Blog for 7.19.08 to 7.20.08, trip end and final notes…
Alan adds…(don’t forget to read Jordyn’s blog at the end!!!)
Sorry for not blogging sooner, the trip back was long and I looked forward to sleeping in my own bed when I got home.
The last few days of our trip were time for debriefing, recollection, and a well deserved rest! Starting in the morning we finally had a decent breakfast and great lunch! Both were provided by the Northwest churches and not Camp Victor. Now have I said that the Camp Victor food was lacking? Well, when you have a few of our cooks go to work, nothing but the best results and it was good ol’ home cooking! Yum-o! We also had a small time to hang out and talk about the week’s activities, the goods and bads. We discussed the projects and what the outcome was of them. We got A LOT of work done in the heat of the South. Both teams did an excellent job, although some wish that the trip went another week, longer…including yours truly.
That evening we went back to Ms. Ruby’s to say our farewell and also stopped by a house at Brown’s Point. There was basically a concrete foundation and some artifacts left by the hurricane. Some remains of a book, PC, umbrella, and the metal poles of the house are the only things that remained. It’s as if the people deserted the place and never came back. What a sad feeling it was.
Dinner that night was a celebration! We laughed, talked, and enjoyed some nice southern cooking at The Café New Orleans. Ron Delzer suggested it and most of us liked the food. The only thing I forgot…a lot of southern food is deep fried! Mind you I enjoy a good deep friend catfish, deep fried oysters, and deep fried shrimp…but in moderation. My portion was absolutely huge! (I can hear Ron saying I told you so right now…). It was quite the meal (gut bomb!) and all of us gave our left over fried shrimp to Emerson, he ate the rest of it!
Later that night we did a prayer walk over the main bridge that connects Biloxi to Ocean Springs. The whole group of 70 people from thenorthwest churches went about 15 minutes up the bridge, praying for the people of Mississippi, praying for the kid’s relationship with Jesus, and many more. The bridge walk was a good exercise, especially after the friend gut bomb dinner! At the top we joined with another church for prayer. Looking to the east we saw the small town of Ocean Shores…complete and peaceful. To the west we saw the shores of Biloxi, with several casinos in the distance. Yes, unfortunately that county opened the way for gambling in the area. I believe the view is ruined because of the casinos…it looks like Las Vegas, not Mississippi! Mmm…
Sunday, our day of departure saw an important part of our debrief…the love fest, a larger love circle. This activity in our trip has one person in the hot seat, surrounded by the group. We bombard them with words of Love and outpouring affirmation. It does make one a bit nervous and odd feeling. But it is an important part of our team building and communication. This process lasted over 2.5 hours with 31 people! Now we have done a love circle, which is more in depth with only 12 people…and that took over 6 hours! The building of stronger relationships is a result.
The departure home was sort of a bitter sweet end to a great trip. It went smoothly mind you and everyone was reminiscing about it. But I and some others start to feel the loneliness…the term we made up as “Post Partum Mission Trip Disorder.” It doesn’t fully set in till you go to sleep and wake up the next morning in your own room. I mean, when you are with a bunch of great people, your expecting them to be there at your bedside, in the next bunk, or at breakfast; but they are not. For some, it last longer than others. I for one still miss my group, but will definitely remember the great times!
Okay, let me end this since Im rambling. I learned 2 things on this trip.
1) Its not about the project, its about the people. I mean, the projects are helping the Katrina survivors get back on their feet, into new homes, and back to normal life, so they are important. But ultimately it is about those people and spending time with your people, our missions group. Sharing God’s Love with the people you Love, is cool!
2) This brings me to my second point. Hope you can get what Im saying. In my application that I did not turn in…I said that one of my prayers on this trip was to love the kids as God love’s them. This did happen, but with a twist! The kids ended up loving me more, with God’s love, than I did to them! Wow! Now, Im not the touchy, feely, huggy type and a good hand shake will do. But the kids have showed me how to love more, so I can show more love…you know, a hug here and there; and saying nice things or starting a conversation, like a Godly brother and sister type love. I still say Wow and hope I can be more loving to people.
Well, thank you all for your prayers and support on our trip. I hope this blog has brought you some insight on how the trip went. If you have any questions, just let me know. J
I will actually let Jordyn’s blog end this blog series. I feel that her blog is an important testimony of faith for you to read. She and Tyson are taking the steps to get to know Jesus better…they have accepted Christ in to their lives! I am very happy for both and can’t wait to see how they grow in Him! Please read on!
God Bless
Alan Chung
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Jordyn adds…
So this whole week was really fun and a great experience and just what I needed spiritually. I think that the last few days were the most powerful. I really enjoyed going on this trip bcuz as a group we bonded really close and we just acted more like a team than ever. Today was really sad bcuz we were leaving to go back to Seattle which I guess isn’t too bad but I’m really gonna miss the ppl of Mississippi.
One thing that kinda stuck out to me this week was when we went over to Mrs. Ruby’s house to have catfish which was a whole nother experience that I had…haha but when we went to her house, she had a couple of friends and family that was over and we got the opportunity to hear their stories about what went on with them during the hurricane. Mrs. Ruby’s friend Angela shared her story and that was the most powerful story I think that was told. She told us about what it was like when the water was in her house and how it was her and her sister and that they were both scared that they were gonna die and then when they thought it was safe they went and looked outside to see the impact that the storm had made and like just her telling us that God had protected them and that the water went over their house and that He had protected them. She also told of an elderly woman that had written a song during the storm and it was, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.” Angela added her own verse in that went, “Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer. Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer. Deliverer, Deliverer, Deliverer.” This really blessed me and hit home and just how I need to be praising God in all situations and not just in times of trouble.
This week I also took a step forward in my new walk with God. I mean I’ve always been a Christian but this week I made the decision to be a Christ follower for my own benefit and not just cuz my family are Christians. Tyson also became a Christian and it was really an answer to prayer bcuz I know that so many ppl had been praying for this day to come and it was a really great experience for the both of us. This trip has really meant so much to me bcuz before I came on this trip I wasn’t really sure what the real reason why I was going on this trip was but throughout the week I found out what my purpose was on this trip. I found out that God wanted me on this trip so that I can realize that it is never too late to come back to Christ and that God is always there for me and that He’ll never leave me and that He will wait for us to come around. This trip was definitely what I needed to get back on track with God and just get my mind back on spiritual things and to just readjust my thinking towards God. On Friday of this week I surrendered my life back to Christ but really after I thought about it, I was just accepting Christ into my life but it was for real this time cuz it was for my own faith and not just cuz it was my parents/family faith. I thank God that I was able to go on this trip cuz it was just a great privilege and I just can’t get over how this trip has really helped me get back on track and go back to the life that I wanted to live. So, for anyone who is reading this, if you could just pray for me and just pray that I will have a servant’s heart in all that I do and that God will help me stay on the right track on this new life that I want to live. So thank you to all who were on this trip bcuz you made this trip so memorable and you make my life worth living (after God of course). =) yupp so thank you all and I would appreciate it if ya’ll would keep me in your prayers. =) <3 always Jordyn
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