they don’t follow Jesus. I also got a renewal of faith. I also made a lot of new friends.

-Mason Small

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I really enjoyed coming down to Mississippi to help out the people who have lost so much because of the hurricane. It really has been a blessing to me and I hope that some day I go back.

-Reena Mall

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This trip showed me how God can use us to show His grace to people. In this case, He used us to minister to people from Mississippi. I am very glad to have helped in the Katrina Relief effort. It was very encouraging to hear how grateful the people were of our help. Just the looks on their faces makes me want to help them more and stay a few more days.
Some of the things I got from this trip will last a long time. I strengthened my relationship with God on this trip. I hope to go on more mission trips and to share God’s Word to more people.

-Luke Mathews

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This trip to Gulfport is definitely something I will never forget. It has taught me so many lessons and has brought me closer to God.
There were two things on this trip that stuck out to me. One was that Don, a man who lived less than one mile from the Gulf, was the same distance away from the Gulf that I am from the ocean. And he lost almost everything. It was a real eye opener that it could be me.
The other thing is that we helped an 87-year-old lady named Ms. Verla. She lived less than a half mile from the Gulf and left during the hurricane. But more importantly, she is a few years older than my grandmother, which is what she felt like to me…an adopted grandmother. And knowing that made me ache for her to know that is how her children and grandchildren felt. Which made me lover her and my family even more.
On this trip I feel that God worked through me all the way. He has given me more courage, strength, love, and gratitude that I didn’t know what to do with it all. That is what I got out of our mission trip to Gulfport. I would love to do it again.

-Kaitlin Nathan

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I really liked going to Mississippi. It was a lot of fun helping the people. I did not realize how devastating the hurricane was until I got there. All the people we helped were very thankful for what we did for them. I want to go back there again.

-Michael Wheatley

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This trip affected me by making my relationship with God stronger than before. It also made me draw closer to friends that I knew, and didn’t know. I just feel so good from helping people and I know they are thankful for us helping.

-Kyle Brown

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I have learned a lot from this trip. I wish not to talk about my personal feelings of the people I have helped. This trip has made me humble toward other people and I thank God for letting me go on this trip.

-Daniel Nelson

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During the mission trip to Gulfport, I drew a lot closer to God. After seeing all the devastation I became very thankful for all I have. We touched a lot of people’s lives. I made so many friends that I would have never talked to if I had not gone on this trip. I loved helping people so much that I didn’t want to leave!

-Meghan

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Missions trip! It was fun. I learned a lot and made a bunch of friends. I hope God gives me the chance to go back. God bless!

-Brandon Bonk

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Going to Mississippi was a great blessing for me. One thing that really touched me was as I walked down the street, there were computer parts laying everywhere. It seemed to me as if they were there to show me that this could happen to me…that stuff could have been mine. But I was spared from this horrible tragedy. I wish I could do more to help these people. I could not imagine leaving home and not knowing if I would own anything when I would return. I enjoyed seeing the faces of the homeowners as we were working on their homes. I cannot wait to return!

-Kolby Dukes

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As I watched the news reports back in August of Katrina's devastation, my heart ached deeply for these people. When given the opportunity to serve ... I hesitated, but decided that cooking/laundry for the volunteers would be something that I would enjoy. I thank God for the relationships that I made with the other team leaders and with the students ... this is something that I will treasure forever. We laughed, we cried and we worshipped together like never before. The heartache that I experienced back in August was tripled after seeing first-hand the havoc and destruction. My heartfelt thank you to DCHS for allowing me and my family to be a part of this incredible experience.

Side Note: On our tour of New Orleans, we fell upon a flea market where many of the kids bought sunglasses that brought out the "wild & crazy" personalities of our sweet little darlings. I dedicate the following to them:

What’s Good About Sunglasses
The sun’s bright in Gulfport
Sunglasses keep the glare out of your eyes
If you’re working
Cleaning debris
Sunglasses will protect your eyes from
Dust, wood chips, stuff flying around in the air
Even working inside, they’ll keep off the dust and black mold
Remember, though
If you’re talking to the woman whose
House you’re ripping up
The last remnants of whose life
You’re piling up on the street for the city to haul away
Take your sunglasses off
So she can look you in the eye
To see that you’re a human being just like she is
But put them on again when you’re through talking
Because the really great thing about sunglasses is
They hide the tears

By: Alan Bostick
-Marcia Dukes

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I had a lot of fun helping build homes for people that lost theirs to Katrina in Mississippi. Though I only carried drywall mostly, I still enjoyed it. Camp Hope was great. I especially loved the worship services. They were cool. I wish that I could go back.

-Cole Paynter

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My heart is still heavy from the oppression of the people in Gulfport. I can never imagine the weight on these people having to start over with nothing. My desire is that our reflection of Christ was so strong that they now have a hope in JESUS. My eyes are seeing a new way and my mind is thinking a new want and all of me is seeking more and more of God’s heart for my life. To be the hands and feet of Christ in Mississippi was an experience that is imbedded in my heart forever and the people I met have impacted me with a new passion for getting outside the walls of religion and living out loud my relationship with my LORD, my Savior, my friend. –Dwelling in HIS grace-

-Rob Brown

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I learned that you should help others and be thankful for what you have. If you were a cook lady you served others. It would take 1,000 or more years to build the houses back to normal. It is amazing what the hurricane did to Mississippi. It would have been hard for my family if we lived down there.

-Paige Brown

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This mission trip was definitely not on my “To Do List.” When Rob shared with me the possibility of going to Mississippi to help out the Katrina victims I initially was excited to be a part. However, as time passed and we found out the trip was for 11 days I began to find excuses why my daughter and I couldn’t go. But God has other plans and spoke to me the day the Jamaica mission group gave their testimonies at church.
As a result of going on the trip, I was truly blessed to hang out with the youth and adults to witness first hand the unity and relationships that evolved. I have a greater appreciation for the struggles and losses endured by the people affected by the hurricane. It is still amazing to me the destruction that occurred. Humility, grace, and thankfulness are just a few of the attributes that God broadened in me. Yet through all the devastation and what seemed like death, you could see new life, God’s hand and the love of Christ.

-Sharon Brown

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No words or emotions can explain our trip to Gulfport, Mississippi. It was truly a life changing experience for me. Seeing an area that was once full of life now totally devastated. Seeing the people still full of life gives great hope. I don't know how I would have been facing those same circumstances and yet I know it could happen here at any time. Faith and hope is what we all need and that is what I saw in the faces of those we met.
Each day I expected to see an area less affected by Katrina and yet each day I saw more and more devastation. On Sunday, when we had our prayer walk, it truly brought God's power to my attention. As we walked down 2nd Street (Lisa's street), we came across families working in their yards and their homes trying to make heads or tails of a mess. Yet they had time to stop and talk to us and "thank" us for helping them to return to some type of normalcy. As we looked at each yard, God would shine through by showing us a Bible open to a verse that just hit home. We came across so many yards with Bibles it was AMAZING.
I felt so blessed to be part of Miss Verla's (V E R L "A"), Don & Josie's, Lisa & Families lives. They share a special place in my heart and will be in my prayers always. I was so glad that we could help them the way we did.
My special bonds with those I grew to love and share with was wonderful. Marcia, Sharon, Paige, Jennifer, Rita, Irene, Wendy, Hope and Brandee - no words can describe the relationships that were developed. Complete strangers coming together for a common cause and became so close.
The young people - what can I say but they were amazing. How many teenagers would give up two weeks to help others? Not many... They made me laugh and they made me cry, they made me feel proud and they made me excited to see how God worked in all their lives.
As for you men, I'm glad we were able to keep you fed and on your schedule.
Would I do this again? Absolutely... To be able to be so blessed by such an experience is only something that God can be a part of. I thank all of you that participated and YOU ALL MAKE ME AND GOD SO PROUD!!!

-Pam McCutcheon

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Thank you to everyone who was part of this Mission to Gulf Port Ms. It was an honor to work with you all and help some people get their lives back together and possibly bring them closer to GOD. I think you young adults should be very proud of what you have accomplished in those 11 days and if more people would follow your example we could change the world for a better tomorrow.
By taking the lead and just doing you could motivate others to get out of their comfort zone and follow up on what you have done, again GREAT JOB EVERYONE, GOD BLESS YOU

-David Dittrick

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I can pretty much sum it all up with these verses…

“But just as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us – see that you excel in this grace in giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 2 Corinth. 8:7,8

We had so many chances to prove our love for others by helping in so many different ways. In the camp and out in the town. That is where the Glory of the Lord shines through. I saw it in the faces of each and every one we helped. Wow! I believe the Lord gives us our reward right then and there. There is nothing better than experiencing that.

-Brandee East

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It was certainly a great privilege and opportunity to be a part of the group that went to Gulfport, Mississippi for Katrina relief work. I thank God for the effort everyone put forth in trying to bring some joy to the hearts and lives of those who were just ravished by the storm. I am a firm believer that before you can minister to someone's spiritual needs; you must be willing to meet their physical needs as well. To see the appreciation in the eyes of those we helped was just a blessing and certainly well worth any hardship or inconvenience that we might have endured during our stay. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to make some long distance friendships and show the love of Christ to those who may not known Him as their personal savior. It makes me even more aware of the great blessings and goodness God has shown toward me and my family back here on Delmarva. I thank God for His faithfulness and His protection while we traveled to help others in need. And I thank the group of teens for their faithfulness in listening to God's voice and being a part of this ministry.

-Mike Dukes

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This was my first Missions trip. Having just had Colitis, I went into the trip a little externally harried, but internally very peaceful and ready for whatever God wanted to show and teach me, or so I thought. I traveled with Hope Wunder (the ‘dog’ lady to the kids). She was such a pleasure. We both saw through sharing why she was on this particular trip with us, and why we were together. God made an instant connection, and Hope recommitted her life to Christ before we got to Camp Hope! My prayer for her then was that God would truly reveal Himself to her, which He did two days later. Wow!! That’s a great way to start out!! If that had been all that happened on the trip, it would have been worth it.
God did not stop there. This was a time of ‘stretching’ for a lot of us. Hope and I drove her king cab pickup pulling a trailer and loaded down with over 3000 additional pounds of supplies for the Humane Society. Okay – I’m stretching. The truck was hard to control with the extra weight. God stretched me to drive it through Atlanta! Hope let me back the trailer into place – another stretch – for both of us. God had many more stretches – following another trailer for a thousand miles with no idea where we were, leading a work crew, spackling corners, kids issues, etc. May ‘Spackle Mama and the Schmutz Girls’ always be willing to land a helping hand.
Katrina was a huge hurricane, but God is bigger. I think these things occur so the Glory of God can be revealed. The damage was incredible, but the people we met were incredibly resilient. My heart would sink every time we came close to crossing those railroad tracks. Miss Verla touched me greatly. I witnessed the power of prayer as Lisa had told us Miss Verla wouldn’t let anyone into her home to help her. I prayed the entire way to her house that God would open her heart in the matter. I’ll never forget Rusty and I just asking her about the inside; she took my hand and said, “Come in.” She gave ma a plate she painted with a butterfly on it. Our awesome God knows every detail. We wanted to bring her home. Lisa and her family are extraordinary. In the midst of their own disaster, she’s thinking of others. What a picture of Christ. Don and his family – finally seeing the real church of Christ – the hands and feet of Christ. My Synthroid makes me ill when I fast, but God kept me healthy as I fasted for their family. My prayers were answered when they joined us for church services! Rod is so close – he is going to get prayed into the kingdom!! I still pray for those we met on the prayer walk and will always remember the Bibles w found in yards. Everyone has a story to tell. God will do miraculous things in these families.
We were so blessed to work with a great group of teens. As with any large group, there are going to be some problems, but, all in all, they were the most productive and compassionate teens I’ve been around in a long time. I feel blessed to know them, thanking God for the opportunities to connect. One of the highlights for me was to watch them and their interactions with the residents. You could almost actually see them spiritually growing! It just doesn’t get any better than that. I felt like that must be what it is going to like at Christ’s banquet (My meat is to do the will of He who sent me and finish His work - John 4:34)– I felt so filled watching them become filled. I was so high on Christ during this trip that I didn’t want to come back home so soon. I definitely look forward to returning to the Gulfport area and to further serving God through more mission trips.

-Wendy Daudt

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I brought my family to Mississippi to help the victims there. I left feeling like I was given more than I gave. P.S. Thanks to my father-in-law "Mr Milton", B-Love...aka J-Lo,Kolby, David, Hannah and Megan for the sweet music, to Mason for being Mason, and to Sabina, Kieran, and Kaila. Your service will not be forgotten.

-Jon Clucas

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WOW! So many incredible things about this trip to Mississippi--getting to know people with such genuine hearts to serve who I now count as true friends, seeing such amazing young people work so hard, witnessing first hand the devastation of the storm and instilling a deep gratitude in me for all I have. But the thing that made the most impact to me was the faith and hope in the hearts of the victims. I went to Mississippi with a desire to bless and encourage and I received full measure of both instead. God is so faithful!

-Rita Clucas

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I had a great time on the trip to Mississippi. It was very fun. My favorite part was meeting Miss Verla. She was a very nice lady.

-Kaila Clucas

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Mississippi affected me the most by making me realize what the people went through there. I mean, I saw it on the news, but I just thought it was another one of those things that happen in the world. Now I really know how much God blesses us.

-Kieran Clucas

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This trip to Mississippi made me realize how temporary this physical life is. All we have can be swept away in a moment. It really cemented in my mind the truth that the only permanence we have is with Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It was a very humbling experience.

-Milton and Irene Foskey

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This trip to Gulfport, Mississippi has changed my life in many ways. It taught me that we can live a simple life in a tent and don’t need the modern conveniences that we think we must have. We felt compassion for our friends in Mississippi as we saw the struggles they are going through. We made new friends with the people whose homes we worked on. Our team went from just names to friendships we’ll never forget. This trip stretched me in my faith by testing and trials that we encountered which allowed me to share my testimony and faith…something I don’t normally do.
God has blessed us in so many ways and what a blessing it was to see the faces of those we helped. They don’t realize we went there to bless them. But they really blessed us. What an awesome way to show the true love of Christ through our work. This trip is truly bigger than the insulation and drywall. It’s about being obedient and allowing God to work through us. I pray we each will continue to strive for God’s perfect will in our lives.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18

-Rusty Dukes

What a trip...

It's day 10 but it seems like day 2. We're leaving for home. Thanks for DCHS for a program like JTerm, which provides us the opportunity to come to the gulfport area. The people of Gulfport, Mississippi have made a huge impact in our lives. We met the Ladner family, who rode out the hurricane in a 2 story apartment above the garage, behind their house. They watched out the window as water rose to 8'' level. Now they are waiting for their house to be dozed. What a joy it was to see their expressions today because of the book caes Mike Dukes built, and the painting Pastor Rob, Hannah, Megan, Kyle, and Brandon did.

Then there was Mrs. Verla Degges, an 86 year old widow whose home was damaged by water when her shingles blew off her roof. She was so excited to see our DCHS bus pull up and unload 30 plus people to do extensive yard work. Jon & Mr. Milton remodeled 3 rooms with the help of Kolby, Wendy, Bryan, and Mason. Tonight at our final get together, she told our group "There's no possible way I can ever pay you all back for what you've done for me, I'll never forget you all." she's the sweetest old lady and we wanted to bring her home on the bus with us.

My crew insulated, hung and finished sheetrock in the "Broomes" 2000 sq ft home. their home, is 1 1/2 blocks from the gulf, was flooded with over 6' of water. I promised our insulation crew if we finished this house in 1 day, milkshakes were on me. By 3:00 we were done and enjoyed those milk shakes.

It was so awesome to see our DCHS students as they branched out and started measure, cutting, and hanging sheet rock on their own. Justin D, Jordan, Yonnie, Luke, Cole, Chris, Kolby and others worked beyond my expectations. Jasmine & Kate under Wendy's direction, did a fantastic job with the mud coats. One afternoon, Chris Dancer, a neighbor cmae over, saw our guys and gals insulating and thought we were professionals. I shared with him that we were volunteers and about our J-TERM program. He started talking to me about how volunteers like us were such a blessing to this area and...he stopped in the middle of a sentence, tears streaming down his face, he walked away because his emotions had overwhelmed him. We told him we had an extra hour at the end of our day and would do yard work for him. What an awesome experience for 10 of us to serve and be a blessing to a total stranger. But he was only a stranger for a short time, we became friends that we will never forget.

The rest of our group worked at Don's house. Don recently injured his neck, and his wife is recovering from a car accident over a year ago. Don's family was planning on moving in by Summer, but because of the hard work of the mission team, he will be able to move in by February. Don was so very appreciative of all the work that was done, and didn't know how he could ever repay us. Of course, we weren't looking for anything.

I asked for a show of hands as to how many want to come back in February. It was unanimous. this trip has allowed God to stretch us. We have grown in our faith, and we have felt compassion for those in need.

This Gulfport trip has allowed us to have a servant heart and to share God's love through work.
-Rusty Dukes

Today we started bright and early, since we are all aware that we will be leaving soon and we want to make a great impact in our last few days.

Let me first tell you that we had a great breakfast this morning. Pancakes (both regular and chocolate chip) and Canadian Bacon were the main entrees. Our hats go off to the cooking team, led by Marcia Dukes. We never have to worry about going hungry because we know that they will take care of us!

One team started off finishing up priming and painting Mrs. Verla's house. Another team started installing drywall in the home which they also insulated the day before. They had 40 sheets of drywall and finished installing the last piece at 5:00. Be sure to chcek out the pictures below to see some of the impressive work done by the DCHS students.

Another crew started sanding the drywall at Mr. Don's house. I don't know if you've ever sanded drywall before, but it is a daunting task! The students finished around noon and a paint crew arrived to start the priming and painting of the new walls.

The one and only Mike Dukes went to Lisa's house to customize some shelving. He also had a small list of odds and ends that needed to be completed. Mike is a good man, and he does a good job!

We all got home and showered up around 6:00pm. Afterwards, we once again joined the kitchen food crew and ate barbque chicken, corn on the cob, macaroni & cheese, and had assorted pies for desert!

After dinner we had a worship service. Bryan Simon and Thomas Perry shared their testimonies, as well as various other students.

Only one more day of work to go. Some of us are sad, some of us are happy, but overall we are glad to have made a difference down here. Each day that passes helps us to realize how thankful we should be for life and love, friends and family.

We'll be seeing you soon!

Sorry for not updating the site, but we were all so tired, and you can guess what came next. Sleep! We have continued our Work and the director of the work down here said that we are the fastest working crew here. He also said that we accomplish tasks in 2 days that have taken the other crews a week. The Youth Group from First Presbyterian came to visit our youth for a time of worship and Bible study, and afterwards he treated us to a pizza dinner to reward us for all of our hard work. Once again the destruction down here is just unbelieveable. Navagation around here is very difficult due to the dibris in the roads, road signs down, and just being unfamiliar with the area.

Today we took a day of sight-seeing and some history of New Orleans. We drove over to Pass Christian, where the eye of the storm hit, and New Orleans. We saw some of the local land marks and alot of destruction. For snack time we went to Cafe`du Monde, the world famous french donuts and coffee shop. Then we went to see a guy that could play three guitars at once. He played one behind his back, one in the front, and the bass was played with his toes. We ate out for the first time this week, we went to Shoney's. When we first got here there was another group of about sixty, now they are all gone and that gives us a little room to spread out and relax some.

Hello again from Gulfport Mississippi. It is currently 1:15 am. We had an incredible day today. Each day it seems like we are accomplishing more and more.

We decided to wake up early this morning to tackle some big projects before the weeks end. Pastor Rob Brown, Hannah, Meghan, Sabina, Chris, and Kyle all continued their day painting at our Camp Hope Director's house, Lisa. They started this project yesterday. The day ended in a paint fight by the way, and each had yellow paint in their hair (which with enough shampoo did come out!) They have almost finished painting the temporary residence that Lisa is staying in.

Our second crew, Jon, Milton, Bryan and Mason, continued owrk on 86-year-old Widow, Mrs. Verla's house. Her house was the only house on the street that did not have standing water inside. It did however, have water damage inside from shingles that had blown off. The crew installed paneling in 2 rooms which they also had previously gutted, and finished sheetrock. They also decided to remove some moldy kitchen ceiling tiles and install sheetrock.

Our third crew spent the day at Mr. Don's house, a Gulfport Police Officer on medical leave from neck surgery. His house is about 1 mile in off of the Gulf Coast. His family rode the storm out when the storm surge came, and they were walking in water up to their knees inside of the house. All of the sheetrock was replaced by a massive team of students who in 2 days installed over 1500 square feet of sheetrock. Mr. Don has been living in a FEMA provided trailer directly next to his residence. It is quite remarkable to see all the progress made in the house.

The training provided at Delmarva Christian High School during the weeks in advance by Todd East with Double Diamond Builders, and Rusty Dukes of Dukes Lumber Company, has proved to be a great help as we have accomplished the same projects down here.

Mr. Don said, "Words can't describe how I feel about this group coming down and doing this, since I am physically not able to. We don't know how else to thank the people of First Presbyterian Church of Gulfport, or the students from DCHS. We are forever grateful."


After our day of work came to an halt, we returned back to Camp Hope and were treated to a great surprise! Spaghetti and Meatballs for everyone! The lovely ladies whom you see pictured below cooked us ANOTHER great meal. They keep us strong and healthy!

We concluded the evening with a gathering around the fire. Bryan led us in a few worship songs and Pastor Rob encouraged us to show God's amazing love, because His love is what would bring people in Gulfport (not to mention the whole world) closer together.

Tommorow, or actually Today, since it is 1:34 am now, we are going to New Orleans to continue learning how Hurricane Katrina affected the region. The eye of the hurricane hit a location called Pass Christian, Mississippi, which is close to New Orleans.

Please continue to stay tuned for more updates and pictures as they become availble. We also encourage you to foward this link to any friends / family members who may find it of interest. Also, if you feel led to help Camp Hope and the Katrina Relief Effort, follow the link on the right hand side of the page titled "How You Can Help."

One Love,
The DCHS Katrina Relief Team