Well we completed the last of our formal training sessions today and it's been a good learning experience. One of the intresting things they had us do was to present their presentations yesterday and 103 presented what they had learned today. It was a terrific and entertaining overview of the material. 101 performed impressions of the Godfather, Donald "Pump", and Wil Howie (much to Wil's chargrin). It was all in good fun and I believe it got the message across.
102 had numerous learning stations established for our entertainment and enacted the parting of the Red Sea and your's truly somehow ended up being "volunteered" as one of Pharoh's soldiers who never managed to make it out of the Red Sea. Chuck Hadden played the part of Moses who parted the sea. Somehow it didn't seem fair.
Dave Mullins performed an impresion of Jimmy Swaggert as part of 103's presentation asking all of the participants to travel through their "purification" system. Numerous "germs" along the way tried to steer the participants down the "wrong" path of "unrighteousness." Somehow the "righteous" (clean) participants (i.e., water) made it through the system and were purified. Of course after 103 fired up their system for real, we all had to drink the water. It was actualy pretty tasty.
It's too bad none of the "performances" were videotaped. They were all performed in a very entertaining and clever way.
On another humerous note that could have turned out so badly - - - Dave managed to get himself locked in the Oxford's City Hall after it closed - - - without his cellphone. Luckliy he managed to recognize someone else from our group who was walking nearby and he got their attention. The police were subsequently contacted and were able to unlock the building to let him out. We've been giving him a hard time ever since.
We'll be home tomorrow evening. We hope all is well in Oak Ridge.
Doug Allen
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Day 4 Clean Water U
Well, we just took our life/health in our hands and drank the water that our team had purified from the lake water. There was a sample of it down by the intake valve and you could see all kinds of wiggly things in it, besides it was vaguely green. Of course, I am teasing, the water tasted remarkably good and chemical free. The people of Latin America do not tolerate the taste of chlorine so the systems are designed to purify water without chlorine.
It has been an inspiring and exciting 4 days. Like Chuck, I did not learn a great deal about the germ theory of disease but got wonderful ideas and methods for teaching the germ theory of disease, how to use limited clean water, and when and how to wash your hands. But, more than that, we all got inspiration from others who are planning water installation trips, and from those who have already installed water systems and are planning more. So many dedicated people and congregations! The opportunity to meet and talk and plan with others who are doing water mission is just remarkable. So many opportunities and so many things to be done. I can hardly wait. Dale
It has been an inspiring and exciting 4 days. Like Chuck, I did not learn a great deal about the germ theory of disease but got wonderful ideas and methods for teaching the germ theory of disease, how to use limited clean water, and when and how to wash your hands. But, more than that, we all got inspiration from others who are planning water installation trips, and from those who have already installed water systems and are planning more. So many dedicated people and congregations! The opportunity to meet and talk and plan with others who are doing water mission is just remarkable. So many opportunities and so many things to be done. I can hardly wait. Dale
Friday, March 23, 2007
Show and Tell Day
Chuck reporting:
Yes, we survived the long day yesterday. Today is easier. Two of the groups share what we have learned, in presentations that range from serious to slapstick--who says learning shouldn't be fun? It's early afternoon, and we have just finished learning about what the planning/scoping group does and what happens if they don't do their job. Imagine arriving in a country whose language you don't speak and discovering that there was a communications mixup and your hosts won't be at the airport for another 12 hours. Or nobody arranged for plywood and storage jugs to be at the installation site. Even more difficult, I think, is that the planning/scoping group has to be sure there is long-term local support to keep the water purification system running.
Dale and I are doing the community health track. I can't say we have learned much about waterborne diseases, but we have learned a lot about how to present the ideas that bad water can make you sick, good water has to be handled carefully, and germs hate soap! What we have been given is similar to a VBS curriculum. It includes Bible stories about water and its significance in our relationships with God and each other; lessons in hygiene; and crafts, props, and activities to illustrate both.
The camp is in a beautiful setting, on hills surrounding a small lake. The weather is also beautiful, warm and sunny. We have the afternoon off, and Dale and I are planning to take a walk in the woods and around the lake later this afternoon.
Our morning and evening worship services are held in a small antebellum church. It's very plain, with hard, square-edged, uncomfortable pews. Because it is two stories high and there is no padding anywhere, the acoustics are amazing. Our singing is enthusiastic if not too accurate; I think John Wesley would approve. When I heard the responsive prayers, I thought if 50 people can express so much of God's power, what is there that a congregation (our congregation) or a network of congregations can't do?
This morning devotions included the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. In her meditation, the worship leader reflected on the woman's inability to deal with something that was beyond her experience, and our difficulty dealing with things that are beyond our understanding. It emphasized to me again that if our faith depends on our understanding, we are lost. God's power working in our experiences is so far beyond our understanding we can't even comprehend it. We just have to be open to God's power and let it guide our lives.
God's grace and peace to you all.
Chuck
Yes, we survived the long day yesterday. Today is easier. Two of the groups share what we have learned, in presentations that range from serious to slapstick--who says learning shouldn't be fun? It's early afternoon, and we have just finished learning about what the planning/scoping group does and what happens if they don't do their job. Imagine arriving in a country whose language you don't speak and discovering that there was a communications mixup and your hosts won't be at the airport for another 12 hours. Or nobody arranged for plywood and storage jugs to be at the installation site. Even more difficult, I think, is that the planning/scoping group has to be sure there is long-term local support to keep the water purification system running.
Dale and I are doing the community health track. I can't say we have learned much about waterborne diseases, but we have learned a lot about how to present the ideas that bad water can make you sick, good water has to be handled carefully, and germs hate soap! What we have been given is similar to a VBS curriculum. It includes Bible stories about water and its significance in our relationships with God and each other; lessons in hygiene; and crafts, props, and activities to illustrate both.
The camp is in a beautiful setting, on hills surrounding a small lake. The weather is also beautiful, warm and sunny. We have the afternoon off, and Dale and I are planning to take a walk in the woods and around the lake later this afternoon.
Our morning and evening worship services are held in a small antebellum church. It's very plain, with hard, square-edged, uncomfortable pews. Because it is two stories high and there is no padding anywhere, the acoustics are amazing. Our singing is enthusiastic if not too accurate; I think John Wesley would approve. When I heard the responsive prayers, I thought if 50 people can express so much of God's power, what is there that a congregation (our congregation) or a network of congregations can't do?
This morning devotions included the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. In her meditation, the worship leader reflected on the woman's inability to deal with something that was beyond her experience, and our difficulty dealing with things that are beyond our understanding. It emphasized to me again that if our faith depends on our understanding, we are lost. God's power working in our experiences is so far beyond our understanding we can't even comprehend it. We just have to be open to God's power and let it guide our lives.
God's grace and peace to you all.
Chuck
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Making Clean Water in Mississippi
March 22, 2007
Well, they said this was going to be the killer day of training, and they were right. We started the day at 8 am (not bad), but didn't get finished until just now (around 9:30 pm). But it was a great day of learning, sharing, and enjoying this great Mississippi weather.
Today, my team (103 - Treatment Systems Installation) spent the entire day at the "third world" training center getting hands dirty building the treatment systems, firing them up, and watching the water leak, spurt, and finally flow. They have built a very realistic concrete block and concrete roofed structure (similar to what we built in Belize) to house the water treatment training section. And we are located next to the lake here at the Camp, so we are pulling real, slimy, ugly green lake water up to our building (via solar panel-powered pump), treating it, and then seeing how well we do. One older guy drank our first run treated water and after only 3 hours is about 15 years younger.....great stuff. Dave Mullins and I are in the 103 section and have learned how to build and operate the cadillac system now, so we are ready to implement the system where ever God takes us. Tomorrow we learn how to maintain it and bottle the treated water. It was a great day for us.
One other part of the day was gathering back together with our Section 101 (overall mission project management) and Section 102 (public health training) friends in small groups and sharing what each other was learning so far. That showed us how critical us having people in all three sections really is, and how dependent we will be on each other to properly scope out a location and have everything (and everyone) ready for a successful installation.
We're having worship services morning and evening, and Arelene would not be impressed with our congregation's singing abilities. But she would like to know we are singing in Canon.....There's been a great spirit in this place.
Tennessee is playing basketball now, but we have no TV's. A few are trying to pull it in by internet, but I refuse to play that game. So, I'll call it a day and find out who won tomorrow.
Go Gators,
Tim Bob Myrick
Well, they said this was going to be the killer day of training, and they were right. We started the day at 8 am (not bad), but didn't get finished until just now (around 9:30 pm). But it was a great day of learning, sharing, and enjoying this great Mississippi weather.
Today, my team (103 - Treatment Systems Installation) spent the entire day at the "third world" training center getting hands dirty building the treatment systems, firing them up, and watching the water leak, spurt, and finally flow. They have built a very realistic concrete block and concrete roofed structure (similar to what we built in Belize) to house the water treatment training section. And we are located next to the lake here at the Camp, so we are pulling real, slimy, ugly green lake water up to our building (via solar panel-powered pump), treating it, and then seeing how well we do. One older guy drank our first run treated water and after only 3 hours is about 15 years younger.....great stuff. Dave Mullins and I are in the 103 section and have learned how to build and operate the cadillac system now, so we are ready to implement the system where ever God takes us. Tomorrow we learn how to maintain it and bottle the treated water. It was a great day for us.
One other part of the day was gathering back together with our Section 101 (overall mission project management) and Section 102 (public health training) friends in small groups and sharing what each other was learning so far. That showed us how critical us having people in all three sections really is, and how dependent we will be on each other to properly scope out a location and have everything (and everyone) ready for a successful installation.
We're having worship services morning and evening, and Arelene would not be impressed with our congregation's singing abilities. But she would like to know we are singing in Canon.....There's been a great spirit in this place.
Tennessee is playing basketball now, but we have no TV's. A few are trying to pull it in by internet, but I refuse to play that game. So, I'll call it a day and find out who won tomorrow.
Go Gators,
Tim Bob Myrick
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Clean Water University
Well...
We're here.
Here is Camp Hopewell, just a few miles outside historic (so we're told) Oxford MS. After leaving Oak Ridge just after dark-thirty this morning, we arrived amidst balmy temperatures and otherwise beautiful weather around 2:00 local time.
The 'we' is Doug Allen (a local legend, BTW, as we soon discovered from Wil Howie, Director of Living Waters for the World), Chuck and Dale Hadden, Dave Mullins, Tim Myrick, and me, Dan Terpstra.
Organized activities began around 3:30 and continued pretty much non-stop until worship ended a few minutes ago.
Believe it or not, none of the six of us thought to bring a computer, so I'm composing this on a creaky old destop that's making suspicious clanking noises in the camp office.
It looks like we're in for a jam-packed next few days. As (and if) we find time, we'll try to blog our experiences day to day. I doubt, however that this will rival either Belize or Biloxi for sheer emotional intensity.
Already, though, we've met a couple from Cody, Wyoming who plan to go to Belize with the Farragut trip in May to evaluate a potential water site on the Belize/Guatemala border.
We're learning and connecting and getting energized by some pretty amazing people and stories. Tonight I talked with an Episcopal priest from Phoenix who has worked with Rick Ufford-Chase on border issues and is working with an Atlanta Presbyterian Church (Shallowford) to install water systems in Chiapas.
I'm missing the snacks and conversation, so I think I'm gonna wrap this up.
Watch this space!
We're here.
Here is Camp Hopewell, just a few miles outside historic (so we're told) Oxford MS. After leaving Oak Ridge just after dark-thirty this morning, we arrived amidst balmy temperatures and otherwise beautiful weather around 2:00 local time.
The 'we' is Doug Allen (a local legend, BTW, as we soon discovered from Wil Howie, Director of Living Waters for the World), Chuck and Dale Hadden, Dave Mullins, Tim Myrick, and me, Dan Terpstra.
Organized activities began around 3:30 and continued pretty much non-stop until worship ended a few minutes ago.
Believe it or not, none of the six of us thought to bring a computer, so I'm composing this on a creaky old destop that's making suspicious clanking noises in the camp office.
It looks like we're in for a jam-packed next few days. As (and if) we find time, we'll try to blog our experiences day to day. I doubt, however that this will rival either Belize or Biloxi for sheer emotional intensity.
Already, though, we've met a couple from Cody, Wyoming who plan to go to Belize with the Farragut trip in May to evaluate a potential water site on the Belize/Guatemala border.
We're learning and connecting and getting energized by some pretty amazing people and stories. Tonight I talked with an Episcopal priest from Phoenix who has worked with Rick Ufford-Chase on border issues and is working with an Atlanta Presbyterian Church (Shallowford) to install water systems in Chiapas.
I'm missing the snacks and conversation, so I think I'm gonna wrap this up.
Watch this space!
Friday, June 23, 2006
And we're still here!!
June 23, 2006
Yes, it’s Friday morning, and we’re still in Birmingham! Claire’s car spent the night at the Volvo Dealership, and we spent the night at the Sheraton. Hopefully, we’ll be on the road this afternoon.
General Assembly ended on a high note yesterday afternoon with worship and the final business meeting. The worship service Thursday morning was our favorite and the sermon and prayer will be available on http://www.pcusa.org. The speaker is an inquirer in Southern Louisiana and spent last year as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala. She focused on the importance of mission in the life and work of our church. It was neat for Claire to be able to picture scenes from her Spring Break trip to Guatemala during the sermon. The prayer after the sermon was written by middle-schoolers at a conference last week and read by one of their counselors.
We did so much business this week that it would be impossible to recount it all here. If you are interested in a particular subject, please ask us or see the website (listed above). Instead, we’d prefer to concentrate on other highlights of the trip.
For instance, we had a true sense that it was always the work of God that was being done here. Despite the controversial nature of some of the issues before us, God was always present and we could all feel the love of God while we were doing the work of the church. When things got heated, we stopped to sing a hymn or pray together, often joining hands to remind ourselves of the real reason for being here.
It really is amazing that so many people with such diverse perspectives can live together for over a week and manage to still love God, each other, and the church after such an experience.
The worship services were awesome, especially the opening worship on Sunday with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. The exhibit hall was fun too, and full of resources and goodies like a jump rope for Anna. Donna is coming home with lots of new ideas!
We appreciate the opportunity to represent our church and presbytery by being here. Thank you all for your love and support!
Hopefully, we’ll be home later this afternoon! Don’t forget that Vacation Bible School starts Sunday, and we will see you all there!
Donna, Claire, and Anna
Yes, it’s Friday morning, and we’re still in Birmingham! Claire’s car spent the night at the Volvo Dealership, and we spent the night at the Sheraton. Hopefully, we’ll be on the road this afternoon.
General Assembly ended on a high note yesterday afternoon with worship and the final business meeting. The worship service Thursday morning was our favorite and the sermon and prayer will be available on http://www.pcusa.org. The speaker is an inquirer in Southern Louisiana and spent last year as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala. She focused on the importance of mission in the life and work of our church. It was neat for Claire to be able to picture scenes from her Spring Break trip to Guatemala during the sermon. The prayer after the sermon was written by middle-schoolers at a conference last week and read by one of their counselors.
We did so much business this week that it would be impossible to recount it all here. If you are interested in a particular subject, please ask us or see the website (listed above). Instead, we’d prefer to concentrate on other highlights of the trip.
For instance, we had a true sense that it was always the work of God that was being done here. Despite the controversial nature of some of the issues before us, God was always present and we could all feel the love of God while we were doing the work of the church. When things got heated, we stopped to sing a hymn or pray together, often joining hands to remind ourselves of the real reason for being here.
It really is amazing that so many people with such diverse perspectives can live together for over a week and manage to still love God, each other, and the church after such an experience.
The worship services were awesome, especially the opening worship on Sunday with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America. The exhibit hall was fun too, and full of resources and goodies like a jump rope for Anna. Donna is coming home with lots of new ideas!
We appreciate the opportunity to represent our church and presbytery by being here. Thank you all for your love and support!
Hopefully, we’ll be home later this afternoon! Don’t forget that Vacation Bible School starts Sunday, and we will see you all there!
Donna, Claire, and Anna
Friday, June 16, 2006
And I'm Here!
Hi from Birmingham!
I arrived yesterday afternoon, went to my hotel to pick up my registration packet, and then straight to my committee meeting at the Convention Center. Kerra, you'll be happy to know that the YADs do at least have a hotel. Though our key cards don't work most of the time, we are grateful that we are not staying in dorm rooms that haven't been cleaned from the previous school year.
For those of you who don't know, I'm on the Ecclesiology Committee (number 6), and we're dealing with the infamous Peace, Unity, and Purity Report. Because of the controversial nature of the business before my committee, we began meeting early (most other committees meet for the first time tomorrow). So, I missed the YAD orientation yesterday, but I hear that I'm probably better off that way anyway. We started yesterday with some group building exercises. Then, we broke for dinner where I ran into my friend from Vanderbilt Shane's Dad (Mike Magee), who is a commissioner from Middle Tennessee and Roger Marriot, a missionary in Guatemala who spoke to my Presbyterian Student Fellowship group at Vandy. I love that the PC(USA) is such a small world! We approved the committee agenda with some discussion as to what a Quasi Committee of the Whole is (I'm sure you can all bust out the Robert's Rules as many of my committee members did).
Today, we had more YAD orientation, which I got to go to. I've met some terrific people already. This afternoon was the first plenary meeting, and tonight we got into the "good stuff," the election of the moderator. Joan Grey, a minister from the Atlanta Presbytery won. To be honest, she was my second choice, but I really think she'll do a great job.
I appreciate all the love and support you are all sending my way. I get teary-eyed just thinking about my wonderful church family at home. I just hope I can live up to your expectations!
It's 12:30 and just about bedtime; we start early tomorrow morning with a breakfast and then committee meetings!
Claire
I arrived yesterday afternoon, went to my hotel to pick up my registration packet, and then straight to my committee meeting at the Convention Center. Kerra, you'll be happy to know that the YADs do at least have a hotel. Though our key cards don't work most of the time, we are grateful that we are not staying in dorm rooms that haven't been cleaned from the previous school year.
For those of you who don't know, I'm on the Ecclesiology Committee (number 6), and we're dealing with the infamous Peace, Unity, and Purity Report. Because of the controversial nature of the business before my committee, we began meeting early (most other committees meet for the first time tomorrow). So, I missed the YAD orientation yesterday, but I hear that I'm probably better off that way anyway. We started yesterday with some group building exercises. Then, we broke for dinner where I ran into my friend from Vanderbilt Shane's Dad (Mike Magee), who is a commissioner from Middle Tennessee and Roger Marriot, a missionary in Guatemala who spoke to my Presbyterian Student Fellowship group at Vandy. I love that the PC(USA) is such a small world! We approved the committee agenda with some discussion as to what a Quasi Committee of the Whole is (I'm sure you can all bust out the Robert's Rules as many of my committee members did).
Today, we had more YAD orientation, which I got to go to. I've met some terrific people already. This afternoon was the first plenary meeting, and tonight we got into the "good stuff," the election of the moderator. Joan Grey, a minister from the Atlanta Presbytery won. To be honest, she was my second choice, but I really think she'll do a great job.
I appreciate all the love and support you are all sending my way. I get teary-eyed just thinking about my wonderful church family at home. I just hope I can live up to your expectations!
It's 12:30 and just about bedtime; we start early tomorrow morning with a breakfast and then committee meetings!
Claire
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Steadfast
Today has fostered a multitude of emotions. Help me be steadfast, God.
Today, as we traveled to the work site along the coastline, I was struck yet again by the magnitude of what I was seeing, hearing, and feeling. When something so big and horrific has devastated these people in such a thorough way, how can a person as small as me do anything of importance? To my right was a peaceful, serene stretch of ocean, a sight which always humbles me, while on my other side was one of the most moving and ghastly spectacles I have ever seen. I often pride myself on being well-traveled and “wise” in the ways of world poverty and devastation. As I have come to think, I’ve done my fair share of poverty tourism and seen the worst of the worst. Driving toBiloxi America
Today, as we traveled to the work site along the coastline, I was struck yet again by the magnitude of what I was seeing, hearing, and feeling. When something so big and horrific has devastated these people in such a thorough way, how can a person as small as me do anything of importance? To my right was a peaceful, serene stretch of ocean, a sight which always humbles me, while on my other side was one of the most moving and ghastly spectacles I have ever seen. I often pride myself on being well-traveled and “wise” in the ways of world poverty and devastation. As I have come to think, I’ve done my fair share of poverty tourism and seen the worst of the worst. Driving to
I walked with trepidation through the wreckage of someone’s home, carefully trying to avoid the broken china and glass that was scattered across what was formerly a beautiful beachfront backyard. As I walked toward the destroyed brick house, I saw an amalgamation of stuffed animals, clothes, and household appliances littering the lawn. The side of the house had a spray-painted X, a symbol I had seen previously on many houses and buildings in St. Bernard Parish. The X on each building signifies that it has been searched for bodies, and the number in the X signifies the number of bodies found in each building. Seeing this spray-painted X with the number one on the side of what I’m sure used to be a well-loved and beautiful house struck me in a way nothing else had.
After absorbing the destruction as best as could be done in a time span of ten minutes, we reloaded the Tahoe and went on to the work site: Sylvia’s house. Sylvia is one of the sweetest women I have ever met. Yesterday, after seeking a listening ear and finding one in me, she told me about the hurricane. She, her husband, and her son were on her front porch when Katrina hit and she described the acute fear she felt as she heard and saw the storm approaching. She told me how a wall of water from the sea came from the left, while from the right came a wall of water from the bay, and she watched as the two walls met and exploded in front of her house. She doesn’t know how to swim and told me that she has never known a fear as terrifying as when the water began creeping up her body at a steady pace. I talked with her for a few minutes, and she gave me a cursory tour of her trailer, welcoming all of us to “borrow” her facilities at any time. After talking to her about her experience and discovering her undaunted optimism, I realized that even though her house had been destroyed, her home was still within her. Her home was the community, not just confined to the four walls of her house. She also articulated that everything had been put into perspective; her possessions were not as important as her family and community and faith.
The unflagging generosity of Sylvia and her husband astounded me. We arrived each day expecting nothing in return for our efforts, yet Sylvia and her husband provided us with clean bathroom facilities (thank goodness!), cookies, chips, cold drinks, and a ready smile. Sylvia even bought a mechanical back massager and worked on our tight muscles during the lunch break. Our work crew from
Saturday, December 31, 2005
We Are Not Alone!
We're not the only ones blogging this experience in Gulfport and Biloxi.
If you'd like some additional perspectives on what's happenng here on the Gulf Coast, you can check out the blog being maintained by the Presbytery of East Tennessee at:
http://whirlwindtours.blogspot.com/
For a different perspective on the trip, check out:
http://deepsouthtrip.blogspot.com/
This blog describes the exploits of the Canadian High School kids that have become part of our team. There are over 100 kids and adults from a single Christian High School in Hamilton Ontario. Turns out I went to college with George Van Kampen, the principal of this High School.
Small world...
- dan terpstra
If you'd like some additional perspectives on what's happenng here on the Gulf Coast, you can check out the blog being maintained by the Presbytery of East Tennessee at:
http://whirlwindtours.blogspot.com/
For a different perspective on the trip, check out:
http://deepsouthtrip.blogspot.com/
This blog describes the exploits of the Canadian High School kids that have become part of our team. There are over 100 kids and adults from a single Christian High School in Hamilton Ontario. Turns out I went to college with George Van Kampen, the principal of this High School.
Small world...
- dan terpstra
Becoming Disciples
If you can get up again on the fourth day, then you can get up day after day. By this time we are beyond tiredness but each day brings a new, interesting aspect of the project, new people to help and a better understanding of the team members we work with. How is it with the families that live here? For them it is not four days of getting up again, but four months. Like some of them, we are sleeping in a tent and it is chilly at night. Like them we are frustrated when the coordination doesn’t work out, when the supplies are promised but not delivered. We wait. They have waited for a very long time.
But the projects are moving forward. Some roofs are complete. From our roof top we can see three other crews on roofs. Beside our house there are two FEMA trailers, one of which our house owner lives in. The neighbor across the street watches all day as we work. He speaks to us with a dialect we can barely understand but we make out that he has no food to offer us but there are some cold drinks in his refrigerator. Another crew reports that “Linda’s gumbo” is unbelievable.
Yesterday we met Liz, the mother of three foster kids. She and her husband both teach high school in Bay St. Louis. The insurance refuses to pay anything from a house that was completely destroyed. All they found were some pots and pans and many pieces of pottery from their large collection of mugs, teapots and platters. Many beautiful pieces survived but were still covered in muck four months latter. They are overwhelmed by life and amazed that a crew is at their door to help. We cleaned and stored for them until they can get back on their feet in their own house. Another mother of three whose entire house we mucked out is living in a shelter. She is unable to store anything and her kids could not understand why all their things had to be discarded. Everywhere are piles of peoples lost dreams. The trash pickup cannot keep ahead of the work. It will be years before the towns of
Bonhoeffer writes that discipleship comes with a cost, that there is no cheap grace. Many of the young people here are high school or college age and have begun to struggle with this idea of discipleship. They know that something is being asked of them and they are working hard. I am continually surprised by the joy that dawns through these young people as they gradually unmask their cool airs and you see what makes them laugh and shine. The older folk celebrate their aches and pains and gladly pass the heavy lifting jobs to the kids. It is a microcosm of the passing of faith and hope.
On The Bus
It’s Friday morning, if my memory serves. Time tends to blur in the whirlwind of activity that is this mission trip. I’m sitting on the bus, awaiting departure for another day on the roof on
Yesterday morning the bus took us along Highway 90 and the
Even for me the sights were often overwhelming: hundred-year-old oaks toppled like bowling pins; piles of rubble that once were mansions; 3 story stairwells leading to nowhere; high rise hotels and casinos with the first two floors reduced to empty concrete caverns; and of course, the photogenic floating casinos on the wrong side of the street.
The silence on the bus was punctuated by occasional exclamations of surprise or amazement at some particularly striking example of Katrina’s fury. These sights provoke difficult and perennial questions for Christians: Was Katrina evil? If so, where was our God? If our God is all good and all powerful and in control, what happened on the
I wish I had answers. I hope we as a country continue to be willing to ask the hard questions and struggle to find those answers, wherever the search may lead.
The bus turned off Highway 90 and drove the few blocks to the poor neighborhood behind the expensive beachfront. The morning chatter resumed and we piled off the bus to start another day on the roof on
Thursday, December 29, 2005
The Bay St. Louis Experience
I’ve participated in a “mucking out” crew in
The first day was just a warm-up for our second day in Bay St. Louis. We worked in a house today that was about a quarter mile from the gulf. The inside was something out of the news stories we’ve seen on TV. Mold all the way up the walls and even across the ceiling. The light fixtures attached to the ceiling were completely full of water. We hauled out all of the furniture and gutted every inch of the interior. We also spent some time helping the homeowner salvage some pictures of her children. A large part of my day was spent cutting out soggy carpet and hauling it to the street. My work clothes are now safely packed away and will hopefully never again see the light of day.
I have had two very emotional experiences in these first two days. The first was from viewing the large FEMA “X”s written on the sides of the houses. These were used to record when the houses had been inspected. One of the quadrants indicated the number of dead found in the house. We never saw any with a number other than zero but I still found these “X”s incredibly poignant. The other experience was less ennobling. While working in close quarters with sledge hammers and crow bars swinging in every direction I became frightened and angry. Rather than try to deal with this in a constructive manner, I became sullen, sarcastic and rude. This experience brought out a dark side in me that I recognized but couldn’t control. This evening I asked for my team’s forgiveness and understanding and I prayed for God’s guidance.
Tomorrow we move out of the muck and up onto the roofs with the other teams. We pray for continuing good weather.
- Dave Mullins
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
On The Roof
Well, as Dan said, we got in safe and sound yesterday evening. This morning began at 6:15, way too early for this earliest class at 10:00 college girl. Breakfast was good: grits, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. There was enough food even for Daniel! After breakfast, we had our “Roofing 101” training. Quite a debate ensued about whether or not the shingles were to “butt” up against each other or tuck underneath one another. Finally, an expert (the construction head) was called in and it was decided that the shingles should butt. Then, we went to the ladder station and discussed safety and had the opportunity to go up on practice roof. I did it, and it was a little scary, especially the going-down-off-the-roof part. I survived, though! After loading ladders and boards onto trailers, my group, Work Crew 2 (with Jordan, Daniel, Drew, Walt and Dan) boarded the bus and headed to
Once we arrived on site, our crew chief assessed the houses that we were assigned and our work crew began unloading the trailers of ladders. As this all was taking place, an adorable 5 year old named Gregory peaked out the door of his house and ordered us to “get to work fixin’ his roof.” Gregory looked on during the day with his Mom telling him to stay inside because he didn’t have shoes on and had a cold. He really brightened the day for me with his smiles and hugs and helped me remember why we’re here.
After the ladders were set up, it was time to go up on the roof. Some people stripped shingles on the roof of one house while the same task was begun on the house next door. Felt was laid after all the shingles were removed. We finished laying the felt on half of one house and about a third of another house. No worries; everyone lived to tell about their first times on the roof. During some of the down time we had, several members of our small group, including Jordan and me, helped another work crew down the street. We cleaned up the drywall debris they had ripped off the walls of the house.
The work day ended about 5:30 and we headed to the high school to shower. This was an interesting experience for the girls who were reprimanded by some Baptist men for using “their” showers. We had private showers, but the boys had communal ones. We hear the situation is being worked on and hopefully tomorrow we’ll all have private showers and no angry Baptists.
Dinner was yummy: ham, rolls, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes. We worshipped and then met with our small groups. I’m now sitting in the dining hall grateful for the wireless internet! I’m worn out but so glad to be here. Being here for the second time gives me a little perspective. I can tell that progress has been made; more stores and businesses are open and all the traffic lights are working. People are beginning to rebuild. All this is encouraging, and yet it is unbelievable how much there is still to do. I’m glad for the time we have and appreciative of all the support from back home. We’ll see you Monday! Thank you for your continued prayers.
- ClaireTuesday, December 27, 2005
Dangerous Promises
I'm discovering the danger of making promises.
It's midnight Oak Ridge time, merely 11:00 and lights out Gulfport time.
But I promised we'd blog our trip, and everyone else is trying to find a place to sleep.
So here I am.
Our trip to Gulfport was relatively uneventful. The three vehicles arrived at the church within a half hour of each other. Our van pulled in right behind the bus from Second Presbyterian of Knoxville. It was pandemonium inside. People and noise everywhere. After some jockeying and jostling, we found a place for Dave's camper, and a soft grassy spot for my huge canvas cabin of a tent. After spaghetti dinner, we met for a briefing and a worship service. Sarah was a singer with the band, and I got to click the Powerpoint slides.
Tomorrow we're splitting up. Of 7 work teams, 5 will be heading to Biloxi and roof work; 2 (including Dave Mullins team) will be heading to Gulfport and Bay St. Louis to help people 'muck out' their houses. For some of these homeowners, today was the first time they've been back to their houses since the storm. My small group, which happens to include Drew, Jordan and Claire, will be part of a roofing team heading to Biloxi.
John, Paul, Jordan and I are sharing the tent. Drew, Daniel and Dave are sharing the popup. Syd and Walt are in the sanctuary with a host of others. And Sarah and Claire are off in the adjacent school building with the rest of the women.
We have no idea what tomorrow will hold. We know the excitement is high. And breakfast starts at 6:30.
Keep us in your prayers.
- dan terpstra
It's midnight Oak Ridge time, merely 11:00 and lights out Gulfport time.
But I promised we'd blog our trip, and everyone else is trying to find a place to sleep.
So here I am.
Our trip to Gulfport was relatively uneventful. The three vehicles arrived at the church within a half hour of each other. Our van pulled in right behind the bus from Second Presbyterian of Knoxville. It was pandemonium inside. People and noise everywhere. After some jockeying and jostling, we found a place for Dave's camper, and a soft grassy spot for my huge canvas cabin of a tent. After spaghetti dinner, we met for a briefing and a worship service. Sarah was a singer with the band, and I got to click the Powerpoint slides.
Tomorrow we're splitting up. Of 7 work teams, 5 will be heading to Biloxi and roof work; 2 (including Dave Mullins team) will be heading to Gulfport and Bay St. Louis to help people 'muck out' their houses. For some of these homeowners, today was the first time they've been back to their houses since the storm. My small group, which happens to include Drew, Jordan and Claire, will be part of a roofing team heading to Biloxi.
John, Paul, Jordan and I are sharing the tent. Drew, Daniel and Dave are sharing the popup. Syd and Walt are in the sanctuary with a host of others. And Sarah and Claire are off in the adjacent school building with the rest of the women.
We have no idea what tomorrow will hold. We know the excitement is high. And breakfast starts at 6:30.
Keep us in your prayers.
- dan terpstra
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Watch This Space!
Merry Christmas!
In less than 2 days, 11 members of our congregation will be leaving for Gulfport Mississippi, and a week-long adventure in service to some of the poorer citizens of Biloxi. We'll be staying in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulfport, along with 170 other Presbyterians from East Tennessee, and 50 high schoolers from Canada. We'll be sleeping on the floor in the sanctuary, shoulder to shoulder. We'll be doing a lot of roofing and other support activities during the day, and eating, sharing and worshiping together in the evenings. Showers? Not to worry, there's a high school nearby!
We've been assured that this is no "kum-ba-yah" mission trip, and that we will be changed by the experience. We don't know yet how or even if that will be true, but we hope to share the experience with you as it happens through this blog. Of course, that assumes we've got internet connectivity when we get there!
Those of us that are going on this trip include:
John Drake
Paul Drake
Jordan Greenlee
Claire Harris
Daniel Harris
Dave Mullins
Drew Mullins
Syd Murray
Walt Porter
Dan Terpstra
Sarah Terpstra
We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
And check back here daily for recent updates.
Oh, and don't forget to respond! One of the advantages of this blog format is that you can add your comments to our posts. Let us and others know how you feel about what we're experiencing and reporting.
- dan terpstra
In less than 2 days, 11 members of our congregation will be leaving for Gulfport Mississippi, and a week-long adventure in service to some of the poorer citizens of Biloxi. We'll be staying in the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Gulfport, along with 170 other Presbyterians from East Tennessee, and 50 high schoolers from Canada. We'll be sleeping on the floor in the sanctuary, shoulder to shoulder. We'll be doing a lot of roofing and other support activities during the day, and eating, sharing and worshiping together in the evenings. Showers? Not to worry, there's a high school nearby!
We've been assured that this is no "kum-ba-yah" mission trip, and that we will be changed by the experience. We don't know yet how or even if that will be true, but we hope to share the experience with you as it happens through this blog. Of course, that assumes we've got internet connectivity when we get there!
Those of us that are going on this trip include:
John Drake
Paul Drake
Jordan Greenlee
Claire Harris
Daniel Harris
Dave Mullins
Drew Mullins
Syd Murray
Walt Porter
Dan Terpstra
Sarah Terpstra
We ask that you keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
And check back here daily for recent updates.
Oh, and don't forget to respond! One of the advantages of this blog format is that you can add your comments to our posts. Let us and others know how you feel about what we're experiencing and reporting.
- dan terpstra
Monday, March 28, 2005
Coming Home
Just when you thought the messages from Belize had come to an end... Sorry for the length. It's what happens when you put a pen and paper in front of someone on an airplane with too many thoughts and too much time...
We've boarded the plane from Belize City to Houston. We're sitting on the tarmac, making the psychological transition back to the first world. It's hard to believe that the adventure is over. And it's hard to imagine it having gone any better. Some credit for that goes to our pre-trip prep work; some to the tremendous support of the congregation; some to Pastor Kerra's efforts in preparing the devotional booklet that we used religiously (sorry) twice a day.
Given the importance of each of those components, I can't say enough for the facilitation and support provided by Katie Frankhauser and the rest of the staff at Jaguar Creek. Katie was with us almost constantly, becoming a de facto member of our team. She met us at the airport and ushered us though customs. She ate breakfast and dinner with us every day, and lunch with one of the service teams when she wasn't too busy ferrying team members from place to place. She even MADE (or at least served) breakfast for us on the days when we left camp before the kitchen crew arrived. She participated in all our devotions and worked with Dale to pull off two very moving worship events on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. She worked behind the scenes to coordinate our worship participation in the Spanish Armenian service on our first Sunday in Belize and in the Ecumenical Sunrise Service on Easter. And sometimes she spent an hour or more late at night coaxing a cranky modem into sending our email missives back to Oak Ridge. Our experience would have been profoundly different without Katie's enthusiastic support in everything we did.
The only thing Katie wasn't able to join us for was the final departure trip back to Belize City. We said our goodbyes at the bus at Jaguar Creek. Katie was there along with Percy, the camp manager. Tono the construction manager (I'm making these titles up!) was there, along with Matteo and Carlos who do security at Jaguar Creek, and also helped us on the laundry project. It was not a tearful goodbye, but it was heartfelt all around. There seemed to be an implicit understanding that our relationship with Jaguar Creek and with Armenia was not ending, but merely beginning. I made Tono promise to have Katie take pictures of the laundry site to send to us as Tono and his crew make further progress on it.
As we pulled out of Jaguar Creek, it began to drizzle, the first rain we'd seen since arriving in Belize. Bob wrote a poem likening the rain to tears from the sky at our departure. The rain let up as we stopped briefly in Armenia for Chuck and Doug to take some pictures of a well head where we may do a future water purification project. Jordan and Dale also hopped out to get some pictures of typical Armenian houses off the main road. While they were gone, an Armenian boy about 8 year old approached the bus with a plastic bag of hand woven baskets. When we proved to be a receptive market, his mother -- a young woman with a baby on her hip and another in her belly -- boarded the bus with more baskets to sell. By the time we were ready to leave she had pocketed about $50 Bz, or $25 US. Daniel said "Wow, that's probably enough to feed her whole family for a month!" Probably a slight exaggeration, but not by much.
We pulled back onto the road, headed for Belmopan. The rain started again. As we pulled into the open air market in the capital city, I noticed that the rain had stopped. We wandered the fruit stands and food shops and souvenir shops for 45 minutes -- far longer than was needed on this Monday morning that was still part of the Easter holiday. I was on a quest for Marie Sharp's hot sauce, a local carrot and habanero pepper concoction that many of us developed a taste for at Jaguar Creek. I was disappointed to find only two varieties: HOT and FIERY HOT. Back at the bus, Elizabeth told me she'd seen more varieties at the Chinese grocery next to the bank across the highway earlier in the week. Sarah and I checked it out, and added MILD and BEWARE to my collection.
We pulled out of Belmopan and turned east on the Western Highway, named for the direction it heads from its reference point in Belize City. This was the same road on which we'd turned west two days earlier, at the beginning of our day long dirt road adventure to the Mayan ruins at Caracol, the cave at Rio Frio, and the pools at Rio On.
This time, headed east on an air-conditioned bus, the temperature was about 20 degrees cooler and the skies began to rain once more. Almost like clock-work the rain stopped as we pulled the full-sized school bus into the tiny gravel parking lot of the Belize Zoo. The zoo, although small, lived up to Katie's advanced billing. [NOTE: you can check it out at: http://www.belizezoo.org/] It contained only animals native to Belize, in a natural jungle setting, with kicky signs hand painted on rough cut tree planks. Belizeans have no problem with taking themselves too seriously. We saw some magnificent toucans, including the keel-billed national bird of Belize and a pint-sized toucanette who hopscotches his way across his perch. We saw half a dozen different kinds of parrots and a majestic endangered Harpy Eagle named Panama. We saw black and spotted jaguars; a jaguarundi about the height of a house cat and twice it's length; coatimundis; tapirs; spider and howler monkeys; and a variety of pecarries (pigs). On my way through the gift shop I spotted more Marie Sharps. I picked up a green salsa version that Katie had told me about and an orange-based version that wasn't available at Jaguar Creek. I also added NO WIMPS ALLOWED to my collection. Unfortunately, I was still unable to find a bottle of COMATOSE to round things out.
When I got back to the bus, Gilbert -- our driver -- told me that Percy had called for me from Jaguar Creek and would be calling again in a few minutes. He relayed a message from Jan in the church office that we MIGHT be rerouted through Honduras and MIGHT need to spend the night in Houston. When I passed this message on to the team, the teens were, of course, horribly disappointed. Yeah. Right.
We pulled back onto the highway headed for Belize City and the airport. The rain had ended for the day, but the skies remained overcast and the temperatures were pleasant for the first time since our arrival. As we checked in at the Continental desk, Sue verified that yes, we would be diverted through Honduras, and yes, we would need to spend the night in Houston. 5 minutes later, I decided it wouldn't hurt to verify that information as Sarah and I checked in. This time the answer was no, we would fly on schedule directly to Houston and make our connection tonight to Knoxville. When pressed for more detail, the counter attendant explained that they had finally been able to locate fuel and a tanker truck to refuel our plane and eliminate the need for a refueling stop (!) in Honduras. The two hours in the waiting area passed quickly, with our surroundings looking more and more first-world. Shops and people with gaudy tshirts; Visa and Mastercard accepted here; sunburns and jewelry and world-weary faces ready to return from a vacation interlude. Finally we walked across the tarmac in the Belizean humidity we had become so familiar with and re-entered the air conditioned technological haven of our 737. Experience transformed into memory and almost immediately began to fade. I hope this journaling will keep it from fading too much. It's an experience I never want to forget.
Dan Terpstra
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Water
We brought instructions for self-chlorinating water for Cruzcal's use and discussed them with him. He showed us elaborate plans for a health clinic that appeared to be prepared by an Engineer but they were for a facility that would be too expensive for Armenia's purpose. Cruzcal asked us if we would help with lay-out plans for a clinic on a 20 by 30-ft pad, which we said we would. After our discussion about the clinic and water situation we asked if he would show us the well he would like to use for the community.
There were two wells, both hand dug. One well was not protected and is apparently only used for washing. The other well was protected but very shallow. The water surface was only about 10 or 12-ft below the surface. We retrieved some water using the rope and bucket. The water appeared a little murky with a slight septic odor. At that point Dale and I decided we should retrieve a sample to see if the water could be treated to a point that is potable. We walked to the village store to buy some bottled water with the plan to use the bottles to collect a sample. On the way a young 10-year old girl, Iris, connected with us. She was full of questions and wanted to know what we were doing. When we told her, she indicated that her Grandfather's (Santiago Morales) well was better. She asked if we would collect a sample, which we agreed to do with Santiago's permission. Santiago did not understand English, so Iris acted as our interpreter. The discussion between Iris and Santiago appeared to be slightly heated but Iris indicated we had permission. We proceeded to his well to retrieve water, which Iris did quickly, but Santiago followed and appeared to be upset. Dale then asked Iris directly exactly what Santiago said. Santiago was afraid that we would sample and condemn his well. When he learned that we had no intention of condemning the well, he suddenly was very happy and was interested in how we could help. We promised nothing but indicated we would get word back to him concerning the water quality. Iris was a very sweet, outgoing and intelligent girl and we enjoyed her company for at least an hour while we were in Armenia, learning about her family and how well she was doing in school.
Doug
Sunrise
Today began at 5:00 AM with breakfast and into town to share Easter sunrise service with the Nazarene, Baptist and Evangelicals . The service was nice. We stood through it. Our contribution to the service was to sing "Lord of the Dance". We also doubled the congregation. Lunch as usual was delicious; we had quiche and vegetables. We returned and most of the group went to recreation and sorting dirty clothes to prepare to leave tomorrow. Doug and Dale went into town to talk to Cruzcal (or Cruz Cal?) who is on the Armenia Health Council. We discussed with him both a future medical clinic and the water system. We had an interesting time as we rode the bus in and back. The bus was on time both directions! It cost us $.50 Belize. We had quite an adventure visiting the village to get water samples and talking with a young girl, Iris, from the village. But most of that tale is going to come from Doug.
Dale
Dale
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Saturday
Today was very different compared to our week days filled with HARD work. We got the chance to experience being tourists. Marcos (the same guide from the cave tubing adventure) took us to the Mayan ruins in Caracol. This Mayan city at one time (in 600-1100AD) housed over 170,000 people and was one of the three largest Mayan cities in this area. We explored several of the temples, ball courts, water reservoirs, and even the archaeological research areas. Awesome! Everyone had waited anxiously for this day and tour and no one was disappointed. Then, Marcos also took us Rio Frio, which is a cave but NOTHING compared to the cave that he took us to Sunday the 20th. It was a "look-through" cave that you could be inside and look out both ends. Had a nice stream and waterfall, many stalagmites and stalactites, and lots of slippery rocks for scampering over. Our final stop was at a series of pools, falls and rocks. We all cooled off in the water and falls. I felt very relaxed today and I believe everyone else was as well.
It is amazing to see all of the sites and to see the beauty of our earth. The beautiful earth that our God made for us. Also today it made me realize that we are killing this beautiful earth, and it is sad to see something as magnificent fade away while we sit here causing the problem and acting blind to this issue.
Tomorrow, (Sunday the 27th, 3 days till my birthday) our last full day here is going to be an early one. I am personally not looking forward to it, only because it just means that we are getting closer to our leaving date. I have fallen in love with this peaceful place, Jaguar Creek. YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE! Well, actually, I miss you all. I am looking forward to all of your "welcome back" hugs.
Happy Easter to all!
Peace-Love-Joy-
Olivia Lane Andrews Wood
Friday, March 25, 2005
Maundy Thursday
My stomach clenched up, as it tends to do when I begin feeling nervous or uncomfortable, when I first heard that each of us would go around our circle having our feet washed and then washing the person next to us. Scripture reading, song, and sacrament were no surprise, but this feet-washing ritual has never been part of my Maundy Thursday service before. It was not the thought of washing another’s feet that bothered me, but the one of Tim, my old Sunday school mentor and esteemed friend, bending down to wash my own. But when the time came, my heart pounding, feelings of peace and joy replaced ones of discomfort. Then I took my turn, gently taking Olivia’s feet into my hands and wanting to extend the moment indefinitely. Kneeling before her, I did not feel any sense of inferiority or oppression. Instead I felt light.
Looking back, I think the lightness came from not being so occupied with my own thoughts and concerns. One of my favorite poems by Sir Thomas Browne describes God visiting seashells along the ocean floor. With the first one, he finds it already occupied, too replete with itself to have room for him. He moves on until he comes upon “a shell disinhabited” that he then fills with himself. Too often I felt “too replete with myself” that there is no room for God, but during that moment of washing Olivia’s feet, I only felt replete with a peaceful lightness.
Afterwards I thought about what my experience meant for what we were doing in Belize and the nature of charity. What Jesus did by washing the feet of his disciples was to upset notions of hierarchy by reversing roles. It seems the goal of our mission trip is our attempt to be like Jesus, to reverse, if only for a moment, our privileged position as American citizens by serving the people in Belize. But while last night suggested this idea to me, it raised other questions. What does our work feel like to the people of Belize? How do Ms. Leona and the children at the orphanage feel about foreign strangers always coming for short bursts of time to help before they return to the comfort and safety of their homes? While appreciative, do they feel an element of the same discomfort that I experienced last night? Or is it even greater for them, being constantly dependent on others for their survival? What made my experience of the feet washing ritual so powerful, though, was first being able to receive Tim’s gift, his act of service, graciously, but just as important was being able to serve another.
The next day at the orphanage as Jordan and I picked up rags and buckets of soapy water, I saw little four-year old Lucretia come up and point to them. Remembering my experience of Maundy Thursday and my desire to serve after receiving, I handed her a rag, lifted her up to the window, and together we washed the windows around the house. Soon Jackie came over and joined Jordan. Throughout the day more children continued to gladly give, helping us finish our paint job. Unable to open the door and reach the sink because of our ladder, we appreciated Alicia rinsing our paint-covered brush clean. Hot and tired at the end, I gladly accepted Carolyn and James’ offers to wash our supplies. With my arm tired from the paint roller, I willingly handed my mop over to Ezekiel, who cleaned our floor with the seemingly inexhaustible energy of a 12-year-old boy.
I will never know what Lucretia and the other children felt today, but it is my hope that they felt some of same divine lightness that I did. Leaving Belize, I do not know how much of our work here contributes to an overall reversal of the unfairness and injustice that divides the First World from the Third World, but today I worked side-by-side with orphaned children in Belize with all parties giving and receiving and depending on one another in a beautiful pattern of reciprocal charity.
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