A team of five women traveled to Biloxi in February to serve in a community that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Here, one shares her daily journal entries with us…

February 7, 2010

“Embrace”

Romans 5: 3-5, Romans 8: 28, Psalm 42:11

We have arrived! We left PC3 at 5:00 AM and arrived here in Biloxi, MS at 4:30 PM (Biloxi time). Rosa drove the entire way, and I must say, Lord, that I am VERY thankful for her! Before we hit the road this morning, Rosa and Juanita (our leaders) gave us today’s word, “Embrace.” Each day of our trip we will have a word to reflect and to help us push through the day. “Embrace,” for me, was really about getting to Biloxi: embracing the road, the driving, and pulling God into every aspect of those things. Though I slept most of the way down there, I was able to relate the word to embracing each other and what was in store for us in Biloxi. Having never been there before, I had no idea what to expect, and we really weren’t even sure what we’d be doing while we were there.

We are staying at Lemoyne Church, in the bunk house behind the church. Once we all got settled in and unpacked, we did our nightly devotional. God made His presence known right away! Rosa was drained and weary from all the driving and from the extra long day. The devotional was all about finding your strength in Christ and through Him you can do anything. Rosa couldn’t even get through the short devotional—she became overwhelmed with His presence. It was just amazing, and at that moment I think we all understood that Christ indeed hand-picked us all to be on that trip and we were right where we needed to be!

I pray that God will help me to be brave during this trip and that God will use me for His will and His works. I pray that He will make me His hands and His feet.

February 8, 2010

“Pace”

Matthew 14: 28-31, Ephesians 2: 6-10, 2 Timothy 1: 3-12

It is day one on the job! Lisa, Kim and I got up early and ran a few miles in the neighborhood behind the church. After an amazing breakfast (Ruth is such a great cook), we went over to “Amanda”’s trailer to help her get it move-in ready for her and her family. Juanita helped with local free clinic today—she will be assisting them today, Wednesday, and Friday. Our word today is “Pace,” Kim’s One Word for this year. Though we are all looking forward to busting out some great work and complete project after project, we need to be sure to pace ourselves. This trip is not about the work we do on the trailer, it is about doing God’s work!

Amanda and her three children were not directly affected by Hurricane Katrina, but Amanda’s parents, “Gwen” and “John,” sought help from the church for some roof repairs after the storm. During the repairs, John, Amanda’s father, accepted Christ!!! Amanda and her children lived in a trailer behind her parents’ house. A month ago, Amanda’s trailer caught on fire and destroyed the trailer. All the children made it out safely; but Amanda, in her attempt to extinguish the fire, was badly burned on her arm and her leg. She was only released from the hospital a few days ago after extensive treatment and skin graphs. Lemoyne Church arranged for the family to receive another trailer. They gave her a “Katrina Trailer.” It definitely needs some work—we will be working on her trailer until it is ready for her to move in.

Today, I mainly helped Amanda clean the kitchen. Rosa worked her magic outside, tidying up the yard and getting all the debris out to the curb for trash pickup. And Lisa and Kim started taping and priming the rooms for paint. It was a gift to be able to talk to Amanda about her story and about her family. Amanda is very shy and can be quiet. Though there was a moment today when she really perked up… She caught a glimpse of the tattoo on my arm and soon after she saw Rosa’s tattoo on her hand. Amanda proudly showed Rosa and I her tattoos. After that moment, I feel like Amanda began to feel more comfortable with us and recognized that we are normal people, we were not judging her, we weren’t making fun of her, we were there for her as her, to love her like God loves us!

Amanda and her sons, “Trent” and “Jake,” are not believers. I pray that during our time here, we will follow Christ and Christ’s will for us. I pray a seed will be planted in Amanda’s heart and her children’s hearts. I pray that God will use us and in the process help us to be more like Him!

February 9, 2010

“Focus”

This morning Lisa, Kim and I ran a little further than the day before, over two miles. Along the run, there were many concrete slabs of where houses used to be, a clear sign of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. At the end of one of the roads, there was a little cemetery, and I couldn’t help stopping my run and reflecting on how all that was around me, including that cemetery, was under water during the storm. People lost so much in Katrina, it was nice to know that even through the rain and the wind and the flood, God was able to bring us all here to help, relieve, comfort, and give hope to people. He is truly amazing!

Today we painted, and painted, and painted… It was refreshing to see what a little paint can do to a place—it is really starting to look like a home. Our word today was “Focus,” Juanita’s One Word. For me, “Focus” was about keeping my eyes fixed on God and not the brush in my hand. It was about looking at the bigger picture: not the wall I was painting, but the lives I was helping to form and change. I’m glad that Juanita was there at the trailer with us today to be able to help us get some work done and connect with the family. Amanda was there to help us again today. She did as much painting as she could; her energy is low because she of the pain she is in. Amanda’s sons where very excited to see their rooms. Trent’s room is Carolina blue, and Jake’s room is a lime green color. The rest of the house will be beige with a dark brown trim.

We invited Amanda and her family to join us tomorrow night for the dinner then service at Lemoyne Church. I hope they are all able to make it. I pray that God will continue to open doors for our group to witness and show Amanda God’s love. I am so thankful that Christ brought us all here for the opportunity to help Amanda and her family.

February 10, 2010

“Trust”

What A DAY! Amanda and her son Jake accepted Christ today!!! It was amazing! Thank You, Lord, thank You! I am honored that Christ chose us, our group to come here and help this family find Him.

We ran again this morning. I ran close to 2.5 miles, a little further each day. It was a lot colder, and the weather was only projected to worsen as we round out the week. All of us were in high spirits this morning. Our morning devotional was about looking to Christ for strength in our work and our bodies and our minds. Our word today was my One Word, “Trust.” We finished up the majority of the painting and began to work on the trim throughout the house. As the day wore on, I began to use that morning devotional more and more to keep me going, trusting that God would provide me the strength to carry on doing His work. I was so happy that they accepted our invitation and joined us for dinner and service tonight. I guess that Gwen and Amanda’s daughter are regulars at the church and the Wednesday night dinner/services. However, Amanda and her sons rarely attend.

Before the service began, Amanda pulled Pastor Bill aside to talk with him, and that is when she accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior! Soon after, Jake did the same! Amanda did not stay for the service. Pastor Bill told us the news once he began preaching. I cannot even describe the feeling that came over me. We were all very emotional and just overjoyed by the news. Pastor Bill’s message was about love, and about showing love to others by doing the right thing. One part of his message that really stuck out to me was about how sometimes as Christians we need to give up things in our lives to help another’s walk. Perhaps not having that “harmless” glass of wine with dinner… If one who struggles with alcohol sees us drinking, they may be tempted to drink, seeing that “it is okay” for us Christians to drink. I pray that God will reveal to me the things I need to purge from my life to help my and others’ walk with God.

Lord, You have really moved mountains during this trip. I am so grateful for all You have done and will continue to do. I cannot wait to see Amanda tomorrow!!!

February 11, 2010

“Discipline”

The weather keeps getting colder. We bravely got out there this morning and ran another two miles. Today’s word was Lisa’s One Word, “Discipline.” The other word circling around the trailer today was “TRIM.” We completed all of the tedious trim work today and got the bathroom fully primed. It really took some discipline to complete all that work today. Amanda was not feeling well, so we were unable to see her today. Gwen and the kids stopped by, and they were pretty impressed with all the work we had done to the place.

The weather today has not been the best. We had some sleet and rain, and they are calling for snow tonight. I pray the weather will hold out so we can have another full day tomorrow. I feel we got to a good stopping point today. I hope we get the chance to go back and finish the painting in the bathroom and give the laundry room another coat before we have to head home.

The plan for tomorrow, our last day of work, is to work at Amanda’s till 11:30, then pick up Juanita from the clinic, eat some King Cake (a New Orleans tradition), have lunch at the church, then do some sight-seeing in Biloxi. I pray that God’s will be done.

I want to lift up the four amazing ladies He has hand-selected to be on this trip. They are all truly amazing and inspiring. I also want to pray for Lemoyne Church, Jim and Ruth, Alan, Amanda and her family. I pray that God continues to bless them.

February 12, 2010

“Still”

It rained all night. We did not run this morning. We had breakfast this morning; Ruth made another tasty meal. At breakfast, we made the decision, with the winter weather fast approaching, to pack and head back home to Wilmington, NC, today. I wished we would have been able to see the family again before we left.

Rosa, our fearless leader, drove us again. It amazes me that God knew that her New York weather driving skills would come in handy on this trip, even as far South as we were. The snow began in Alabama. It was so beautiful. The weather continued to worsen; we got as far as Madison, GA, before we had to stop at a hotel to stay for the night. I have to admit that the hotel room was a nice change from the bunk houses in Biloxi. And though it wasn’t Ruth’s cooking, the Cracker Barrel we went to for dinner was delicious!

The word today was “Still,” Rosa’s One Word for 2010. During the car ride, there was a lot of stillness, with our bodies and our minds. I pray that we all were able to take a hunk of this trip and keep it dear to our hearts. I never have seen God so in my face before this trip. He was everywhere—I mean everywhere. It was truly a blessing to be apart of something so big, for God.

February 13, 2010

“Reflect”

The hotel stay was very nice, and so was the continental breakfast this morning. We got on the road before 9:00 AM. Our word today was “Reflect,” and during the ride home, I did a lot of reflecting on what occurred this week, the new relationships that had been formed, and the way God was able to use us and our skills for His work! This trip was just awesome.

We arrived back at the PC3 parking lot around 3:00 PM, and we all went our separate ways. The snow in Wilmington still blanketed the ground and covered our vehicles. Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I have to say, there is no better way to celebrate than with sharing Christ’s love and works with those around me. God gave me such a gift to be able to share in bringing two people to Christ and to be able to touch a family and a community the way that we did. PRAISE THE LORD!

Submitted by Randi Gress

Biloxi, Mississippi, has had a huge impact on Overflow, Port City Community Church’s college ministry. For the past three years, Overflow has taken a team down to stay with LeMoyne Blvd Baptist Church. Each year we stay a week and help this church rebuild homes for people who lost everything because of Hurricane Katrina. It’s a heartbreaking fact that people are still trying to get their lives rebuilt five years after the storm has gone. LeMoyne Blvd is committed to serving the people in their congregation and surrounding neighborhoods. Each year we have gone, watching how the body of Christ works has never ceased to amaze me. It’s an honor to partner with this church and be a part of what God is doing there. Below, Alan Barnes, a team member from our most recent mission, shares his experience. —Lauren LeFoe, Overflow Host and Communications Coordinator

Alan Barnes’ story

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

– John 15:12-13

I was privileged with an opportunity to serve and be served by Biloxi, Mississippi, during the week of spring break. Our team consisted of ten college students, two teachers, a construction leader and a team leader. Just getting to know and spend time with these amazing people for a week would have changed my life, but I was even more blessed to serve our Creator with this group of people. This was the first trip I have ever been on where it was just a random, open sign-up, but I realized that it wasn’t so “random” after all; only God could put a group together that clicked and worked so well with one another. The one thing that brought us together was what God has done for each one of us, and that’s all that mattered!

We left when it was DARK and early on Sunday morning, and after fourteen hours of travel, we arrived at our home away from home: LeMoyne Blvd Baptist Church. LeMoyne doesn’t have to make any claims about being missions-minded; the fruit from this church speaks to how much they love and care for people in need. Before Hurricane Katrina hit, there were 300 members at LeMoyne, and they had a $160,000 budget. The storm caused one-third of their members to leave the area. But they now have more than 400 members and have cycled more than $3 million into the community through home-reconstruction and relief projects!

Now, five years after the storm, their funds have unfortunately run out, so we were the last team to go through LeMoyne. Because it is unwise to start something you can’t finish, there were no new housing projects for us to work on when we got there. We ended up partnering with a couple, Bev and Clive, who started a free medical clinic ministry immediately after Katrina hit. Bev and Clive started this ministry in tents right outside a demolished grocery store and eventually moved into a small trailer. Recently, they were informed that a casino is being built where the clinic is located, and the government has relocated them and bought them a bigger, nicer trailer. The new trailer needed to be renovated, so that was our main project during the week.

We stripped out all of the carpet and prepared the floors for laminate flooring, cut and laid the flooring, primed and painted all of the walls, put the vinyl skirt on the trailer, touched up painting on the outside, built a porch/loading dock for the medical supplies to come in on and transported furniture from the old location to the new. God conveniently put a college student on our team who has experience with electrical work. Most of us have had very little if any experience with this kind of work, and yet God still used us to accomplish so much!

Bev and Clive’s ministry was so refreshing and encouraging to be a part of. Almost all of the hospitals that have been rebuilt in the area are private, so they are not required to see patients if the patients don’t have health insurance or enough money—so you can imagine the need among the sick. Bev and Clive have seen this need and are doing everything in God’s power to meet it; this is now their life. They don’t ask for any information concerning income or status–they simply love and accept every person who comes to them. This truly reflected God’s unconditional love and character to me. When I heard about this ministry, I began to look at my own life and how I love others and was instantly convicted. With something as simple as when the homeless come to me in need, I instantly start thinking, What are their intentions? What do they spend their money on? Are they actually in need? All while Jesus tells us that whatever we do for the least of His, we are doing for Him. God has shown each and every one of us unconditional love, so why should we pick and choose the people we want to love?

Some of our team members had the opportunity to do some touch-up work on the house of a man named Rocky. I only had the privilege of meeting Rocky once when I was picking up a trailer from his house, and he is one of those guys who you can just tell needs people to talk to. It wasn’t until later that I found out his story and why he desires people to talk to so much. Rocky’s wife left him for another man several years before the storm, and the man who ran off with his wife ended up leaving her. Rocky did everything in his power to accept and go back to his wife, but she was too ashamed of herself and ended up committing suicide. Shortly after, Katrina destroyed his house. He collected a fair amount of money from insurance, and he began to build his house himself. About halfway through the completion of his house, he had a massive stroke and lost the use of his right arm and hand. So between his medical bills and physical disability, he couldn’t finish his home. That is where LeMoyne Baptist stepped in. On top of all of this, Rocky’s youngest son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, which eventually blinded him. Rocky’s story completely broke me and opened my eyes to the suffering that is going on all around us. I am guilty of being negative and complaining about my circumstances that don’t even compare to Rocky’s—and so many others in this world. It was so humbling to see his attitude after hearing what he has been through.

The stories were countless in Biloxi; everybody had a story to tell, and they were all stoked to tell it. Many of them broke our hearts, and others made us jump for joy: hearing how God has been glorified, countless lives have been saved and the church (the people) has been unified through this storm. It was also incredible to hear the stories of our team members, how their lives have been changed by the gospel, and the way that God uses other people’s stories and “storms” to encourage and further my faith. God promises us that there will be “storms” in life, but Jesus Christ is the only place that comfort and peace can be found.

I have made some AMAZING friends and have been blessed in so many ways through this mission, and I pray that I will incorporate these memories into the life that God has before me and never forget what God has taught me. I have heard so many times how awesome it is that I took my spring break and spent it serving God and others, but what I find amazing is the fact that God made a way through Christ for sinful and broken people like me to be able to serve such a powerful and amazing God. There are so many situations in life in which no joy can be found…UNTIL Christ is in the picture. And God paints the picture with us in it—we are the hands and feet. We weren’t saved to sit on our butts and go through the motions; we were saved to go! So let’s go make Him known!

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” - Romans 5:1-5

—Submitted by Alan Barnes

Going on a mission trip had always been something on my “bucket list”—or so I thought.

We all have one: a list of things that we want to do before we kick the bucket.  At age 49, my list was almost complete, so going to New Orleans would just be one more thing to check off… .NOT. I soon realized God had another plan. He led me on this incredible journey where I met the most incredible, inspiring and uplifting individuals.

Before I left to go the New Orleans mission in June of 2009, I had never read the Bible.  I didn’t even know one scripture passage.  I had never even prayed anything but an “Our Father” or a “Hail Mary.”  So much has changed since then, and I credit it first to God and second to everyone that I met on this mission trip.  Christ led me there to help the victims of Katrina, but in turn they helped me so much more.

Yes, I helped paint a church, helped clear land around a house that was flooded, and interacted with people, but they led me to a deeper, more fulfilling walk with God.

I am forever grateful.

In Jesus’ Name.

—Submitted by Rosa Petrucelli

A few days ago, I was sitting in my den drinking coffee and munching tortilla chips on a crisp, fall day. I was trying to recall stepping out into the sweltering Louisiana summer as we went to work on our New Orleans mission trip.  June 2009 seems so long ago now, but it’s easy to remember some things I learned about New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.

Out of some 90 churches once there, about 10 were making the comeback post Hurricane Katrina.  But don’t call it a comeback for The Church of All Souls Episcopal Parish in the heart of the Lower Ninth. It was truly a whole new game.

We arrived from our digs at the Tulane University Baptist Student Center to find that this church we were helping already had its leaders and staff involved in re-establishing a place for worship and community outreach.  It was all taking place in a gutted Walgreens building on St. Claude Avenue that had shut down after Katrina (we saw at least three commercial places around the church that remained abandoned).  In their makeshift yet confident sanctuary, we received our briefing from church staff, and then it was off to the work sites.

My crew started off the day taking some snap shots of the Mississippi River bank and the New Orleans skyline.  We knew it was the Big Easy, but was our work going to be this much of a cake walk?  It wasn’t long before we were painting away on a lady’s house.  Not too easy.  Then again, she did cook us authentic beans and rice, and also made us complimentary Sno Balls (like Snow Cones) later that week.

Back at Walgreens, I found some of my mission comrades painting, starting trim work and even designing a doorway.  Another third of the group was off landscaping a church member’s lot. It was a heroic effort, as I learned that the group resorted to using shovels and some brawn after dismissing some shoddy weed whackers.

If there’s one thing the whole team had in common, it’s that we were sweating big time. Temperatures were upwards of 90 degrees each day. Conveniently enough, we were able to look productive even on our breaks.  We played with kids.

All Souls ran a summer program for children. It was simultaneously happening with the renovations.  A recipe for chaos?  Not hardly. Volunteers were able to pull it off with some skillful organization. We saw kids improving their math skills and enriching themselves in the arts.  I got a warm feeling when I first met some of the kids and learned about the summer program.  And what a great escape from laboring—although I admit it was tiring to lift kids more than three times in a row for slam dunks on the basketball hoop.

As the week continued, I learned more about myself.  I found out I could actually get a lot done in a construction-related mission trip, which isn’t really my bag.  I observed how well our group contributed to the work end of things, as well as interaction with locals.

Not to speak for the group, but I’m pretty positive we all learned something about ourselves.  The trip pushed us in our walks with Christ.  And not to brag, but we were one amazing group.  There was a sense of growth and encouragement all around. Some of us had been following Christ for years, some not even months.  Despite where each of us stood, I felt God was pulling us toward Him. We all had personal reasons for going on the New Orleans Mission, but God revealed additional, more meaningful reasons for leading each of us there.

Expecting to see occasional damaged homes, or the occasional abandoned lots, what we saw when we first entered the Lower Ninth was quite dreary. We saw significant damage and numerous rundown areas.  I realized New Orleans hadn’t come as far as I thought it had since Hurricane Katrina hit in late August 2005 (yeah, do the math).

We became familiar with the “X” markings on houses from government agencies such as the National Guard and DEA.  Occupancy was shown on one side of the X, representing residents who had been injured or killed during the storm.  Within such a grim scene, God kept our spirits up.  Luckily, we were able to pitch in around the community, painting a couple houses and, of course, taking part in All Souls’ vision.   One of my favorite days was Wednesday, June 24th.  We canvassed a section of the Ninth Ward handing out flyers for a cookout and worship service at the church that night.

It was neat to see the culture of a New Orleans neighborhood such as this.  We were told to be careful, as the Lower Ninth has its questionable spots, but I thought about how Jesus went into questionable settings in his ministry.

We met residents and talked about what the church was doing.  We ventured a little further than we were advised.  We got a fairly good response.  I remember getting a chance to listen to a local man’s story and share some about my faith with him.  Intangible experiences such as this were something sweet, as several team members got a chance to share with some individuals around the community.
Days like Wednesday were a lot to pack into the work day.  When we arrived home each day to our air-mattress jigsaw puzzle at the student center, we had some free time.  A lot of us took some God time.  Sometimes, I would venture around the block to The Boot, a popular convenience store on the edge of Tulane’s campus, for some chocolate milk and chewing gum.  Later on we had group reflection time, a time for recounting the day’s happenings, praying and laughs.  It was a great time to rejuvenate our spirits to head out for the next day’s work.

By the latter half of the week, we were all in a huge, bustling effort to finish up our jobs on the Walgreens-turned-worship site.  Just imagine 30-plus people slaving away outside any Walgreens, except on an extremely hot day in the middle of what is arguably a ghost town.  Under the direction of some superb leadership, we completed paint jobs.  A few team members completed a doorway, which I remember being quite impressive.

After wrapping up Thursday night’s delicious homemade taco meal, and learning about Michael Jackson’s death, we had our final New Orleans debriefing and group meeting.  I had never felt so much power in group prayer.  I had never seen so many folks lifting up others, praising them not only for a job well done but the gifts each person had to offer overall.

Each day was a scorcher down in the Big Easy, but it didn’t stop us from serving those in need.  I felt like we left the Lower Ninth Ward better than we found it.  Sure, we did some great construction—but I think we did more for the Great Commission.

Submitted by Adam King

I had the privilege of taking a group of 30 young adults to Biloxi, MS this past March. There is no doubt that God is moving in that community. It was beautiful to see the body of Christ taking care of each other. The people of LeMoyne Boulevard Baptist Church have incredible hearts of service. We had the opportunity to help build four houses. It is hard to believe that some people are still without a home because of Hurricane Katrina. Our team really stepped it up and worked so hard at helping the people of Biloxi. Not only that…but they were clearly working hard at their relationships with God and each other. Here are a few thoughts from three of our team members:

On this trip, God taught me that He is richly present in our world (every single day) whether we recognize it or not! He showed me that we need to trust that His way is perfect and that we should welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust Him, because he is NEVER taken by surprise. The trip left me with feelings of overwhelming joy that God is SO GOOD… all the time. I don’t think I’ll ever forget witnessing LeMoyne Boulevard Baptist Church putting God’s love into action, nor will I forget the incredible team that the Lord put together for me to serve with from Port City. As for now, I have this burning desire to serve, to love, to GO wherever God’s will takes me. I have high hopes that PC3 will continue to take action in Biloxi, as the people there continue to be in need of love, encouragement, and strength.
-Lauren Cox

God is real. He allows me to hold up dry-wall long after my own strength would have given out, just three days after having the flu. He gives me inexpressible joy while I serve others and Him, joy I would have never expected or felt through any other means. God is powerful. He breaks 18 men in an abandoned field to tears as they each realize in their own way at the same time that they are nothing without God and nothing before him. Jesus is alive. Biloxi was living proof.
-Travis Thomas

My favorite verse James 4:8, says draw to God and he He will draw to you. I went with the purpose to serve God, and came back with the strongest relationship I have ever had with Him. There is nothing better than doing His work alongside of a strong Christian based Community. The memories, friendships, and the feelings from the trip will never go away. The trip changed my life.
-Drew Sellers

I love how God takes simple, ordinary things like working on a house and uses them in extraordinary ways. He moves so powerfully in our lives when we give of ourselves to others for His glory. Serving with this team in Biloxi really gave me a clear picture of what we were created to do.

—Submitted by Lauren LeFoe