Sunday, September 20, 2009

Camp Love Mission Blog: Prayer upon Arriving Home

Holy and Gracious God,

We give you thanks on this Sabbath day. Our group of 12 pastors have returned home to our familes, friends and churches, laden with stories and a profound sense of Your Holy presence in the midst of chaos.

On our hearts, we bear the names and faces of those we met in Gulfport. We lift them up to you:

For Steve and Betty and their tireless acts of service and giving at Camp Love,
For the folks from First UMC in Mocksville, NC and their dedication to mission work,
For Jerry, that he may continue to bless those who come to finish the work he began, and that he may be blessed sevenfold by unconditional love, outpoured by Your servants,
For Rose, Tucker, Wyatt, Josie and Jackie, that their homes may be filled with the love of God and the presence of peace and plenty,
For those at Lookout 49, who serve the food that sustains so many,
For Kenny, LP, Kenny Wayne, Angela, Christine, Paul, Amy, Nate and especially Nick, may you shine Light into all of the darkness surrounding them, that their stories might be a testament to the grace and mercy promised to us through the good news of Christ,
For the man who stopped to help our bus full of stranded preachers heading home. He came, though he had not been called, and he fulfilled Jerry’s prayer that we may be blessed in our lives.

God of love, we thank you and praise you. We are humbled and grateful for the surprising ways you meet us and connect us in love. Help us an keep us as we return. Bless those who sent us and may we continually praise your name.

Amen and Amen.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Camp Love Mission Blog: It is Well With Our Souls (and Jerry’s house)

Thursday is always a day of scrambling. Whatever needs to get worked out … does.

This enormously productive week has yielded 354 work hours from our on-site team, not counting Teresa and Teri’s labors in the kitchen. We logged 100 hours today alone. Attached is a photo of our Work Sheet, which details everything we finished. It includes:

Priming and Painting all of the ceilings
Painting walls
Laying laminate floors in all rooms
Laying sub-floor and vinyl tile in bathroom
Installing baseboards and trim in both bedrooms and bathroom
Installing 5 interior doors
Repairing Jerry’s truck (thanks to Ross!)

We even did some cleaning and supply-purchasing for Jerry’s daughters, and we found Jerry some new shoes. Julie and I (Mandy) learned that one can actually clean a sink with toilet paper and nail polish remover. You work with what you have, you know?

So, friends, it’s safe to assume that we will return tired, happy, and with a boatload of new skills. If you need help, call us. We offer great rates, and we’re very resourceful.

We did the token mission-trip things like sign our names to a shim that is safely tucked away in a doorframe. We took photos with the rooms in which we labored and then gathered on the porch with Jerry and his family to say goodbye.

It wouldn’t be Jerry if he didn’t talk us home, but he gathered us all and prayed with us. He blessed us and promised the Lord would watch over us and keep us safe. He prayed that blessings would be returned to us sevenfold, and we were humbled. He has no idea how much of a blessing we’ve received from him and this week.

We come home tomorrow, and it will be good to be back. We have missed you, family, friends and churches. It is hard to be gone in the middle of such a busy time, and we thank you for your prayers and encouragement.

We will come back with stories and inside jokes, sore backs and a big need for naps. But, we will bear witness to the glory of God and the ways we have been blessed.

Thank you for being with us in prayer and love his week. We are humbled by your loving care.

Amen and Amen.

Camp Love Mission Blog: With Boughs Reaching

Waveland,-St.-Clare's-705830
We drove to Waveland, Mississippi tonight.

It was one of the hardest hit areas, and has remained one of the most devastated. We drove at twilight, which highlighted the frightening and desolate skyline. I've never seen anything like it.

The church pictured above is St. Clare's Catholic Church in Waveland. On the left, you can see a gorgeous trees reaching to the heavens. The massive brick structure is a lovely architectural work. It faced the shore, and as their congregants worshiped, they could hear the ocean softly whispering its own prayers.

Then Katrina hit. August 29, 2005 brought the largest storm to hit the US in history. The area had been evacuated, and as folks left, they knew that when they returned, they might have nothing left.

You can see on the right that the church is gone - only a small, pre-fab structure remains. But it is the tree that strikes me in such a profound way. Look how it twists as if to shield its face from the storm. Its boughs pull away from its trunk. But its trunk stayed grounded.

Today, four years later, there are still driveways to nowhere, empty foundations and broken piers. There is sand on the streets.

Katrina was big, but God is bigger.

May we all have such faith to believe.

p99406-Mandeville_Louisiana-THE_MISSISSIPPI_COAST

Camp Love Mission Blog: Productivity and Progress

Today was a good day. The frustration of having a big job, but limited ways for folks to help was cured today as the whole team was able to finish laying the floor. The large, front room was finished yesterday, and today we were able to run the floors all the way back and into both bedrooms. It was hard work, but good work. The team in the bathroom laid the subflooring for the vinyl tile, and we even hung a door. This place is really starting to come together. The only problem was that we had three teams with three saws, and only one extension cord to supply electricity. We did a lot of standing and waiting for power, but that’s where the magic happens.

Jerry was back with us today, as were his chickens. They had the run of the yard and got brave enough to join us on the front porch. Unfortunately, the sound of the circular saw didn’t encourage them to stay. They clucked around and rolled in the mud, pecking feed off the ground. We made lots of “free range” jokes. In the meantime, their Rooster brother stayed in his pen. Deeply frustrated, he crowed and moaned through most of the day. Around 2:30 he decided it was time for us to wake up and began crowing in earnest.

Because the chickens were such a focal point today, we also heard about the time earlier this summer when a coon got into the chicken coop. Apparently, racoons will grab the chickens by the neck, pull their heads off, and leave their headless, ravaged corpses in the corner. (Happy eating!) One well-meaning group of volunteers was there that week and, thinking that there had been fowl play (I’m sorry. I had to do it.) on Jerry’s behalf (they thought he didn’t feed them enough, and the chickens performed a re-enactment of “Alive” on one another). But, these chickens had not been victims of their own Donner Party-esque death, which Jerry explained to the police when they showed up.

Because we were with Jerry, we got to hear more of his thoughts on life, math (”What’s the area of a cone?!” He barked at one of our GA Tech grads), cars and, mostly, relationships. Jerry’s had two failed marriages that still cause him pain. It’s a topic of great importance to him – both in how much he loved his wives and how difficult his marriages were. He claims that someday, he’s going to write a book called “How to Lose Your Spouse: One Easy Step!” (he didn’t specify which step that might be). And, in a lighter moment, he preached to us: “Paul said, ‘I have a thorn in my side.’ Well I’ve got a pitchfork in my back!” He finally conceded, in a softer moment: “I love women; there are my favorite thing on God’s earth! But, my wives both said the same thing: I love you but I can’t live with you. Now that’s just shame talking.” Poignant words from a man so wounded.

Rob, pastor at Tate UMC, gave the devotion this morning. In it, he reminded us that every time we attend a mission trip, we are given the opportunity to see the face of Christ in the people we come to serve. In Jerry, we have met a new dimension of that face. He is, in his own words, “A little bit crazy, but pretty smart.” He is a theologian and mathematician. He is a father and a parent (to him, there is a difference). He is a gardener and a chef. He is a polymath from Mississippi who never let his college education (yes, he has one) re-define him as a southerner who is resourceful in his own way. This picture of Christ that we meet in Jerry is funny and sincere, earnest and kind. He remembers all of our names, and seems to know us in ways we can’t fully appreciate.

We will always carry this picture of Christ with us – the man with the worn out shoes, the broken chair, the plucky chickens, and a large family, whom he loves dearly.

Blessings, all.

www.camplovemission.wordpress.com

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Camp Love Mission Blog: Odds and Ends


GeoTagged, [N30.47399, E89.10821]

Midway through our week, we have found a nice rhythm. Today is the day we work until lunch and then then take the afternoon to learn a little more about Gulfport and the recovery that's taken place over the last four years. The economy is limping along and the strong survivors seem to be the casinos, bars, tattoo parlors, liquor stores and the airport.

*****************************
There are bugs here. Love bugs. Have you seen these things?? They are disturbing and shameless. They join rear ends together and crawl, fly and hover in mid-coitus. There are a few lone single love bugs, but mostly, we are surrounded by their lust. I'm not sure what point God is trying to make with their existence, but I'm willing to believe that there is one.

*********************************
As you can imagine, supplies around here are limited. We discovered that the best way to mix a five gallon of paint is by rolling it around on the ground. And really, if you want to do it right, you should kick it around and then maybe turn it into a game of curling.

**********************************
We didn't see Jerry much yesterday, as his grandkids were with him. But, we did hear one whopper of a story about a rabbit. It was hit by a car, severing it's back leg nearly completely. Jerry took it, tied it to a piece of wood and sewed its leg back on. When he untied it, it got up and hopped away.

************************************
Last night, we went to the pier to see the coast and breathe the ocean air. It was quiet and windy and the stars showed off their brilliance. On the shore, the lights of the casino outshone the oil refinery. The sky was particularly dark and velvety and we were awakened to the vastness of the heavens.

More soon.
Blessings to you all.

Camp Love Mission Blog: Odds and Ends


GeoTagged, [N30.47399, E89.10821]

Midway through our week, we have found a nice rhythm. Today is the day we work until lunch and then then take the afternoon to learn a little more about Gulfport and the recovery that's taken place over the last four years. The economy is limping along and the strong survivors seem to be the casinos, bars, tattoo parlors, liquor stores and the airport.

*****************************
There are bugs here. Love bugs. Have you seen these things?? They are disturbing and shameless. They join rear ends together and crawl, fly and hover in mid-coitus. There are a few lone single love bugs, but mostly, we are surrounded by their lust. I'm not sure what point God is trying to make with their existence, but I'm willing to believe that there is one.

*********************************
As you can imagine, supplies around here are limited. We discovered that the best way to mix a five gallon of paint is by rolling it around on the ground. And really, if you want to do it right, you should kick it around and then maybe turn it into a game of curling.

**********************************
We didn't see Jerry much yesterday, as his grandkids were with him. But, we did hear one whopper of a story about a rabbit. It was hit by a car, severing it's back leg nearly completely. Jerry took it, tied it to a piece of wood and sewed its leg back on. When he untied it, it got up and hopped away.

************************************
Last night, we went to the pier to see the coast and breathe the ocean air. It was quiet and windy and the stars showed off their brilliance. On the shore, the lights of the casino outshone the oil refinery. The sky was particularly dark and velvety and we were awakened to the vastness of the heavens.

More soon.
Blessings to you all.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Camp Love Mission Blog: Standing

Storm over Mississippi

Sometimes

there are days

where your task is big and your needs are few

where the team is willing

but the tools are

limited and distributed

with willing souls all around

The clouds roll in, the thunder rolls, the momentum slows, and the rain pours.

We take a deep breath and look around, and see what we’ve done.

The home is quiet. Children play inside, waiting for naps and their mama.

The porch is clear and then cluttered again. We sweep the dust,

which settles back down in a spot only 6 inches to the left.

The willing hands wait patiently and find a way to help as the floor gets laid

one

board

at a time.

Mallets and saws pound shrill noises into our ears.

The daughters return, delighted to see their new room taking shape.

A rhythm begins, the team forms, and though four hands worked to push and wiggle boards into place

other feet stood, keeping the floating floor from floating

standing

patient feet

determined hands

aching backs

A room is ready.

Thanks be to God.

photo(6)

http://camplovemission.wordpress.com

Camp Love Mission Blog: Morning Devotion: Heaviness of Soul

Ye are in heaviness…
1 Peter 1:6 KJV

There is a near relationship between the darkness of mind in the wilderness state and heaviness of soul, which is more common among believers. The resemblance is so great that they are frequently confounded together. But they are not equivalent terms; far, far from it. The difference is so wide and essential, as all the children of God need to understand, to prevent them sliding out of heaviness into darkness.

The manner of persons to whom the apostle Peter wrote the above words were believers at that time. He expressly says (v. 5) you are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Again (v. 7), he mentions the trial of their faith; and yet again (v. 9) he speaks of their receiving the end of their faith, the salvation of their souls. So, though they were in heaviness, they were possessed of living faith. Their heaviness did not destroy their faith. Neither did it destroy their peace, which is inseparable from true, living faith. The apostle prays (v. 2) not that grace and peace may be given them, but that it may be multiplied.

They were also full of a living hope. For he speaks (v. 3) of their living hope of their inheritance that fadeth not away. In spite of all their heaviness, they still retained a hope full of immortality. And they still rejoiced (v. 8) with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Their heaviness, then, was also consistent both with living hope and inexpressible joy!

- How to Pray: The Best of John Wesley on Prayer; Barbour Publishing, 2007.

May those whom we have encountered this week be a witness to us of how to bear the heaviness of life and yet live with hope and joy.

Grace and peace be with you all.

Camp Love Mission Blog: More Adventures in Tire Maintenance

Last night was a pleasant evening of delicious food (thanks Teresa and Teri!) and wonderful fellowship. There was the brief, scary moment in our leisure time when we realized that each of us was glued to a screen of some sort. We shared the news of Patrick Swayze's death and checked on football scores. We talked programs and ministry ideas. We showed one another pictures of our children and grandchildren.

It was not lost time but a sudden awareness of how dependent we have all become on technology. (I am fully aware of the irony as I write this blog on my internet-enabled phone.) Julie, our Cruise Director for the week, rescued us by opening up a game called Whonu, which invites the participants to draw cards with different nouns or activities listed on them. The task is to go around the circle and choose the card that best fits each person. The words are horribly arbitrary; my first hand offered me these choices:

Bunk beds
Poodles
Swimming in the Ocean
The New York Yankees
Coconuts

Strange, no? The idea is to get to know one other, apparently through the strange minutae of particular preferences. It was delightful. We played until lights out and now have lots of fodder for one-liners and can make multiple references to earlier bits, which is a foundation for all good humor.

We are on the road to Jerry's house and are prepped to finish painting and start laying the floor. Before we left, we had yet another delay as we aired up the tires on the bus. We have spent almost as much time in service to the wheels on the bus as we have to people. But, we're off and rolling for another day.

God's peace be with you, and may God's hand keep us safe.

Camp Love Mission Blog: The Most Interesting Man in the World!



Today began our work in earnest. We survived the long drive from Atlanta to Mississippi, the hour-long delay while a hero in a small blue pick-up truck fixed our tire, and the early morning wake-up call.

Teresa and Teri have taken on the work of hospitality and hunger management, and fed the two crews at Camp Love with heaps of biscuits, gravy and sausage. After loading up, the team headed to our worksite at the home of Jerry, the most interesting man in the world.

Jerry’s home was destroyed by a tornado in the aftermath of Katrina, as his home is inland. One day his house was there, and one day it wasn’t. Everything he owned disappeared in the storm along with the house. It was a complete loss.

Since 2005, he has been living in a trailer on his property, next to where his new house is being built. It’s a lovely 2 bedroom, 1 bath home that has been constructed from the ground up by the willing hands of countless volunteers over the last 4 years. Unfortunately, it’s still not complete and our task is to paint the ceiling (the most fun part of a house to paint), finish the sanding in the bathroom and begin installing the laminate floor.

This job, straightforward and simple was tackled with vigor upon our arrival. Jerry held court in the middle of his future living room and began regaling us with stories about his children and family. Maybe the first indicator that Jerry, a humble man in a humble setting, was more than we realized was his extensive garden.

As we approached the house, he pointed out his green soybeans and peas. Rabbits had gotten into the soybeans and he fashioned an old wire fence into a teepee of protection for his beloved beans. Apparently, in these parts, you can only get brown soybeans. But, Jerry saves his seeds, not wanting to mess with the seedless hybrids, and plant them later. He wasn’t just pragmatic; he was philosophical about his garden. By the end of the day, he’d pointed out his squash, pear trees, kumquats, banana trees tzatsumi oranges, figs, passion fruit and lemongrass. Yes. Lemongrass.

He showed us how to pick, peel, prepare and chop the lemongrass and instructed us to eat it in Asian or Greek foods. He showed us his chickens told us stories of the other forms of meat he likes to eat, which includes the aforementioned rabbits, snapping turtles and the occasional animal that happens to meet its demise through vehicular causes.

Jerry’s stories ranged from the good folksy advice that your mama might tell you (”always crack an egg in a bowl before you add it to your ingredients”) to the absurd (”bottled water will kill you!”). He made wild claims about his own family’s involvement in the space program, and swears that Larry the Cable Guy stole his catch phrase (”‘Get ‘er done!’ I spread that around the whole country and he stole it from me! That was the best idea I’ve ever had!”). He observed that “Childbirth is harder on women than it is other people.” (True.)

He told a long story about inventing ice fishing (keep in mind: we are in southern Mississippi), and it ended with a hilarious punchline about a Master Baiter.

He is a Japanese Cherokee, or maybe Filipino.

He says that he knows who killed Kennedy.

(Of course he does.)

And frankly, he might be right.

Jerry is that wonderful sort of person that demonstrates the delicate balance between sanity and insanity. His crazy stories and the effortless way he told them implies a keen understanding of his audience. And though he offered some brutal suggestions for Ross’s coyote problem, his gentle soul could never do it. He never spanked his kids, and he has no respect for the unnecessary things in life.

He is a simple man with simple needs. He doesn’t even need a grocery store, since he literally lives off the land (and, when necessary, the road). He loves his family and must be an excellent and creative cook. He shares all he has, and is a gracious recipient of this humble service. His life would make a great documentary.

And for this week, we will listen to Jerry’s brilliantly nutty stories and we’ll seek to find the truth. We will be touched and surprised and return laden with lemongrass and homespun wisdom.

And we will all be woven into a fabric of this beautiful story that God continues to tell in us and through us.

Amen and Amen.

www.camplovemission.wordpress.com


Sunday, September 13, 2009

Camp Love Mission blog!


Hey kids- so my Third Year Provisional Covenant Group is heading to Camp Love in Gulfport, Mississippi this week. (And yes, there is a Camp Hope and probably a Camp Faith. But the greatest of these is love. Har.)

I'll be maintaining a hilarious, touching and theologically sound blog on a separate site for the week. You should come by and check it out:

www.camplovemission.wordpress.com

Believe me, at the way things are going, it's going to be a great read.

Thanks, as always, for your love, support, prayers and willing eyes. It's nice to know you're out there.

Peace from the front of the Ben Hill UMC minibus,

Mandy

Camp Love Mission Blog: How many ministers does it take to change a tire?

Well, two apparently. But the rest of us can stand around and write blogs about it.

It’s 5 hours into our 6 hour trip, and we’ve already had one UFO (asteroid? meteor? Trapper Keeper?) thud into our windshield and now the re-tread has come off the front right tire, which caused the rearview mirror to sproing off in a very dramatic fashion. We exited the bus on the side of I-65 and landed right in the middle of a fire ant hill. Ross, the sandal-wearing preacher, noticed first. And by “noticed,” I mean “got chomped to bits.”

Our first service act? Changing the tire. And administering benadryl to our brother.

Thanks to those who know how to do this well. Keep us in your prayers.

Seriously.