This is the end of my blog. I'm going to say goodbye by remembering some of the special people who went to Mississippi on this trip. Now for the rest of the story:

- The hardworking sister team of Kathy Lesnock and Janey Byers. These two can do any kind of home repair.

- Brant and Jennifer Newman. Their Bridgeville home was flooded when Tropical Storm Ivan moved through the area nearly two years ago. They know what it's like to lose their possessions and receive clean-up help from a church.

- Tim Juraev, a foreign exchange student from Uzbekistan, who speaks four languages.

- A.J. Martin who didn't let a skateboarding accident keep him from going. Even though his arm was in a cast he climbed high up a ladder and painted the Triplett's house.

- Pastor Larry Deemer who "got me" when he claimed his work day had consisted of dusting off wine bottles in an old wine cellar.

- Members of the West Alexander Presbyterian Church who raised $1,500 for a Gautier woman who had served free meals at her restaurant after the hurricane.

- Vaughn and Kathy Hixenbaugh who do dry walling for Washington County Habitat for Humanity. Their expertise was very much needed.

- The man with the heart condition who nevertheless decided to make the trip.

- Audrey Hawker and Mamie McGinnis who delivered canned goods and paper items to a food bank and sporting equipment to a home for abused boys.

- Bob Morgan whose family farm is now the National Cemetery of the Alleghenys. He took time off from building his own house to make the trip.

- Muralist Karen Brachman from Midway who had hoped to use her talent to paint a mural for someone. She didn't get the opportunity because her granddaughter, Tora Rudy, needed medical treatment from the "noseeum bugs."

- Peggy Flynn washing her new black puppy.

- The clerk at Lowe's who told us as we tied two dog houses to the roof of a van, "Now everyone will think you're from Mississippi!"

- A certain woman who does not want her name used in the newspaper and who was not looking forward to spending a week with anyone from the Observer-Reporter. She had to admit, as she was giving me a good-bye hug, that Park, Brant and I aren't as bad as she feared!

- I also need to mention the kindness of members of my church, Faith United Presbyterian, who gave me dozens of gift cards to Home Deport and Wal-Mart to take with me.

Earnestine Cole of Gautier, Miss. shared her homemade gumbo soup recipe with me. Later I was to learn from the folks she served this to that she 'neglected' to give me her secret ingredient!

Here it is anyway:

Gumbo For Six
Boil one whole chicken in about 7-8 cups of water. Don't overcook the chicken.
Cut chicken off the bones. Save the broth.

You'll also need:
1 and 1/2 lb. of medium size shrimp
whole crab (cleaned)
3 sausages

For the roux:
1 cup flour and 3/4 cup of oil
Stir together slowly on low heat until the roux turns dark.

"The darker the roux the better the gumbo," she said and noted if it isn't dark enough she may add a drop or two of Kitchen Bouquet.
Also, if you need to, add flour or a bit of cornstarch.
"You do not want a thin roux," she said.

Stir it on medium low heat for 35 to 40 minutes and make sure it does not burn.
Once it is dark brown add to the chicken broth.
Add your "trinity" which is a medium onion, three stalks celery and one large bell pepper.
Stir this into the chicken broth.

Cut up three smoked sausages. Microwave them until the oil is removed.
Add to the chicken broth. Also add the cut up chicken.

Season with:
salt and pepper
seasoned salt (Emeril's)
hot sauce (optional)

Cook on medium heat for 35 mins.
add shrimp and crab
Cook another 20 minutes.

Make rice and add.
She suggests using the celery leaves for the presentation.

The people she served this to the week we were in Mississippi assured me it was very tasty!

One of the most bizarre things I saw in Biloxi was the Monkey Show.

My friend, Jennifer Newman, really wanted to see the show after driving past the small carnival the night before and seeing a caged monkey. Coming back from photographing hurricane damage in Gulfport we decided to stop. There was no admission charge. My guess is that they were encouraging people to come back to the beach area.

Inside, the first thing we saw were the pig races. Big deal I thought. I've seen pig races in Pennsylvania. The last pig race of the night was between pot bellied pigs. Apparently they had already eaten because half way down the race track they stopped, turned around, and headed back to the starting gate.

We moved over to the monkey show. Jennifer asked the monkey handler if she gave him $5 if he'd let me take her photograph with the monkey. The handler told us these are chimpanzees, not monkeys, and the chimp could rip her arm off.

We went and sat down.

The Rosaire Zoppe Chimpanzee Show began with an announcement that the show is copyrighted so no videotaping is allowed. However, the audience can take still photographs.

Then Pam Zoppe brought out "Rickey" the chimp. Jennifer didn't like the fact he had a collar and leash nor did she like his outfit.

She wanted to leave, I wanted to stay. A woman in front of us turned around and said "You won't believe what these animals can do."

Rickey stood on tippy toes to kiss his owner.

Then the Zoppe's brought out three more chimps. Two of them began fighting with each other. I was glad they were on leashes.

Finally Zoppe went and got a pony. The woman sitting in front turned around and said "What 'til you see what this monkey can do, it will freak you out!"

A chimp dressed as a cowboy climbed on top of the pony. As the pony trotted in circles the chimp did somersaults on his back. The audience applauded.

"See?" the woman in front of us said.

Jennifer and I got out of there as fast as we could so she wouldn't see us laughing.

Friday night: Our last day in Mississippi was spent sanding wallboard in what was once a beautiful home. Now it has sheet-rock walls and bare floors waiting to be finished.

Out back a swimming pool holds black, stagnate water.

Several volunteer groups left camp this afternoon to return home. We're leaving at 4 a.m. Saturday to try and get to Jim's house in Cincinnati, where rumor has it cold drinks await us.

Mission Mississippi has been an amazing experience for me. Strangers, noticing my disaster relief badge, have stopped me on the street to say thank you for coming. People who have lost everything they owned remain warm, caring and full of hope. Equally as caring are the volunteers from Washington County here to show God's love in action this week.

Here you learn to appreciate the little things that you tend to take for granted. I'm looking forward to getting home, sleeping in my own bed and using a real toilet and shower.

Thousands of people living along the Gulf Coast feel exactly the same way.

Friday morning: Last night I had the privilege of meeting Mary Santiago. She lives in a not-too-nice part of Pascogoula. There are bars on her windows, and her front door has bullet-proof glass.

The group from West Alexander Presbyterian Church, which includes nine church members and two teachers from Claysville Elementary School, decided to buy Mary some new bedding and a fan for her bedroom. She welcomed us with "Come on in, sugar" and "Good to see you, baby," and we visited for a while in her overheated home.

Mary, who was hit by Hurricane Katrina, also lost her husband of 31 years in April. "He was my gift from God," she said. "We did everything together, including fishing, crabbing and going to church."

Before we left, she prayed for us to have a safe journey back to Pittsburgh, even though she has no idea where the city or even Pennsylvania is located.

Her prayer was simple, yet heartfelt and eloquent, and I was not the only one who left with tears in my eyes.

Thursday Evening: When I knocked on Earnestine Cole's FEMA trailer Thursday afternoon, she was looking up scripture passages for the words "love and friend." A bible teacher at her Gautier church, Cole feels blessed with a succession of teams that have worked on her house since February.

"God's got some good souls here on this Earth," she told me.

These good souls include folks from Claysville, West Alexander and Washington who have labored in the Mississippi heat to dry wall her entire home this week. Tomorrow, she will serve them lunch – her homemade gumbo.

"They're family now and always will be," said Cole.

Thursday morning: Some of the hardest workers i've seen down here are teens from Washington County. I've not heard one complaint from any of them. They do amazing things, get incredibly dirty and still manage to joke around with each other

Yesterday, we painted the outside of David and Virginie Triplett's house in Biloxi. Sarah Wiliams, and A.J. Martin (who has an arm in a cast from a skateboard accident) painted one side, while Tim Juraev and A.J. Weaver painted the other side. Working inside were Rachel and Hilary Byers and Chris McPherson.

Then we got a call that 45 mattress sets from Washington Presbytery had arrived. We drove over to the church and unloaded a Serta truck. Helping with that were Zack Klein, Brandon Ansell and Kaity McCarrell.