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HAGERSTOWN - When John Wesley UMC went to the Gulf Coast to do Katrina relief the week of Oct. 8-12, four United Methodist pastors made the trip.

The church that hosted them has a special connection to the Baltimore-Washington Conference. It was given the organ and furniture from the Canton UMC in Baltimore, which closed last year.

Betty Willson and friends made banners and pulpit cloths for each season of the year, which she presented to the church.

The church is organizing two more VIM trips to the area in February and June next year, and welcomes others to join them.

'One block off of most main streets you will find house after boarded up house, with many still laying flat as a pancake,' said co-leader Richard Willson. 'We are only a small piece in the overall puzzle of Gulf Coast recovery, but every piece is really important.'