Day 1 - Pathfinder

Dad dropped me off in Grove City, after we decided not to try to go to Westerville to join the trip. I recognized somebody from the trip in December--one of the wannabe muckers from the Third Trip. After a short round of introductions, we prayed for a safe and successful trip to help rebuild in Louisiana. Our group consisted of a 15-passenger church van and two SUVs. We left Grove City in a light rain, and before we left Ohio, the rain stopped. The sunlight was beautiful and I enjoyed talking to the people I rode with.

We listened to some good music and a Christian comedian I hadn't heard of before. The driver also shared a story about a Christian rapper who has set up a church in the ghetto. It sounds very different from the typical mostly-Caucasian church I'm used to as a suburbanite, but it also sounds like it's a good idea. The rap we listened to was about the Crucifixion. It was a powerful contemporary view on the heart of what we believe as Christians.

As we traveled through Nashville, we wondered whether we would be pulled over by a police cruiser that started its sirens. Instead, the police passed us and got off the Interstate at a different exit.

In Mississippi, we stopped for refueling and restroom breaks, and met a person who stayed at his house when Hurricane Katrina came through Mississippi. He told us his story of the hurricane and the damage that followed it. Another person at the same gas station asked for information about Servants Unite, and John gave him a business card with contact information.

With the exception of an April Fool's Day joke, and stops to get gas, use bathrooms, or switch drivers, the rest of the trip to Louisiana was uneventful. After a brief introduction to our accommodations (a group of FEMA trailers allocated to a volunteer organization), we had a devotional and then went to bed. This was the 24th Servants Unite team to go to the Gulf Coast. The rest of my week would show me a mix of progress and the continuing need for volunteer assistance in rebuilding.