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Dolores and Christa

'We Left Them Shining with Hope'

Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, two friends encountered a region devastated by hurricane and poverty. They’re not afraid to step out and serve… “Even at our age.”

They were behind the wallboards, in the light fixtures, in the kitchen cupboards. Disturbed from their dark, grimy hiding places, thousands of cockroaches were sent scurrying.

“It was an unhealthy situation,” recalls Dolores Jensen. Along the Mississippi coast, the house was home to four generations, from seven-month-old Tristen to grandmother Paralee. Damaged by Hurricane Katrina and suffering the effects of chronic poverty, the house had somehow been overlooked in the 2½-year relief effort. It was Paralee’s young granddaughter who mustered the courage to ask for help at Camp Victor, the headquarters for volunteers from all over the country.

A double team of St. Paul mission volunteers set to work. In five days’ time, they painted the exterior, cleaned up the yard, gutted and completely remodeled the kitchen, built a wall that created an extra bedroom. Out of the deep shadows of grime and despair, the kitchen had been transformed to sparkling white.

“This little woman Paralee walked around with her hands clutched together, saying, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you’,” reflects Dolores. “We left them shining with hope.”

In the scripture of Lenten worship, light overcomes darkness, joy trumps fear. Stories proclaim the resurrecting power of life over death. We listen to the prophet Ezekiel who finds himself in a valley of dry bones, a place of hopelessness, perhaps something like the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. Yet the Spirit of God breathes new life, even when death covers the landscape. (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

Dolores Jensen and Christa Hebbel transported their friendship to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, in January. They packed a desire to serve, along with their quiet humility. Christa sanded drywall and “got grayer than I already am.” Dolores scraped and painted siding. It was hard yet rewarding work.

In last year’s Gulf Coast Mission, they had sorted nails and staffed the food pantry. This year, they asked for a worksite assignment.

“This is a very big venture, this Gulf Coast work. But we’re not afraid to step out, even at our age,” says Dolores. “We want to see how it works. We feel very blessed in life, and we want to do something that counts,” says Christa.

“We have so much in common, it’s scary,” says Christa. They’re both widows, retired from active work lives. Their family situations give them plenty of free time. They’ve survived heartaches and health challenges. Their faith and their church are dear to them. They laugh a lot, taking age with lightness. “We think young.” Dolores says.

A Scott County farm girl, Christa “never had a really good friend. With Dolores in my life, it’s gotten more fun. We have a spontaneity. We call up and say, ‘Let’s do lunch.’ Or ‘would you like a Whitey’s?’ We lean on each other. I trust her. We can share things in confidence.” Among their fun activities is hiking with the Blackhawk Hiking Club. They sometimes take Angel, Dolores’ Shih Tzu. Christa has a rabbit — Maynard — who presumably doesn’t hike.

Underscores Dolores, “The strength we have in common is relative to St. Paul.” Yes, chimes in Christa. “St. Paul has always been my rock.”

Several years ago, Christa was volunteering for the Red Cross at Genesis East Medical Center when she stepped into a patient’s room to say hello. The patient was Dolores, new then to St. Paul. Christa offered to drive for her during recovery. In that act of helping, a friendship was born. And now, together, they trust God to lead them on paths to new adventures.

The two share a daily life oriented for others. Christa has long been a strong advocate for serving. They visit people in their homes, they help with church mailings, “whatever is needed.” In fact, they’re “stuffing our own story,” they laugh. They’re on the Journey mailing crew that collates and labels this very issue.

And so this 70something duo found themselves camping out in a Mississippi bunkhouse. On the worksite, their friendship enlarged to include Clayton, Mark, Barb, Holly, Jack, Jerry, Duane, and others. They witnessed a region of “dry bones” suffering from hurricane and poverty. They did their part in this journey from death to new life.

With paint, sandpaper, and humble spirits, Christa and Dolores joined others to leave an imprint in Mississippi that now shines with hope and proclaims resurrection. They look at each other: “Even at our age.”

For a slideshow of St. Paul members serving in the Gulf Coast early in 2008>>

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"To pray does not mean to listen to oneself speaking. Prayer involves becoming silent, and being silent, and waiting until God is heard." ~Søren Kierkegaard