Saturday, July 28, 2007
Yesterday was a day of finishing up projects, cleaning, packing, and preparing to head home. Both groups completed the tasks they were working on. The outside of the office building was finished painting, and the trim in the home of the Gulfport resident was done. It gives the students and sponsors a great sense of accomplishment to see a physical reminder of the work that they did during the week.
For our free time, half of the group went to the beach to play wiffle ball, and the other half went for a quick visit to the neighboring city. Our youth group time was a great time of affirming one another and the gifts that we saw in each other throughout the week and the years. Lots of laughs and tears were shared. It was a night to remember.
We've arrived in Perryville, MO for our overnight stay. It will be a great night to relax and enjoy the indoor pool and our last night together as a youth group. Continue to pray for a safe return home tomorrow.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Today is the last day of work. Everyone is excited and amazed at what God has accomplished thru them this week! Please pray that we would continue to work hard as we finish up our projects today. Most of our group is working on the future WEDRDA office building. Yesterday they cleared out a dumpster load of debris from around the building and began painting the outside of the building and continued caulking the window frames. Today they will continue with renovations, and they are happy to see the vast improvements that have been made already to the property. Four of our participants have been finishing putting up trim and crown molding in the home of a woman who has lived there since before hurricane Camilie which was in the 1960's. She said that she thought that hurricane was horrible until she saw the impact of Katrina.
Last night we went back to the outlet mall since we were only there for 50 minutes on Tuesday. We figured it was a good way to help the local economy. :) Tonight we will stay in our apartments and begin cleaning and packing for our return trip tomorrow morning.
At our youth group time we talked about trusting God with everything in our lives. We discussed our need for peace and hope in this world. We shared some specific examples from our lives where we have seen how God's plan was much greater than ours. We agreed to try to remember that God sees the whole picture. Just like the houses we're working on, renewing takes time. We didn't see the repairs that had been made before we came, and we won't see the repairs that are made after we leave. God will provide thru it all and in our own lives one day at a time.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
It's hard to believe that it's already Thursday! The week is going by so fast! Yesterday was better for our energy level and determination. It may have something to do with getting in a little bit more sleep. One group continued trimming and caulking in a home and will probably continue through the end of the week. It was a big a debate before renovations began on the home whether or not to rebuild or renovate, so obviously there will be a lot of work to be done. Another group began work on the WEDRDA future office building. They were scraping and recaulking window panes, pulling nails, and taping to prepare for a day of painting the windows frames. The building is completely bare on the inside. It kind of looks like a rustic cabin with exposed wood. The final group will join forces at the office building today. Yesterday they went to a new site and helped install shelving and a ventilation pipe through the ceiling and attic of a home. Everyone has been learning a variety of new skills!
Yesterday we had the opportunity to spend a couple of hours wading in a nearby beach. We had fun laying out, playing football, watching hermit crabs, searching for seashells, and finding a random of array of items left from the hurricane (i.e. electrical outlet cover plates, video cassette, pipes, etc.). We then went to the Kimball's Seafood & Deli located in Pass Christian, MS (only 8 miles away). Roland suggested that we go there to help a woman as she is struggling to regain her business since the hurricane. It was a wonderful place to eat with a variety of delicious items like boiled/fried shrimp, catfish, and po boy sandwiches.
Youth group we talked about encouraging others and being willing to allow others to encourage us to be brought into the presence of Jesus. We read the passage from Mark 2 where the four friends bring their paralytic friend to Jesus through the roof of a house so he could be healed. We talked about practical ways that we could be more like the four caring and motivated friends and the trusting and humble paralytic in our lives. We then prayed for certain areas where each of us could use some strength and encouragement. Please pray for Eric Van Der Linden as his feet are pretty beat up from a few different mishaps yesterday. It's nothing serious, but he could use God's healing touch and comfort.
Wednesdaay, July 25, 2007
Tuesday we learned a lot about patience. Energy is starting to dwindle, and small frustrations become a distraction. We would appreciate prayers for endurance and excitement for the work God has called us to do. Yesterday one group worked on installing a screen door, trimming a few rooms, staining and painting. They also enjoyed spending time with a 6 or 7 year old boy named Jeremiah playing games. Today the group will be moving onto another site looking forward to new adventures. The other site was busy with yard work, replacing plywood flooring, finishing painting, and trimming multiple rooms. They felt that the woman they had been serving was starting to open up to them. She even asked one of our adults for a hug! Today some of that group has been sent to help repair the outside of a future office building for the West End Disaster Relief and Development Association. The building looks as if it is over a century old and in need of some renovation.
Our evening activity was shopping at a local outlet mall. The group enjoyed the chance to relax and find a few bargains. :)
Our youth group time was focused on choosing joy. We discussed how we should be willing to suffer and yet find joy in the midst of our circumstances. We described how our joy should come from our relationship with the Lord and His faithfulness and promises. We talked about the things of this world that can sometimes distract us from true joy, and reflected on the fact that all things are gifts from above!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Yesterday was a super day of service! Everyone worked hard and had a great attitude about everything! One of the key lessons that we have learned is to be FLEXIBLE! One of the sites was not able to work in the original house they were assigned due to medical concerns of the resident, but they ended up joining another team and have really made some major progress with sanding, priming, and painting several rooms in a household. The other crew finished a small deck and did some trimming in a hallway.
Today the first group will continue to paint, start some trim work, and replace some bad flooring with new plywood. The other group will be doing some staining, continue to trim, and possibly some other projects (maybe even a little plumbing).
At night we visited a 500 year old tree on the abandoned campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. The tree is called the Friendship Tree and has survived through 5 centuries of storms like Katrina. It was interesting to see how the branches are so overgrown that many are moving into the ground and coming out again.
We had a great youth group time of singing, praying, and learning about how to be Bridge Builders among different groups and cultures. We had an open and honest discussion about prejudices and how to combat those negative ideas. We learned that our roles are to be good guests, students, and servants of those who are different, and that we must tap into God's tools that He has blessed us with to bridge the gaps within our society.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Praise God for a wonderful and safe trip so far! We traveled 11 hours to Sikeston, MO on Friday with a stop at the famous Lambert's Cafe (home of the throwed rolls). Saturday we drove the final 9 hours to Gulfport, MS and ate a delicious homecooked chicken gumbo meal and had a time of orientation. Our overall site director's name is Roland and our construction supervisor is named Ken. They are both kind and godly men who are excited to serve the Lord!
Ken was our tour guide on Sunday. We attended the Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church in the morning. It was a great time of worship. We sang "jazzed up" hymns and introduced ourselves as visitors during the service. We heard a wonderful message on "Being Caught in the Middle" from Rev. Lee James Adams, Jr. from Habbakuk 2 about following God's call to cast a vision even when it seems difficult. After the service, we had a chance to visit with serveral of the church members and were even blessed by the gift of several watermelons when we were leaving the parking lot. We felt very welcomed and privelaged to join their congregation in worship!
Ken then gave us a tour of the area the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is working with here in Gulfport. The neighborhood is called Gaston Point. It has a reputation for being a rough neighborhood, and since the hurricane, the community is trying to change their image. One of the interesting places that we saw was a wall that used to separate the white and black communities here in Gulfport. It is still standing today, but no longer holds the same meaning. We also had a chance to walk along the beach barefoot in the white sands before moving on to New Orleans.
We stopped at a few areas along the way to take pictures of some of the destruction along the coast. We saw many abandoned homes, overturned cars in standing water, and a hotel that had been blown down and only holes were left in the ground where it had once stood. We visited the site of the Battle of New Orleans and also had a chance to walk thru a swamp park to look at some alligators. We then made our way to New Orleans to see the sites of the French Quarter. There was live music everywhere and the rot iron architecture was beautiful. We ate together at the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant and headed home.
Today we begin our work. We have three different groups at different sites. Some of the groups will be painting and sanding. One group will be grouting tile, and another will be building a small deck. Please pray for us as we serve. Ask God for His protection, direction, strength, patience, and joy. We look forward to seeing what else God has in store for us!
Mississippi Mission Trip Update