Habitat for Humanity Build- Clarksdale, Mississippi
April 6-12, 2003
 April in Mississippi brought us cool and rainy weather. It was not quite what we expected for our build, but the group was more than enthusiastic to get started. There were 15 of us from all parts of the USA. We were quite a diverse group of men and women in ages and backgrounds, but we all got along and worked so well together.
The first evening of our arrival we went to a local restaurant and got acquainted with each other. After dinner we had our first group meeting and discussed the week’s plans. It was our team leader, Barbara Brenner’s first experience as team leader. She was delightful, funny, energetic and caring; we all loved her right away.
Our building site was just a concrete slab when we saw it, and in order to get to it we had to put down wooden pallets to get through the Mississippi mud. We began that cool rainy morning sawing lumber to put the frame of the house together. Lunch time each day we went back to our living quarters to make our own lunches and had a chance to rest before returning for the afternoon’s work.
The group had a choice to volunteer at the local school and soup kitchen if they chose. For a change one morning I went to The Care Station soup kitchen to help. We chopped vegetables and got food ready for the lunch time visitors. A most unforgettable person I met that morning was Mother Cooper. She was a volunteer in her mid 80’s and that day was scheduled to give the blessing before lunch. She brought her Bible and read my favorite chapter from first Corinthians about love. When she finished, she talked from her heart about life and love and her faith and it brought tears to my eyes. When she was leaving for the afternoon to take a sick friend of hers to the doctor, I gave her a hug and told her she made my day.
In the short week we were there we framed the house and worked on another home in the neighborhood nearing completion by painting and laying floor tile. Each evening we had a different dinner experience either at a local restaurant or a community sponsored meal. We had a fried chicken dinner at the local school one evening and on the last night the women from the New Covenant Baptist church cooked us a fried catfish dinner. They were the most warm and memorable experiences for the group as we got to socialize with the local residents. In both cases I tracked down the cook and asked what ingredients they used to make it so delicious!
The highlights of the week included a few evenings visiting some Blues Cafes to hear the local groups, (Loved that beat!) A trip to the local Delta Blues Museum; to Memphis’ famous Beale Street; Graceland, home of the late Elvis Presley and the Civil Rights Museum, a very moving place to visit.
It was a wonderful week, and all too soon over. We laughed a lot, we worked hard, and we met some fine new people who all share a common goal to help others. We will not forget such a rich, rewarding and cultural experience. -Lynn Pakulla
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