January 2007

Dear Friends and Visitors to our website,

We hope you will bookmark our website and leisurely peruse all we have to share about our Katrina Recovery experience in Biloxi, Mississippi.  We suggest that you read the commentaries referenced in our update below, as well as 3-THE BUTTERKNIFE STORY, before viewing our pictures. If you only read one commentary, we suggest #4 at the end of this introduction, which will give you an overview of the recovery process and dispel some of the false impressions perpetuated by the media.

Obviously, what we have to share is from our personal experience and what we have gleaned from survivors and people directly involved with the recovery effort.  Note that the recovery challenges in South Mississippi are very different from those in New Orleans.  However, this is the fourth disaster we have worked at, and there is a “sameness” to them all--only the circumstances and people are different.  One is almost overwhelmed by the tragedy and suffering, uplifted and amazed by the strength, resilience, fortitude and graciousness of people who have been stripped of everything yet retain their faith and humanity, and awed by the legions of caring people who come to stand and work beside them. Recovery is a long, slow, tedious, process which frustrates our desires and expectations for “a quick fix.” It requires the persistent and dedicated efforts of government, the private sector, churches, charitable and volunteer organizations, each with its unique and necessary role to play. However, we must give the nod to volunteers—without them vast numbers of people would never recover! See commentary: 4-PERSPECTIVES ON KATRINA RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.

Disasters make us dig deep within, where we discover our capacity to love and to endure; they give us a glimpse of our noblest potential--a truly life-changing experience whether we are the survivor or the volunteer. Volunteers and survivors--we are forever bonded by our shared experience. A piece of our hearts will always remain in Biloxi!  - Carol Tebo

 

It has been over a year since our last update.  Much has transpired since then, which I will encapsulate for those acquaintances or visitors who do not receive our regular email updates.

We spent the fall of 2005 circulating among our four Thousand Trails campgrounds on the beautiful Oregon Coast. We celebrated fall and winter birthdays and the holidays with daughter Tanya, son-in-law Greg and grandchildren Alex (6) and Haley (4) who live in the Portland area.  It was a record wet winter in Oregon and, over the Christmas holiday, we were forced to move our motor home to Tanya’s from the county campground along the Willammette River as the waters rose and eventually enveloped the campground. To add to the “holiday excitement” Carol severely broke her ankle on New Year’s Eve by slipping on some toys on the hardwood floor, so she welcomed in the New Year at Oregon State University Hospital in Portland! Following surgery the next day, we spent three weeks at Tanya’s where Carol was lovingly nursed by everyone until the doctor said she was able to proceed with our plans to head to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to help with the massive Katrina Recovery Effort.  Carol was walking in her “moon boot” in two weeks, with the aid of an ankleful of hardware.

Our destination was the First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Biloxi, MS, where we planned to join forces for 10 days with a Methodist Volunteers in Mission (VIM) team from Wisconsin.  We had previously worked with some of the VIM members when they came to Koinonia Partners in Americus, Georgia to help out.  FUMC turned out to be a perfect place for us to stay long-term, so its parking lot became our home for nearly three months. See commentary: 1-FIRST IMPRESSIONS. When the church began a much-needed three-week hiatus in early May, we decided that was the logical time for us to depart. See commentary: 2-DEPARTING THOUGHTS.

We headed to the East Coast to visit three of our children and our grandchildren. We spent a week with each family, getting caught up on each other and taking lots of family pictures to replace outdated ones. It’s amazing how much children of all ages change in two years! We were blessed with two more grandchildren last year – Karis Ryan Tebo born to Matt and Amie on July 26, 2005; and Kenley Thomas born to Todd and Keya on September 23, 2005. That brings our number of grandchildren to 15, ranging from 1 to 22 years old, all of whom we were able to visit on our trip. After resting up for two-weeks at a campground in Indiana, we steered the motor home west. Tanya and the grandkids were excitedly awaiting our return so we could all camp together again.

It was a spectacular summer and fall on the Pacific Northwest Coast, and we enjoyed it to the max. We toggled between two campgrounds—one in Seaside, Oregon, and the other across the Columbia River on the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington,. Beautiful Astoria is halfway between the two. This area is rich with Lewis & Clark and Columbia River history. Carol took long walks on the beaches to refresh her spirit and strengthen her ankle, which has healed very well; she also lots of pictures, as usual. Larry had a series of tests and appointments to see if there were any viable “fixes” for the blocked arteries in his thighs; at this point he is trying a new medicine that may give him some relief from the severe cramping when he walks. Surgery is not recommended at this time. We sang a lot of karaoke and made some friends in the process. It took us awhile to let down and catch up on ourselves. Disaster work is at once emotionally and physically exhilarating and draining, whether or not one realizes it at the time.  It takes a while to process it all after one steps away from it.  It is part of the reason it has taken so long to get everything together for this website update.

Two fierce winter storms from the Pacific, dumping huge amounts of rain and packing strong winds with gusts up to 100mph, pounded the north coast of Oregon and on up the coast of Washington in November and December.. Hundreds of downed trees and electrical wires caused sustained and far-reaching power outages. Our motor home did a lot of “rockin’ and rollin’” but we were safe and secure. With our generator, propane heater and cell phone, as well as being hooked to water and sewer, we endured better than most. We were thankful that one main road to Portland was open so that we could get to Tanya’s in time to share a beautiful family Christmas, celebrate Tanya’s 40th birthday, and ring in the New Year together!.

2007 marks the end of an “era” for us. Ten years ago, last July, we took a leap of faith to become full-time RVers. We turned the steering wheel over to God, and what an incredible journey of faith and discovery we were taken on!
We have participated in 5 Habitat for Humanity blitz builds—from Newfoundland to Georgia; worked at Koinonia Partners in Americus, GA, where Habitat began; and helped at 4 natural disasters—cleaning up tornado debris, rebuilding homes, distributing food and supplies, and stringing barbed wire fences--from South Dakota to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

We reveled in nature at wildlife sanctuaries, National Parks, along the banks of the Connecticut River at our former camping property in New Hampshire, hiking to waterfalls, camping across the pristine Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where we were awed by the Northern Lights; watching the amber waves of grain glistening in the sun in South Dakota; exploring the Everglades, and every mile of the Oregon Coast. The variety of natural beauty across our country is unsurpassable!

We also immersed ourselves in the rich history and traditions of our country. Highlights include visiting Civil War Battlefields, historic sites and state capitals; following much of the Lewis and Clark Trail, including Great Falls, Montana; touring the Kennedy Space Center and watching from Merritt Island the 4 a.m. launch of the Discovery Shuttle as it headed for the first Hubble Telescope repair mission. We visited Epcot World and highly recommend it; attended the Sunset Ceremony in Key West, followed by dinner and Key Lime pie at Sloppy Joes; and were charmed by the manatees at Hommassa Wildlife park. We drove the length of the Natchez Trace from Nashville to Jackson, MS, saw a cotton gin in operation, and attended an anniversary show at the Grand Ole Opry. We were given a personal tour of a Hutterite farm and community in South Dakota; toured the Oconee Nuclear Power Plant in SC, the Oldsmobile robotic assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, and the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, FL, and watched the Blue Angels practice; and visited Atlantic City, NJ, where we stood at Boardwalk and Park Place. We attended a Fondue Steak and Chuck Wagon dinner on a bluff overlooking the town of Medora, North Dakota, followed by attendance at the Medora Musical Pageant performed an outdoor amphitheatre cut into the hillside to honor the town’s history and its most famous citizen Teddy Roosevelt—it was Americana at its best. In Biloxi, we were treated to an extremely informative shrimp boat excursion, and went on a glorious three-hour sail on a replica of the old Biloxi Schooners. Mostly importantly, we paid our respects at Ground Zero, visited the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, and stood in awe beneath the Statue of Liberty.  

We wrote 3 books, and took up a new hobby singing karaoke!

Our lives have been immeasurably enriched by the beautiful people we have encountered along our way—fellow RVers, campground personnel, volunteers, Habitat homeowners and disaster survivors. We were uplifted and instructed by the bountiful examples of faith, strength, courage, love and compassion we witnessed!

Finally, one of our greatest joys has been the opportunity to visit friends, relatives and our children and 15 grandchildren scattered from coast to coast. Our reunions have been joyous occasions, and their love and support of our “unorthodox lifestyle” have been deeply appreciated!

We are eternally grateful to Topsy and Alex Jarvie (both now deceased) who introduced us to the RV lifestyle and became our mentors! It was their “can-do” attitude and example that encouraged us to seize the opportunity when we were vigorous and healthy. And thanks to the Thousand Trails Campgrounds membership purchased from them, we have been able to afford to live the exhilarating and rewarding RV lifestyle. Our cup runneth over!

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1). For a variety of reasons, it has become clear that it is now time to begin putting down roots. We have purchased a modest manufactured home in a friendly 55+ park in the Portland environs, where we will be near our daughter Tanya and family. We envision spending the holiday season and winter months snuggled in, with more room to spread out and work on hobbies and projects. Once we are settled, we will sell the motor home and downsize to a small Class C motor home, so we can continue enjoying our many Thousand Trails campgrounds in the area when we choose. We look forward to finding ways to serve and volunteer locally, being a part of our grandchildren’s lives, and finding fellowship in a faith community. Hopefully, we will be able to revisit the Gulf Coast down the road. We thank God for guidance, faithfulness and provision during these years, and look forward to whatever is in store for us around the next bend! 

                                                                        Bountiful blessings,

                                                                        Carol and Larry—Patches, too!