Thanksgiving in Pearlington - 2006


My family made our second trip to Pearlington over Thanksgiving week. Sometimes when you go back to a place, you leave disappointed because you now have expectations. This trip was not one of those trips. It was one where we stood back in amazement and watched God work.

It has taken me some time to process this trip because of the amazing things that God did while we were there. I am just now finding the words to describe that trip!


The week before we left, I should have been making phone calls to finalize some details for the trip. After all we were taking others down with us, we should really look like we know what we are doing! However on Monday of that week, I received a phone call from the hospital informing me that the surgeon wanted to move my youngest daughter's surgery up - 4 weeks. This meant that her surgery would be 2 days after we would be getting back from Pearlington.


So instead of making phone calls to Pearlington, I was taking my daughter to doctor's appointments, looking for people to take the other kids during the week I would be in the hospital with my youngest, etc. I thought that the Lord had really gone out of his way to derail my plans and then I was reminded of Proverbs 16:9 - "In his heart, man makes his plan, but God directs his steps." It was very obvious that God was redirecting my steps, but I could not understand why. I was thinking about this all week. I could not imagine why God would take such drasctic steps, at least in my mind, to redirect my steps.


It wasn't until we were driving down to Pearlington that God began to reveal some new thoughts to me. Here is what I wrote in my journal, on Sunday - the second day of our drive to Pearlington, " When I should have been putting the final touches on the Pearlington trip, God redirected my steps to prepare for an upcoming surgery for my daughter. It makes me think that God must have something planned that I could not have thought of and therefore could not plan for. I will need to be watchful over this next week to see what God does. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly more abundantly than I could think or ask - to Him be glory."


As I watched God unfold the events of the week, I was amazed at the things he did - things that I would never have imagined -


*things like using my web blog as a way to inspire others to come and minister along side of us - what a blessing to meet Betty and Caby.


*The thank you notes written by the children were used to make a man who has been in Pearlington for many months feel appreciated and loved


*Flowers picked by the girls and left with notes for the cook on a bad day made him feel appreciated.


Wow - only God could orchestrate those types of things. I am humbled that he would chose to use 3 families in such ways.



I have frequently been asked if it was worth it, taking children ranging in age from 6-15 into a disaster area. The children give the best answers to this question:


"This was the best thanksgiving ever! We need to come back here every year for thanksgiving."


"Mrs. Ayers, can you plan another trip so that we can stay longer."


But this response reveals the heart of these kids the best. We were driving back into Minneapolis after dark. The lights of the city were spread out before us. One of the girls began to cry and the others gathered around her and asked her what was wrong. Her answer sums up all of our feelings - "Minneapolis is so big, Pearlington is so small. We have so much, they have nothing."

Pearlington has a big God looking over them and doing amazing things. I am thankful to be a part of His plan for this small community that He has used to touch my heart in a significant way.

This was the last picture that we took while on the the trip. It was taken as the sun was setting on the beach - the sun's rays appear to make a cross. It was as if God was saying Yes to all that we had done.

Yes, it was worth it to bring these children with their parents into this disaster area at this time. I saw God at work in and through these families and He was glorified.