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I just spent a week in Waveland, Mississippi, which was ground zero for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The city was virtually wiped off the map after losing over 90% of its properties, public and private. Three years later, the people are still rebuilding, still waiting, and feel like they have been forgotten.

Long after the cameras left, the debris of houses ripped apart, slab foundations, and twisted trees stand as harsh reminders of what took place. There are numerous businesses left untouched, roads unpaved, and homes no one can live in, but must pay a mortgage all the while. The people that live along the Gulf Coast need to know that they have not been forgotten. They are our friends and family regardless of how well we know them. The picture above is from the first post-Katrina trip I made to Pascagoula in 2006. There has been little improvement in the two years since then.

All I can compare it to is Hugo in 1989. I had just turned 11 when it made landfall in Charleston and trekked through the midlands before turning north towards Charlotte leaving a path of destruction. Hugo is what took Disaster Relief, as we know it, to the next level. My family would travel to Charleston every summer and it was like a second home to me. I still think it is one of the greatest cities in the world, but it needed help to recover. 19 years later you can still see the twisted trees that will never again be green, but their harshness is muted by those that survived and the new ones that have grown. I remember when our own state was hurting from Hugo. I remember when I saw Charleston for the first time after the storm and it was heartbreaking, even for an 11 year old boy who lived in the Upstate.

My hope for the Gulf Coasts of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi is that they too will recover as Charleston has. I hope there will be a desire for people to continue to help in this devastated area and that there will be continued growing hope in the lives of people who feel depressed and lost wandering what to do. Our message for the people of Waveland was simple: We have not forgotten.

A South Carolina Fourth

Independence Day! What a great holiday. It means different things to different people with varying ideas of freedom, but here in South Carolina, it remains true to the idea of celebrating freedom fought for by brave men and women that allows us to enjoy what has become the American way of life.

Every year, a couple from my church throws a 4th of July Celebration at their house. It kicks off with Frogmore Stew. The recipe can vary, but there is little argument to its origin. Frogmore stew was created in South Carolina and is a great example of low country cuisine. Sometimes it turns out more like Brunswick stew, which some key Southern states argue over who made it first, with the main players being North and South Carolina. I have had some from both states, and I have to give the edge to the Palmetto State. Any way, Frogmore stew usually has corn on the cob, shrimp, and sausage in it with very little liquid depending on your interpretation of the recipe. You can always throw in pulled pork, beef, and chicken; add Tabasco and you are ready to eat. The stew at this party is more like the Brunswick and it is amazing.

That is followed by grilled hotdogs and sausages with corn, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and much more. An island in the kitchen is reserved for some of the best homemade sweets to follow the great meal. The house is close to the mountains so the view offers a variety of fireworks to be seen all around. This year was the best yet all around. For my wife and I, having our first child to celebrate with added special meaning to the holiday, even though she is understandably scared of fireworks.

On Sunday, July 6th, my church hosted Mark Harris in concert. We had a BBQ supper before hand and a fireworks display afterwards. The man who does the fireworks outdid himself this year. With the entire holiday weekend, one of the elements that made it uniquely South Carolinian was the rain. We are in a severe drought, but like clock work when the 4th rolls around each year, we get some decent showers, with the key word being showers.

After the event, the church staff went out for a late bite with Mark Harris and his assistant, Luke. They are great guys. They didn't act like they were in any hurry and shared great stories and insight with us. The outing wrapped up a wonderful July 4th weekend that would be hard to top anywhere else. I hope yours' was just as wonderful!