By KATIE WILSON Wheeling News Register
McMECHEN - Instead of putting up holiday decorations, a
city man has spent part of this month helping to rebuild homes ravaged by
Hurricane Katrina.
Terry Davis said he was listening to American Family Radio
when he heard an advertisement for a new organization called 8 Days Of Hope.
The group was hoping for 500 volunteers to visit four cities in Mississippi
to help rebuild.
"The minute I heard it, the Lord just burned it into my
heart," Davis said.
Later that night, he visited the group's Web site and
applied to be a volunteer.
On Dec. 8, he met a man from Columbus and the two drove
more than 18 hours to Bay St. Louis, Miss.
When Davis arrived, organizers made him a project manager
because of his background in construction. Davis owns T. Davis Homes, a
residential remodeling and construction company.
Davis managed an electrical team. One of the most striking
events occurred when he visited an electrical supply store. The clerk told
Davis that he had wondered where the rest of the country was, then 8 Days Of
Hope arrived.
"He said we didn't know how much we were appreciated and
how much hope we had brought," Davis said. "I went there to be of service,
and was blessed."
More than 600 people, skilled and unskilled, worked as a
"well-oiled machine," Davis said.
"I try to live a good Christian life," Davis said. "I
believe God comes through in many ways."
While in Mississippi, Davis and several other volunteers
stayed in a homeless shelter.
He said he slept in a room with five other men, several of
whom could rattle the walls with their snores. Breakfast and lunch consisted
of Meals Ready to Eat provided by the military. Dinner wasn't fancy, but hot
and filling, Davis said.
He noted it was a humbling, wonderful experience.
Davis said the devastation in the area was incredible and
the amount of work to be done was overwhelming. He described homes gutted
and people sleeping in tents on the lawn, even though temperatures were
dropping below zero at night. Thousands of trailers, provided by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, are sitting in rows, waiting to be connected to
utilities, Davis said, but there simply aren't enough workers to get the job
done.
Volunteering during December brought a special meaning to
Christmas, Davis said.
"It's the season of giving, brotherhood and love, the time
of Jesus coming," he said. "I wanted the people to see Christ at work."
Davis said 8 Days Of Hope is already working on a second
project and he hopes he'll be able to go back. He is also hoping others from
the Ohio Valley will join in. He has uploaded pictures and video of his trip
on his Web site, www.tdavishomes.com. He is also willing to speak to
individuals or groups about what he experienced in the Gulf Coast.
