WHY WE GO: Often people ask what brought us to Gulfport, and why we are doing what we are doing. We tell them that there are three simple reasons: (1) I MET GOD ONE DAY, AND HE HAS CHANGED MY LIFE. I used to live my life pretty selfishly. Then I met the God of the Bible. Now I care about people and meeting their needs in a brand new way; (2) I WANT YOU TO SEE GOD'S LOVE IN MY SERVICE. Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:16, NIV). I want you to know that I'm serving others because of God's love in my life; (3) I HOPE YOU WILL WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. John 3:16 is just one verse in the Bible, but it explains a great deal about God and His plan for you. If you have a few minutes, I would be happy to talk with you about knowing God personally through his Son, Jesus.

I also have a selfish reason for going. The trips are a lot of work, but we also have a lot of fun and there is nothing like the feeling and satisfaction you get when see the faces of those you have helped, especially the kids.

I took the images in this gallery, using a Canon A700 digital camera, while serving as a member of one of the Biltmore Baptist Church's Disaster Relief Teams. Biltmore Baptist is located in Western North Carolina, near Asheville, in Arden. Since August 2005, the church has sent many teams to the Gulfport area to help rebuild homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. To date, North Carolina Baptist men and women have helped to rebuild over 250 homes in the Gulfport area and plan to be there for at least another year. Our group of 19 people was there from 15-21 October 2006.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE INDIVIDUAL THUMBNAIL IMAGES TO MAKE THEM LARGER.