As some of you may know, I went to Kansas City, MO, this past week to attend Christian Vet Mission's annual conference known as Short Course. I arrived Tuesday afternoon and went through some disaster training on Tuesday and Wednesday. For the rest of my time I chose to track Short Term Missions so I attended sessions relating to STM Thursday-Friday. Our days officially started at 7:30a.m. with praise and worship and a short devotion. The rest of the day was filled with sessions for our particular tracks and joint times of praise and worship and a fabulous keynote speaker. The day ended at 9:00p.m. with another praise and worship session. While I did learn a lot by tracking STM, I think that what impacted me the most was the keynote speaker, the praise and worship sessions, and the time I personally spent seeking the Lord in the woods. I got up an hour early every morning and took a path into the woods to read the Bible, pray, and just be still in the presence of God. It was a beautiful setting and although the air was sticky from all the humidity, it didn't really bother me. One morning, I think it was Friday, I was going for my morning walk/quiet time and all of a sudden a coyote popped over the hill. My heart stopped and I must have surprised him too because he turned and ran away. That day we got done with the STM session a little early so once again, I slipped off to the woods. I was sitting on a bench just thinking and praying when I heard a little click sound. I looked up and a turkey gobbler was crossing the trail probably 20ft from where I was sitting. To me, these are very special experiences with God's creation.
My favorite lesson that the keynote speaker gave was on honor and how we are to honor others if for no other reason than they are made in the image of God. I really need to get the notes from that one.
God also gave me some peace and reassurance regarding something that has been bothering me for a long time and I may share that later. What I will share was what Dr. Fred Van Gorkom said Friday night at our last group session. He was a fulltime missionary in Kenya for 6-7 years and gave us the wrap up. He said, and I quote, "It's not how long you live; it's how you live." Wow. He also said that he hopes someday Christ counts him worthy to die for his faith. Talk about a man of faith.
It was definitely a worth-while trip and I'm really hoping that I can go again next year.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
End of Minot Deployment 8/18/11-8/19/11
I was planning to work through Friday and leave on Saturday but that was not the way it worked out. I had been battling a cough for over a month and on Thursday I woke up with a terrible sinus infection. I still really wanted to work so I made my lunch like every other morning before breakfast and traveled with the team to the job. We worked on the same house as the day before and I focused on pulling nails from beams in the ceiling while others knocked down the ceilings and cleaned out the basement. We found out from the EPA that all the blown-in insulation had to be put in plastic trash bags before it could be added to the pile by the street. This was very discouraging as it added a lot of work and time to our job. As the day wore on, I kept feeling worse and worse and by one o'clock I was sick enough that Becky sent me back to base to rest. I was very down and felt like a total slacker for leaving the rest of my team (all older than me by far) to do the work. However, they all said I was pale and I felt weak and just generally awful. Becky threatened to call Mike on me if I didn't go so I gave in. Cathy went back too because she was getting a muscle spasm that made it painful to work. We showered and changed clothes, she bought me cold medicine and got me ice packs and I passed out for two hours until just before supper.
The next morning I woke up drenched in sweat from a fever and removed myself from the team. I packed up and started driving back to Colorado, looking at the clock in the car often and knowing where the team would be at in their day. They're taking their morning break. Now it's lunch time. Popsicles should be there soon. Only an hour left in the work day. Probably packing the truck and heading back to the church. It really did hurt my spirit not to be able to finish with my team. I felt that I had let down my team, my crew chiefs, the homeowners, myself, and maybe even God.
The volunteers on this deployment did come under spiritual attack and we recognized it. I got so sick that I couldn't work; a sixteen year-old Michigan girl's grandmother died Thursday; a woman's adult son tried to commit suicide and called her to say goodbye. (The mom grabbed the hand of the chaplain next to her and without knowing what was going on, the chaplain started praying. Thankfully, the young man did not take his own life and a pastor in his area is going to come alongside and help him.)
And yet we also recognized the hand of God reaching down and helping us. As Bill (from Missouri) said, every night you go to bed and think "Lord, I don't think I can do another day of this." And then you wake up in the morning and say "Hey, I feel pretty good. I'm good to go again. It's like you've been reborn." Nearly everyone experienced this kind of refreshing in the morning no matter how little sleep you had the night before and all that I can say is it was definitely the grace of God. Another way that I personally saw God work was through everyone's attitudes and work ethic. I have never really minded hard work but I actually really enjoyed what I was doing in Minot. Every day was a good day even though you came back exhausted, sweaty, and often covered in insulation. You hear this from nearly everyone on an SP deployment: "This is really hard work but I'm actually having fun!" Everyone worked hard and got along; there was no cliques, fighting, or slacking. A human couldn't throw a bunch of people from different denominations, backgrounds, and states together and have it work. These teams are hand-picked by God.
I know that God has a reason I wasn't able to stay in Minot for the whole time that I had planned and while it is bitterly disappointing I continue to trust in His mercy and grace. He is definitely leading me and putting me where He desires when He desires though lately this seems to be more via a swift kick in the bum than anything else. Needless to say I don't get to thinking that I'm the one running the show for very long. :)
The next morning I woke up drenched in sweat from a fever and removed myself from the team. I packed up and started driving back to Colorado, looking at the clock in the car often and knowing where the team would be at in their day. They're taking their morning break. Now it's lunch time. Popsicles should be there soon. Only an hour left in the work day. Probably packing the truck and heading back to the church. It really did hurt my spirit not to be able to finish with my team. I felt that I had let down my team, my crew chiefs, the homeowners, myself, and maybe even God.
The volunteers on this deployment did come under spiritual attack and we recognized it. I got so sick that I couldn't work; a sixteen year-old Michigan girl's grandmother died Thursday; a woman's adult son tried to commit suicide and called her to say goodbye. (The mom grabbed the hand of the chaplain next to her and without knowing what was going on, the chaplain started praying. Thankfully, the young man did not take his own life and a pastor in his area is going to come alongside and help him.)
And yet we also recognized the hand of God reaching down and helping us. As Bill (from Missouri) said, every night you go to bed and think "Lord, I don't think I can do another day of this." And then you wake up in the morning and say "Hey, I feel pretty good. I'm good to go again. It's like you've been reborn." Nearly everyone experienced this kind of refreshing in the morning no matter how little sleep you had the night before and all that I can say is it was definitely the grace of God. Another way that I personally saw God work was through everyone's attitudes and work ethic. I have never really minded hard work but I actually really enjoyed what I was doing in Minot. Every day was a good day even though you came back exhausted, sweaty, and often covered in insulation. You hear this from nearly everyone on an SP deployment: "This is really hard work but I'm actually having fun!" Everyone worked hard and got along; there was no cliques, fighting, or slacking. A human couldn't throw a bunch of people from different denominations, backgrounds, and states together and have it work. These teams are hand-picked by God.
I know that God has a reason I wasn't able to stay in Minot for the whole time that I had planned and while it is bitterly disappointing I continue to trust in His mercy and grace. He is definitely leading me and putting me where He desires when He desires though lately this seems to be more via a swift kick in the bum than anything else. Needless to say I don't get to thinking that I'm the one running the show for very long. :)
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| These people removed their siding up to the water line. |
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| You can't really see it well but those white things in the trees seem to be fabric of some sort. Very strange. |
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| More of that fabric stuff alongside the road. |
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| THIS is taking it down to the bare bones. |
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| A church group takes a break; you can see piles of trash down the whole street. |
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| One of the trucks in the SP fleet; all white Chevys. |
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| Me in front of the tool trailer. |
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| Becky and I (my 2nd crew chief) behind our truck on the morning I left. |
Day 3 of SP Deployment to Minot 8-17-11
We found out that the huge house from yesterday was most likely a scam. For one thing, it was in a more affluent neighborhood than we had previously been working in and while we were working, a man in a Jaguar pulled up and asked who was in charge. He then proceeded to tell Mike that he would like to save the windows and to only go up as far as we had to on the walls as they were planning to rebuild. Mike was already suspicious because it didn't look like any furniture had been on the carpet before the flood (there were no pressure marks) so he didn't think anyone was living there plus it is a HUGE house and why would a couple in their eighties build a home that big? When we got back to base, he went to the office and they did more research. It was discovered that the house was not owned by the elderly couple but by one of their adult children. It is suspected that they were hoping to use us as free labor so they could flip the house and sell it. Needless to say, we didn't go back today.
Instead, we went on to a home that was actually owned by an older couple; he built the house in 1964. His wife had wanted to move up the hill last year but he really didn't want to leave the beautiful spot where he had built their home all those years ago so instead they redid the bathroom and built an addition onto the house. The wife is so devastated by the flood damage that she can't come back to look at the house.
Today I got down on my hands and knees and pulled nails from the floor and then from the studs and ceiling as well. At one point, I almost toppled from the ladder where I was working but was able to grab a beam and steady myself. (I'm deathly afraid of heights but God is not letting that hinder me.) I also helped Helen and Bill pull up plywood flooring in the living room. Crew chief Mike left after lunch and was replaced by Becky. We got lost on our way to the job site this morning so didn't get started till after nine even though we discovered it's really only 15 minutes from the church.
When the "pope with the popsicles (and the popess)" came by today for our afternoon break, they told us of a sad situation within the church where we are staying. A ten year-old boy named Joshua died in a four-wheeling accident last night in Canada where he and his four siblings were visiting their father before school starts. (The parents are divorced and the mother is a member of the church). On of his younger sisters found Joshua after the accident. Both parents feel guilty and each wants him buried in their country. There was to be a conference call today between Canadian and American judges and the magistrates from both countries to decide where the boy should be buried. (I never heard what the verdict was).
At supper, they told us that an SP worker in Haiti (driver and translator) hit and killed a 10 year-old Haitian boy today. The boy's name was Bailele. This is the first such accident that has happened for SP. After supper, we prayed for Joshua's family and for those involved in the Haitian accident. Everyone left the hall with heavy hearts. Some went to cry and pray and others left the church grounds to get away from it all for a while.
Instead, we went on to a home that was actually owned by an older couple; he built the house in 1964. His wife had wanted to move up the hill last year but he really didn't want to leave the beautiful spot where he had built their home all those years ago so instead they redid the bathroom and built an addition onto the house. The wife is so devastated by the flood damage that she can't come back to look at the house.
Today I got down on my hands and knees and pulled nails from the floor and then from the studs and ceiling as well. At one point, I almost toppled from the ladder where I was working but was able to grab a beam and steady myself. (I'm deathly afraid of heights but God is not letting that hinder me.) I also helped Helen and Bill pull up plywood flooring in the living room. Crew chief Mike left after lunch and was replaced by Becky. We got lost on our way to the job site this morning so didn't get started till after nine even though we discovered it's really only 15 minutes from the church.
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| Sheri shoveling debris in a house. |
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| Jody pulling up plywood flooring. |
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| Shoveling drywall chunks and dirt from a floor; pulling nails as well. |
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| The deck-detached from the house and turned 180 degrees. |
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| Here's what the inside of your house looks like |
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| Keith taking out a wall. |
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| The water lines on the houses never ceased to amaze and shock me. |
When the "pope with the popsicles (and the popess)" came by today for our afternoon break, they told us of a sad situation within the church where we are staying. A ten year-old boy named Joshua died in a four-wheeling accident last night in Canada where he and his four siblings were visiting their father before school starts. (The parents are divorced and the mother is a member of the church). On of his younger sisters found Joshua after the accident. Both parents feel guilty and each wants him buried in their country. There was to be a conference call today between Canadian and American judges and the magistrates from both countries to decide where the boy should be buried. (I never heard what the verdict was).
At supper, they told us that an SP worker in Haiti (driver and translator) hit and killed a 10 year-old Haitian boy today. The boy's name was Bailele. This is the first such accident that has happened for SP. After supper, we prayed for Joshua's family and for those involved in the Haitian accident. Everyone left the hall with heavy hearts. Some went to cry and pray and others left the church grounds to get away from it all for a while.
Day 2 of SP Deployment to Minot. 8-16-11
We were actually working by eight at the second job site from yesterday. I spent my morning tearing up tongue-and-groove flooring with a crowbar. Our crew chief Mike took a sledgehammer to the cast-iron bathtub on the main floor and broke it up so that it could be moved outside easier. The Salvation Army came by at noon with a hot lunch of sloppy joes for us so we'll just save the sandwiches that we made this morning for tomorrow. We finished with the job just after two and after the Bible presentation and prayer, moved on to the next job.
It is a beautiful 5,000sq. ft. home that belongs to an elderly couple. It was obviously their dream home and now will have to be rebuilt. There is mold 6 feet up the walls on the main floor and the basement (finished) is full of mud and dead crawdads. The carpets still squish when you walk on them. We worked hard for about two hours cleaning out cupboards and closets of clothing and groceries that was left behind.
Tonight after we got back to the church and showered, I was talking to a woman whom I have seen every day since I've been here. I asked if she was here all day every day and she said 'almost.' She and her husband are pastors at this church and the parsonage they were living in has been condemned due to flood damage. So for the past two months she and her family have been living in a 10'x12' camp trailer in the church parking lot. She no longer has a home of her own and yet this woman spends nearly all of each day serving the SP team. Only God can give people hearts like that.
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| Bill and Mike tearing out wood flooring. |
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| A pile of wood from two houses. |
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| The men at the end of our lunch break. |
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| Contents from houses. |
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| Note the high water line on this house. And the poor people tried to sandbag it too. |
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| Job site #2. |
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| Once again, the water line on the house. And note how the front window is bowed in but not broken from the pressure of the water. |
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| Fin`e! |
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| Cathy and Sheri on the hot water heater at the end of the job. |
It is a beautiful 5,000sq. ft. home that belongs to an elderly couple. It was obviously their dream home and now will have to be rebuilt. There is mold 6 feet up the walls on the main floor and the basement (finished) is full of mud and dead crawdads. The carpets still squish when you walk on them. We worked hard for about two hours cleaning out cupboards and closets of clothing and groceries that was left behind.
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| Mold and water damage in the fancy house. |
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| Mold on the walls. |
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| Mold on the carpet. It looked almost like mushrooms. |
Day 1 with Samaritan's Purse: Deployment to Minot, ND 8-15-11
I arrived in Minot, North Dakota, yesterday around 6:00p.m. This is my first deployment with Samaritan's Purse and we are here to do flood relief aka gut houses following the flooding of the Mouse River in June of this year. Over 4,100 homes were damaged in the flood and 90% of those people do not have flood insurance. SP focuses on homeowners who are disabled, elderly, single parents, and uninsured. In other words, those who probably need our help the most. We do not work on outbuildings, garages that are not attached to the house, rental properties, or commercial properties. The house must also be the family's primary residence. For this deployment, our base camp is the First Assembly of God church on the southern edge of Minot. We have a cook who will make breakfast and supper for us and we will put together our own sack lunches before heading out for the day. There were porta-potties outside but thankfully we were able to use the bathrooms in the church instead. SP brought up two shower trailers from North Carolina for us to use which would prove to be a huge blessing. There was nothing better than a shower of the perfect temperature after a day of hard work.
We started the day with breakfast at 6:30 followed by devotions, orientation, and a safety briefing. I was placed on Mike Brunelli's team and am the youngest by at least 30 years. Our first job was a rural property that they had worked on last week. The men ripped up the flooring in one room and the women pulled up nails in the floor and swept up debris.
The homeowner was very thankful that we were there to help his family and chatted with us a couple times between going about his daily business and meeting his wife at their storage locker in town. He said that if you have copper wiring or plumbing people come by and tear it out. Looting in general is a real problem since the flood but with copper going at such a high rate, if you don't take it out yourself someone else will. Someone even broke a beautiful two-pane window in the home we were working on. This house was built in 1880 and moved out to the countryside sometime in the 1940's. As I found to be the case with almost every house we went to, you could see the water line on the house.
When we had completed our work there, we presented the homeowner with a Bible signed by the team and prayed with him. It almost made me cry. This man and his family will have to practically rebuild their home and are currently living in a FEMA trailer.
After lunch, we went to a house that was supposed to be 80% done. It was NOT. The owner, Gary, was nearly ecstatic to see us. He came out of Satanism 30 years ago and has been a Christian since. He insisted on praying with and for us before we started work on the house (built in 1932). Most of his prayer concerned our safety, how thankful he was that we had come to help, and how thankful he was for Christian fellowship. It was very touching.
The women pulled nails out of the studs in the walls and removed cement board and some kind of awful wall board. It was black and almost tarry on the back and really stuck to the walls and nails. The men also helped pull nails and shoveled out the downstairs bathroom. The sewer had backed up during the flood and they said that it was pretty nasty downstairs. I heard them breaking up the shower too.
The chaplains came by with popsicles for us in the middle of the afternoon which was a nice break. The chaplains are part of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and are somehow deployed with SP to every disaster that SP goes to. We have four chaplains (two married couples) every week who stay for two weeks and as they rotate on deployments, you get a new pair of chaplains every week.
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| I was lucky enough to get a Red Cross cot. They are a-mazing to sleep on! |
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| The big shower trailer. I believe it had 7 showers in it. |
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| One of the nicer stalls in the shower trailer. Not all had sinks and chairs. |
The homeowner was very thankful that we were there to help his family and chatted with us a couple times between going about his daily business and meeting his wife at their storage locker in town. He said that if you have copper wiring or plumbing people come by and tear it out. Looting in general is a real problem since the flood but with copper going at such a high rate, if you don't take it out yourself someone else will. Someone even broke a beautiful two-pane window in the home we were working on. This house was built in 1880 and moved out to the countryside sometime in the 1940's. As I found to be the case with almost every house we went to, you could see the water line on the house.
When we had completed our work there, we presented the homeowner with a Bible signed by the team and prayed with him. It almost made me cry. This man and his family will have to practically rebuild their home and are currently living in a FEMA trailer.
After lunch, we went to a house that was supposed to be 80% done. It was NOT. The owner, Gary, was nearly ecstatic to see us. He came out of Satanism 30 years ago and has been a Christian since. He insisted on praying with and for us before we started work on the house (built in 1932). Most of his prayer concerned our safety, how thankful he was that we had come to help, and how thankful he was for Christian fellowship. It was very touching.
The women pulled nails out of the studs in the walls and removed cement board and some kind of awful wall board. It was black and almost tarry on the back and really stuck to the walls and nails. The men also helped pull nails and shoveled out the downstairs bathroom. The sewer had backed up during the flood and they said that it was pretty nasty downstairs. I heard them breaking up the shower too.
The chaplains came by with popsicles for us in the middle of the afternoon which was a nice break. The chaplains are part of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and are somehow deployed with SP to every disaster that SP goes to. We have four chaplains (two married couples) every week who stay for two weeks and as they rotate on deployments, you get a new pair of chaplains every week.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Preparing for ND
I can't believe how fast the trip to Minot is coming up. With Samaritan's Purse, I have to arrange my own transport. I checked into plane tickets but they were too expensive so I will be driving. I will leave from Colorado sometime on the 13th (next Saturday) and arrive in Minot, God willing, on the 14th. I need to start packing and my sleeping bag is in the washer. I also have just a couple forms to fill out and as my tetanus vaccination is up-to-date, I don't have to worry about getting that before I leave. We will be staying in a Baptist church in Minot where there is no a/c but it is supposedly "not bad." Thankfully, they do have shower trailers; I was wondering if we would go a week without showers, something that is not unheard of in situations like this. Our food will also be provided for us; breakfast and supper are at the church and I believe we will have sack lunches at the site.
I will be taking my mom's car as it gets WAY better mileage than my pickup does. I plan to stay overnight somewhere on the way up so that I'm not exhausted when I get there and will just see how I feel driving back. And here is the part where I ask for financial help. As I don't have a job, I do need financial assistance to do these things, such as covering fuel both ways and a motel on the way up. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go before my church this coming Sunday night and present what I am doing. At this point, I do not know if the church will allow me to set up a fund to help offset trip costs and/or help support me. I'm definitely trusting God in this area of finances.
I will be out of touch the week I am in Minot but will try to post an account of the trip between the time I get back and the time I fly to MO for CVM Short-course.
As always, your prayers are coveted. Thank-you and God bless.
I will be taking my mom's car as it gets WAY better mileage than my pickup does. I plan to stay overnight somewhere on the way up so that I'm not exhausted when I get there and will just see how I feel driving back. And here is the part where I ask for financial help. As I don't have a job, I do need financial assistance to do these things, such as covering fuel both ways and a motel on the way up. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go before my church this coming Sunday night and present what I am doing. At this point, I do not know if the church will allow me to set up a fund to help offset trip costs and/or help support me. I'm definitely trusting God in this area of finances.
I will be out of touch the week I am in Minot but will try to post an account of the trip between the time I get back and the time I fly to MO for CVM Short-course.
As always, your prayers are coveted. Thank-you and God bless.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Getting Started
Hey guys it's Em! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this new step in my life. I graduated college last year as veterinary technician and took a job in Saskatchewan. Anyway, I worked at a mixed practice in a rural area for about a year. Then I went on a two-week missions trip to a reserve in northern Saskatchewan. (This was my 9th trip up and they always make my summer.) Anyway, on the way back home I clearly felt God's call to become more involved in short-term missions. To do this, I ended up leaving my job and moving back to Colorado, where I grew up. I sent applications to two missions organizations Christian Vet Mission and Samaritan's Purse. I really felt that this was what God wanted me to do but waiting for acceptance to a mission board is agonizing.
Today I received a letter in the mail from CVM saying they were pleased to inform that I had been accepted into the pool of short term missionaries. I am beyond excited! Getting that acceptance letter in less than a month is something I take as a good sign. I am very thankful that I had a great doctor who also happens to have faith in Christ to write my professional reference and two older missionaries to write my Christian reference. I had already registered for the CVM short-course to be held in Missouri next month, hoping I would get accepted into the pool.
At approximately 1:00p.m. today I received a phone call from Samaritan's Purse saying that they had received my application (I just sent it the end of last week!) and they are in need of volunteers for current disaster relief. Would I be willing to go to North Dakota to help with flood relief in August? Now?!? Already?! I said yes and told them I would be available the week of the 15th. A volunteer coordinator is supposed to get in touch with me over the next couple days to confirm the details.
So in two weeks I plan to go to Minot, North Dakota, as part of an SP Disaster Relief Team to help victims of the recent flooding. The following week I am scheduled to fly to Kansas City, Missouri, for 5 days of training during CVM. Part of this training will be by a group called Noah's Wish and they will teach us how to assist animals during national disasters while representing Christ.
I can't believe how fast it is all coming together; there is no other explanation than it is the hand of God reaching out and working on my behalf. May I be used to bring glory to Him as I take this new path.
Please pray with/for me on the following things:
Today I received a letter in the mail from CVM saying they were pleased to inform that I had been accepted into the pool of short term missionaries. I am beyond excited! Getting that acceptance letter in less than a month is something I take as a good sign. I am very thankful that I had a great doctor who also happens to have faith in Christ to write my professional reference and two older missionaries to write my Christian reference. I had already registered for the CVM short-course to be held in Missouri next month, hoping I would get accepted into the pool.
At approximately 1:00p.m. today I received a phone call from Samaritan's Purse saying that they had received my application (I just sent it the end of last week!) and they are in need of volunteers for current disaster relief. Would I be willing to go to North Dakota to help with flood relief in August? Now?!? Already?! I said yes and told them I would be available the week of the 15th. A volunteer coordinator is supposed to get in touch with me over the next couple days to confirm the details.
So in two weeks I plan to go to Minot, North Dakota, as part of an SP Disaster Relief Team to help victims of the recent flooding. The following week I am scheduled to fly to Kansas City, Missouri, for 5 days of training during CVM. Part of this training will be by a group called Noah's Wish and they will teach us how to assist animals during national disasters while representing Christ.
I can't believe how fast it is all coming together; there is no other explanation than it is the hand of God reaching out and working on my behalf. May I be used to bring glory to Him as I take this new path.
Please pray with/for me on the following things:
- That I would bring glory to God and show His love to a hurting world
- That I would live my life when I am NOT on mission in a way that is pleasing to Him and will not damage my testimony
- For unity with my team in ND
- That things would continue to fall into place with both missions organizations
- For safe travel to and from ND and MO and safety while working in MO
- That I would seek Christ with my whole heart and truly focus on deepening my relationship with Him
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