Well, I've been home almost a week so I thought I better update this for the few fans I have out there. Whatever cold I had the whole time in Miss on my last trip is still kicking and screaming to some degree. Sadly this is pretty common for me; I get over nasty stuff pretty quick but the annoying runny nose and slight cough seems to hang on forever. Many have asked me about my time in Miss and how things are like and it's not easy to describe. They all want to know if things are improving, too. That's not easy to say either. It depends on where you are and what you're looking at. In some cases, it looks like life is going normally, but it clearly isn't in others and won't be for a long time to come. Utilities and shopping are generally all back except where there was real destruction from wind and surge. The lines remain long though since there are just so many people the area wasn't designed to hold.

My plans may be changing both near- and long-term. Merrie had the idea of delivering urgent supplies with me this weekend so I'm working on getting our van tuned up so we can drive down Friday instead of me flying down Sat. Then she would drive my car back Sunday. That's quite a haul and I'm not sure what we'll take or where we'll be yet. I only made one call to Bay Saint Louis so far but my message wasn't returned. I figure we will end up there or the Waveland area most likely.

Long-term has changed because I will not be returning to school full-time spring semester as I had originally planned. A part-time job opportunity has arisen where I may be taking over the business of a former supervisor who's moving on into ministry. While it is unclear at this point just how much work this may entail and how long it will last, I see it as a sign that God wants me to keep working in the Gulf region. Now I will be able to be there weeks I'm not working up here (I can also telecommute) and be self-sufficient financially. If the work does last a while, I can return to school part-time so it seems like a win-win situation.