365 Days of Service

Day 9 - June 19

I’ve always appreciated the power of the written word. I’ve been an avid reader my entire life. I read everything - billboards, cereal boxes, bumper stickers, appliance manuals…anything. Recently I heard a news story on NPR discussing how the Bear Stearns head honchos are going to have to answer questions about misleading email they sent. An “expert” (I think a prosecutor of some kind) spoke about how carelessly we consider what we write in email and how, in cases like this, things come back to haunt us later. He said that we think of email as similar to a phone call, but how the written word can last so much longer, even become evidence against us, whereas a phone call (unless recorded, I guess) isn’t nearly so impactful in the long run.

I’ve been trying harder to be more deliberate in my communication with others and by using the written word. Ryan and I have many generous friends and family and I always try to send a Thank You note to anyone whose been generous with us. I think it’s important that we express our gratitude. But I wouldn’t send it in an email. I’ve read enough about propriety and etiquette to learn that a hand-written note is more meaningful and an important gesture of thanks.

Earlier I wrote about Timothy who I met at The Wall. He and I spoke for a long time and his story really had a lasting impact on my trip and my understanding of the people of New Orleans. When we were getting ready to load back onto the bus, Timothy expressed that he’d like to stay in touch. Thinking that he probably didn’t have email or internet access I wasn’t sure how we’d do that. Then he simply said, “Write me a letter.” I’m ashamed to admit that hadn’t crossed my mind because it wasn’t possible through technology. Well, anyway, he had handed me a card with his address on it earlier in the evening so I made note of it and kept it. I just sat down and wrote Timothy a letter. It wasn’t anything special. I reminded him of who I was and our conversation - I’m not sure it had as large an impact on him as it had on me - and wrote some words of encouragement. I also asked him to let the others at Timothy House know how much everyone on our trip from LifeChurch.tv was blessed by meeting them all there at The Wall. I sent a stamped and addressed envelope with the letter hoping that will encourage him to send a return letter. Hey, I just might have a pen pal in New Orleans.

Here is a link to the photos that I took myself during the New Orleans trip. There are others at the official trip blog that I mentioned earlier. Follow this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/plumbean/sets/72157605701671176/

Day 8 - June 18

I rear-ended someone at a stop light yesterday. It was my fault - the light turned green and I hit the gas, maybe a little too hard, and maybe not aware enough of what traffic was doing. Anyway, my 2002 Ford Explorer has probably never had the brakes worked on and I ended up hitting them even though I hit the brakes. It didn’t appear as though I did any damage to the other person’s car, and my car was completely fine (the front license plate holder did get injured, but a front plate isn’t required in Oklahoma. It was holding my LifeChurch.tv vanity plate - I’ll fix it someday).

We called the police to file an accident report because when I was rear-ended last year, they didn’t want to file with insurance or the police and it took about a month to resolve that one. I decided we better get a report so that I didn’t have the same experience even though I was the one who caused the accident.

The officer who arrived on the scene called for an investigator to come out and he handled the situation with professionalism and honesty. I really appreciated his refreshing and patient attitude about the whole situation. The other person involved was saying things about “I’m not sure if there is damage or not” and “I want to be able to go to the doctor to make sure I am ok”. He was very patient with her and explained that regardless of the outcome, the best thing to do would be to contact our insurance companies. Later, he pulled me to the side and very deliberately said that he did not see any damage and that if she did claim injury, that I should have an investigation run by my insurance company. It was nice that he was so honest with me. Oh, and as a great big bonus he did not issue me a traffic ticket. I expressed my gratitude right there on the spot. What a nice guy!

Tonight I sat down and wrote the officer a thank you note. Not only am I grateful that I didn’t get a ticket, but I am grateful that there are people like him in the community who are willing and able to perform a job like that for the public safety. I just wanted him to know he was appreciated by at least one citizen in his community.

My career at LifeChurch.tv started with the Internet Campus nearly 2 1/2 years ago. Since that time I’ve begun serving at a physical campus in Edmond, but I still serve at the Internet Campus on Tuesday nights. It’s a great way for Ryan and I to attend church together since he’s usually working weekends and too busy to attend a “normal” experience. We often sit on the couch or at the dinner table and experience church together online. I volunteer on the “Live Help” team, which is supposed to consist of technical difficulties, questions and solutions. However, I usually end up in conversation with someone who simply wants to talk or needs prayer. It is funny how our language intends to say that they can get help - meaning help with the experience itself - and they see it as an opportunity to get help - with whatever they deem as an area of their life needing help. Anyway, I don’t mind a bit but I have thought several times that maybe the link should have another name. I have no ideas, however.

Tuesday night I had two separate conversations. The first was with an attendee from Lagos, Nigeria - fascinating to say the least - and I think it was morning his time. He asked me to share my Christian experience with him and I thought “How do I sum that up in a few concise words?” Anyway, I gave a very brief explanation of how I came to a relationship with Christ. That seemed to be a satisfactory answer.

The other conversation was with a 19 year-old girl that seems to be struggling with depression and probably some family issues. I asked her to send an email to my email address so that I can write her later this week. I tried to give her some encouragement, reinforcing the concept that Jesus loves her just as she is. I’m never sure how impactful those thoughts are, but I like to start there just in case there is any doubt of God’s love for someone in that situation. I’ll be sure and update how that relationship continues.

Today I am challenged, I am fatigued and I have errands to run, Kitten chow to purchase, my car’s oil to get changed… the list goes on and on. This was something that we mentioned several times in our devotionals during the trip. When you are on a mission trip - you’re essentially removed from reality. When you return from the mission trip - the real world is like a slap in the face. You simply slide right back into your old habits, your old routine, and you slowly lose touch with those feelings that were so raw and so real during the trip. God doesn’t ask us to spend 5 days a year serving others. He asks us to do it everyday.

Some people might say that my ambition to serve for 365 days could be impossible. They might point out that I work for the church and am therefore serving every day I work anyway. They might tell me not to be hard on myself on the days when I don’t find a way to serve someone else. But my challenge to myself was this - if God asks me to serve everyday and He expects it, how can I possibly live knowing that I’m not fulfilling His plan for my life? I don’t expect it to be easy, but I know it isn’t impossible. I won’t be hard on myself when those days do come around where I’ve missed the opportunity to serve. There will be many days when I am open to the possibility that God is going to do something great, even in the seemingly trivial, and I’ll be ready to respond.

I am going to be mission-minded and service-focused not because I expect to gain something from it but simply because that is all God has asked of me. I know that there is power in obedience and the anticipation of what might happen through His power within me is pretty exciting. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.

I have been trying to build a relationship with our elderly neighbors. This trip reminded me once again that I don’t have to go far out of my way to find opportunities to serve. I can share the love of Christ right in my own backyard. Our neighbors have family here in town that come to see them a few times a month. They have a young granddaughter that likes all of our pets and is always eager to pet a cat or play with a dog. I try to be out there when she visits so she has an opportunity to play with one. They talk to me often about what’s going on in their lives, and if I’m outside I’ll go over and begin a conversation. I know they enjoy cats and when I have kittens I’ll take them over for a visit so they can interact with them. It’s through this relationship that I hope to share the love of Christ. I’ve realized that after 2 1/2 years living next door that I’ve missed many opportunities to serve them. I’m hoping I don’t feel the same way in a year’s time. Tonight I made dinner, baked a cake and cookies and took some over to them. The husband was outside smoking so Ryan and I spent some time talking about the weather. I told him to tell his wife hello. He said that he’s a cookie eating machine - so score one for picking the right dessert to take over. And chocolate chip are his favorite. Thanks, God.

I just wanted to share that I have an amazing husband. I don’t often just speak about what a wonderful person he is and express my gratitude for his support, generosity, friendship and love. We celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Sunday and it was good to have a reminder of all we’ve been through together and how far we’ve come. We met at 19 and 20 and to be together at 29 and 30 and happier and more blessed than we’ve ever been is such a big accomplishment. I wanted everyone to know that I love you, Ryan, and that I’m so proud to be called your wife. Oh, and the Wii was just icing on the cake.

June 15th looked much like June 11th except for two differences - instead of anticipation I was filled with contemplation, and we were riding a bus for 14 hours in the opposite direction. All that had occurred in the last 4 days was packed in my head. I was thinking about all the people I’d met - the 40 or so new ones on the team and all the countless individuals we’d met in New Orleans. Thinking about their stories, their experiences and circumstances. It was definitely a lot to consider. Ultimately, I was able to reflect on all that God had done not just in me in three days time, but what He’d done in so many other lives. If we are open to the opportunity to grow, to change, and to connect with Him, there is no limit to what He can do. It’s humbling to know that His influence in our lives is so powerful. We have to be open to allowing Him to do His work. If we’re not, then what, really, is the purpose of our lives?

The trip concluded where it began, in the Edmond campus parking lot. We circled up in front of the bus and prayed. I stood there holding the hand of Willie, and my husband, and reached out with my heart and my prayers to every individual in the group. I reflected on all the change God has worked in me and prayed that the same had happened for each person there. I will continue to pray for them all and hope that we are all linked by a common bond that will keep us in touch and continue to impact us for a long time to come.

Day 4 was a pretty busy day. Robert “Bobby” Davis and the rest of the leaders had decided to go to another place to meet and feed the homeless in the city. Bobby drove into New Orleans from his home in Texas earlier than we had arrived by bus. He had an idea that there were homeless living in “camps” in the city and he was seeking them out. We had Willie with us on the trip and he was one of the homeless that the group from last year’s trip had encountered while in New Orleans. Willie’s story is a powerful and amazing one and deserves it’s own post as well. I’ll write it later.

Anyway, City Hall was where these homeless “camps” were located the year before. The city had since come in and fenced off city hall - effectively evicting the homeless from their camp. They had moved a few blocks over and were camping - literally - under the overpass of I-10. Bobby had gone and visited them there before the rest of us had arrived in New Orleans so he was really interested in feeding them where they were living - essentially bringing the love of Christ right into their living room.

The morning work was like the days before - a group had returned to the child care center to continue the work they’d started there. Another set of us went to a couple of houses just a few blocks from there to work on new construction. This was where I got my first glimpse of the houses’ interior - this one was nearly complete with kitchen cabinets, laminate wood flooring and most of the bathrooms already installed. It was a beautiful coral pink house with tons of natural light coming in the many windows. It was also shotgun style so you went down a long hallway from the kitchen and living areas to access the bedrooms and bathrooms. It was a house I’d be proud to live in myself, so needless to say I was impressed with the design, the layout and the features that Crossroads Missions had so thoughtfully planned out. What an amazing ministry.

After working on that house for a while we went to another that was in an even less finished state with really only the framing and exterior walls complete. It was interesting to see the house as it is being build and visualizing the end result based on what we’d seen so far. This was a two-story house because of the size of the lot available and so it had a slightly different layout. I can only imagine what it will look like when it is complete, though, and it will be just as incredible as the others.

The rain hit us near lunchtime and it dumped. This stopped work for the rest of the afternoon, but since we had planned to finish working by lunchtime it wasn’t much of an inconvenience. It was a great rainstorm and most of us were caught in it rather suddenly. We got cooled off though, so maybe it was a gift from above.

We returned to Celebration Church where we ate sandwiches for lunch and everyone got cleaned up. The group headed to the French Quarter for sight-seeing and Bobby, Jim Meldrim (another leader and LifeChurch.tv LifeGroups/Missions Pastor) and myself headed to Sam’s Club to get supplies to feed the homeless under the overpass. After some hilarious story telling about a monkey in a diaper on an airplane (completely unrelated to anything on the trip - this was another time) we got to Sam’s to shop. We had to calculate as best we could how much food and supplies to purchase for that evening and we left with about $250.00 worth of stuff. We then went back to the church because we thought they might have a grill we could borrow to cook the hot dogs that night but they did not have one. We added a team member to our group that had been with friends that afternoon and she directed us to the nearest Wal-mart where we bought the grills we needed. She mentioned that after Katrina supplies were in really short supply and high demand -she wasn’t able to even find Diet Coke for months afterwards - and you could still see some evidence of that in the stores. Supplies that were sold out were missing from the shelves. They didn’t get restocked like you’d expect. It was amazing to consider that after 3 years people were still having to make do with what they could get.

We met up with the rest of the team near the overpass. As we prepared to leave the bus the medical doctor with us reminded us to be careful about our own health and safety as we interacted with the folks living in the homeless camp. They have a huge problem with Tuberculosis in the camps as they aren’t receiving any kind of medical care and there is a great risk of acquiring it living in the conditions they do. She advised us just to use caution when touching our faces with our hands and to keep our distance when anyone coughs near us.

We had to run (sprint actually) across the busy feeder of I-10 to get to the folks living under it. We had food and grills and other supplies to pass out including chips, bottled water and cookies. As soon as we started walking over they saw us coming and began to approach. I wonder how many times in all the time these folks have lived there that people have approached with food and water. Since we didn’t spend a lot of time with other organizations working in the area I have no frame of reference to know how often the homeless in different areas are fed. I know that the folks who go to The Wall are fed every evening of the week except Monday and Tuesday. They can get at least one decent meal 5 days a week. That is probably better than many of the starving or working hungry in most cities. It’s sad to think that someone down the street from me or just down the road in a poorer neighborhood might be going hungry when the homeless in New Orleans aren’t. That thought has prompted me to consider more carefully how I spend my time and to be more aware of the needs of those in my own hometown.

After passing out a hundred or so hot dogs we got out our clothing and toiletries stash from the night before and handed those out. We had a few women in the group get new shoes and pants and many of the men took grooming supplies. Again, like at The Wall, the biggest need was something to carry their stuff in. I could not believe that I’d forgotten to bring Wal-mart bags or something else for them to use. That is the problem with not being fully engulfed in a different kind of circumstances - you’re never going to remember what the most pressing need is because you’re not used to thinking about it.

It was awesome again to get to engage with people and I met another man, Joey Kennedy, who spoke with us about losing his job as a fork-lift operator and ending up homeless when his girlfriend kicked him out because he’d lost his job. He wanted to communicate more than anything to us that he was not desperate. He was not ashamed about his circumstances. He was not embarrassed to ask for food and help. He had not lost his dignity and he knew that God was caring for his needs. It struck me so clearly in our conversation that this was simply someone who had fallen on hard times. He wasn’t someone that had done something to “deserve” his situation. He wasn’t someone who had committed a heinous crime or become caught up in drugs or alcohol. He hadn’t willingly chosen this way of life and yet he was making the most of his situation. He made it clear that he was carefully groomed, clean in both hygiene and in substance (he was adamant that he did not abuse drugs) and looking forward to a time when he had permanent housing. He told us that he tried to spend some time in a hotel when he could afford it. And indeed he was well-groomed, well-spoken, well-mannered and had a strong faith in God. He was relying fully on the Lord to meet his needs. His attitude was infectious and before long several of us were engaged in conversation and learning from him what exactly the face of strength and adversity looked like. I took a picture of Joey and David Brown together and I’ll post it so you’ll have a face to put with the name. Joey gave me his phone number (yes, many of these folks have cell phones) and was asking for prayers and for us to call him. I’m going to pass it along to David Brown so he can stay in touch with him. But I will be praying for Joey - and all the other folks I met under the overpass that day.

After we cleaned up and left the underpass we decided to grab dinner at McAlister’s Deli and enjoyed fellowship with one another after a long day. It was good to eat a hearty meal. Working like we were from 6:30am to 8:30pm was not only exhausting but burning lots of calories too!

We returned to Celebration Church to finish up the day with a quick devotional followed by fellowship. Lots of team members were exchanging information and taking pictures. It was really heartwarming to see how many friendships had sprung up in the group in just a 4-day period. I just watched and rejoiced in it.

I was returning to my room when I spoke with another team member, saying how nice it was to have had the opportunity to serve with them. He responded warmly and as we walked a conversation began about some spiritual challenges he’s having in his life right now. We spoke for a very long time and I was able to share a little of my story and we connected about some of the beliefs that we share. I was challenged in this conversation with him because there were a few moments where he either asked me if I felt one opinion or another was biblically based or in another moment to back what I’d said with scripture. It really got me thinking about the conviction I’ve felt about my lack of scriptural knowledge. When he turned in for the night I sought out Jim Meldrim and asked him to help me dissect the conversation. Jim’s biblical and scriptural knowledge is impressive. You can tell that this is a man that has lived his life with a purpose and spent a lot of time in the Word. I was so impressed, in fact, that i asked him for some help and direction in finding a way for me to improve my time spent in the Word. This conversation was probably one of the most encouraging and helpful things that happened during the entire trip. As we worked through 1 Corinthians 6 and 7 I quickly figured out that God had a bigger purpose in the conversation. I’m not sure if you’re aware of the context of those two chapters, but essentially Paul is writing to the Corinthians about sexual purity, God’s design and plan for marriage and the responsibility placed on husbands and wives as well as those that claim to follow Christ. In the midst of our discussion I realized that I’d found a pastor that could radically improve my ministry involved with the MySecret.tv web site. If you’re not familiar with MySecret.tv I recommend you check it out. I was able to ask him some really important theological questions about marriage, sexual purity and homosexuality for the purpose of stating the truth about those issues as I engage with the folks who confess on MySecret.tv. I went to bed that night feeling more encouraged about my own personal growth and the possibility of learning more about the Bible than I had in a very long time. So, thanks Jim, I’m not sure you realize just how much you’ve blessed me.

I took a shower and got in bed that night exhausted and refreshed all at the same time. I’ll be praying for the team member who I spoke with and I’ve rededicated myself to the study of the Word. I have both our team member and Jim to thank for the challenge and the encouragement to grow closer to God through His Word.

As a group we decided to blog about the trip and post pictures here: http://lcneworleans611.wordpress.com. Check it out - it’s got the stories and responses from other team members as well as a collection of all the photos from the trip in one place. I’ll be adding my favorite photos and giving more details about that in separate posts.

Our day began again at 6:30am. Our devotional was centered around the question “What is God trying to tell you today?” The idea was to keep an ear open to the opportunity God might be trying to teach us through the physical work we were doing.

We arrived back at the job site around 9:30am after stopping at Dollar General to pick up toiletries and items for the homeless we’d met the night before and toys for kids we’d met in the neighborhood where we were working. The team bought socks, t shirts, toys and candy to pass out.

When we arrived at the child care center, a team stayed there to continue the construction they’d begun the day before. The rest of us went to another home in need of yard work. We were prepping the lot and laying sod there. Laying sod is a hot, dirty, exhausting job so I have a much higher appreciation for folks that do that kind of work for a living. Our chain of helpers again made the job much easier. Several team members played with kids in the neighborhood and talked with neighbors. It was heartwarming to see the kids respond to the toys and candy. I wondered how often they get things like that. At the end of that job one of the locals came by and delivered Popsicles to everyone to cool off. Those Popsicles were exactly what we needed and I was so encouraged by his gesture of kindness. He wanted to encourage our efforts and express his appreciation for those willing to help rebuild. Couldn’t have been a better response to our hard work.

During lunch a couple of team members were crawling under the child care center clearing debris when they came across a pile of bones. They had been joking about just such a thing when they uncovered them. The really funny part of the story is that it was a cop and a medical doctor under the house. What are the odds?? They gathered the bones and put them in a bucket and the project manager with Crossroads Missions called the police. While we waited to find out if our child care center was a crime scene we worked on the empty lot right next door that was going to serve as the center’s playground area. We cleared a third of a city block of junk and debris out of that yard. If you were wondering, it wasn’t a crime scene after all and the bones belonged to a cow, lamb and turkey. Phew.

There was a point in the afternoon where myself, Robert Davis - Internet Campus Missions/LifeGroups Pastor, and one of our team members, Melissa, took it upon ourselves to help someone that approached us off the street. Her name was Katie. Here is where the trip got interesting. So interesting in fact, that I’ll devote an entire separate post to the story.

That work day ended about 4:00pm and we returned to the church for dinner and clean up. We debated about what to do that evening but decided to return to the Wall to hand out bottled water, snacks and the toiletries we had with us. Another homeless advocacy group was there feeding them dinner so most of the folks there took what we offered with them in bags. I had not thought about how they would carry it all until that moment. Imagine an existence where you carry all your belongings with you at every moment everywhere you go. It’s hard to imagine. It struck me then that the most helpful thing we could probably provide is simply a backpack. When you have a moment of realization like that it’s really powerful because it so dramatically emphasizes how different your life, your lifestyle is from someone else’s.

I spoke with a gentleman (I am ashamed to admit I don’t remember his name) who claimed to be a piano player. We handed out items to them and when I reached him I asked if he needed a blanket, a travel pillow, and other items in my supply bag. He said, “Save them for someone who really needs them.” I was shocked. It clearly was evident that he was aware of his exact needs - he took the toiletries we offered - and wasn’t greedy. It was a refreshing moment to teach me how normal people can end up in difficult circumstances, but that it doesn’t have to radically alter their character.

We had a devotional that night in small group format where 6 or 7 of us were asked to answer the question “What did God tell you today?” I heard from 7 different team members about what they’d learned that day. My lesson was simple: God clearly values all of His people and can use any one of them for his purposes - even if that is simply to humble me.

I went to bed a little earlier that night as I’d been up so late the two before. I hadn’t been in touch with any media for a few days so I got on my phone and read the news. I heard about the two little girls shot walking down the road in their small town in Oklahoma. What a terrible tragedy. I also read about the tornado that wiped out a Boy Scout Camp in Iowa and killed 4 boys. I spent some time praying for the people involved in those stories before I went to sleep.