Today began in the dark…even in the kitchen. The florescent ceiling light has two rings and the larger one went out, leaving Liz to make her breakfast casserole by flashlight. Then the flashlight batteries gave out and replacements had to be found. Gary then brought a work light in from the trailer and we were able to proceed. It reminds us to be thankful for the light of Christ in our lives. Bumping around in the dark, trying to accomplish something without that light is a recipe for disaster. In the end, Liz’s recipe for breakfast casserole came out a winner. Thanks to the light!
Breakfast casserole, monkey bread, cantaloupe and grapefruit were a hit. The monkey bread was practically inhaled. The last few pieces went quickly.
The team checks out the mission reports and pictures on the blog.
“Krewe” member.
Brooke sings along with her Ipod on the way to the job site.
Once they got to the job site, it was time to get down to business.
There were no walls in the house when the team began. The bathroom walls were a priority. Now, if it just had a door…
The team taught Gloria to mud today, as they don’t think they will be able to finish all the mudding before we leave on Friday. Gloria was excited to learn this new skill!
Po’ Boy sandwiches were a special treat for today’s noon meal. Most of the team had oyster or shrimp sandwiches. A few were not so adventurous, but everyone enjoyed this delicious lunch. They came in 32″ loaves and were cut into 8″ pieces on the job site. I sat on a bucket and we used a stack of drywall for a very short serving table.
Messy, but delicious!
The boys were enjoying the fresh air outside while they ate lunch and then it began to pour! They had to run for cover!
We met a team this evening, in the home of one of the church members, who are working with Habitat for Humanity. They are putting walls on a foundation and when the rain began, they had no cover. They kept working through the downpour. They said they were already wet and couldn’t get any wetter, so they just kept going. Yeah for them!
The congregation of Redeemer Church, our hosts this week, extended their warm hospitality to us by providing a wonderful meal this evening at the home of Steverson and Bess. Though their house is under renovation (something they began before Katrina), Steverson and Bess opened their home and we had a wonderful time. Thank you for the meal, and thank you, Redeemer, for giving us this opportunity to show Christ’s love by serving the community of New Orleans.
Liz had the opportunity to catch up with a friend from last year’s trip to New Orleans.
The week is winding down and there is some sense of regret over that. We feel we have barely managed to get started. There is so much work to be done here. Many people are still in need. Please pray for the people of this city. And pray for the church of Redeemer as they strive to meet those needs.
~~Rhonda
Thursday Devotion – Ephesians 6:5-9
The context of this passage is about obeying authority, but it also applies to us as we consider service. It forces us to ask some questions.
Why are you here? This seems like a simple question. You are on a mission trip. You came to serve, but why did you come? What were your motivations?
And now that you are here, you have put in three or four days of work already. Are you having fun yet? If the answer is yes, why? Why is it fun? If the answer is now, why aren’t you having fun? Paul is challenging us to serve wholeheartedly for the Lord. Whether cleaning toilets or hanging drywall, we are to “serve wholeheartedly.”
My challenge for you is to consider what it would be like for you to be someone else’s slave. How would you feel day in and day out serving someone who gave you no respect and no pay for your work? Could you serve them with a joyful spirit for God’s glory? It is easy to do it on a mission trip. Can you do it every day no matter what the circumstances?
Take some time in prayer to pray for a humble spirit, that the world would know that we are Christians by our love.