Yesterday I headed back down to Birmingham, Alabama to volunteer again with Pratt City Disaster Resource Center. As you probably saw before I left, I posted a list of items that were needed for the center. Because of the generosity of many of you and those at my church, I was able to pack my car full of donations! I should have taken a photo, but I packed it as full as I could while leaving room to see out the windows. The trunk and entire back of my car was full. I could feel my car groaning at the extra weight, and it put a bigger dent in my gas bill than usual. But thanks to the generosity of even more sweet folks, even my gas was paid for! God is good! Thank you to everyone who gave towards this trip and helping the people of Alabama!!

I was excited to arrive at the center this morning and have to get help unloading everything. I told the guy that there was a lot of stuff. He followed me out to my car and I said, "You might want to get a couple more guys." He said, "How much is there? Like a shopping cart full?" "Maybe five or six," I replied. "Oh!" We got it all out and rolled it inside with the help of the number of shopping carts I estimated. Later another volunteer said, "I can't believe how much you packed in your car! I thought a truck had been unloaded!" I told him that many years of experience have led me to be an excellent packer!! (Mom helped too!)

I spent the day in the main office helping with computer work like last time. Mrs. Helen and Pastor Eric were happy I had returned. I think it is refreshing for them to know that they can tell me to do something and it will get done. Something I didn't mention in my last post about the center, but some of the women who "volunteer" at the center are actually inmates from a nearby prison. There are usually one or two working around me that I get to interact with.

Near the end of the day, I helped put the finishing touches on the "household" room. That room will be opened tomorrow for volunteers to help the locals get household things they need like linens, dishes, silverware, lamps, pots and pans, and so on. A lot of the items I brought down were displayed throughout this room. And I'm going shopping tonight to purchase more things for that room in particular with the gift card and extra money people at my church gave me for the people of Alabama. Thank you!

I'm looking forward to the rest of my time here. I'm hoping to get out into the community a bit and have interaction with locals in the nearby neighborhoods. And I'd like to make a stop in Tuscaloosa at some point and see the rebuilding efforts going on there and see if I can pitch in. It's going to be a busy week and I'm already exhausted. But I'm excited and ready for however God wants to use me this week!

And P.S... we all got a special treat at the center today when Taylor Hicks (Season 5 American Idol winner) stopped by to see what's going on at the center and find out ways he can help his native state during this difficult time.