The Basics:
We drove late into the night on Friday to set ourselves up for a spectacular Fourth of July. When we realized we'd be traveling over the weekend of the fourth, we search the eastern United States for a city celebrate Independence Day. Nashville ranks one of the best in fireworks, so we decided to spend the holiday in Music City.
This was an excellent decision. Nashville was a very nice rest day before driving twelve more hours home. The city was on fire with Fourth of July activities; live music, vendors, inflatables, and mechanical bulls. We all had a blast. Even though the fireworks were stunted because of torrential downpour, we loved the excitement of it. It just gave us another opportunity to take whatever comes at us in stride.
A Realization:
The break from NOLA temperatures and work plus the fun of BBQ, saloons, and country music moved me to say, "Mission trip is over." I felt guilty saying we were on a mission trip while leisurely strolling the streets of Nashville. I needed to bifurcate the trip to keep the guilt at bay. In New Orleans we were on a mission, and in Nashville we were on a break.
So when homeless people come up to you on the street in Nashville, how do you respond?
My first impulse was to tell them I didn't have any cash or change, which was technically true, and move on. I really wanted to grab some Tennessee BBQ and listen to music downtown with my friends. I didn't want the hassle of taking care of these panhandlers. We just spent the week working, and I wanted to relax and have fun with the group.
I looked up and saw the group looking at me wondering how I'd respond. In a flash, I felt the Holy Spirit say, "The mission trip is NOT over." We ended up inviting the couple to lunch with us. We chatted with them and listened to their story. We prayed with them and then parted ways.
How easy would it have been to say sorry and walk on by? How easy would it have been to only think about what I wanted? How easy it is for me to not want to show the love of Jesus to people?!
The mission trip is only over when Jesus comes back. Until then, Satan is still at work and people are still in need of the love of Jesus. While walking from our hotel room into downtown Nashville, the first people we encountered were a homeless man and women looking for some change. Change was definitely what they wanted. I'm the one who needed it. I'm glad CJ stopped me and gave me some change.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Work Day 5: Garbage pirates
The Basics:
We arrived at Music City late last night. After waking up at 5am, working from 8am-12pm, and leaving New Orleans at 4pm, we pulled into our Comfort Inn around 1:30am. Instead of working in the city, we were sent to the north shore to fill a dumpster with debris. Through rats, mice, salamanders, geckos, spiders, and fire ants, we scoured the piles for buried treasure before tossing it into a dumpster. Our best booty came from a chest full of Martis Gras beads, which, though had sat under trash for years, the girls put on immediately and did a dance.
We were able to finish our job before noon and head back to Trinity to pack. Though we spent a week in New Orleans, we didn’t have a chance to sample real Louisiana cuisine. After a late lunch with the Wattersons and some Crisis Response staff, we headed north.
We arrived at Music City late last night. After waking up at 5am, working from 8am-12pm, and leaving New Orleans at 4pm, we pulled into our Comfort Inn around 1:30am. Instead of working in the city, we were sent to the north shore to fill a dumpster with debris. Through rats, mice, salamanders, geckos, spiders, and fire ants, we scoured the piles for buried treasure before tossing it into a dumpster. Our best booty came from a chest full of Martis Gras beads, which, though had sat under trash for years, the girls put on immediately and did a dance.
We were able to finish our job before noon and head back to Trinity to pack. Though we spent a week in New Orleans, we didn’t have a chance to sample real Louisiana cuisine. After a late lunch with the Wattersons and some Crisis Response staff, we headed north.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Work Day 4: Just walk across the road
The Basics:
Our team united forces for the first time, today. All thirteen of us plus Allison Horst headed to center city New Orleans to finish roofing and lot care. We finished the lot care and had to stop roofing again today around 2:30 because it was too hot. The early quit time allowed us to travel to the lower 9th ward before having a block party.
The Details:
With the exception of three-inch cockroaches and swarms of fire ants, cleaning up the piles of old, soggy drywall (a bit of an oxymoron) was a snap. Our team handled it really well. With the help of John Horst and the addition of Neal and Tyler to Bret and me, we were able to finish the roof with the exception of the cap. It was satisfying to see our final product. Everyone did a fantastic job working in the heat index of 107°.
Fun Fact: It’s possible to drink five liters of water in less than three hours and not use the bathroom all day…as long as you’re roasting on a roof.
Today was the last day for us to be in the city. Our work is basically finished there and Crisis Response has another job they’d like us to do on the North Shore. Since it would be the last day to be in New Orleans, we drove to the Lower 9th Ward after work. This was the area hit worst by levee breaks. Nearly every home was destroyed. Boats, buses, houses laid strewn across a field for years. The only thing that remained was a concrete pad and stairs that led to where a home used to be.
This year a bunch of homes have been rebuilt. I’m not sure if Brad Pitt had something to do with it, but many of the homes have a strange modern look to them. They almost look like something from the future.
After visiting the levees, we headed back to our neighborhood for a block party. Each Thursday, one team hosts a hotdog block party for all of their neighbors. We invite everyone around the street to join us and get to listen to their stories. It’s a wonderful chance to interact casually about what the storm did.
You hear about helicopter rides, Superdome nights, rooftop rescues, and just how high the water actually was. I asked one lady today if she minded having to tell her stories over and over again each week to a new set of volunteers who ask her about the storm. She says it helps to tell people when she endured. Getting to listen to people continues to be a highlight for me on trips like this.
Leaving the city meant saying goodbye to Sam. It was really refreshing to see Sam’s desire to help his neighborhood. He has a reputation around the block for always pitching in to help people with whatever they need. There are so many other things an eighteen year old guy could be doing in New Orleans in the summer time besides shoveling piles of drywall. But Jesus has changed his heart! Praise God! We’ll tell stories about Sam for awhile.
Last year, I met a jazz trombone player named Doc Lewis at the block party. He’s played for a bunch of bands, most notably James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Now semi-retired, he plays on Royal Street in the French Quarter outside Brennan’s everyday he’s not on tour.
On Sunday, we visited him again. He remembered us but couldn’t believe it’d been a year already. He said he was playing in the area this week and invited us to see him. Today we took him up on that offer. After the block party, we headed to Bank’s bar and grill, a small, semi-shady establishment that’s probably 98% bar and 2% grill.
Doc was excited to see all of us there and introduced us to his band. Unfortunately, we were booted from the bar for not having IDs with us! Those that did stuck around for a couple of songs before leaving. I was tickled to hear him play and sing. I look forward to keeping in touch with him in the future.
A Reflection:
I’m currently reading Bill Hybel’s book, Just Walk Across the Room. When I decided to read the book, I thought I might have to meet him halfway across the room, but I’ve found his book to be excellent.
Today I noticed an interesting scene at the block party. There was a stoop across the street from where the hotdogs were that was loaded with neighbors. To create any conversation, you had to walk across the road. Everyone was on the other side of the street except for half a dozen people on their porch. It was a pretty segregated scene.
A couple of people from our group left their “circle of comfort” and entered the “zone of the unknown.” (I’m not sold on Hybel’s catchphrases yet.) They took over water and hotdogs and invited them over to the party. They did a fantastic job of reaching out to these neighbors. But the neighbors remained on their porch, so our team members left.
Half an hour later, another group of our team went over to engage the neighbors, but instead of invited them over to the other side of the street, they asked if they could sit down and asked questions about their street. The neighbors who were a little cold to the first couple warmed up as we sat and talked. More of our team joined us, and soon the block party was on both sides of the street.
It’s made me think about how we do ministry. Jesus attracted great crowds by performing miracles, feeding the thousands, healing the sick. A lot of Jesus’ ministry was attractional in nature. He gathered a crowd to himself, and then he taught. Our block parties and worksites are very attractional.
Jesus also went to where the people were. You would have seen Jesus on the party circuit. He ate with drunkards and prostitutes. He met adulterers at a well. He was incarnational and missional by taking on the form of a human and by intentionally meeting people on their home turf.
I was proud to see the initial crew cross the street. It was intimidating to even ask the neighbors to join us. I think it’s a bolder move to engage them where they were already are. That’s what I want to do! I’m so glad Jesus did that with me!
Our team united forces for the first time, today. All thirteen of us plus Allison Horst headed to center city New Orleans to finish roofing and lot care. We finished the lot care and had to stop roofing again today around 2:30 because it was too hot. The early quit time allowed us to travel to the lower 9th ward before having a block party.
The Details:
With the exception of three-inch cockroaches and swarms of fire ants, cleaning up the piles of old, soggy drywall (a bit of an oxymoron) was a snap. Our team handled it really well. With the help of John Horst and the addition of Neal and Tyler to Bret and me, we were able to finish the roof with the exception of the cap. It was satisfying to see our final product. Everyone did a fantastic job working in the heat index of 107°.
Fun Fact: It’s possible to drink five liters of water in less than three hours and not use the bathroom all day…as long as you’re roasting on a roof.
Today was the last day for us to be in the city. Our work is basically finished there and Crisis Response has another job they’d like us to do on the North Shore. Since it would be the last day to be in New Orleans, we drove to the Lower 9th Ward after work. This was the area hit worst by levee breaks. Nearly every home was destroyed. Boats, buses, houses laid strewn across a field for years. The only thing that remained was a concrete pad and stairs that led to where a home used to be.
This year a bunch of homes have been rebuilt. I’m not sure if Brad Pitt had something to do with it, but many of the homes have a strange modern look to them. They almost look like something from the future.
After visiting the levees, we headed back to our neighborhood for a block party. Each Thursday, one team hosts a hotdog block party for all of their neighbors. We invite everyone around the street to join us and get to listen to their stories. It’s a wonderful chance to interact casually about what the storm did.
You hear about helicopter rides, Superdome nights, rooftop rescues, and just how high the water actually was. I asked one lady today if she minded having to tell her stories over and over again each week to a new set of volunteers who ask her about the storm. She says it helps to tell people when she endured. Getting to listen to people continues to be a highlight for me on trips like this.
Leaving the city meant saying goodbye to Sam. It was really refreshing to see Sam’s desire to help his neighborhood. He has a reputation around the block for always pitching in to help people with whatever they need. There are so many other things an eighteen year old guy could be doing in New Orleans in the summer time besides shoveling piles of drywall. But Jesus has changed his heart! Praise God! We’ll tell stories about Sam for awhile.
Last year, I met a jazz trombone player named Doc Lewis at the block party. He’s played for a bunch of bands, most notably James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Now semi-retired, he plays on Royal Street in the French Quarter outside Brennan’s everyday he’s not on tour.
On Sunday, we visited him again. He remembered us but couldn’t believe it’d been a year already. He said he was playing in the area this week and invited us to see him. Today we took him up on that offer. After the block party, we headed to Bank’s bar and grill, a small, semi-shady establishment that’s probably 98% bar and 2% grill.
Doc was excited to see all of us there and introduced us to his band. Unfortunately, we were booted from the bar for not having IDs with us! Those that did stuck around for a couple of songs before leaving. I was tickled to hear him play and sing. I look forward to keeping in touch with him in the future.
A Reflection:
I’m currently reading Bill Hybel’s book, Just Walk Across the Room. When I decided to read the book, I thought I might have to meet him halfway across the room, but I’ve found his book to be excellent.
Today I noticed an interesting scene at the block party. There was a stoop across the street from where the hotdogs were that was loaded with neighbors. To create any conversation, you had to walk across the road. Everyone was on the other side of the street except for half a dozen people on their porch. It was a pretty segregated scene.
A couple of people from our group left their “circle of comfort” and entered the “zone of the unknown.” (I’m not sold on Hybel’s catchphrases yet.) They took over water and hotdogs and invited them over to the party. They did a fantastic job of reaching out to these neighbors. But the neighbors remained on their porch, so our team members left.
Half an hour later, another group of our team went over to engage the neighbors, but instead of invited them over to the other side of the street, they asked if they could sit down and asked questions about their street. The neighbors who were a little cold to the first couple warmed up as we sat and talked. More of our team joined us, and soon the block party was on both sides of the street.
It’s made me think about how we do ministry. Jesus attracted great crowds by performing miracles, feeding the thousands, healing the sick. A lot of Jesus’ ministry was attractional in nature. He gathered a crowd to himself, and then he taught. Our block parties and worksites are very attractional.
Jesus also went to where the people were. You would have seen Jesus on the party circuit. He ate with drunkards and prostitutes. He met adulterers at a well. He was incarnational and missional by taking on the form of a human and by intentionally meeting people on their home turf.
I was proud to see the initial crew cross the street. It was intimidating to even ask the neighbors to join us. I think it’s a bolder move to engage them where they were already are. That’s what I want to do! I’m so glad Jesus did that with me!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Work Day 3: Looking for interests
Some thoughts from some of our crew…
Dear Diary,
-6 a.m. seems to come earlier and earlier every morning, but seeing Austin’s new t-shirt everyday makes it ok.
-and I miss R.J.
-Bret
Dear Diary,
Our group discussions,
- Do animals fart? (Answer: Yes, but only when you leave the room because they’re embarrassed.)
- Boogers, beware.
- Austin’s step grandfather
- Sam and his special occasion activities.
- R.J. impressions.
- Austin’s all time favorite song, Ridin’ Dirty.
In my opinion, our group is by far the funniest group ever!!
-Lauren
Dear Diary,
My thoughts about Wednesday, July 01, 2009
- Daryl and his 40 years of construction experience.
- Meeting “Coach” that works at the park-pool.
- Seeing the fender-bender happen at the end of the day.
I feel like our group is becoming closer & closer everyday. We get to laugh and have fun with each other.
-AP
Dear Diary,
The Basics:
Today, we finished roofing one side of the house. It was less scary because there is another roof adjacent to ours, so if we would have fallen, we could just jump to the next roof. Roofing the second half required the assistance of a fearless leader. Enter John Horst. He laid the starter shingles on the very edge before it got too hot to roof. Tip: When someone from New Orleans says it’s too hot to do something, it’s too hot. I didn't question him.
We were able to prep some of the roof for tomorrow, but a lot of energy was put into moving a pile of soaked drywall from one side of the sidewalk to the other. We put a huge dent into the pile, but we’re looking forward to the rest of the team joining us in the City tomorrow.
The Details:
After the storm, the demand for drywall went through the roof. Pun intended. Homes were gutted; insulation, wiring, and drywall were removed to leave bare studs. After running new wiring, a drywall from China was used to finish the rooms. Many houses painted then put up cabinets and countertops.
After a few months, people began to notice their fixtures were tarnishing. The wiring in their sockets also began to break down. It turned out the Chinese drywall contained a sulfur compound that was ruining metal. The result meant pulling off the Chinese drywall and beginning again.
One family in particular had their home gutted three times by volunteers with Crisis Response. They gutted their home after the storm. Then they had to gut it again after a contractor failed to get permits and inspections before skipping town. Finally, they had to gut it the last time to remove the Chinese drywall.
To get rid of the dry wall means simply piling it between the street and the sidewalk. The city won’t pick up any trash on private property, but they’ll remove whatever is on the street. Note: Waterlogged drywall after sitting a few months is a tough task.
A Reflection:
Ministry is created in the wake of crisis. In New Olreans, Katrina created a crisis and thousands flooded the city to serve. The sad thing is that it took a storm to bring to light the terrible crisis that already remained in the city.
Last night I was talking to a teen from a youth group who’s serving this week. I asked him how he thought he might interact with people differently once he returned to Fargo. He said this trip probably won’t affect him much because there aren’t any people in Fargo who are as needy like they are in New Orleans.
I was a bit indignant at first. I wanted to scold him and tell him how great the needs are of people everywhere. But then I thought about how many people masquerade as though their life was great. Christians are especially good about this.
One of the biggest threads I’ve seen run through this week comes from Philippians 2 and looking not only to our own interest but also to the interest of others. Before we can look to another’s interest, we need to know what their interests are! People in NOLA wear their needs on their sleeves. Just saying “hello” will get you a fifteen minute glimpse into their life history. It doesn’t take long to find their interests.
Lancaster County people are good at keeping their interests guarded. The pain, emptiness, desperation, frustration, sadness, and despair is hidden by swallowing hard and putting on a stoic face. We even applaud those who are able to keep their emotions in check.
Finding ways to treat people back home the way we treat people down here will require greater effort to dig deep into their interests. We’ll have to look behind the smile or joke to see the hurt that lies within. We’ll have to study people to know if they’re acting differently or if something’s bothering them.
I’m hoping the attitude of counting others more significant then ourselves will help us bring back these habits. It will require patience, asking uncomfortable questions, and continuing to build a trust for people to take off that mask. Only once we’ve exposed the needs of people will we be able to love them best.
- Brandon
Dear Diary,
-6 a.m. seems to come earlier and earlier every morning, but seeing Austin’s new t-shirt everyday makes it ok.
-and I miss R.J.
-Bret
Dear Diary,
Our group discussions,
- Do animals fart? (Answer: Yes, but only when you leave the room because they’re embarrassed.)
- Boogers, beware.
- Austin’s step grandfather
- Sam and his special occasion activities.
- R.J. impressions.
- Austin’s all time favorite song, Ridin’ Dirty.
In my opinion, our group is by far the funniest group ever!!
-Lauren
Dear Diary,
My thoughts about Wednesday, July 01, 2009
- Daryl and his 40 years of construction experience.
- Meeting “Coach” that works at the park-pool.
- Seeing the fender-bender happen at the end of the day.
I feel like our group is becoming closer & closer everyday. We get to laugh and have fun with each other.
-AP
Dear Diary,
The Basics:
Today, we finished roofing one side of the house. It was less scary because there is another roof adjacent to ours, so if we would have fallen, we could just jump to the next roof. Roofing the second half required the assistance of a fearless leader. Enter John Horst. He laid the starter shingles on the very edge before it got too hot to roof. Tip: When someone from New Orleans says it’s too hot to do something, it’s too hot. I didn't question him.
We were able to prep some of the roof for tomorrow, but a lot of energy was put into moving a pile of soaked drywall from one side of the sidewalk to the other. We put a huge dent into the pile, but we’re looking forward to the rest of the team joining us in the City tomorrow.
The Details:
After the storm, the demand for drywall went through the roof. Pun intended. Homes were gutted; insulation, wiring, and drywall were removed to leave bare studs. After running new wiring, a drywall from China was used to finish the rooms. Many houses painted then put up cabinets and countertops.
After a few months, people began to notice their fixtures were tarnishing. The wiring in their sockets also began to break down. It turned out the Chinese drywall contained a sulfur compound that was ruining metal. The result meant pulling off the Chinese drywall and beginning again.
One family in particular had their home gutted three times by volunteers with Crisis Response. They gutted their home after the storm. Then they had to gut it again after a contractor failed to get permits and inspections before skipping town. Finally, they had to gut it the last time to remove the Chinese drywall.
To get rid of the dry wall means simply piling it between the street and the sidewalk. The city won’t pick up any trash on private property, but they’ll remove whatever is on the street. Note: Waterlogged drywall after sitting a few months is a tough task.
A Reflection:
Ministry is created in the wake of crisis. In New Olreans, Katrina created a crisis and thousands flooded the city to serve. The sad thing is that it took a storm to bring to light the terrible crisis that already remained in the city.
Last night I was talking to a teen from a youth group who’s serving this week. I asked him how he thought he might interact with people differently once he returned to Fargo. He said this trip probably won’t affect him much because there aren’t any people in Fargo who are as needy like they are in New Orleans.
I was a bit indignant at first. I wanted to scold him and tell him how great the needs are of people everywhere. But then I thought about how many people masquerade as though their life was great. Christians are especially good about this.
One of the biggest threads I’ve seen run through this week comes from Philippians 2 and looking not only to our own interest but also to the interest of others. Before we can look to another’s interest, we need to know what their interests are! People in NOLA wear their needs on their sleeves. Just saying “hello” will get you a fifteen minute glimpse into their life history. It doesn’t take long to find their interests.
Lancaster County people are good at keeping their interests guarded. The pain, emptiness, desperation, frustration, sadness, and despair is hidden by swallowing hard and putting on a stoic face. We even applaud those who are able to keep their emotions in check.
Finding ways to treat people back home the way we treat people down here will require greater effort to dig deep into their interests. We’ll have to look behind the smile or joke to see the hurt that lies within. We’ll have to study people to know if they’re acting differently or if something’s bothering them.
I’m hoping the attitude of counting others more significant then ourselves will help us bring back these habits. It will require patience, asking uncomfortable questions, and continuing to build a trust for people to take off that mask. Only once we’ve exposed the needs of people will we be able to love them best.
- Brandon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)