Pearlington Mission Trips - I was lucky enough, amidst my trips to Mexico this summer, to be stateside for the most American of holidays – the fourth of July. The team down here in Pearlington has accepted me as one of their own, and took me along for their Independence Day adventures.

After a wake up call of bottle rockets outside our bunkhouse, delivered by on of the project coordinators, Glenn, we were able to use a small five-person fishing boat to head out onto the river for the afternoon. We spent a few hours exploring the Pearl River and a few of its fingers that amble off amongst the lush greenery. The hope was to find a few alligators along the way, but the closes we came were some rotting logs with a similar shape.

When dusk came, it was time to build our relationships with the community and here in Pearlington there is only one place go – Turtle Landing. The restaurant and bar is the only local hang out in town. After Katrina devastated the area, the owner, Janine, kept the kitchen open to help feed the local residents whose homes had been destroyed. Because of this Glenn has made it his personal project to help rebuild her home and can often be found working there late into the night.

While at Turtle Landing, us guys, tried to show a little patriotism on the karaoke stage. Mark, Corey and I sang Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." Our voices were off-key, but the song choice alone earned us a few sparing cheers.

Shortly after the fireworks display ended, Corey's child-like excitement flared up as we watched two gators swim past on the bayou off the porch of the restaurant. Before we had time to realize our inexperience with alligators, the five of us were back out on the Pearl in the fishing boat armed a spotlight, seeking them out in the endless dark of a bayou midnight.

The alligators were much easier to spot at night, not only because there were more of them out, but because their eyes reflect the spotlight with a sparkling glow that can be spotted from over a hundred yards away.

Unlike our daytime trip, we saw an abundance of gators at night. Most of them were small, from three to five feet, but we were able to get close enough while blinding them with the light to nearly touch them. We watched another seven-footer glide slowly beneath our tiny boat as we killed the engine and paddled by.

By the time we docked the boat at 4:30 a.m. we were already recounting our gator stories, which Corey described as "like fishing stories, but more awesome."

What better way to celebrate the nation we live in, than to slip into some of its local culture?

Matt

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