BUMC Katrina VIM Team

Signing off from Camp Gulfport

2009-01-17T08:55:00.006-07:00

As we prepare to leave camp this weekend, I wanted to leave you with a summary of what we've accomplished in our two weeks here as well as how we've used your donations. It's been a hectic blur, but I think we've come up with a fairly comprehensive list. Team members, if I've missed anything, please add your comments.

First worksite

Framed bathroom for a tub, installed tub and surround
Plumbed the bathroom and laundry room
Move light socket boxes and did other minor electrical work
Sheetrocked and mudded hallway, 2 bedrooms, bathroom
Textured, primed, and painted (two coats) walls and ceilings of bedrooms, bathroom, and closet
Minor framing work
Outside cleanup work
Scraped and cleaned windows

Second worksite

Plumbed the house
Built new scaffolding
Scraped and wire brushed all exterior trim, painted with two coats of primer and two coats of paint
Painted all exterior siding
Removed and replanted saw tooth palmetto
Tore down scaffolding and salvaged lumber
Built platform at bottom of stairs

Third worksite

Inset medicine cabinet
Installed vanity lights
Installed new vanity top in bathroom
Venetian blind in bathroom
Bathroom fixtures: towel racks and toilet paper holder
Recaulk shower and repair/repaint walls
Install linen closet shelves
Install bedroom closet and laundry room shelving and rods
Repair kitchen flooring
Porch: fixed floor, painted, repaired screens
Installed outside lighting
Installed air conditioning vent/grill

Jobs on other worksites

Ceiling paint on four rooms
Set several toilets

Camp work

Repaired doors
Inventoried medical supplies
Reorganized tool shed
Braced mailbox
Deep cleaned ovens, stoves, and refrigerators at camp
Daily camp chores, including cooking and cleaning

Purchases for worksites and camp

Tub and enclosure
Bathroom plumbing fixtures
Assorted plumbing supplies
Exterior and interior paint, primer, painting supplies
Mud compound
Assorted small tools
Closet rods, shelving, towel racks, and toilet paper holder
Fasteners
Caulking
Lumber
Light fixtures
Drill bits
Venetian blinds
Vanity top
Screening materials

Team expenses

Car rental and gas
Room and board

That's it for now. We'll keep this blog alive for now, and we'll plan to come back in a few weeks to record our reflections, memories, and lessons learned. Thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, donations, and prayers. It's been a wonderful experience and you all have been a big part of it. We are so grateful.

Signing off from Camp Gulfport.

From the team

2009-01-15T22:01:00.011-07:00

Tonight at our team meeting, I asked the other team members to share some of their thoughts about the trip: what they'd been struck by, what they'll remember, what the best part of the trip has been. Here's what some of them said.

Lee said that what immediately came to her mind on this trip was the power and strength of the women in Mississippi. At the home where she's spent most of her time, the homeowner Monnaray is a skilled and hardworking woman who is taking charge of the rebuilding process for her family. When Lee had asked her how she came to know so much about construction, she replied that she'd been doing that work since she was nine years old. Living in this area, there has been a longstanding pattern of storms, destruction, and then reconstruction.

The family connections run deep and this includes the construction process. Monnaray's mother is also putting in significant amount of time to help her daughter's family rebuild. From Monnaray to the clerks at Lowe's to Miss Betty, who is 78 and has been working at Pizza Hut for more than 30 years, the women in this area are real survivors.

Lee went on to say that she's impressed by the skills and competence of the women on our team. Most of us have less than professional construction skills but we paid attention, followed instructions, work hard, and accomplished much this trip.

Mary thought that, because this group focused on fewer homes this visit than the previous BUMC group in Waveland had, they had also heard fewer stories. But still, the stories we've heard have been full of hope and faith, and everyone agreed that the survivors have an ongoing need to tell them. Martha described a trip to a mini-mart that she and Shelly made to buy some postcards. They spent more than 15 minutes in the store, which didn't have any postcards, listening to the clerk tell her Katrina story.

It's clear to any of us who have talked to someone who endured this storm that people want to be sure their trials are not forgotten. They want to tell the world and they want the world to remember. People like Michelle, who spoke to us last night, are the voices for all those who cannot tell their own stories yet. For all the devastation and destruction, the stories are filled with hope and humor and a positive outlook.

Margaret's comments that she will always remember Miss Betty brought nods of assent to all who had the privilege of working on her home. Everything was "just perfect," "so wonderful," and "like a dream." The gratitude of this woman for such simple things was heartwarming and astounding. To her, her modest home was a fairy tale and we were some of the very many folks who helped create it for her.

Many people also agreed with Dick's comments. He said the highlight of the trip was getting to know other team members. Some were strangers to most of us when the trip began and now we're all old friends. It changes a person, Dick said, when you work this closely with one another. Donna added that we're all like family now, especially since we've seen each stumbling around in pajamas and robe looking for coffee in the morning, with wet hair and no makeup, and wearing the same paint-splattered clothing for several days in a row.

We talked some about ways we can continue to raise funds as well as consciousness about the plight of the folks here. There has been much progress, but much work remains. It's not hard to imagine that reconstruction will require many more years, yet federal funds have run out. It's the church people who will make the real difference in what happens next.

Glenn closed the meeting by expressing his gratitude for the team members' willingness to step up and be leaders when the need arose and, just as importantly, their ability to follow so that the entire team can accomplish its goals.

We have one more work day tomorrow and then we all head home sometime over the weekend. For all of us, I expect that the full impact of this trip will be something that we'll continue to sort out over the coming weeks and months.

Hope personified

2009-01-15T06:55:00.008-07:00

Sorry for not posting last night. I was a walking zombie by 10:00 p.m. and decided to save it for the morning since I wanted to be able to tell you about the most amazing speaker we heard last night. It's too cold here this morning to do exterior painting so I'll have time to tell you about her in the hour or two we'll wait for it to warm up. (I'm ready to get back to our Montana dry cold--I swear I've been colder here than I was last month at home. Of course I dress better for it there and I didn't pack for freezing temps down here.)

Michelle Cooper and her husband BJ survived Hurricane Katrina in their log home in Waveland. Because they had never been seriously impacted by a hurricane before Katrina, they boarded up their home and decided to wait it out. Michelle shared her story with our group last night, and she had us horrified by her vivid descriptions, laughing with her at the absurd aspects of the tragedy, and weeping at the depth of her faith and gratitude. I'm so sorry she hadn't been able to make it last week so that the folks who have already gone home could have heard her.

There's no way I can adequately relay all she said, but let me provide a few mental pictures: After the water started rising in their home, Michelle and BJ survived in the peak of their attic, heads pressed up against the ceiling, water up to their necks. Two of their three dogs swam away, while they held the third. Because the attic contained relatively quiet waters compared to the raging waters outside, water moccasins and fire ants sought refuge there. Their bodies were battered by objects pounding against them during the several hours they were up there, and hypothermia set in. They prayed continuously and put their trust in God in a way that seems absolutely inspired. She says they also laughed and made jokes to keep their spirits up. Her description of the clothing that remained after most of it had been ripped off in the storm was comic genius.

The water receded later that day to about 4 feet so they were able to make it across the street to a neighbor's house, a two-story house whose attic remained dry. While there, part of a roof collapsed on BJ's leg, breaking it in four places. Of course, they couldn't get to a hospital that night. In fact, it took several days of waiting at the hospital and then getting transported to a distant hospital to get more treatment. During this time, they didn't know the fate of their families, who had been on higher ground; nor did their families know about them.

Michelle described the aftermath of the storm. It was sunny but there was water and mud everywhere. Animals of all types wandered this rural community. (The Coopers' other two dogs survived the storm and were found in trees.) She described the people as "walking zombies," just wandering around dazed and stunned. It was eerily silent and only a small handful of cars were operational after the storm. Two young men drove around for a couple of days, bringing injured people to the hospital. They'd drive up and hospital personnel would evaluate the person, provide necessary medical supplies, and send them on their way. Gas was obtained from the overturned cars in the hospital parking lot.

Despite Michelle's vivid descriptions, it is impossible to imagine the devastation, not just of landscape and homes, but of emotional and mental security, that Katrina wrought. Yet I don't think I have ever met anyone whose faith seems as unshakable as hers. After BJ finally had surgery in Baton Rouge (where life was relatively normal after Katrina) to repair his broken leg, the couple traveled back and forth weekly, picking up supplies for local people. When crews of volunteers began working on their home, she talked about wondering why people would choose to come here and help them. After a few days, she says, she realized that it wasn't the people who chose to came, but that God had chosen those people. She described the palpable feelings of love in her home, the love of all the wonderful people who have helped, and continue to help, in its rebuilding.

You know, I have to confess that there have been moments this week where I've wondered if my little contributions of painting a home or hanging a towel rack have really made much of a difference to the people here. Listening to Michelle talk about her feelings of awe and gratitude of all the love, given by volunteers' labor, that create the sum total of her home changed my mind. She says her home is an embodiment of God's love, that the work has been done in His name. Facing the room, she said, "God handpicked each of you to be His servants."

And so I am renewed for another day.

Deep thoughts (I wish)

2009-01-13T20:40:00.005-07:00

Every day as I'm working, I think of many topics I might write about when I sit down and finish sorting through the day's photos. Then every night, as I sit here, I wonder how I will stay awake long enough to share anything reasonably coherent about this trip. I'd like to be talking about what it must be like to have lived through such a life-defining event like Katrina. I think of the stories I've heard and the pressing need folks have to continue to share their stories. I think about what this trip means to those of us who are working here--what we are learning about ourselves, each other, our faith, and how this trip becomes part of our own stories.

The truth is even if I were well rested, it's too soon to know the answers to some of these questions. It's too soon to know how this trip is shifting my landscape, but something is definitely shifting. Certainly gratitude grows in this environment: gratitude for homes that are standing, gratitude that I don't live in fear, gratitude that my life doesn't feel defined by such a tragedy. Hope grows too. The infinite acts of rebuilding are testimonies to the strength of the human spirit and the willingness to refuse to be defeated.

And I'm struck by the service. The Mississippi United Methodist response for Katrina recovery through the end of last year is more than 144,000 volunteers for more than 4.5 million hours (at an estimated value of almost $88 million dollars). And that's just the Methodist response. That kind of outpouring gives me hope and faith in the goodness of people. It feels good and right to be part of that.

Last night at devotions, a member of the Iowa contingent read a poem called Little to Give by Angie Scheerer in the current issue of Alive Now. It spoke to all of us and part of it goes like this:

You say you have little to give,
That your talents are meager,
That your shortcomings define you?
A harsh judgment, my friend.
For who among us
Has gifts in full measure?
Who among us can be content
With his own abilities?
Life is not what we are
But what we become.

You say you have little to give?
Who among us has more?
Offer the little you have
With a generous heart.
Someone will accept it.

I am certain God has a reason--probably a different one for each of us here--for our presence here. Learning what that is will be an ongoing quest.

You'll notice that all the photos from today are from a single job site. There were other crews but most of the cameras ended up on our site.

A new week begins

2009-01-12T21:03:00.004-07:00

After a weekend off, we started back to work today. We're down to fifteen people as of this evening; Jane left Sunday, and Loreene, Nathan, Sally, Aaron, and Jim took off today. We miss them all already and the camp feels a lot emptier. The contributions they made were significant, and we'll miss their presence here. You might miss them too, as they contributed much of the photographs you've been seeing, but we'll try to fill in the gaps. We're wondering how many more photos of scaffolding and people painting you can stand to see, but we'll keep posting if you'll keep viewing.

The work detail today consisted of installing closet shelving, exterior painting, bathtub installation (the start of it), and ongoing interior painting and sheet rock work. Our new friends from Iowa arrived in camp yesterday, a group of about 20 from Iowa City and surrounding areas.

It's late again, and it was a long day. I'm going to turn the rest of the post over to Shelly, who plays a scaffolding engineer in Mississippi, but who is a landscape architect in real life back in Bozeman. Whenever she travels, she sends her friends "Trip Haiku by Shelly" on postcards. She's generously agreed to share them with us.

Hurricane fury
Katrina made a big mess
Need a great big broom

Lemurs cling to boards
Monkeys climb on scaffolding
Paint badge of courage

Sunrise over gulf
Build scaffolding all day long
Sunset over gulf

Bad Haiku easy
Good trip Haiku is quite hard
Better keep day job

That's all for tonight.

Time off

2009-01-11T12:43:00.003-07:00

We haven't worked over the weekend and groups have gone many different directions over the past couple of days, so I won't be posting photos until we're back on the work week schedule. Still, I'll try to give you a brief idea of what we've been doing.

Many folks went into New Orleans on Saturday. One group stayed overnight and another group went in for the day for a river tour and horse-drawn carriage ride. My group just went to the French Quarter to walk around and soak up the ambience (as well as cafe au lait, beignets, gumbo, crab cakes, jambalaya, and red beans and rice--hey, it's New Orleans).

Some folks visited with relatives in the area, others went to the Stennis Space Center, and still others went into Gulfport and Biloxi. The weekend is also time for laundry and church. Most of us went to the Main Street United Methodist Church in Bay St. Louis, where we were identified as Katrina volunteers and warmly welcomed by the congregation.

Besides being welcomed and thanked by the congregation at church this morning, there are signs around the area thanking volunteers. Even at the laundromat, the attendant could tell we were from out of the area, shared her Katrina story with us, and thanked us for being here. It's a good feeling to know that the efforts of volunteers are widely acknowledged and appreciated here.

Miss Betty

2009-01-10T20:28:00.004-07:00

Several of us had the privilege of working on Miss Betty's house this week, putting the finishing touches on the renovation. Miss Betty's house was damaged severely in Hurricane Katrina, but she put off asking for help for almost two years because, according to her, there were so many more in greater need than she was. I am so grateful that the volunteers who were here before us weren't able to finish the job; if they had, I wouldn't have had the joy of meeting this lovely woman.

Betty is so generous, grateful, and humble. Her generosity and humility shone through in her willingness to wait so long for help. To see her gratitude for such simple things as closet rods, towel racks, and a screen door that closes properly is such a blessing. You feel like Ed McMahon must feel when he hands out those checks with all the zeroes and sees the winner's excitement. Betty claps her hands to her cheeks and smiles that million dollar smile. In fact, she'll be the first to tell you that she feels like she's won a million bucks. After a full day working at Pizza Hut, where she's worked for 31 years, this 78-year-old woman sits in her living room smiling and declaring to anyone who will listen that she thinks her modest two-bedroom, one-bath home is a mansion. She is visibly overwhelmed at the realms of volunteers who have helped put her home back together and tells us that she prays for all of them nightly. She seems to think of each one as personal angel.

After seeing the spirit of Jesus this week, you can be sure that all us here are keeping Miss Betty in our prayers as well.

Very briefly

2009-01-10T00:01:00.003-07:00

It was a long day, lots of hard work, and a presentation that had us away from camp for a couple of hours tonight. Many folks are heading to New Orleans tomorrow and all are looking forward to a bit of rest. Today's photos are posted and I'll report more in the next day or two. I especially want to tell you about Miss Betty, who joined us for dinner tonight and received a Bible to dedicate the completion of her home--but it will have to wait until next time. Thanks for your messages of encouragement and your prayers.

A day in the life

2009-01-08T21:51:00.005-07:00

Click the Links to Photo Albums to see shots from each day. We'd love to hear from you, so please feel free to click the Comments link below this post and let us know you're there.

After a few days, it's starting to feel like we're settling into a routine here, so I'll tell you a bit about that. Mornings begin around 6:00, with breakfast served from 6:30 to 7:30. Members of the groups that are here do the cooking for breakfast and dinner, and each person prepares a sack lunch to take with them to the work site from a table of lunch foods that are set out during breakfast.

After breakfast, we organize--and I use that term loosely--into our respective work groups, which can change from day to day, but usually stay together for a single project. Some projects last half a day; others may not be completed before we leave. Currently there are a couple of groups with only two or three people, one group of six or seven, and another group of eight or nine. We locate the materials we anticipate we'll need, then sort into the various cars.

Invariably, once on the job site, we'll discover that we need something we don't have with us. It may be materials or tools that are available back at camp, but more likely it will warrant a trip to Lowe's. They're getting to know us pretty well by this point.

Each team has a leader who assigns us into smaller groups with specific tasks. The people who know how to do something work with the folks who need to learn it. Today, for example, I've learned to use a caulking gun and cut a couple of boards with a circular saw. Yesterday I was able to help a couple of team members use a stud finder and power drill to hang closet rods.

Some of the homes we're working on are occupied and we've met the owners. Many of them are still eager to share their stories about the storm and picking up the pieces. Other places are not yet livable so we haven't seen anyone other than team members on site. During the day, we work, laugh, take breaks, laugh, go to Lowe's, laugh, call each other with changes of plans, laugh, stand around waiting, and laugh. It's a great chance to get to know one another better, share joys and frustrations, and remember why we're doing this.

We break around 4:00 and start cleaning up the job site, returning to camp around 5:00. There's a mad dash for showers, and dinner is ready at 6:00. We say grace, eat a delicious meal, and then have a short devotion time. George led the devotions one night, and Sally has done it for two. After devotions, we have a short team meeting to get squared away for the next day and then everyone is free. People read, play games, call home, get on their laptops, shower if they haven't already, and head for bed.

We all share rooms, women on one side, men on the other. The camp capacity is about 54, and we're currently at about 40. The two other groups are leaving this weekend, and new folks will come in next week. Each room contains bunk beds and right now, most rooms have two or three people in each.

At tonight's devotion, Sally asked us to think about what we're grateful for today. I'm grateful that I haven't had to endure what the people down here have had to deal with. I'm thankful for the warm sunny weather on a day of outside work. I'm glad for the laughter with my fellow team members, especially my bunk mates Martha and Loreene. I'm really thankful that everyone has stayed healthy and unhurt doing this work. And I'm grateful for the support of everyone back home who has been a part of this experience in one or another.

Sally also asked us to contemplate what we want to learn while we're here and what we need to do in order to gain that lesson. I'm still thinking on that one...

Web of support

2009-01-07T16:48:00.005-07:00

I started thinking today about all the people who made this trip possible. For each one of us, there are people taking care of our pets, houseplants, mail, and the myriad other details that are necessary even when we're not there. Bosses and coworkers either pick up the slack or deal with the inconvenience of our absence. Volunteer responsibilities go undone for the time being. Each of us has someone or many someones who fill in the gap of our absence and, in so doing, contribute to the work we're doing. A huge personal thank you to my husband Larry, who is keeping the home fires burning in his ongoing support of my journey in faith and service.

And, of course, the BUMC church family has provided tremendous support; in your prayers, your donations, and your encouragement, we continue to feel blessed by the love and generosity you have showered us with. My prayer is that we are worthy of the support you give so abundantly.

If you are reading this blog, it's likely that you are a part of the huge web of support--emotional, spiritual, and financial--that holds each of us up. We are so very grateful.

The start of our work

2009-01-06T11:53:00.012-07:00

With an orientation this morning and becoming familiar with the tools and materials available to us, much of the morning was spent getting ready to go to our respective work sites. Aaron, Jim, and Martha headed off to do plumbing work. A crew of seven (Jarvis, Carl, Margaret, Sally, George, Carolyn, and Brenda) headed to an almost finished home to finalize repairs. The remainder of the group headed off to a home needing extensive work.

At that worksite, Loreene earned the Good Samaritan merit badge for going to heroic efforts to help a group of Mennonite women, also doing recovery work in the same neighborhood jump their car battery. This involved a door-to-door search for jumper cables, minor engine rework of removing the air filter to get to the battery, and, she reports, mostly minimal sparking.

The Dog Whisperer award goes to Carolyn. Seven of us waited outside the door at our worksite for the owner's daughter, who lived next door, to let us in the house. As we stood in the yard, we heard ferocious barking and growling, and, since she had warned us that this dog would bite, we were content to let her take the lead. However much she coaxed, this dog would not come out. Carolyn went in and we continued to hear the ruckus until , a few minutes later, she came out with a small black Pomeranian-Chihauhau clutched to her chest. She has been asked to go with the other group tomorrow to help calm a very large and agitated German Shepherd, but no commitments have been made.

We're settling in, getting to know our way around, and finding comfort in the company of others. When the camp hosts, Jennie and Stan, talked to us this morning, they stressed the virtues of flexibility and patience. Jennie took it to the next step: "Blessed are the flexible for they shall never be bent out of shape." We're taking her message to heart as we get ourselves situated, figure out what we need, where we're going, and what we're doing.

To see a bit of what we've been doing, click today's date in the Links To Photo Albums at the right. And, if you're so inclined, drop us a note.

Oh, and by the way, it was t-shirt weather in Mississippi today.

Arrival

2009-01-06T11:34:00.002-07:00

It was a late night arriving in Waveland so no posts from yesterday, and just a quick note at lunch today to let the folks following our trip know that we arrived safely. Nine of us flew down from Bozeman on the same flights yesterday--almost half our group--and then met up with a handful of others at the Gulfport airport about 9:00 p.m. With no travel delays, we thought we'd had an easy day of it. However, a handful of problems with the rental cars had us juggling people, luggage, and schedules until we finally arrived at about midnight. The midsize cars we'd ordered had been given away earlier in the day, leaving us with PT Cruisers. A fun little car, but not so much cargo space, especially for those of us who came encumbered with luggage and bedding. As Lee said, though, we expect that to be the first and the last of the inconveniences, smoothing the way for a productive and enriching rest of the time here.

It wasn't too hard to drop into bed last night, even though we'd done nothing harder than sit in airplanes and airports all day. After a good (but not too long) sleep, we ate breakfast, watched the sun rise over the ocean, and had an our orientation with the camp leaders, Stan and Jennie. We got ourselves familiar with the building, grounds, and storage areas., and then were divided into three work groups, all off to separate work sites. Also here at Camp Gulfside with us are a group of 14 from Virginia and another group of 4 from Indiana.

More updates and photos tonight.

Preparations...

2008-12-30T08:06:00.002-07:00

This time next week, we'll be on our first day of work for this mission trip. I'm not sure how the rest of the team is feeling right now, but I'm both excited and nervous. (This is Brenda, by the way, and unless I tell you otherwise, I'll be the "I" talking to you since I'm the official team reporter. But I'm hoping to convince some of my teammates to take over the keyboard from time to time during this trip.)

I'm excited because I don't know what kind of experiences I'll have on this trip, and I'm nervous for exactly the same reason. I like to know what's going to happen next, and right now I don't have a clue. I'm not good with uncertainty. But I keep reminding myself that this faith journey is all about trust in the midst of uncertainty. So I pray and breathe and pray some more. I pray for an open mind, a willing spirit, and a servant's heart. And I trust that God surrounds all of us in the midst of our preparations.

From Lee: A look back and a look forward

2008-12-21T06:48:00.001-07:00

Lee, one of our co-leaders, shares her thoughts:
Dec. 19, 2008
I am eager to return and do what I can to help give hope and help to the Katrina hurricane survivors. The townfolks were friendly and appreciative and the homeowners so grateful and full of hope. They would show up often, a bit timid at first, but soon thanking us for every accomplishment that brought them closer to moving back into their home/or new home. It touched my heart and made we wonder if I could be so patient after being without my home and belongings for over 2 years.
Now it’s been three years since Katrina hit Aug. 29, 2005. I don't want to let these kind and patient folks down. They are counting on folks like us to return and it gives them hope for their future. Many times we heard the local folks say how it is the church folks that just keep coming back, showing up week after week. What better way can we witness for Christ and show our love then to take action to help them get back on their feet and into a warm shelter that they can proudly call “my home.”
Perhaps I can return to one of the new homes where I did the final interior painting, stained the deck and wash windows. I would take a picture to remind myself that each little effort that we make really did matter. Her family were literally swept away by the storm as they tried to stay in their home. Their stories were full of horrific terror and complete loss. A small FEMA trailer arrived in her yard, but, she had little hope that rebuilding help would come. Sadly, in April 2007, her husband had a fatal heart attack.
Soon after, Methodist crews from churches around the country arrived and her house took shape. Each day she would stop by to see progress. Two of her adult children also came by who had also lost their homes and we learned later they would move in with her. They all had some physical or mental limitations, but they had no limits to their smiles! Their grins grew boarder as they saw their dream become a reality. At last, just in time for her 63rd birthday, she moved in and was excited to announce that ALL her family would come to the home dedication in early November ’07.
There are still many families with similar stories. We will hear them and hold them in our hearts now as we offer assistance and forever as we praise the Lord for giving us the will and strength to say yes to making the effort. I know I'll be tired by mid-day but I also know I'll feel good, knowing that the Lord has provided me with a strong body and he will refresh me with a good night sleep and a giving spirit.
Taking on this work as a team from our home church is perhaps the richest blessing of all, We can assist and support each other as we tackle each day. Best of all, after the two weeks, we have deeper, richer friendships because we have "endured" together to share the sweet memories we make together, Jan.’09!!!

From our team leaders

2008-12-16T20:04:00.002-07:00

This message is from our team leaders, Glenn and Lee:
We’re excited that months of preparation are about to "bear fruit” as twenty-one Volunteers in Mission head out for Mississippi. The October 2007 BUMC team of thirteen bonded so well that we look forward to facilitating that same experience with a larger group of Methodists. There is so much reconstruction work to be done. The Katrina survivors are very concerned that they will be forgotten as California fires, mid-west tornadoes and other natural disasters capture people’s attention. But those unfortunate catastrophes pale in comparison to the scope of Katrina destruction. Both of us have heard God’s call to action.

As is the case with many other well-defined mission projects, the Bozeman United Methodist congregation has rallied behind our Team through prayers, direct verbal encouragement and financial support. Several other factors have contributed to making this mission trip special. The prayer wall, a temporary structure constructed by the Team of studs and sheetrock, is a place where people can sign their names to indicate their continued prayer support for our mission. Also, this website provides a communication mechanism for Team members, congregation members, family and friends to interact and share pictures during the time in Mississippi. Both the wall and blog activities bond the volunteers and supporters in mission.

We look forward to helping reveal God’s love to survivors on the Gulf Coast in a very practical, meaningful way.

Lee & Glenn (Team co-leaders)

Why we're going

2008-12-13T11:24:00.000-07:00

I can only speak for myself (this is Brenda) but I'm inviting my team members to chime in with comments about their motivation for making this trip. When I heard about the experiences of the team that went in October of 2007, shown in this photo from that trip, I knew something special had happened to many of them and I wanted that experience for myself.

Every volunteer activity I've been involved with at church has given me blessings that far exceed whatever I've put into it. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens when I have the chance to step completely out of my daily life and immerse myself in something like this experience. I'm also excited about the chance to spend this kind of time with members of my church family and get to know them better. Mostly, I'm curious to see what God will do with me when I put myself in this situation. This is another chapter in the story that God and I writing together.

Fellow team members, what about you?

Blessings and support

2008-12-13T11:00:00.002-07:00

We are so blessed to belong to such a generous church. Between our main fundraising events, the Basement Bowling/Pie Auction and the Figgy Pudding musical and reception, we are fortunate to have funds to allocate toward the cost of our expenses while we're in Waveland (team members have contributed the cost of their airfare to and from Mississippi) , as well as construction materials, furnishings, and tools. The more funds we raise from this point on, the more good we can do while we're in Mississippi.

If you can make a donation, simply make a check out to Bozeman United Methodist Church with "Katrina VIM" in the memo line. Then just drop it in the collection plate on Sunday or mail it to 121 S. Willson Avenue, Bozeman, MT 59715. Or make an electronic donation; click the Donate button in the right column, select Other for the Donation Type, and enter Katrina VIM in the Other Description field.

If you've already made a donation to the team in general or to sponsor an individual team member, thank you so much for your support. Your help to any of us means a great deal to all of us. Your generosity is overwhelming and a true sign of God's love in action.

Electronic prayer wall

2008-12-13T10:48:00.002-07:00

A prayer wall was built by some of the team members and is currently in the Friendship Room at BUMC. We'll need your prayers before, during, and after our trip, especially for:

Trip preparation—that all the details fall into place.

Team moral—that we all have positive attitudes and servants’ hearts.

Team safety—that we travel safely and have safe on-site work experiences.

Productivity—that we accomplish much in doing God’s work on earth, whether that be roofing a house or encouraging a weary soul.

We hope you've signed the actual prayer wall to share your commitment to pray for the team. You can also "sign" this virtual prayer wall by clicking Comments below and leaving your name as well as a short message for the team if you'd like.

We are so grateful for your prayers and support as each of us gets this opportunity to see how our stories fit into God's story when we step into this adventure.

Hurricane Katrina' s impact on Mississippi

2008-12-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

As you probably know, if you've found this blog, a group of about 20 of us are headed to Mississippi from January 5, 2009, through January 18 to help with Hurricane Katrina relief. When I've been talking about the trip, many people are surprised to learn that those efforts are still occurring more than three years after the hurricane. I know I was too.

But when Katrina slammed into the Mississippi beachfront towns of Bay Saint Louis and Waveland, it destroyed virtually all the structures along the beach for nine miles. Then the subsequent flooding inland destroyed the contents of all but 35 homes in an area with a population of 14,000. Even though FEMA is leaving the area and government support is diminishing, years of rebuilding remain.

We're going to help rebuild homes in Hancock County, MS, of course. But we're also going to be an encouragement through Jesus Christ and a living example of God's love in action.