We're coming home!

What an unbelievable week we've had. Honestly, this team has been amazing. Each one of them has helped to write this blog throughout the week, and each one of them has played a really unique and amazing role on this team. Thank you all so much for all of your prayers, because this team has taken me by surprise and been the Body of Christ to each other in stronger ways than I ever dreamed. I knew God would do great things in each and every one of us, but man! There's nothing better than seeing 22 adults serve together, live together, affirm each other, serve each other, laugh together, and grow together in our relationships with Christ. Every single one of us has experienced life change, and there's no turning back! Get ready to hear our stories and see first-hand what God can do when people are willing to step outside of their comfort zone and trust God with all new things. Seriously, there was not one person on this team who didn't grow in extreme ways, and we can't wait to tell you all about it when we return.

So, we land in BWI around 8:00 PM and hope to see you back at Daybreak around 10:00/10:30-ish. Pray for safe, safe travel today, and that GOd will even allow this last day of travel to be a great time to connect with Him and with each other. We love you all, and can't wait to see you soon!

Last day on site

Today we wrapped up our last day of working with Habitat for Humanity. And what an awesome last day that it was. While we did not see any of the homes that we were working on get completed this week we did have another great opportunity. We were invited to attend a Habitat home dedication. There were 22 families that received keys to their new homes today, it was a memorable experience for all of us. It was an absolutely awesome way to end our week.

When we reflected on our week tonight and realized the amount of work that was accomplished and the materials that were used it is quite impressive. We saw one home get the roofing nearly complete, another home had two decks built and a third went from just a floor to completely framed out with walls. Power tools are typically thought of as a man’s tool but not to the women of our Biloxi team. Our ladies were seen operating rotors, chop saws, circular saws, air nailers and even Jean Miller was seen operating a Bobcat (see picture). I don’t think we’ll ever remove that smile from her face.

There are many purposes of our Daybreak short term missions trips. Probably the one that most people think of is the impact that our team has on the community that we are going to serve, but one that should not be overlooked is the impact that God has on the people on the short term missions team. Our team made a decision to not take along many of the luxuries that we’ve come to accept in life, such as cell phones, ipods, laptops and TV. Initially we tend to struggle with such commitments it was very obvious to everyone on the team how much more focused we were on each other and on God without those simple things. When we take away the distractions sometimes we hear God’s voice a little more clearly. The growth that we have seen in our team, in each and every individual has been incredible. We heard it time and time again during our testimony time each night.

After returning to Camp Victor from the home dedications we enjoyed a time of fellowship, testimony and affirmation followed by celebrating Marc Snavely’s birthday with some ice cream sandwiches. Happy birthday Marc!

It’s late here in Mississippi and we’ll be calling it a night now as we prepare to turn in and pack it up early in the morning. We’re looking forward to seeing all of you upon our return, until then, sho nuff!

Day 3 Wrap Up

Today seemed like one of the hottest days on the job site. The jobs that we are doing continue to vary, from hammering nails to laying sod to prepare homes for occupancy. What has been really neat is to see our team going out of the way to serve other people both on our team and with others. Some of the people who are a part of Habitat have been touching our lives with their own stories and making an impact on us.

The progress on our homes continues to move along, there are 3 main homes that we are working on and it has been really cool to see the progress we are making on these homes. But beyond the progress on the homes and even more impressive is the growth that so many of our team members are seeing in their own individual walks with God. God has been working in our lives in so many ways, I've said it before but the sense of unity and servanthood among this team can only be from God, we are truly feeling the impact of your prayers. The impact that God is making on this team will be one that will last always and forever.

We actually took some time today to go and visit a family that was helped by Daybreak's Gulf Coast team last year and see how they are doing today. While most of us did not know Glen and his family we could see how he was impacted by the work that we did. Just more evidence of how Daybreak can be the hands and feet of God outside of the community of Mechanicsburg.

We wrapped up our day by going to a local barbecue joint that has a national reputation. It is called The Shed and while from a quick view it looks like a real dive, it is a truly unique place, but oh, oh, oh the food . . . AWESOME!

Friday is our last day on our construction sites and we are all looking forward to it because at the end of the day we are going to a home dedication for families whose homes are completed and ready to move in. We are told that these dedications are very moving times and we'll probably see some more tears of joy shed there.

Have an awesome day back there in good ole comfortable Pennsylvania and we'll see you soon. Thanks again for your prayers.

Morning - Work Day 3

Another early morning at Camp Victor! Suprisingly, muscles don't seem to be hurting anyone too much. Breakfast fare isn't always the same as the ones we get back home. Things like biscuits and sausage gravy are standard breakfast fare when you get south of the Mason Dixon Line. I find it amazing how everyone pitches in to help get things ready to go in the morning. Somebody has the coolers ready to put lunches in while another person has the water coolers filled, etc. And all before 6:30 AM in the morning. 5:30 is not an hour that many of us see that early in the morning. Unless of course, you were one of the blessed individuals who were getting up that early to attend Men's Frat. Anyway, we all seem to being doing well except for perhaps a little bit of homesickness for y'all back north. We are really getting a lot done on the sites and are looking forward to another great day in the 95 degree heat and 100% humidity. Continue to keep us all in prayer. We love you all.

Wrapping up Wednesday

Each night we gather together to discuss what we have learned that day and how others have impacted us. Tonight we heard how we encourage each other, no one is getting frustrated and everyone is “playing nice in the sandbox”. We are learning that there is no big part or no little part that is not important, everyone works together as a team, while someone is putting a roof on they still need someone to hold the ladder or hand them the nails. We’ve discovered that we could very easily become frustrated when we suddenly look around and find that we are doing a job all alone, but we realize that every job is important, God has placed each one of us in a very specific role in His family and we must fulfill that role, sometimes it is with others and sometimes it is by ourselves. When we sit down like this each night we are finding that this time is bringing us all closer together, we are not a group of 22 individuals but we are a family of 22 parts.

As we grow closer to each other there are tears of joy and tears of laughter that are expressed during our times of affirmation. During these times of affirmation it is awesome to see how each person affirms their teammates in such a way that can bring the room to tears at one moment and then to howls of laughter at another. What each of us is discovering is that it is not always the quarterback who throws the winning touchdown that makes the impression, sometimes it is just the water boy who has an even more significant impact. Sometimes in life we find ourselves wanting to compare ourselves to others, thinking that they are better than us just because of ____________ but what we are discovering about ourselves here in Biloxi is that it is not about comparisons but contributions.

When the 22 of us leave and head back home I think that we will find that we’ve got 21 new significant contributions that have been deposited into our lives that will never leave us.

Work Day 2 Wrap, back at Camp Victor

Today was workday 2 of the trip already! It is hard to believe it is already day 2 of working. We started the day again with devotions and a breakfast to prepare us for the day. We have to drink a ton of liquids because the sweltering heat and humidity cause us to lose most all of the liquid we drink through our sweating. Even the ladies are sweating more than ever!

We are learning, on our job sites, that all of us are able to contribute, whether we were previously skilled or unskilled. Our Habitat leaders are very patient leaders and teach all of us the skills we need to know to build the homes we are working on. When we started just yesterday the homes were in stage one of the building process and since then we have seen walls and roofs raised….It’s such a rewarding feeling to see so much progress in such a short amount of time, especially when we know that God working through us made this happen. We know it has to have been God working through us because our team members have worked with persist, patient, and joyful attitudes despite the heat. The more skilled members of our team have taught the less skilled members of the team so much about the building process, and without God the learning could not have come so easily. We have had the opportunity to share our joy with other Habitat volunteers from other locations and with the Habitat staff and also Americorps staff on our sites. We’ve enjoyed meeting and talking with them and sharing stories.

It is encouraging to see that so many volunteers are continuing to contribute to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. We see the evidence of this at Camp Victor, where we are staying, by murals and tee-shirts on display that represent all the volunteers who have come before us.

Many of our team members returned to Camp Victor at the end of the work day exhausted and feeling utterly depleted of energy yet filled with God’s love. Each night after dinner we meet as a team and sing and worship, and during this time our empty fuel tanks are refilled with encouragement from one another. This experience is bringing team members who barely knew each other before together in a way that unites us like brothers and sisters. Only Christ’s love could do this…. This is truly “bodacious”. (By the way, “bodacious” is the word of the day)

One more note…. The team would like to wish a very happy birthday (just a little belated!) to Tammy Grimes. Keith mentioned that he has been with Tammy on her birthday every year for the past 31 years but is not with her this week while serving with our team. We hope Tammy had a bodacious birthday!!!!

The morning of work Day 2 at Camp Victor

5:30am is early... and feels even earlier when you find muscles you never even knew you had! Soon everyone will be up and waiting in line to pack their lunch... then another line to eat breakfast... then fill the coolers with water and ice... make sure all 22 have their bags, lunches, hats, boots, etc. So from 6:00 - 7:00 we all run around like the fire ants we have grown to fear! But after we hustle around the camp in the morning making sure we are all ready to go we circle up at the vehicles before heading the 20 minutes to Gulfport to the job site.

There is something about that circle that takes the fear and pain away. I know I have felt and experienced God's love through everyone on this trip. It is amazing to see how little things like someone asking if you have your water can make you smile. The team has been blessed, not only by the opportunity to serve the project, but by serving each other all day. Humor has been a blessing and there is plenty of it throughout the day. I never knew making someone laugh could make the difference between them giving up and pushing through. This is truly awesome stuff!

Well it is off to start the process by making lunch. As you think about us today continue to pray for safety, unity and that God touches us and uses us in unimaginable ways. We serve an awesome God and our team is enjoying showing God's loves through Daybreakers in a practical way! We truly are the hands and feet of the body.

Day 1 of Construction

Today was the first day being on site, in construction clothes, decked out and ready to serve those whose homes were devastated by Katrina. For many of us, this was a little stressful—we really didn’t know what to expect and whether we were the right ones for the job. Plus, it can be quite difficult to for those who are used to controlling every aspect of life to let go of the reigns and simply trust. We would soon find out that despite our fears, God has us in His hands. It wasn’t half as difficult as we imagined it might be and the weather, while hot (as expected), would not be unbearable.

The day started at 6:00am when Habitat lights up the barracks and sets the whole facility in motion. We start the day with showers, breakfast, packing our own lunches, gathering ice cold water, and preparing our hearts for the day. We depart at 7:45 for a 20-minute drive to our construction site. We meet the crew who will be supervising us for the day: Brad (a Philly native), R.T., Vick, and Kurt. There are three homes in various stages of completion and our team is given instructions and direction is divided into thirds. We tackled several tasks during the day: decking, roofing, bracing the roof to the frame (especially helpful in hurricane weather), weatherproofing the exterior with foam sheeting, and a sundry of other jobs. The crew was helpful and constantly providing instruction so that no one would ever feel lost.

As you can imagine, the big fear is that it’s going to be unbearably hot. Well, it is hot—come on this is the south!—but it’s not quite as bad as we thought. God gave us cloudy skies, a few refreshing raindrops, and several welcome breezes throughout the day. There was so much unity and helpfulness among everyone on the team. Not only are the leaders constantly checking on us to make sure we’re sufficiently hydrated, but everyone is lending a hand to everyone in need. The day while tiring went very fast.

We returned to the Habitat facility, many of us with just one thing in mind: a shower and a fresh change of clothes. After dinner we would meet for an uplifting time of sharing what we learned from God and from each other. We took time to positively affirm one another recognizing that this was a team affair and that everyone played a part. It was a time full of smiles and laughter—we are certainly blessed with a team that has a strong sense of humor.

We wrapped up the evening with a visit to the local Sonic where ice cream and fellowship would close out the evening. If any of us had trouble sleeping on prior nights, this night would not be one of them.

A 3 hour tour and arrival at Camp Victor

On Day 2 we started out with a 3 hour tour, now you'll recall that on Gilligan's Island they started out on just a 3 hour tour also. However, ours did not end up with us stranded on a tropical island. But just as in the story of Gilligan's Island a storm did have an impact on us. We got to take a tour of the New Orleans area and the devastation that Katrina brought upon this area. Words cannot describe the devastation that Katrina brought to this area. We had an awesome tour guide who provided us with so much background and detail as to what happened here, but beyond the educational background he connected us to the area emotionally. Everyone one of us was touched in some way, and beyond the physical devastation was the emotional devastation. There is so much that can be said, I believe everyone was touched beyond the words that I can add to this blog tonight. Let's just suffice to say that our taking a week out of our lives of comfort and blessing does not compare to the impact that Katrina had on the lives of the gulf coast residents. When we get home make sure you ask us about the tour and the devastation and the impact the tour had on us.

After the tour we had lunch at another local establishment, the Red Fish Grill, and got to sample some more of the wonderful local fare then packed up for the one and a half hour drive to the Biloxi area.

So here we are at Camp Victor in Ocean Springs, MS. It is a 40,000 square foot facility that is a converted sewing machine factory. They've done a phenomenal job of converting it into a great sleeping/eating/lounging area for teams that are working in this area. We've already gotten to meet some of the other teams and are enjoying building new relationships. Tomorrow morning we'll be heading off to our job sites. We've discovered that we'll be having the opportunity to serve three different families by working on 3 homes, they are all local to each other so we'll still see each other throughout the day.

We'll it's soon time for lights out here and an early morning to start our work with Habitat for Humanity. We're excited and a lot of anxieties seem to be dissipating.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers, the temps are expected to be, shall we say . . . HOT!

We are feeling the prayers that are being lifted up for us, because with 22 different people and personalities their could be a recipe for conflict, but the unity among this team is unbelievable, we are a family. We are the hands and feet of God being used in a practical way.

A great first day in New Orleans

Thanks to everyone who prayed for us today as we traveled. Everything was smooth! Our drive to the airport was easy, our check-in was easy, our flights were easy (one stop-over but did not even get off the plane), getting our rentals cars was easy, and even our drive and check-in at the hotel was easy. That's something considering we have 22 people trooping around together!

After arriving at the hotel, we had lunch at the Gumbo Shop where many of us were able to taste some of our first authentic New Orleans food - Yum! Since this was our day to be tourists, we shopped through the French Quarter, ate dessert at the famous Cafe du Monde, and enjoyed some pool time back at the hotel. Tough day, I know, but it was awesome to be able to get to know each other even more, laugh a lot, and just enjoy the city with all of its quirks.

Tomorrow morning we get up early to go on a guided tour of how Hurricane Katrina destroyed so many corners of this city. We're hoping that it really gives us some perspective on the effects of the storm as we prepare our hearts for our week of work. Then we drive the 90 miles out to Biloxi to check in with Habitat. Yeah! We can't believe we're finally here! God has been so good to us!

Pray that we will continue to trust Him with EVERY part of our trip and hear what it is that He is trying to teach us. Hope to update you again soon!

(The pictures you see are of our team along the Mississippi River, and then a few team members eating the local fare. Enjoy!)

We leave in 5 minutes!!

Nothing like the last-minute update to let you know that we are on our way to Biloxi! We will be spending our first night in New Orleans, enjoying the culture of the city and taking a guided tour of how Hurricane Katrina affected not only New Orleans, but our entire country. We look forward to spending some free time together here at the beginning of our journey!

Then, we head to Biloxi for the rest of the week! We hope that you will keep up to date on our travels here at the blog. Pray that we will have a GREAT time serving together as a team, that we will get to meet and hear the stories of our home owners, and that we all will experience life change as we hear from God.

Thanks for all of your support and prayers, everyone! We couldn't do it without you! Hope to update you soon!

Mel (on behalf of all 22 of us!)