What I learned in Mississippi

I just got back from my trip down south to help the victims of hurricane Katrina. It was an amazing experience and I am having difficulty sharing how much I learned. The funny thing is that I almost didn't go at the last minute when my friend Darren who invited me to go on the trip backed out. He was the only person I knew and I wasn't keen on the idea of spending several days with people I had never meant. But God had a bigger plan for me and so I went and I am glad I took the risk.

My team was great and despite varying personalities and backgrounds we got along very well. I bussed down with a group of people from several Christian Missionary Alliance churches in Indiana. I would say about half the team were college students and the other half a little older. Everybody worked hard and nobody complained. There were no selfish agendas and everybody was flexible. It was amazing to see how we all worked so well together. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was part of a team, a part of something bigger than myself. And while I was only with these people for a few days, I somehow feel a deep spiritual connection with them. People in the church often talk about community and this weekend I experienced it in a very real way.

Before the trip, I thought I was going La. But instead we went to Gulfport Mississippi. We worked with an organization called PRC made up of several Christian volunteers from all over North America. We stayed at the navy base which was kind of cool. They took very good care of us and we ate like kings. We slept in a building with over 1000 other volunteers mostly from the Red Cross but also from the church of scientology. I was hoping to see Tom Cruise with them but apparently he had other things going on and couldn't volunteer.

The first day, half our team helped restock and clean a supply tent and the other half of us went to help clear debris from the local resident's property. The rest of the trip we helped run a makeshift soup kitchen in a town called Pass Christian which was one of the hardest hit spots in the state. We also went into the neighborhoods near the kitchen to help clean properties.

It was hard work hauling trees and rubble from people's property. For those that know me, you understand that manual labor is not really my thing so to speak. But through much prayer I was able to carry my weight and felt like I had accomplished something at the end of the day.

The next few days we worked in Pass Christian, preparing and serving food. It was actually a lot of fun. I even learned how to make hush puppies. It was there that I think our team really began to bond. We served food to people who were from the neighborhood and to the workers that were helping get the area cleaned up.

It's almost impossible to describe the devastation I saw in that town. New Orleans got all the news but this part of Mississippi was hit just as hard by the winds and the sea. Whole neighborhoods were gone with nothing left but a few foundations to houses that used to be there. The wreckage left me in awe of the power that destroyed the city.

The local residents were very grateful for our help. On one of my breaks from serving food I met a couple who lived in the area. They had stayed in their house during the hurricane and about half there house was destroyed by the storm. They were still living there and making due with what they had left. The man's name was Bill and he was scheduled to have knee surgery this week. His house is destroyed and now he will be unable to work or do much to help clean up the house because of his surgery. His wife Pat works part time and is going to take care of him but the doctor wants her to have neck surgery herself. Despite their troubles, they maintained a good spirit and are just happy to have someone willing to sit and talk to them.

I noticed that their story was not unusual and that many of the hurricane victims had large issues that they were already facing before the storm hit. It makes me wonder if there was a divine conspiracy to bring Christian volunteers into their lives to address some of these other needs on top of helping them rebuild their homes.

The last day I met a lady who had lost her home in the storm. She told me that she was helping her neighbors clear their yards because she had nothing left to do at her house and she didn't want to just sit around. At first I thought I heard her wrong but here was a woman who had lost everything and she was serving other people. Amazing.

What still strikes me is the enormous scope of the task. We worked very hard but I felt like all we did was scoop one spoonful of water out of the ocean. I really wanted to stay and do more because there is so much that still needs to be done. What I had to learn was that God was in control of providing the workers. He sent us for one weekend to help. I have to trust that he is going to send other workers to do the work that we couldn't get to. And actually, I could see that already happening as I was down there. People from all over the country were helping out.

One older lady named Marge drove down from Michigan all by herself and was sleeping in a church parking lot. She came down to the soup kitchen to help cook and serve food both days we were there. When I asked her how long she was going to stay, she told me she would be there as long as God wanted her to be there. At first I felt guilty that I wasn't staying longer. Most volunteers were there for at least a week. Then, I realized that the work wasn't about me and that I was only there to play a small role in a larger play. I learned that there was no way our team could solve all this community's problems, but that God had called his entire church into action and if each of us responded the work will get done.

Another thing that struck me was how alive I felt while I was there. I sensed that I was doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing. Dare I say it was fun and exciting to be in the midst of so much suffering? I almost felt like I was having too much enjoyment from serving people that I forgot to be compassionate and share in their pain. I'm not sure this makes sense but before the trip I thought my best gift would be empathy and the ability to listen and take on these people's burdens but I didn't cry the entire time I was there. I hope I didn't get caught up in what I was doing to not have my heart broken for the people of the town. Or maybe that's okay because I was supposed to haul debris and slice apples because that's what they needed.

The last thing I wrestled with was the idea of coming back home to the real world. I feel like my work down there was the real world and that what I do in Lansing is not. Shouldn't it be the other way around? My first inclination is to jump in the car and head back to help out again next weekend. Or maybe wait for another natural disaster and help those victims. But on my way to work today I prayed that God would reveal the pain and suffering that is happening in my hometown so I wouldn't have to travel 14 hours to help. Down there the suffering was so obvious and immediate. Here it is concealed and swept under the rug by my daily routine. I trust that God will provide me additional opportunities to serve.

I know this has been a really long post but I had a lot on my mind and it is tough to share it all in only a couple paragraphs. I hope to have some pictures available later that I will post on the site.