FCCBRLA Mission

Final Thoughts on the Mission Trip

2011-06-20T21:37:00.004-05:00

One more mission trip in the books - and what a trip it was! I came home from Nashville physically tired from the work, but equally as tired from all the laughter and joy our group shared. (I swear, I should have a six-pack from laughing so much) That's the beautiful thing about these trips. The work is always paralleled and strengthened by an undeniable sense of fellowship with your fellow workers. You get to know people beyond the facade you see on Sunday mornings. It never fails that I am spiritually renewed after a mission trip. It is an amazing thing to see Christ working through others in their actions, words, and attitudes. The hands and feet of God are not limited to just our mission team, though. This work shows the true character of people I have never met and may never see again, but still they strengthen me. They give me faith - faith in tomorrow, because there is nothing a group of people working through, and for Christ, cannot accomplish. I look forward to many more trips and experiences in the future, and all the things I will surely learn in the process.

Amy

I'm so glad I went on the mission trip. A few days before we left, I was reluctant to going because all of my friends were going to the beach together and I'd be missing out. But, I stuck with my choice to go and I definitely don't regret it! It was so rewarding seeing the progress we made building houses and knowing that these people can have their homes back because of our work. I will MOST DEFINITELY be attending the next mission trip with FCC. I'm so glad I had this great experience as my first mission trip because it makes me want to do more. Thanks to everyone who contributed to allow me and the rest of the mission trippers to go to Nashville!

Darby

As long as I have had a car and driver license I have had a deep affinity for the road trip. Driving long distances often by myself has always given me the chance to meditate on my being and drown out the noise of the outside world. The road trip starts a few days in advance with the creation of the soundtrack of the trip. In years past this was a daunting feat of dubbing tapes, burning CDs and hoping that what I will want to listen to or what will speak to me is included into the numerous volumes. In this age of technological advances this process has become much easier but no less important.

After a beautiful Saturday relaxing and lazily floating the Illinois River with great friends, it was time to get on the road for the next adventure. As I left the comforts of friendship and got on the road for Nashville I pressed shuffle on the Ipod and decided to let the first few hours of music choose its self and simply let go in thought. The mix jumped from genre to genre, a little bluegrass followed by some rap followed by some classical pieces followed by some heavy metal and so on…. As the music played my mind drifted to the past mission trips, mentally preparing for the physical and emotional exhaustion that only a mission trip in a disaster area can provide, at this time the music was second to the mind.

Arriving to the church that hosted our group a brief moment of anxiety swept over me, knowing only my sister and brother-in-law I wondered what the other eight individuals in the group would be like, if their personalities would mesh with mine, if their work ethics would mesh with the task ahead, if the group would mesh with each other. Within minutes of meeting the group and settling into my new temporary home I knew for me and for the group that it was going to be a great week of service.

As we entered into each person’s house we were met with unique challenges and obstacles that needed to be faced to complete the task at hand. Although the differences were apparent in each house, the common thread in each house was that they were someone’s home. As the group I was working with started the first day, the owner of the house told us that she had been raised on that property and that the house we were working on had been moved to the land over 50 years before. A lyric from the drive the day before soon resonated through my mind’s speaker “Tear down the house, that I grew up in, I’ll never be the same again, Take everything that I’ve collected, and throw it in a pile.” This song by the Avett Brothers has spoken to me in the past for many different reasons, but on this day this songs first lyrics hit a new chord within me. We had been told that this owner had been a hoarder, knowing that about her then finding out that she had lived on this property her entire life I could not imagine the feelings of pain and loss that she had been experiencing for the last year.

Being the first mission trip with my sister in more than a decade, I was reminded of our childhood when our Mom would travel to Central America for mission trips, at my age I never really understood where she was going or why she was going. She would always return home with stories of weeks without running water, eating food we would never imagine eating and having their bus boarded by armed militia members. These stories instilled in me the belief that mission trips were not meant to be easy or comfortable, they were to push us out of our comfort zone and walk with those less fortunate. One night in Mississippi shortly after Katrina the mother of the house I was staying at was trying to thank those of us that came to volunteer, she kept saying, we don’t have a choice in being here, this is our home, thank you for giving up your comforts to join us in this situation. These words speak to me each and every trip since that experience, meaning to me that service is not only about the job of rebuilding someone’s home but also easing the emptiness and loneliness that someone feels as they see all they’ve worked for and collected thrown into the trash pile.

As the week progressed and the exhaustion of the day’s work started to mount in each of us, the reasons for each person’s participation became very honest and apparent. Those that approached the trip with the meaning of using their skills to help those that have lost everything continued through the week with little hardship. Those that approached the trip with the hopes of being surrounded by like-minded individuals and looking for affirmation of self and faith hit the proverbial wall early and hard. Disaster areas are unforgiving and brutal; if you approach them with hopes of feeling better about yourself you will not survive emotionally amongst the brutal honesty that devastation brings. But at looking at the tasks at hand and plodding through them, that happiness will come later when you can look back and process what you have learned about yourself and about those you served and served with. As the days went by I found it to be more of an honor to be serving with the group from First Christian as everyone congealed into a cohesive unit to serve the people of Nashville and let personal expectations and wants aside for those truly in need.

Leaving Nashville Friday afternoon, I found myself stuck in traffic the first twelve or so miles out of Nashville, for over an hour I sat at a near standstill. As much as I was ready to get home and as much as I wanted to set the cruise on 85 and fly off into the oncoming states I was slowed to a crawl. As the initial grumpiness and not so nice words left my mouth in exhaustion, a song came on the shuffle and my mood changed from irritation to reflection, “ I welcome the sun, the clouds and rain, the wind that sweeps the sky clean and lets the sun shine again. This is the most magnificent life has ever been. Here is heaven and earth and the brilliant sky in between. Blessed is this life and I'm gonna celebrate being alive.” I started to think how lucky I was to be able to drive home to my house that may be messy, but the mold only grows in the half gallon of milk in the fridge and not in the walls. I started to read the notes that each of us in the group wrote to each other. Having only known most of these people for six days a bond and friendship had been made between each of us through our willingness to work hard and serve complete strangers, each note brought a smile to my face and recent memories of each person and what we had worked on together flooded my mind. Thoughts of the conversation with the City’s Volunteer Coordinator and his statement that if Tulsa ever was devastated by a tornado or flood to expect a phone call from him and that he and his wife would arrive shortly after to volunteer in the rebuilding. This almost brought a tear to my left eye. Almost.

After a few days of being home the exhaustion and soreness has passed, but the memories and friendships will last well into the future. I look forward to seeing each and every member of our team again and find comfort with the feeling that each of them would lend me a hand in my time of need as I would happily lend a hand to them in theirs.

Craig

This mission trip was a real eye-opener for me. In the beginning I thought we would be working in very low income areas that had been affected by the floods. Once we got to some of the job sites, I realized that was not necessarily the case. It occurred to me that these were middle class people like myself that had been affected. So often I have taken for granted how blessed I have been and thought it would never happen to me. I have witnessed that disaster can strike anyone, anywhere. This trip has definitely made me more appreciative for what I have been given and opened my eyes to how blessed I am.

Amanda

Thursday Funday

2011-06-16T23:31:00.008-05:00

Thursday of the mission trip held many adventures in store for our group. We began the day working on our respective projects. Michael and Nancy returned to paint at Ms. Lauree’s, Amy Z., Craig, Darby, Evan, Jack, Elise, and Laura returned to Ms. Vel’s house to finish hanging drywall, and Amy L. and Amanda went to Mr. Enrique’s house for clean-up and potentially demolition. Around 11:30 we all returned for showers and to get ready for our Trolley Hop in downtown Nashville. The group loaded the trolley and began our tour of such sites as the Ryman Theater, the Parthenon, the Fisk Museum of Art, and the Country Hall of Fame and Museum. One group learned that hopping is really not to be desired on a trolley tour. Note for the future: stay on trolley at all costs. Do not get off the trolley, or this becomes a walking tour. :D After shopping and snacks, we met up for dinner at the Big River Brewery for a delicious dinner. We then returned to the church for a closing worship led by the DHM interns where we washed each other’s hands as a symbol of service to one another. A great end to another great day!

Amy Z.

Live from the Ryman Theater: The Mission-Trippin' Trio with their hit song: Shade Sittin' and Water Sippin."
The Amazin' YADS: We'll miss you

Yummy dinner at The Big River Brewery with the lovely Steve from mission trips past.

The whole group in downtown Nashville after dinner.

The Nashville Trolley Tour... not to be confused with a walking tour.
An exact replica of the church where we are staying... not really, it's an exact replica of the Parthenon... in Nashville, TN

MORE RAIN!

2011-06-15T22:48:00.010-05:00

We have been working on Ms. Lauree's house for three days now. Ms. Lauree is a native of Nashville. In fact, she has lived her entire life on the property she lives on now. She was getting her roof repaired when the rains came that led to the Cumberland River flood of 2010 and is now getting help from the Southeast Nashville Flood Recovery. SENFR is the agency that selects homes to repair and connects both building materials and volunteers that allows the rebuilding process to take place. Disciples Home Missions is working very closely with SENFR this summer.

We have contributed quite a bit to Ms. Lauree's re-build. Today, Rev. Laura and Amy Lester finished a big landscaping project using some pretty big rocks. Amanda Price, Nancy Chapaneri and Rev. Michael did sanding, trimming and painting in the living room and main bed room. A strong mid-afternoon thunderstorm cooled things down and ended our work day a bit earlier than normal. But no one was complaining as the work was quite hard.

Everyone who has worked at Ms. Lauree's this week has been taken in by her dynamic, vivid personality. She is 72 but moves around like she's half that age. An avid bowler, she won 4th place at a recent tournament. And she's an active member at Payne's Chapel AME, scarcely going more than a few minutes without praising God and giving an "Hallelujah! God is good today!"

Michael

Today the "Dream Team" returned to Vel's house (Monday's house with the pungent odor). We cleaned up, dry-walled, and did lots of dancing to say the least... We learned a lot today about hanging dry wall because not only does it require every bit of strength you have to hold it up, it also requires team work. Whether you are holding nails, holding up dry wall, or screwing the boards into place, you are an important part to rebuilding Vel's home. Vel was also very gracious in giving us Klondike bars while it hailed outside! We were excited to see lots of progress and that our hard work and team work really does count.

Darby

Pictures of our day... Ms. Nancy painting Ms. Lauree's bedroom...

While it was pouring down rain, Amy and Laura helped inside.

Amanda and Michael painting the ceilings in each room - how'd you work around that fan?

Our work space was tight at times. All three of us painting in one corner!
The finished landscaping job outside Ms. Lauree's house. Amy and Laura found and dug up almost all of those rocks from around Ms. Lauree's yard - we might open a landscaping business.
Ms. Nancy and Ms. Lauree before the rains started!

The Dream Team posed outside of Vel's house.

Charlie's Angels? They just might be with those drills!

Jack working on dry wall with Dwight, a Long-Term Volunteer for Disciples Home Mission.

Amy and Jack - good teamwork!

Evan holding up drywall until the rest of the team can screw it in.

Elise making some precise measurements for the drywall.

Rain Can't Keep Us Down!

2011-06-14T22:05:00.007-05:00

The old adage "a little rain never hurt anyone," took on new meaning for us today. It rained on us all as we tried to continue our work, but we recognized that a lot of rain did hurt all those who we are helping this week. While we welcomed the rain because it was refreshing and cooled us off as we worked our various jobs, we recognized that it also caused all this destruction and the need for us to be here in the first place. Much like our own choices, this rain can be incredibly destructive OR it can be very refreshing and rejuvenating. We trust that by being here and working as the Body of Christ, the Holy Spirit will guide us in our choices that we are "refreshing and rejuvenating" to others, and especially to others in this Body of Christ. We already feel like we've learned so much, from new skills, to learning new things about our friends, to learning more about our own relationship with Christ that we are definitely being rejuvenated by our experience here this week. And we still have three more days to go!

Craig directing Michael in all the ways of fascia and its proper installation. Helpful... as always.
Laura carrying one of MANY rocks that she and Amy dug up from the yard so as to line the flower beds.
Amy, providing some "man-power" to install more fascia.
Michael and our team leader Jesse, cutting fascia on our new favorite tool called a "break."
Amy and Laura showing off their hard work on one side of the flower beds.
The "Dream Team" posing in front of some lawn ornaments at their house.
Removing drywall - the house had not received any work/labor since the floods arrived in May 2010.
Elise takes out some frustration on a piece of ceiling drywall.
Amanda and Amy Z - "clean up, clean up, every body do your share...." and smiling underneath it all.
Watch Out! Darby's got a sledge hammer and she's not afraid to use it!
Amy and Nancy assess the situation and the best way to get all this debris outside.

Keep checking back for more!

Rev. Laura and Amy Lester

All in a day's work - Day One

2011-06-13T22:11:00.006-05:00

Hello, from Nashville. Today, we completed our first day of work, and what a day it was. It started off with a delicious breakfast and an early departure. After a quick meeting between mission leaders, our BR, LA group was divided between two job sites. The first group was comprised of Amanda, Elise, Darby, Nancy, Evan and Amy Z. Their main focus was to "de-popcorn" the ceiling in their homeowner's house. From all accounts, the work was a great start because the work wasn't too difficult, but prepared everyone for what's to come the rest of the week. The second group, was sent across town to Ms. Lauree's house. Jack, Michael, Laura, Amy L. and Craig worked on a hodgepodge of different tasks - mudding drywall, quick-creting porch posts and landscaping. Luckily, it stayed in the 80's so we weren't too hot working outside! We met back up at the church for showers, dinner, devotion and a mean game of Farkle! Note: We'll be posting the winner and loser of our epic Farkle battles daily. Winner: Amy L. Loser: Craig.

Tomorrow, the groups get mixed up and sent to new job sites! Keep reading!

Amy L.

Day 1: Lauree's house (hodgepodge)

Craig and Jack handled the drywall. Jack didn't just supervise, we swear.

Amy L., Laura, and Michael trimmed, removed, and transplanted a TON of monkey grass.

When lacking motivation, ice cream helps!

The group wait for job site assignments

FARKLE!!!!!!!

Dream Team-Day 1...De-Popcorning the Ceilings

Nancy Chapaneri's first mission trip...walking the Christian walk, not just talking the talk!

We affectionately started calling the debris "popcorn poop!"

Darby...the self-appointed "Popcorn Scraping Queen."

The group with our lovely home owner, Vel, who provided a special treat, Klondike Bars, for the group! Our fearless site leader, Dwight, and DHM intern, Will, are also pictured with us!
Way to go Dream Team!

Here's......

2011-06-12T22:54:00.011-05:00

...the mission team!

We've made it safe and sound to Nashville.

After an early start on our way to Nashville, several rest stops, lunch at a fireworks stand and some all around fun in the cars on the way here, we arrived just in time for dinner and orientation. We were welcomed by the long-time volunteers that give up their time for several weeks at a time during the summer so that other volunteers like us can come be a part of this recovery. We are excited about what we will be doing this week and look forward to the ways that the Spirit will lead us, the ways that God will move us and to the ways that we can be the Body of Christ here and now.

Let's meet the mission team!

Jack (Not yet pictured): This is Jack's third mission trip at FCCBRLA. This trip is the first since graduating college, and he is looking forward to what he hopes will be a spiritually fulfilling experience.
This is Darby's first mission trip with FCCBRLA. She is excited and looking forward to new opportunities and experiences!

This is Rev. Laura's 3rd mission trip with FCC. She is looking forward to teaching the "newbies" how we "Get Dirty for Jesus" and all the ways that our group bonds throughout the trip!

Rev. Michael has been on several mission trips with FCC but each one presents a new opportunity. He looks forward to the ways the Spirit will move and an opportunity for some real hands on work!

Elise continues to be a "regular" on the FCC mission trips after going on many during her HS years. We are thankful Elise is able to join us and hope this week will be a great experience before she sets off on her new journey in law school.

This is Evan's 2nd mission trip with FCCBRLA. He also went on the mission trip to NOLA in 2010 and is excited that he has this opportunity to help others.

This is Nancy's first opportunity to join the mission team from FCCBRLA. Nancy is excited about the new opportunities to serve others - whatever those opportunities will look like.

Craig is Amy Z's brother and is joining our group from Tulsa, OK. We are excited to have him join our group and extra excited for his skills and expertise in carpentry! :D

This is Amy's second mission trip with FCC. She is happy that her parents are in town to keep the kids so that both she and Michael can go on the trip. She is looking forward to having a great week with everyone, especially the CYFers!

Amy has been a member of FCCBRLA since she was ten. She has attended many mission trips all over the country and Mexico. She is looking forward to some hard work and fellowship in Nashville.

Amanda has been on many different mission trips with FCC and each one has touched her and opened her eyes in a different way. She is excited and ready to see what God has planned for her this time!

Thank you to all who have supported us and helped us get here. Your donations, your prayers, your support, your EVERYTHING has been instrumental in getting us to this place. We are thankful that we can be the church, we can represent FCCBRLA here in Nashville, doing God's work and showing God's love in all the ways we are able.

We can't wait to post more pictures and share our trip with you!

Rev. Laura

A Perfect Circle....

2010-06-04T20:45:00.041-05:00

Our week started in lots of rain, so it only makes sense that we would finish off the week with a very large storm and lots and lots of water!

We managed to get the siding on the back of the building completely done. Thanks Ian for completing the team on Friday morning!

And Elise got up on the scaffolding to complete the job by caulking!

Jake and Ian helped Tom install the attic steps and door to put the finishing touches on one of the multi-purpose rooms.

Elise and Amy helped finish the windows by putting up the window trim and closing the gaps with caulking.

Lucy came out to offer her support!

Right before the rains came....

We were still working... RIGHT UP to the rains!

And the rains made for a complete circle of the week... starting in rain... and ending in rain...

The paint team continued to work even though it was raining cats and dogs outside!

And somewhere in there Carol made time for a trip to Home Depot :)

But despite the buckets and buckets of rain that fell in a matter of minutes...

We still made the best of it and finished out a great week!

Thank you so much for your concern and your prayers throughout the week. They meant a world of difference. We hope that you felt as much a part of this mission through your prayers, support and financial contributions, as we did by actually working.

We'll close out the week the same way we began - both with rain - and with prayer.

Holy and Loving God, we know that Christ has no body but ours, no hands, no feet on earth but ours, ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world, ours are the feet with which he walks to do good, ours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, we are his body. Christ has no body now but ours, no hands, no feet on earth but ours, ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but ours. Help us to use our bodies, our minds and our hearts to be the body of Christ in this world. Help us to be carriers of your light to all those we meet. Grant us the courage to accept change in the ways we can. Grant us the serenity to accept those things we cannot change. Grant us the wisdom to see the difference. Grant us the compassion to live one day at a time, as your body here on earth. Amen.

Is it Thursday Already?

2010-06-03T19:40:00.027-05:00

We're over "hump day"! Can't believe it's Thursday already - but we're ready to work!

At the beginning of the day (end of the day on Wednesday) this is what our work site looked like...

One row of siding and kick boards have been placed on every side of the community center... Soffit and fascia board continue to go up around the over hang on every side of the building - it's just harder to see, but we promise those boys are working hard!

The back of the community center is mostly sided with only a little bit more needed after we add a second layer of scaffolding.

The two multi-purpose rooms have all the doors installed, trim around all the doors and baseboard, all have been caulked, and all has been painted!

The same can be said for the hallway! It still looked like quite a construction site when we got here - but it's so great to be able to see the progress and watch it transform into a community center!

When we're not acting a little crazy...

Or getting hurt....

Or taking water breaks....

Or just hanging out the windows....

Or eating the WONDERFUL food that Lucy and the kitchen crew make for us....

We PROMISE we're working!

Carol and Amanda took to painting the bathrooms and kitchen today! Only one more room after this!

We continue to be very grateful for Elise! Caulking is very tedious - but very important - and Elise has become the master caulker!

More scaffolding has gone up for more siding!

The soffit and fascia team continue to work hard...

And again....

We always make time for fun!

We played farkel again tonight... but it just wasn't the same. Some of us were tired, and some of us quit half way through.... it's just not the same unless our whole group is together!

More soffit... more siding.... more caulking.... more painting!

2010-06-02T19:17:00.000-05:00

We continue to make great progress on the house. We've been working in teams this week and have developed some good working relationships and "routines" with those teams, which makes us all the more efficient :) At the beginning of the day, the site looked like this...

(It's hard to see in this photo - but underneath the porch, there's no soffit, there will be by the end of the day though!)

Amy and Laura continued to work on siding - and the scaffolding went up - which is quite an accomplishment since Laura is afraid of heights. Thank you to Amy and our partner in crime Barry (from Kansas City, KS) for helping Laura work on this!

Michael came for a visit and took Laura's place for a while. Steve (one of the long term volunteers) had to stand watch and make sure Michael was doing it right. ;)

Tom took some more breaks....

Just kidding! Tom continues to be an important part of our team and works very hard!

Carol donned the painting gear and helped paint the inside of two rooms! It's looking more and more like a real building EVERY day!

Even though we're all from Louisiana and know about the heat - we still take our water breaks!

Carol continued to use the meiter saw - and found a good place for it under the shade of a big tree! Good thinking Carol!

Amanda and Elise continued to do one of the most tedious jobs - caulking! But Amanda found some refuge outside when she also went to help Carol for a while.

Ian and Jake, Interns Gabe and Corey, worked on the porch for what seemed like all day... One stubborn piece of soffit.... don't ask them about the day they only put up four pieces of soffit, they are still a little frustrated!

But we all continue to learn new skills and help one another when we are still learning and need a little guidance.

And every now and again we make time for a nap....

Which we apparently needed tonight - because we all decided we were too tired to play Farkel! Look for tomorrow's winner and loser on tomorrow's post!

Feelings of Accomplishment

2010-06-01T19:49:00.000-05:00

Just in case you were wondering... Jake lost at Farkle again last night. By almost the same spread. But Carol swept up the game with her 10,000 points!

Today was another great day of work. At the end of the day each day, after worship with the entire group, our FCC group has been debriefing together and telling each other our “high’s and low’s” for the day. Tonight, many of us made comments about the feelings of accomplishment we had. Whether it was accomplishing learning a new task, or getting a task completely done, it was nice to hear that we all had very positive days. We debrief at the end of the day, to bring our group together and to pray for and with one another. At the same time, we pray in the mornings, praying for safety and that we all may be the hands and feet of Christ each day. And at the beginning of the day Tuesday, this is what our job site looked like.

But the job site didn’t look “empty” for long, we all got right to work! Ian and Jake got right to their job of “hanging soffit.” Many times this included cutting the soffit to fit where it was needed. And sometimes it meant Jake’s skin got pinched in-between. Don’t worry… Jake is OK – but we liked his response – looking around for someone to give him a band-aid.

Elise, Amanda, Carol and Carol did lots of work inside today – so much that at least one of the rooms is ready for painting tomorrow! Whether it was caulking, scraping, putting up trim or learning to use the jigsaw, they all accomplished a lot today!

Amanda seems to get to go to Home Depot a lot… we’re not sure how she gets “volunteered” to go SHOP in the AIR CONDITIONING – it seems a complete mystery to her!

Amy and Laura spent most of the day outside doing siding work. Amy had already done some siding work in Galveston, and Amy and Laura both did siding work with a FCCBRLA group at Habitat for Humanity in BR last year, so it was fun to use those skills again! Amy is a mad “leveler” and Laura became quite fond of her “nail gun.”

No matter what we’re doing, we always make sure to have fun and support one another in our efforts this week.

We continue to pray that we can be the hands, feet, eyes, and heart of Christ in this world. Whether it is for something small like getting your neighbor their water bottle or something a little more significant, like giving up a week of time to contribute to the mission center here in Slidell, we’re striving to keep that thought at the forefront of our work this week. And we thank you for your prayers this week too – we can feel them all the way here in Slidell!

One Down... Four to Go...

2010-05-31T21:44:00.005-05:00

We knew the trip would be interesting when it was pouring down rain when we arrived at the church to load the van on Sunday afternoon. Luckily, Amy was prepared! (Good thing Amy read the packing list that Laura provided but did not pack her own rain gear!)

So about that rain jacket… (Amy made Laura insert this terrible picture of herself NOT wearing the rain gear that was listed as a must have!)

We were a little wet – but very happy to arrive – great dinner was waiting for us when we arrived! (Thanks Lucy!)

Monday –first day work day – started out rainy too! But Carol, Amy and Elise made the best of it.

Since it started raining – right as we were getting to work in the morning - we had a small change of plans and did some cleaning up inside. Jake and Ian sweeping in a very dusty (dry-wall) room!

Even Ms. Lucy got into the action and helped us sweep! FCC Slidell is also having their VBS this week – so kitchen duties are a little crowded and uncertain. But Ms. Lucy is making sure we’re all fed and taken care of – and contributing to the building as well!

Tom on the other hand was the first to take advantage of the sun! Doesn’t he look so relaxed? (You should see this photo!)

When the sun finally did come out – we were ready to jump into action! Jake and Ian were more than willing to help, and joined DHM Interns Gabe and Corey along with Steve’s supervision in hanging up soffit.

We did have our first injury of the week – and what we’re hoping to be the last. A scratch and possibly an allergy – but all is well. Carol M - we promise we'll take good care of your scratch - as long as you promise to have the ONLY injury all week!)

Carol didn’t let a little thing like a scratch prevent her from jumping in and getting dirty – Carol learned how to use a circular saw today, and was quite good at it! So good at it in fact she had a face full of sawdust to prove it! Way to go Carol!

All in all we cleaned up the mission center to get it ready for the finishing touches on the inside. We’ve hung doors (Amy’s team hung 5 doors today – and Tom’s team hung at least as many!), hung trim, baseboard, and soffit, cleaned up the mission center and prepped it for the finishing touches we hope to make this week. Spirits are still high, energy is waning just a little, but great food and good fellowship has helped bring that energy right back! After a good night's sleep we'll all be ready for a big day tomorrow.

Now it’s on to relaxing and hang out time - on to a game of the most exciting dice game we have found to date – FARKLE!

Amy won last night – and Jake only lost by 7,000 points. He hopes to make a comeback tonight! Stay tuned to find out. :D

We've Arrived! (And we LOVE Farkle!)

2010-05-31T06:24:00.000-05:00

We've arrived in Slidell! First Christian Church of Slidell has opened their doors and welcomed us - and we're ready to get to work! We met 5 Disciples Home Mission Interns that will be working with Office of Disciples Volunteering throughout the summer and we're excited to be working with them. We also met the rest of the long-term volunteers (we already know Lucy and Tom!) and they are ready for our energy.

After a fun game of our new favorite dice-game, "Farkle," we are headed to bed and getting ready for a big day of work tomorrow! Come back for more stories and pictures tomorrow, we're ready to show you what we're working on.

In the mean time, please consider praying this prayer with us throughout the week. It is a modified version of a poem and a prayer by St. Teresa of Avila - and the Serenity Prayer. We're looking forward to the ways the spirit will support us throughout the week and thank you for your support too!

Holy and Loving God, we know that Christ has no body but ours, no hands, no feet on earth but ours, ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world, ours are the feet with which he walks to do good, ours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. Ours are the hands, ours are the feet, ours are the eyes, we are his body. Christ has no body now but ours, no hands, no feet on earth but ours, ours are the eyes with which he looks compassion on this world. Christ has no body now on earth but ours. Help us to use our bodies, our minds and our hearts to be the body of Christ in this world. Help us to be carriers of your light to all those we meet. Grant us the courage to accept change in the ways we can. Grant us the serenity to accept those things we cannot change. Grant us the wisdom to see the difference. Grant us the compassion to live one day at a time, as your body here on earth. Amen.

New Adventure!

2010-05-26T13:41:00.001-05:00

We're off on a new adventure! This time our mission team will be headed to Slidell, LA May 30 - June 5. We have a group of eight willing and excited volunteers ready to help with more Hurricane Katrina recovery. We hope you will join us in our journey by following this blog! You can also "follow" this blog by clicking "follow" on the bottom left hand side of this page, or by clicking on the RSS feed link at the top of the page. Thank you for being a part of this important mission of the church!

Back to BR

2009-06-05T22:57:00.001-05:00

We just wanted to let everyone know that we are back home in Baton Rouge safe and sound. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers this week. We could really feel the love of our church and extended families with us in Galveston! We can't wait to tell you all about it!!

They Worked Us Too Hard...

2009-06-05T00:03:00.004-05:00

Elise taking a break from swingin' that hammer
Tom's nap #1
Tom was supposed to be holding the board while Cheryl sawed...he napped instead
Look familiar?

We're not surprised Andrew is taking a little nap...
She must be tired if Cheryl is sleeping at the lunch table
Judy earned a nap this week!
Is Andrew taking another nap?
Will is one of our interns...I thought they were super human!
Tom took a nap every time he sat down...
Amanda snuggled in...

Final Worship on the Beach

2009-06-04T23:30:00.006-05:00

We got to spend some time on the beach today! A few went before dinner, but the jellyfish ran them off! Then, we returned to the beach for closing worship. This was a major highlight of the trip! There's nothing like sitting on the beach, listening to the waves crash, the moon glowing over the water, singing songs, discussing the week, and of course, a hug circle to end.

Kenny using his iPhone flashlight app to help Cheryl read scripture
Singing (and dancing to) Kumbaya...it was Tom's idea...
Our group at the beach before worship

Enjoying God's magnificent creation...
We're thinking about our church family!! Now, anyone who passes this spot on the beach in Galveston will know too!
The Powder Blue got to do some off-roading tonight! We drove right onto the beach for worship!
Lucy, Tom, Amanda & Amy singing songs for worship.
Chaz (from Odessa), Laurie (from Albuquerque), Dustin and Carol
Someone left a wakeboard on the beach, so Amy took advantage before worship got started.
Chaz, Brad, Laurie, Dustin & Carol before worship got started.
Amanda rejoicing in the beauty of the beach.
Jacqueline (Odessa), Tom and Lucy...we were so lucky to have such wonderful people to share this trip with! We love our Texas City family!
Amy, Cheryl & Amanda cheesin' before the beach worship
Dustin, Carol, Judy, Lucy (behind Tom), Tom, Amanda, 1/2 of Amy
Blake, Elise, Kenny, Cheryl, Andrew singing on the beach
Cheryl, Andrew, Chaz, Laurie, & Dustin

Last Day of Work

2009-06-04T22:38:00.006-05:00

I think if you talk to any one of our missionaries, they'd tell you that the last day of work, was by far the best day of work. We felt like we accomplished a lot and had fun doing it! Even with all the frustrations we encountered through the week (missing supplies, etc...), we ended strong.

The outside the church group finished putting up plywood and the tar paper on one side of the church. This also included putting TWO windows in! The interns were skeptical that it could be done on time, but it got done! The inside group got most of the sheetrock in the classrooms/offices! Again, this was not all supposed to get done, but it did!

The group working at Matt & Sharon's house got the siding up on one whole side of the house! This is extra wonderful since they didn't get the siding delivered until last night!! They worked lights out and had fun doing it! Sharon couldn't be happier!

The plumbing group (or the "Special Teams Unit" as they came to be known) did a lot. They finished replacing outlets and switches in the Love House, took out a sink and urinal in the men's bathroom in the church and put the sink back when the sheetrock was up. However, the urinal turned out to be a bit of a problem and broke before it got replaced. But the sink is back in AND doesn't leak! woohoo!!

We are looking forward to coming home to Baton Rouge and sharing our stories with all of you! But tomorrow is Schlitterbahn day!!

Good Night!

Amy putting up siding on the house with a nail gun!!
FCCs own Charlie's Angels...perhaps they are Andrew's Angels? Michael's angles?
Kenny with a nail gun! Whose idea was that?
Blake making sure the siding is level
Intern #4, Rindi, using her first power tool of the week (she's been on kitchen duty...)

Water breaks were Brad and Amanda's favorite time of day!
Amanda and Lucy are ready to put that window in!!
Carl inspecting, Cheryl supervising, Tom hooking up the sewer pipes...just the way it ought to be.
Carol and Lucy were very proud of their tar paper!
Elise can sheetrock with the best of them!
Brad unhooking the urinal...I think this was a first.
Cheryl unhooking the sink so the sheetrock can be replaced...she put it back in too and it doesn't leak or anything!
Carl explaining something to Lucy...Carl (who is in charge of the whole worksite) likes to explain things...

Poop-a-palooza

2009-06-03T23:05:00.004-05:00

Strange title...yes.

Strange day...yes.

Pictures to back it up...oops.

There was some plumbing that needed to be done, so of course George got to oversee it. The plumbing team was so proud to finish their job this morning...however this afternoon it was discovered that someone flushed something they shouldn't have and things kind of went downhill from there so to speak. Needless to say, George ended up "dealing" with the worst of the problem. While the whole team pitched in to correct the problem, George ended up being the one who needed a shower later...ask him about it. :o)

The team working at Central Christian Church put in a window, tar paper up and got a good portion of the inside drywall up! The plumbing team (after the mishap) turned into the electrical team and got to work changing out plugs and switches in a house that has been gutted and ready to be rebuilt. The crew at Matt & Sharon's finally supplies and are ready to put up Hardy Board tomorrow!

Tomorrow is our last day of work!

Kenny and Dustin look really busy!
Don't worry, Andrew may be doing some work this week, but he's not working TOO hard!
Mother-Daughter teamwork!
Dusting the builder...looking professional
Tom replacing the outlets in the "Love House"
Brad...a proud member of the plumbing crew cutting a hole for the dryer vent...notice Cheryl's expertly cut hole in the board...
Cheryl's new favorite power tool = jigsaw
Okay, what about this hat?
Did you know that today Sonic was giving away FREE root beer floats? They may have cried when two church vans pulled in! But we enjoyed them!

Pictures Galore for Day 2!!

2009-06-02T20:39:00.006-05:00

Good evening from Texas City, TX! Today was day 2 on the job site. Again we split into our work groups to get productive! We can't properly tell you what all we accomplished today, so we decided to just SHOW you! Enjoy!

Mealtime is a joyous time...

This is our tool trailer...this is where we get our power tools! (and our non-power tools...sometimes you just need to get a "feel for the pipe.")

Meet the Interns Day 2: This is BETH! Beth always has a smile on her face! She's a great motivator for the workers and always has something for us to do...even if it's playing a rousing game of Pterodactyl during down time!
The plumbing crew (George, Tom, Brad & Cheryl) fixed a leaky sink drain by replacing the drain. This is one of the many plumbing tasks that they've been working on (note: the mess at the wall was NOT our handywork...that was already there)

The crew from FCCBRLA decided to get their hands dirty and wash the dinner dishes after tonight's dinner! We even sang "I'll Fly Away" while we worked. It was a hit!

Brad screwing the new utility sink to the floor!
The crew at the Matt and Sharon house. Laurie, Jacqueline, Amy, Andrew, Kenny, Dustin, Blake, Judy, Andrew and Blake spent the day nailing up plywood and Tyvek. (Notice that Andrew has tried to make his grandma's hat look cooler...the jury is still out...

Elise, Carol, Lucy, Amanda, Kate and Chaz hung drywall at FCC.
So suave...
Go Amanda, go!
Oh, how we LOVE water breaks!
Dustin, our caulking king!
and our queen :)
See, told you Michael...this was not photoshopped!

We're having a great time and getting a lot done!! Keep checking back! And keep the comments coming! We love to hear from you!

Peace,

The Galveston Mission Team

getting started

2009-06-01T21:11:00.003-05:00

Today we got up early, loaded up the vans and headed toward Galveston. We picked up supplies at Lowe's on our way into Galveston and were ready to work! We shared breakfast with the other 3 groups we are working with, got a quick orientation and got to it!

We got the chance to work with many of the different groups on different worksites. One group went to deconstruct, insulate then reside the house of a church member. Another group headed inside the church to clear all the nails from

the studs so we can start putting up sheetrock later in the week. Yet another group began tearing the siding off the church to be replaced. And of course, it wouldn't be an FCCBRLA mission trip if George Rabb wasn't called upon to do some plumbing!

After a delicious dinner of fried turkey, we shared a hilarious game of Pterodactyl...ask a missionary about the game...it's hilarious! We worshiped, we sang, we shared communion, then we hit the road back to Texas City. We are VERY sleepy tonight! After much needed showers, and a quick devotion (hear that A-Pack...QUICK) we'll hit the hay to start again tomorrow morning!

Keep on checkin' in on us! Who knows what tomorrow will bring...

See Michael, Andrew did do some work today...he even got a battle wound to show for it!

Is that George doing the plumbing or the wicked witch of the east?...

Amy tearing siding off a house...or wielding her battle sword?

Meet the interns, Day 2: Joel

Joel is from Indiana (hooray, a fellow Hoosier!), however, he will be a senior at TCU in the fall (Go Horned Frogs). We have discovered many of Joel's hidden talents, but the most impressive is his ability to sing (while accompanying himself on air guitar) obscure Nickelodeon TV show theme songs...Hey Dude! :o)

Last but NOT least...HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY BLAKE!! No pinata this year...however, clad with his cape, crown and scepter, he was dubbed king for a day!

Packman's Ready for Bed...

2009-05-31T21:53:00.003-05:00

We have arrived!! Our group arrived in Texas City, TX about 4:00 this evening, met the interns, toured the mission station and settled in. We are sharing the mission station with a wonderful group from Albuquerque, NM and Odessa, TX! We are excited to get to know them and work along side them! Since today was all orientation, and there's not much to report, we'll give you a little history of Galveston...

Galveston, TX is an island. Most of their economy comes from tourism. Around the 1900s, a hurricane devastated the island, wiping out almost everything and killing thousands. Lesson learned, they build a seawall. Fast forward a century, Hurricane Ike descended on Galveston. While the seawall held, the back end of the island (the part not protected by the seawall) got hit pretty hard and much of the island was flooded. There was anywhere from 2-10 feet of water covering the island.

Starting tomorrow, we will be putting up sheet rock and replacing siding at the Central Christian Church in Galveston and helping to replace siding for members of the church.

This evening we are getting ready to have a quick devotion and head to bed. It's going to be an early morning!

Stay tuned, work starts tomorrow...

(1) Our group, clad in red for Pentecost, outside the Disciples Mission Station in Texas City, TX...this will be our home for the week.

(2) Meet the DHM interns #1: Will hails from Minnesota, and is a student at Cheryl's alma mater, Eureka College in Illinois. (yay!)

Andrew isn't the only one is ready for bed!

Galveston...here we come!

2009-05-27T12:26:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year again! It's mission trip time! We have a gret group from First Christian Church (DOC) in Baton Rouge, LA heading out to Galveston, TX on May 31. We will be helping in the clean up/rebuilding effort from Hurricane Ike. We'll do our best to keep our blog updated while we're gone again so you can keep tabs on us! We will be commissioned on Sunday, May 31 at the 8:30am service at First Christian Church before we hit the road. Join us for worship and to wish us farewell! :o)

Home again, home again...

2008-06-07T18:36:00.008-05:00

We are all back safe and sound in Baton Rouge!! The trip was amazing! It was truly life-changing! Ask any of us and I'm sure we'll talk your ear off! I am going to add some more pictures to the blog, but between George and I (Cheryl, by the way) we took almost 1,000 pictures! And there were a lot of other who had cameras!!

Pictures:
(1) Kenny kept us in stitches all week! A hard worker and a crack up!

(2)Amy hard at work with her hammer and brain bucket

(3) Cheryl helping roof the house

(4) Matt trying out the new doorway!

(5) Daniel taking a mandatory break (I think one of the Garza girls took this one!!)

(6) Michael looking manly working on the roof

(7) Blake...with a power tool... :o)

(8) Brad getting the roof ready for the tin

(9) Judy chatting with a Cuban refugee

(10) Lindsey checking out her handywork

(11) Elise was our window expert!

(12) Andrew...who knows...

(13) Barb putting up some trim on the house

(14) Amanda cleaning up the windows

(15) Lucy taking some time to pose

(16) George taking a quick break once the plumbing was in

(17) Tom and Mickey putting their heads together...it's a good thing they have their hardhats on or that might hurt!

(18) Hollie playing with the Garza girls...they ABSOLUTELY loved her...we weren't suprised

(19) Dustin making sure the door works

(20) The Garza girls were singing Josh a song...how cute!!

Blood, Sweat and Tears

2008-06-06T08:38:00.001-05:00

Literally…these things literally went into the Garza family’s house.

Today we had a lot to do in order to finish on time. We split into teams to divide and conquer. One group working on plumbing, one on electricity, one on the roof, the interior walls, put up the trim, build the wheelchair ramp and a million other “little” things. It amazed us when we stepped back at lunch time to see how much we accomplished that morning.

The previous days we left the job site around 2:30, but today we didn’t leave until we were finished. This meant we didn’t leave Matamoros until 7:45pm!!

I could go into deep detail about how Cheryl almost fell off a ladder (don’t worry mom, I’m ok!) or how Andrew tried to talk politics in Spanish or how we smuggled Kenny across the border…but I won’t. What we really want to convey is what happened when the house was finished.

As we mentioned before, Mr. Garza is in a wheelchair so the last thing we did was build a concrete ramp for him. Once that was completed, we helped he and his family into their new house. The girls had already been in the house because they couldn’t wait! In fact, they had already danced in their room (they have never had a room all their own!) and tried teach Andrew a song in Spanish (which failed). We all gathered into their new house where they were greeted by a “welcome home” sign.

We spent a few very touching moments with the family as Michael (through Erick) tried to explain what this experience has meant to us. We then presented the family with a framed photo we took of the entire group with the family earlier in the week. We prayed a blessing on the house and shed a few tears. The family shed tears as well. They were very appreciative. Mrs. Garza’s comments thanked us saying “who comes to build a house for strangers?” It was our pleasure.

Yes, we may have been a blessing to them this week, but they were a blessing to us too. We learned so much on this trip and we will never be the same again.

We slowly headed to the vans with the girls trailing after us for multiple hugs. They even ran down the street as we drove away. We will keep in touch with this amazing family who has become family to us.

We returned to the SWGSM for a late dinner and some awards…

…And we closed with worship…

…Now it’s time for bed and while we’re anxious to see all of you at home, we’re equally as disappointed to leave behind such a wonderful adventure…

Okay, new pictures are up:

(1) Blake helping make sure the Garza's had power in their new house

(2) Dustin amazed us all with his electrical skills...he deserved a break!

(3) Elise finishing up the windows

(4) See...girls can install plumbing too!!

(5) The doorway on the left (where Mickey is standing) is the girls' room and the room on the right with the toilet...well, I think you know what that is :o)

(6) The Garza family inside their new house for the first time!

(7) Judy was a rockstar working on that ramp! Now Mr. Garza will have no trouble getting into his house!

(8) Mickey and Daniel getting the power turned on

(9) The side of the house finished!!

(10) The front of the house finished!!

Un Dia en Cielo

2008-06-05T06:46:00.002-05:00

Un dia en Cielo…

Today (Wednesday) was a very special! The house is really starting to look like a house and we are coming down to tasks that take a few people (like putting up the trusses for the roof).

We decided to divide and conquer first thing in the morning. One group went on to Matamoros and the job site while the other stopped at the Home Depot for some supplies. Once we were all there, the working was in full swing! There was, of course, more painting and lots and lots of hammering. Today we had to secure the siding to the house at all of the studs and install the windows. We had to put up the trusses for the roof. We also had to start laying the pipes for the plumbing. All of this was done with the usual joy.

What made today so special were the things that happened in between the work. One at a time, a few of the local children starting making their way down the street, probably hearing that we had a soccer ball and candy! They were very excited to play “futbol” with the Americans and more than happy to take the candy off our hands. We chatted with them about their favorite “futbol” teams and school. They were great!

In the afternoon, Krista took us in two groups to “Casa Bethel.” Casa Bethel is commonly called an orphanage, but in reality it is a home for children. The difference being that the children living here have not lost their parents, their parents simply can’t take care of them. Some of them have been removed from their homes and some have been sent there by parents who don’t have the means to raise their own children. Many of the adults who work at Casa Bethel lived there as children. Unfortunately when we went, the children were still in school so we did not get to meet many of the 50-some children who live there. We did get to met Ricardo who is a deaf and mute. He was extremely sweet and very excited to show us his room and dance with Kenny!!

While at Casa Bethel we had some enlightening conversations with Krista about the Mexican culture and immigration issues.

One member of our group pointed out last night that we work hard all day long, but when it’s time to leave the Garza family for the day, we tend to slow down a bit. We are trying to savor every moment we have with them. Even the girls try to slow us down when we start cleaning up. Ashley and Leslie have discovered out cameras and want to take a lot of pictures! I went to get my bag and Leslie had taken it. They are also trying to savor the time we have together. As we prepare for our last day with the Garza family, we struggle with how to leave them. We can’t just pack into the vans and drive off….

Check back for an update on our last day…

Con la paz de Jesucristo…

(pictures to come later...)

Feliberto Pereira

2008-06-03T21:43:00.004-05:00

This evening we had the pleasure of hearing Feliberto Pereira tell his amazing story. Feliberto was a Cuban refugee from Cuba. Feliberto has an amazing story and we'd like to share the highlights with you...

Feliberto was lucky enough to be one of the last to graduate from a Cuban seminary before Fidel Castro closed all religious institutions. Feliberto was told that he was not allowed to leave the walls of his church. He was called a parasite because he was not working for the Communist government. He was forced to be a teacher and he was told he had to sign a paper renouncing his faith and saying that he was an Atheist. Additionally he had to take classes and read books on being Communist. After all of that, he refused to sign a paper saying he did not believe in God. He was sentenced to 2 years hard labor. He faced death many many times. He was caught trying to give scriptures to another pastor also imprisoned and was accused of working for the American CIA.

In November of 1969 Feliberto was granted Political Asylum in the United States. By a miracle from God, he escaped with the help of a guard who not actually a Communist and made it to the United States. He was lucky enough to get the chance to bring his wife and two small children with him.

Feliberto ended up in South Texas helping other refugees like himself. Over the years he has taken in many, many refugees. He helps them get political asylum and other things they need while in the United States. We had the opportunity to meet 3 of these refugees. They are from Honduras, Columbia and Cuba. They each have amazing stories which we'll be happy to tell you if you're interested!!

Feliberto is an amazing man who has an amazing ministry. The Casitas project is only one of many branches of his ministry! They have a rice and beans ministry for families in the area who can't afford to put food on the table and a children's home called "Casa Bethel."

We were all extremely inspired!! Most of us have his book, if you ask, I'm sure someone will lend it to you! :o)

When 0 walls become 4

2008-06-03T17:27:00.007-05:00

This morning we got an extra early start to our day so we could get a lot done...and boy did we! After a brief stop at the Soriana for ice (of course), we arrived at the Garza Casita to begin Day two of our project!

Before I really get started, I need to include a very important "shout out." We could NOT be working as hard as we are this week if it weren't for three VERY important people: Judy, Barb and Lucy. They have been keeping up hydrated and cool. Yes, we take breaks, but they bring us water and Gatorade while we're working and cool rags for our necks. They are our cheerleaders and the keepers of our health while we're working!

First thing, we raised the first wall!! It was an amazing sight. We were led in this endeavor by our resident "stud," Erick (those of you who have built a wall before will understand that poor attempt at job sight humor). You should have seen the look on Senor Garza's face! Priceless! With very few problems (ask Amy and Cheryl about the nails....) we got all 4 walls up! It is starting to really look like a house!!

Of course there was more painting to be done! We finished up the siding and moved on to the trim. The trim is brown. As we began painting, we realized it was oil based paint...do you know what happens if you get oil based paint all over your hands? Well, about 1/2 of the FCCBRLA mission crew knows! IT DOESN'T COME OFF!! Eventually we realized it was going to take paint thinner to wash off...while Andrew and Krista went to the hardware store, Mr. Garza began washing the paint off our hands using gasoline!! But you know what...it worked! Lesson learned.

The other goal for today was to dig the trench for the plumbing. The Garza's have never had a bathroom that Mr. Garza could access in his wheelchair, so we're going to install one for them! The trench did pose some problems...including a broken water line...who broke the water line? Ask Michael. :o) Dustin wrangled with a giant rock in the trench and I believe he was victorious!

Of course after lunch, the girls came home and we were again greeted by their smiling faces and their hugs. Leslie, the youngest one, came tearing around the corner to see us! How exciting! After having lunch, a group started playing soccer in a little yard across the street. It drew two other children from the neighborhood who had a blast playing soccer and eating our candy!

Daily Highlight: Kenny taught the Garza hijas (daughters) a dance to "Jump on It." Don't worry, we have video of the whole thing! :o)

After lunch we kept on with the trench and putting up the siding. And once again the work day just seemed to fly!! We couldn't believe that it was time to leave!

Pictures:
(1) Two of the kids that came to play "futbol"

(2) Matt and Daniel waiting for us to bring them the last piece of siding for this wall...great job, guys!

(3/4) Mr and Mrs. Garza hammering in nails on their Casita

(5) Barb bringing us water to keep us hydrated!! What would we do without her!?

(6) Putting up the first wall!!

(7) Mickey working hard...as usual!!

(8) Anyone know how to get oil based paint off your hands?...or Kenny's pants...

(9) How we started the day...

Keep checking back...we have a lot more to share! Thanks for checking in with us...we love hearing about your comments!!

Con la Paz de Jesucristo,

Crossing Borders

2008-06-02T22:42:00.008-05:00

Work Day #1:

There is no word big enough to encompass what we experienced today. We got up bright and early, had breakfast and piled into the vans to head to Matamoros, Mexico. Crossing the boarder was no problem, except when Andrew threw Cheryl to the wolves…the soldier at the boarder asked (in Spanish, of course) where in Mexico we were going. What was Andrew’s response?: “Buenas Dias…(confused look)…Cheryl?” Thanks Packman. But we were admitted to Matamoros anyway…

We had our first cultural experience right off the bat. We were meeting the men with the building material at the Soriana (read: Soriana, think: Wal-Mart) at 9:00…but they didn’t get there precisely on time. Mexican time is a big more elastic than US time. But no worries, we were soon on our way to meet the Garza family.

Senor y Senora Garza are amazing, lovely people. Besides being extremely small and falling apart, their house has a lot of limits that make it unlivable for their family. Mr. Garza was hit by a car while riding his bicycle to work and suffered a spinal cord injury. Their house does not have a bathroom that he can access in his wheelchair. When we pulled up to the house we began working and didn’t stop until we were forced to stop for lunch!

We unloaded the building materials, shared a prayer for the Garza family and this project and Erick and Krista put us right to work! Most of the group were painting the siding for the house while a small handful of us (led by Erick) began the construction of the walls.

For most of us, the best part of the day was after our run to Soriana for a restroom break. We returned to find that the Garza daughters had arrived home from school! Ashley (7) and Leslie (5) are two of the most adorable little girls! As we piled out of the van, they gave each one of us a big hug with HUGE smiles on their faces!! We presented them with Dora the Explorer toys and they were beyond thrilled!! We shared lunch with the Garza family and got right back to work!

After lunch the entire Garza family chipped in! They were helping paint the siding. There was an instant bond, a connection just like family. The girls even teased Andrew about his “cabeza grande!” (Large head for those who do not understand Spanish.)

The language barrier was there, but everyone was trying their darnedest to communicate anyway! There was a little frustration, many successes and a lot of laughs!

Personally, I was expecting to be deeply saddened by these people’s lot in life. Instead, we left the Garza family invigorated. We left with a spring in our step talking about how we couldn’t wait to come back tomorrow!

And for those out there keeping track...no one was left in Mexico!

Pictures:

(1) The inside of the Garza home...Erick is not a terribly tall person and he cannot stand up inside! And that's it!! One tiny room, one tiny bed for 4 people!!

(2) What we started with...

(3) Cheryl the builder says "Can we build it? Si, se puede!" (And safety first!!)

(4) Amanda P. hammering in the first nail!

(5) What the Casita looked like when we left today!

(6) The Garza daughters (hijas) Ashley (left) and Leslie (right) with their new Dora "caballitos" toys!

Thanks again to all that have us in their prayers this week! You are all in ours as well!

...stay tuned to see what we accomplish tomorrow!!

En la paz de Jesucristo...

Happy Birthday Blake!

2008-06-01T23:07:00.003-05:00

Today was Blake's 15th Birthday!! To celebrate, we had cookies and a pinata!!

Feliz Cumpleanos!!

The Journey

2008-06-01T22:57:00.008-05:00

We shoved off from the FCC-BRLA at 7:00am sharp on Saturday, May 31. Packed into the Powder Blue Holy Wagon, Judy’s car and George’s truck pulling a trailer…we were ready for that 10 hour drive to Corpus Christi, Texas where we would spend the night. Three stops later we were at the First Christian Church, Corpus Christi, Texas. This church was amazing!! Our accommodations were beautiful and quite comfy (even though the boys took the room with the couches while the girls had to sleep on the floor…seriously?) We had dinner and some time to fellowship and stretch our legs. We can’t believe our journey has finally begun!!

We attended the 9:00am contemporary service at the FCC, Corpus Christi where the people were incredibly welcoming and excited to have us visiting. They even let Matt play the electric drums! He was like a kid in a candy store. The children’s sermon featured non other than our own Andrew Packman! He was a hit! The title of this morning’s sermon was “Crossing Borders!” It could not have been more appropriate!! J

Although we were appreciative of the hospitality at the FCC, Corpus Christi, we were anxious to back on the road. One U-turn later (which Andrew handled famously in the Holy Wagon, I must say)…we arrived at the Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries in Bayview, Texas to a positively giddy Michael Karunas.

We unpacked the trailer, claimed our bunks, and met our hosts for the week: David, Eric, Erin and Krista. The grocery crew: Judy, Tom, Lucy and Barb headed off to the grocery store and to organize our food for the week. In the interest of staying out of their way, Eric escorted us to BONITA South Padre Island for some beach time! There was swimming, soccer, football and a graceful face-plant by the Rev. K (sorry to say, we were not quick enough for a picture…)

Back at the SWGSM, we showered and got dinner ready. We are anxious to meet the Garza family and get to work!

We have wi-fi here at the Good Sam, so keep checking back for more pictures and Tales from South Texas! I’m sure we’ll good stories of our first border crossing tomorrow!!

Con la Paz de Jesucristo,

The Commissioning

2008-05-25T16:17:00.003-05:00

This morning (May 25) most of our group going stood before the congregation to receive our "sending off." It's less than a week now! And again...a HUGE THANK YOU to the FCC...

How We Got Here...

2008-05-25T16:07:00.006-05:00

We didn't get a week away from this trip without some work! And our little group surely didn't accomplish this by ourselves!! We'd love to thank everyone from FCC and beyond who helped "build" our Casitas with Pieces of Casitas.
*The folks involved with the Jambalaya Lunch.
*The Women of Synergy with their "Cookies for Casitas."
*EVERYONE involved with the Tea, Fashion Show and Silent Auction.

We couldn't have done this without you all!

If you couldn't make it to the Tea, enjoy some of the pictures...it was something to see!!

All that's left to do is pack...

2008-05-23T21:29:00.002-05:00

....We've raised funds...
...we've learned about the language and culture...
...we've gotten our tetanus shots (some took it better than others)...
...we've got t-shirts...
...Saturday, May 31, bright and early, we leave on this marvelous adventure!