New Years Eve--Happy New Year!

Today seemed much better than yesterday. We have made amazing progress on Miss Anna's house--we have it all primed except for the highest peak and have the first coat of the final blue well on its way. Miss Anna's family has started to arrive for their big New Year's celebration--her grandchildren arrive tonight. She still stopped in the middle of her preparations to bring us our Mexican coffee and treats. She also gave me seeds to distribute from her Confederate Roses which are a multi color rose that she especially treasures.
The connections that came through her have now all received quite a bit of help. Maria's house has a room framed, lots of outlets, fans, chandeliers, smoke detectors wired, etc. Lee was thrilled with the crew that showed up there (Maria's neighbor) ---one group worked on levelling the house with him and others worked on packing up the vase collection from the house to move it into boxes and out to the garage. Tomorrow a big crew will be going to pour the foundation over at the swamp at Captain Jack's. We are all feeling an urgency with only one more day to go.
We had lunch at the Baptist Church and it was good to see Rev. Rawls and his wife--she gave me a big hug as I entered. Saw the team from WVa that we've seen at this time on other trips. Met a retired couple that sold their home and live in an RV, travelling around the country to locations where there is a need coordinated by an organization in Illinois. They have been here for a couple of months and will stay til Feb. 1st. I suggested to Bill that we retire early and stay here for a while but he pointed out neither of us could tolerate the bugs. (Of course there are a few other considerations :) )Those gnats aren't supposed to be out now but they haven't gotten the news and we're all covered with bites. The weather was in the 70's yesterday but cooler today--which was good because the breeze kept the bugs away.
One of the families that we've worked with before is close to being in their home but there is no money to finish--I'm thinking of trying to get a figure as to what is needed and then see if we can't do some fundraising. I'll keep trying to get a response from Ellen (Degeneres) :)'s
It's almost time for our meeting to start so will stop here--I just have a few photos from today so will upload those tomorrow. I hope that this year, with a new administration, will bring some more focus on the plight of people along the Gulf Coast. It is horrendous that there is so much need so long after the hurricane. Volunteers continue to help but that has slowed somewhat--Ben's next group isn't coming for 6 weeks. It is so frustrating to be here and see what is needed and to hear the stories of the abuse of funds allocated for relief and to hear about the lack of help from our government. Personally it is frustrating that this is all we can do--our expenses for these 6 trips and our time are what we have to give and will continue to give until the job in this town is done---but that committment is not enough for all that there is to do. I pray that as this year and our time here come to an end, the work that we've done and the lives that we have touched will help to give at least some of these people hope for the New Year. Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for all of your support throughout our endeavors in Pearlington whether financial or otherwise.
PS Heard at our meeting that Craig, our electrician, diagnosed the problem, got the part, and fixed the man lift for this couple whose home had been completed 6 weeks ago. He was unable to see the inside of his new home because they had installed steps instead of a ramp and because the new lift wouldn't work. Craig and his crew stopped by today just in time to see them use it so that he could enter his new home for the first time. Certainly that made for a happy new year for all concerned.