CCC Slidell Mission Trip

Friday -- Workday Number 5 -- The Walls Go Up!

When we came to the worksite Friday morning, there was one short wall up along the north edge of the building. With all 40+ workers on-site today, we were quickly divided into teams and each team assigned the task of assembling specific walls. By 11:30 a.m., the walls were going up rapidly. It's amazing to watch ... 

 Work continued throughout the day and at 4 p.m., the final wall went up ...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Perhaps these pictures will convey the emotions and feelings of this day as bit by bit and piece by piece, the building was raised before our eyes.

Click HERE for a PDF file with more photos and captions from this final day on the work site!

Job well done, everyone!

As we ended our last night together, our group led all the volunteers in worship. Ken wrote this paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 which seems a fitting way to end this post!

We are a mission team.

Though the team is made up of many people, and though all of us are many, we form one team. For we were all called by one Spirit to this place, whether teacher or student, pastor or parishioner, accountant or nurse, whether from Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, or any other place, and we were all given one purpose.

Now the mission team is not made up of one person, but many. If the roofing crew should say, "Because we are not building window frames, we are not part of the team," they would not for that reason cease to belong to the team. And if the painters should say, "Because we are not building a fence, we are not part of the team," they would not for that reason cease to be part of the team. If everyone here was picking up brush and debris at the mission site, who would be doing repair work in the community? If everyone was building walls, who would prepare the meals that we have so enjoyed this week?

But in fact, God has called every one of us to this place, with just the skills He has given to each of us. If we were all doing just one task, how could our mission here be completed? As it is, there are many jobs, but one team.

The long-term volunteers cannot say to those of us who came here for one week, "We do not need you." And the adults cannot say to the youth, "We do not need you." On the contrary, those of us on the team that may seem to be least important are indispensable, and the people we think don’t know what they’re doing, we spend extra time training, while those who are knowledgeable in their tasks need no extra training.

So God has called us together as a team and provided each of us what we need, so that none should feel superior to anyone else, but that we should have equal respect for each other. If any one of us is injured, we all suffer; when some of us complete a project, we all rejoice with them.

For we are a team. Each one of us is part of the team.

 

Thursday -- Workday Number 4, a Tour of New Orleans and the French Quarter

Thursday started out as another beautiful day -- cool in the morning and warming up to mid-70's by the afternoon with lots of sunshine.

The roofing crew went out on location again this morning to try and finish up their work there, the fencing crew set to work building a gate on the far northeast corner of the property and the rest of us set to work building walls and frames -- getting everything ready for the exciting day tomorrow when the walls are erected.

After lunch, our group from Illinois set out for our New Orleans tour with Josh Baird and some tourish time in the French quarter. Josh led us on a tour of some of the most damaged areas of New Orleans, ending at the lower 9th Ward. Josh explained that the normal recovery curve following a disaster is 90% recovery after 3 years. In New Orleans the scope of the Katrina-Rita disaster was so great that even after 4 1/2 years, some areas of the city haven't even reached the 50% recovery point. It is sobering to see so many homes still sitting pretty much the same as they did in the weeks following the hurricane and subsequent flooding. You can still see the water lines sometimes 8 feet or higher on the homes. Everywhere you look, homes are vacant, windows broken out, debris still around the homes. In some neighborhoods, it's as if time stopped on those fateful days in 2005.

Josh Baird is on the right as he explains the scope of the disaster with our group.

If you look carefully, you can see the watermark on this house just above the lower windows. The glass on the upper window is broken out as it has been since the canal across the street broke in the aftermath of the flooding.

It's sobering indeed to think of all these homes and the families that were living in them prior to Katrina and Rita. 

We searched for quite a while before finding this church that these members of our group worked on during a previous mission trip to New Orleans.

The painted X can still be seen on thousands of homes. The top number is the date that this house was searched and marked (September 16, 2005). The left-hand quadrant shows the crew number and state (California, crew 6), the bottom records the number of bodies that were found at this location (zero) and the right-hand quadrant is reserved for misc. notes about pets or other things that were found.

Following our tour, we traveled to the French Quarter for some quick shopping and a lovely dinner out.

Then it was back to the church and bed, for some much needed rest before the BIG day on Friday!
 

Wednesday, Workday Number Three!

 
News Flash! The Concrete slab has been poured!!!!! Everyone is rejoicing!!!! It was wonderful to meet so many of the congregation from First Christian Church in Slidell as they stopped by to take pictures and see the progress as the concrete was poured on Wednesday. They have been waiting a long time for this moment and what a privilage it is to celebrate it with them.

Work assignments were pretty much the same today as before -- roofing, building frames, and the fench -- WE FINISHED THE FENCE! Woo Hoo -- what a thrill to put in that last nail! The photo below is our Fencing Team -- what a crew! Enjoy the photos of today's work and thanks for stopping by today! More will be posted tomorrow!

Breakfast line!

Morning instructions from Carl!

Finally, the Last Board is nailed onto the fence!

Time to Clean Up and stack the extra pickets

Part of the crew from University Christian Church in Ft. Worth, Texas

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Lunch Line

We're starting them off young! Josh and his twins

Will the Framing ever end?

Making great progress on the roof which had to be stripped to the rafters and even some of them replaced

Tuesday -- Second Work Day

Tuesday morning started out chilly again and never did warm up to where it was yesterday. They tell us it's very unseasonal weather for the Gulf region. The work teams today were pretty much the same as yesterday -- fencing, roofing, building frames for windows and doors, and painting and porch work. Most of the smaller projects were finished up today -- the painting and porch projects that were off-site. The fence is almost complete -- we will certainly finish in the morning.

The really BIG exciting news is that the plumbing inspector came this morning and approved the progress so the concrete will be poured tomorrow. This is almost three-weeks behind the original schedule so you can image how excited the long-term volunteers are to finally get to this point. Carl , the director of Disciples Volunteering, assured us last night that because of the enthusiasm and spirit of the many volunteers here this week, he believes we can make up a week of work before we lay our hammers down on Friday -- we'll see! The hope is that the framing pieces that have been partially completed can be assembled on the slab on Friday, making for a great photo opportunity as we all "say cheese" in front of the newly framed building.

The real heroes of today were the roofing crew who decided on their own to stay beyond quitting time so that they could get the roof to a point where it would be waterproof in time for the predicted rains throughout the early morning hours. They worked until 6:30 and finally as the sun was setting made the 30 minute drive back to the church where they were greeted with cheers as they came into the dining tent, tired and dirty. Way to go, roofing crew!

It's so wonderful to see the connections and friendships that are growing throughout the week as people get to know each other and often times discover common friends and experiences. It really is amazing that we live in such a small world.

Where did we see God today?

• In a roofing crew that voluntarily stayed on the job so that the family who lives in the house would stay dry tonight
• In a ten-year-old who volunteered to give the noon-time prayer so that he could go through the line first
• In the calm presence of Bruce who willfully sat in the middle of a van of teenagers as they blasted Taylor Swift at full volume -- and even had a smile on his face!
• In the presence of Brandon Gilvin, Associate Director of Week of Compassion, who shared the news that Disciples have now given in excess of $2 Million for relief efforts in Haiti
• In an Inspector who came at 7 a.m. so that the concrete could be poured tomorrow on schedule
• In a lively worship service led by the youth from Oklahoma

Good night, everyone! Blessings, Gretchen

Monday -- First Workday

Monday morning and we are up and ready for breakfast by 7:30 a.m. The morning is sunny and beautiful but surprisingly cold! Nighttime low temperatures have been running in the low 40's here which is COLD when you are eating and working outside all day. With more than 60 people on-site, there is no room to eat inside the church (besides, I think every available square inch is covered with air mattresses and clothes). We huddle together under a National Guard Dining tent for breakfast and devotions and then we're off for a hard day's work.

Time for work assignments! Teams are sent off-site and into the community to work on painting, porch and roofing projects. The people remaining on-site are assigned to clean-up, moving wood, building door and window frames and fencing. Guess what I get to do? BUILD A FENCE!!! And not just any fence, this fence travels the length of two sides of the church property, a distance of nearly 700 feet -- now that's a lot of fence! It's not that bad though. The majority of it was completed last week by another work group. Our task is to finish each of 3 long sections along the northern boundary of the project. Needless to say, by the end of the day we had learned a lot about building a fence (and sometimes how not to build it).

By noon, we're ready to break for lunch and another fabulous meal by the kitchen volunteers before we're back on the job. By mid-afternoon, the morning chill had been replaced by afternoon sun and heat and we found ourselves shedding our jackets and warming up to the tasks in front of us. You should have seen us nailing on those fencing planks. Once we got the technique down, we fell into a routine and amazed ourselves at how quickly we were working and how great OUR fence looked.

Did you know that this is a green operation? No, I'm not just talking about St. Patrick's day later this week. But every effort is made to reduce, reuse and recycle here. Including our Groovy Green water bottles. No disposables here. Each participant is issued one bottle and we put our names on them and will use them for the entire week. So you will see a lot of these babies in pictures as people carry them around! They will make great souvenirs as well!

Our work day finishes about 4:30 p.m. when we head for showers (there is a temporary shower trailer set up here -- how cool is that -- pictures to follow later this week), have a bit of free time (or sometimes horizontal time) and then meet under the dining tent for supper at 6:30.

The day closes with group sharing and worship each evening.

Where did we see God today?

• In the beauty of this day that God created
• In the willing spirits and bright smiles of so many strangers that have become friends
• In the determination of a young teenager who is determined to master the art of hammering
• In the kindness of one who carries a heavy load for another
• In the satisfaction of a hard day of work and a blessed night of sleep

More updates to come soon! Blessings, Gretchen

Day One -- Traveling Day!

We're off for our adventure! We boarded the Spirit of New Orleans train in Champaign, Illinois at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night (yes,that's PM) and headed south for New Orleans. The train was quite comfortable and there is so much room, it's amazing. I wish I could say that we were able to sleep -- NOT! At least most of us couldn't sleep much or very well on the train. Even with the extra space and most of us able to spread out and take two seats, sleep was hard to come by. So, what do you do when you're riding on a train and you can't sleep? Some of us watched movies, some listened to music, some snacked, some talked, some doze -- most of us did all of the above!

We arrived in New Orleans a bit ahead of schedule on Sunday afternoon and after collecting our luggage and finding the restrooms, we met a delightful fellow, John, from the church in Slidell, who volunteered to make the 45 minute drive to pick us up at the train station. On the way back to Slidell, he gave us a bit of a mini tour, pointing out some of the major sites and enlightening us on the hurricane damage and the recovery efforts. Thanks, John, for being so gracious!

Finally, we arrived at First Christian Church in Slidell, the place where we will work and call home for the next week. What a beautiful campus this is! The church is located on a large lot which is filled with beautiful, old and very large Live Oak trees. Did you know that the Live Oak tree is know as the southern symbol of strength? These trees are magnificent. In my younger and more agile days, I'm sure I would have scampered up them to see the view from above! The many trees at First Christian were their main source of damage during the hurricanes, as their property was buried in debris. This especially large tree in front of the sanctuary building is now known as the "Oak of Hope" -- a symbol of hope and renewal as it continues to stand and thrive!

After a bit of time to unpack and get our bearings, blow up air mattresses and meet others here for the week, we were treated to a wonderful supper prepared by the long-term volunteers that are here for the entire duration of this project. Let's just say no one will go hungry this week. The food is amazing and plentiful and the people are so friendly!

After supper we gathered for orientation and worship! What a day, and the work hasn't even begun yet! By the time my head hit the pillow at about 10 PM, I was more than ready to sleep the night away! It's good to be here and we look forward to the week to come.

Please check back for more updates soon!

Blessings, Gretchen

Preparing for An Adventure!

We are off for an adventure this week! A group of nine Central folks and friends will be participating in the Week of Compassion/Disciples Volunteering Blitz Build in Slidell, Louisiana next week. We'll be participating with more than 50 other volunteers from Oklahoma and Texas as we begin construction on a new community outreach center on the grounds of First Christian Church in Slidell. The project is anticipated to take 6-8 weeks to complete (but you know how that goes), with new mission teams coming each week from across the nation to move the project to its next stage of completion. Click HERE for their on-going blog posts about this project.

It’s been 4 ½ years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the resulting flooding in the New Orleans area which decimated the region. Although the existing structure at First Christian Church was only mildly damaged, it was buried in massive debris. Out of the rubble and the dark days and months to follow, First Christian Church became a beacon of light and hope to the surrounding neighborhoods as it was transformed into a mission center to host groups from Disciple churches throughout the country, traveling to help with on-going recovery efforts.

As is so often the case with catastrophic situations, the Slidell congregation has been transformed since those dark days of 2005. Through much prayer, intentional preaching and listening for the voice of God’s amongst the chaos, the tiny Slidell congregation has grown more than 30% in membership and participation. Their offerings and mission giving have more than doubled. They have added new Sunday school classes and prayer groups and have become more involved themselves in mission and outreach. Pastor Susan Lasalle writes, “Whereas, pre-Katrina and post-Katrina, this church was merely maintaining itself, heading for slow death; now this church has new life. It is breathing and growing and developing into something beautiful. The mission station served as a catalyst to open our eyes to new possibilities of being involved in our community. Now, we are out in the community almost every week doing something. Our people are getting re-ignited in their personal faith journeys. The whole ethos of this church is changing; truly a transformation is taking place. And truly we are very thankful and excited about what is happening.”

Once completed, this new building will serve as a larger and more functional mission station for groups in the future and for as long as recovery efforts continue. After that, the congregation has a great vision for how this facility will be used within the community to provide hospitality and space for civic groups, ecumenical ministries, service organizations and needed social and spiritual services. Again, Susan writes, “It is our hope and prayer that his project will further the message of the gospel and will turn out to be a source of joy, refuge and strength for our community. We know God is the one who has sparked the life we are experiencing and we are humbly enjoying the journey.”

Please be in prayer for your missionaries from Decatur this week and next as we join in the journey of First Christian Church in Slidell. We will have many stories to share of the work of our hands and the work of God’s Spirit throughout the week. We invite you to share the week with us through daily postings and pictures on this blog. Thank you for supporting this mission trip through your prayers and financial gifts and for entrusting us as your missionaries and ambassadors.

 Blessings, Pastor Gretchen