April 10, 2010 by MarkH.

The day started out with waking up to a massive saran wrapping of all the vans, due to Crew B’s revenge for a water balloon prank yesterday, except Crew B didn’t know whose car was whose so… they wrapped em all.

IN fact throughout the course of the week there were a few pranks pulled.  First, there was a classic water balloon ambush.   The best was a set up where Crew C attacked Crew B with super-soakers under the guise of getting together for a group photo. It was a complete and total success. Crew B was soaked.  Booyah! Granted Crew B did get their revenge by throwing stink bombs in Crew C’s car.  But even with all the pranks, a lot of work was accomplished.

Today was the last day of work.  Some crews had more work to finish up the jobs than others and it was obvious that by the end of each crew had worked strenuously.  Everyone was very tired but satisfied with what they had accomplished for the week. One crew even dropped people off back at the church, then went back to the worksite just so they could get a little bit of extra time to work and help the homeowner that much more.  They ended up not getting back until after dinner had already started.  Now that’s dedication.

As a final ceremony to kind of wrap up the trip in a sense, we held the final thanksgiving circle, where everyone gathers together in one group after having been in two separate thanksgiving circles all week. All shared what they are thankful for and what was best about the week.  Some people shared things that were short and to the point, but others were moved to share long and often and sentimental feelings about the week, relationships and how amazing God has been in our midst.  It is a moving and sentimental time and there were even a few tears of joy shed.  The Holy Spirit was definitely present.  Most people spoke about their crew and stories from the week, EVERYONE loved their own crew;  naturally everyone is biased, and many shared how much work they accomplished throughout the week.  The thanksgiving circle is a chance for everyone to share, and reflect upon their own experiences.

To top off the night, during late night free time there was a milk chugging competition between Colin Eddy and Adam Weidemann to see who could drink a gallon of milk in an hour.  Adam won, but didn’t finish the gallon. We wonder if it can be done?

The YOAM trip has been a super experience for all, for many this may be the last YOAM trip they are able to come on.  For others this was their first mission experience, and for some it is an ongoing labor of love.  Thanks for reading - pray for the people of NOLA who are still in need of relief, and for our safe return home.

in His service…CREW C

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April 8, 2010 by MarkH.

 ”For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power.” 2 Timothy 1:7

The YOAMers were treated to a late night thunderstorm that brought on cooler weather and a soothing breeze to our Thursday morning. We arrived on the work site today and the roof over our house (which was completed the day before the thunderstorm) was sparkling with some new roof sheen. A Mennonite group had been feverishly working on the roof for the last 2 days and completed the roof with incredible speed. Their work was needed in order to protect all the water sensitive drywall going up inside.

The “gorilla” crew featuring Zathy, Adam, Will, and the Austins hopped out of the car and started hanging drywall before the car had a chance to stop. The combination of laughter, tune-skies (good music), and hard work a huge transformation came over the house. In the matter of a week Crew D and Crew F have transformed the studs and skeleton of a house in distinguishable rooms with insulation and drywall hung. We have built relationships between our two crews and with our homeowner who visited us today. Check out the group picture!

The evening brought a night out at Ryan’s Buffet where we all ate too much of everything, followed by a Thursday night service led by the newly formed (tonight actually) YOAM Praise band, with a message from Zack and Will.  It was a moving awesome message about being  servants.   We were all then privileged to hear from Pat Lee and Eric Labram about their recent trip to Israel, Jerusalem and Bethlehem among other places. Pat surprised us with a gift hand carried from the Holy lands.  It was an awesome moving experience, in which we anointed each other with oil that had been blessed at the Holy Sepulcher  in the Holy Lands , we were annoited with the oil as as servants for God.  One scripture that thought related to our mission is:

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” I Cor. 15:58

Tomorrow holds a lot of work, fun, and growth among this group of Youths on a Mission. God Bless and hello from Slidell from Crew D!

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April 8, 2010 by MarkH.

We started off our day working at the job site, until around twelve. Then we got the opportunity to go to the French Quarter in New Orleans. We learned about the culture and way of life of the people of NOLA (New Orleans LousianA). The trip was a chance to nap and get lost..okay so we missed a few turns at first…But once we arrived, we split into separate groups and explored the French Quarter. For dinner, each group went to a local restaurant and embraced the good New Orleans cuisine…Crawdads, shrimp, Gumbo…and more.

This is the Saint Louis Cathedral on Decatur Street

in the French Quarter

There were many local artists around Jackson square and great galleries in the French Quarter. The cross above was found at a local gallery - it represents the type of expressive art that the New Orleans people tend to create. This cross is made out of scrap tools.  Everyone had a great afternoon in NOLA and made a few purchases, enjoyed the local culture, and ate of the diversity of foods available.

One member of our work “crew” that is hard to get a glimpse of is Kyle…above Mr. Mark happened to catch a glimpse of Kyle taking a picture of Meagan and Colin by the Mississippi River.  Good night…signed some wandering yutes

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April 7, 2010 by MarkH.

Tuesday- Our morning started off bright and early, contrary to Mosey Monday. The breakfast bell rang at 8 o’clock, and a pack of hungry workers came running. We vigorously ate, hoping to get to our worksites for our first full day of work.

Crews conquered the various tasks of dry walling, insulating, painting, tiling, cleaning and dumpster diving, and arrived back at home base tired and sore.

Showers were viscously fought over between youth and adults because all were smelly and drenched in sweat. But it was all worth it for a night of fun!

After showers, crews gathered in the John Wesley Recreation building, which served as YOAM’s dining hall.The excitement filled the room as we all lined up for George Dohner’s delectable Jambalaya.

We also celebrated John Stapleton’s (aka Papa John’s) birthday with a rounding chorus of Happy Birthday and a gigantic birthday cake, covered from corner to corner with 51 candles.

            As free time rolled around, the different groups piled into cars to visit the hot spots around town, which consist of Wal-Mart and Sonic. We wrapped up the night with our daily Thanksgiving circle and shared the things we were thankful for throughout the day. Until tomorrow…From Slidell!

-a group of very tired youth.

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April 6, 2010 by MarkH.

Oh, Mosey Mondays. What seemed to be a sluggish transition from logistics in the morning into the mid-afternoon of the work day actually turned out to be quite inspiring through faith and various construction projects on each of our respective homes. Many of us were visited today by the enthusiastic homeowners who were overjoyed with the sight of us beginning our day, even if we were just laying the plans down before the actual work was initiated.

With a handful of mistakes and re-do’s, we waited patiently for God’s will to guide us in our efforts with these projects, hoping that the Bible verse we personally choose would hold true. “Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other” (Romans 12:12:3-5)

And just as we had so earnestly hoped for – God provided. By the time Susan and Dave had fleshed out the details at our worksites, we were humming along at full speed. Our work crew had really come together as one. We had figured out what exactly we needed to complete throughout this week and what tools to use for those jobs.

Falling right back into line, we progressed throughout our day swimmingly and worked right past the time in which we needed to close up shop and head back to Aldersgate UMC. Ready to work bright and early tomorrow at that too! We all savored the showers and AC as soon as we got back and proceeded to ready ourselves for a Tex-Mex fiesta!

As we assume our usual nightly activities, we caravanned to Wal-Mart and Sonic respectively and purchased various assorted items at Wal-Mart as well as deliciously-nourishing slushie’s along the way. We ended our evening with a P.M. devotion, tired and ready for another day’s work early tomorrow morning.

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April 5, 2010 by MarkH.

We left for BWI at 1, and boarded the plane to Louisiana at by 3:00. Also on the plane, were two other groups of people going on mission trips. One group was headed to Mississippi. The other group was started by two former YOAM adults, and they were traveling to somewhere else in Louisiana.

Early Arrivals to Howard High

Our group arrived in Louisiana a half an hour ahead of schedule. While the half of the adults went to pick up the rental cars, the some youth bonded with Apples to Apples, and others with Ninja, and others just hung out.

We loaded the convoy, and headed out to CiCi’s. On our way to Cici’s we were able to witness the mass amount of improvements from the conditions of previous years. When we arrived at CiCi’s we all enjoyed High School Musical 2, and excess amount of food. Zathy managed to tie the previous YOAM record (Hannah Hardin 2009) by cramming 3 tennis ball-sized gumballs into his mouth.

Arriving at Aldersgate, we quickly unloaded the moving van, while singing along to High School Musical songs. We settled into the bunkhouses, and proceeded to announcements and formed Thanksgiving Circles. Everyone was glad to be here in Slidell safely, and to be spending Easter with fellow YOAMers.

After Thanksgiving Circles, some did extreme yoga, some broke off into Ninja once again, and most of the adults came inside to play cards or just converse. As we wrap up the first day, we look forward to a work filled week.

O our God…We are powerless…We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”

2 Chronicles 20:12

 (THANKS Amanda!)

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March 21, 2008 by MarkH.

Comments and experiences from the REAL leaders on the Slidell 2008 trip:

Caroline Sellers

This is my fourth trip down to Slidell for Katrina relief, and each time is even more rewarding. Seeing my old town being repaired and seeing other people caring as much about Slidell as I do always cheers me up. My experience is different from others simply because I used to live here, but it’s so rewarding to see how, as the week progresses, Slidell isn’t just my home; it’s everyone’s. Slidell Spring 2008 has really been such a great way to spend spring break. My crew has been working on a church, trying to get it functional for the first Easter service it will have since Katrina 2 and a half years ago. Although there are many problems we’ve encountered, somehow with the grace of God everything keeps working out in its own time and in its own way. I keep learning and growing in my faith and in friendship. I’m just really grateful to be back home, doing God’s work, and having such a fantastic time with everyone here.

Megan Rogers

So, this trip is amazing. never have i ever experienced the love of so many people. everyone is amazing. I love absolutely everyone here. i wish i had something philosophical to say like i usually do, but im awstruck by the beauty of the trip. the personalities shine through the tiles we put down and the boards we build up. the shower pressure may not be strong, but the power of this trips impact is. love megrog.

James Higgins

This is my first mission trip sp I really didnt  know what to expect. I didn’t know what the work would be like or what I would see, but I am truely blown away. I have been on three different work sites the past four days and they were all filled with people who were there to help people  for the sake of helping. Everybody in my crew got burnt to a crisp in the sun the past two days and tommorow we will slather on the sunscreen and get back out to the job to help those who need it.

Hannah Hardin

So, being a planner of this trip has been one of the most difficult and time consuming things I have ever committed to. Saying that, now that this trip is over- I have no idea what I am going to do with my life, but I know that missions and helping people is exactly what I would like to be doing. Being here is always ana mazing experience and somehow it’s always different, I’m so happy that this worked out and we all made it here. This is the highlight of my year, and having my seventeenth birthday here only makes everything that much more incredible. it’s amazing to see how everyone gets along and genuinely cares about eachother, I don’t think I could find that anywhere else. This is my vacation and my passion.

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March 20, 2008 by MarkH.

Here is a review of progress from some of our leaders on the trip:

From John Stapleton:

We have three crews at a house finishing the roof and floors.   Once we’re done another team will install some kitchen cabinets, then an electrician and plumber will finish their parts, and the homeowner and his daughter can move back in.   It shouldn’t take more than two or three more weeks.  This will be a pretty big day for them after living in a tiny FEMA trailer for two and a half years.   The homeowner spends time sharing with us what it’s been like starting from the day-after mess, going through the process of getting the trailer, and how much it means to be able to move back into a home. 

 The teams have blended into one big team, with lots of smaller teams forming depending on what needs to be done and who is interested in doing it.  The youth have been teaching others the skills they have, and learning new skills as they go.  They’re getting the chance to swing hammers, use the pneumatic nail gun, saw various boards and trim, saw floor tiles, and work with lots of messy adhesives, grout, and paint.  The days go by fast, and then it’s back to the church to shower up and head to Wal-Mart and Sonic for the civilized side of life.  Later in the evening there is time for devotionals and thanksgiving.   We’ve extended our strict policy of flexibility during Glen Mar mission trips to include physical flexibility (yoga exercises) along with our spiritual and mental focus.   Many on the work teams report positive benefits to the aches and pains of construction after doing the stretching exercises. 

Several houses in the neighborhood are now occupied, and several more are under construction.  Some are being done by professionals, including the one next door.  The roofers at that house were impressed with our team’s quality work and spent some time taking pictures of us from their roof.  They also stopped by to chat and are lending us a tool tomorrow to bend and cut the sheet metal for the trim and soffit.   Our team stripped the section of roof needing replacement down to the bare plywood, and installed the tar paper and shingles up to the top of the roof all in two days.  Tomorrow they’ll put in the crown and trim.

Inside we’ve been finishing the grout in a kitchen and powder room that were installed by a prior team, and installing tiles in a bathroom and entry way.    The tiling looks great and will give the house a nice finished look.  We’ve also been putting in the baseboard moulding and painting the trim. 

Teams from other parts of the country are here to help, including teams from other denominations.  UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) is the place they prefer to go here in Louisiana because of the organization and get things done ethic.  UMCOR estimates Slidell to be 85% complete, while New Orleans is only about 10% rebuilt.  A big difference is the local red tape.  UMCOR has managed to work through it in Slidell, but is only starting to have some success in working  through the local restrictions in New Orleans.   We’ll probably be spending more time in New Orleans on future YOAM trips, with UMCOR expecting Slidell to be mostly done this August.

From Colleen Beaumont:

  I am so proud of all your children.  They are amazing young adults.  Each crew has an opportunity to wake up early and prepare breakfast and clean before they are off to the sites to work.  After working hard all day at the site, they come back and help with kitchen duties; cooking, baking, creating, serving and cleaning up.  All with smiles and never a complaint.   They are my saving grace.  The adults are equally amazing.  The patience they exhibit throughout the day is phenomenal.  I thank God for the opportunity to be part of this energetic and truly awesome group.

From Dave Eddy

After we arrived and moved into our accomodations, we woke up early Monday morning and received a very informative and motivational Dale Kimball, the Director of North  Short Disaster Relief. He talked about how, little by little, the community of Slidell has made a nearly full recovery due, primarily, to the work of the many volunteers who week-by-week have incrementally re-built houses for those who are unable to do it themselves. The kids we have here are unbelievable. They work very hard and have a great time while doing it. We have worked on a house that Mike Owens and his daughter Megan will live in when it is completed some time in the next month or two. The kids have put a new roof on part of the house, tiled an entire master bathroom, grouted a large kitchen and laundry area, and have performed a great deal of finishing work and clean up. Mike, the owner, remarked this morning when we came to work that we had accomplished quite a lot so far. In addition to all of the hard work, we have gotten to know Mike, his daughter Megan, and their dog Bo.

From Valerie Wetstone: There are several special joys to working on this mission trip.  One is the opportunity of working with such a wonderful group of young people.  I am so amazed by their willingness to give up their Spring Break to come to Slidell, to put in some very long days doing hard work, to sleep on floors, and to take semi-hot showers with little to no water pressure.  The other thing thing that also impresses me is how willing they are to try doing something they have never done before.  Our crew was assigned a roofing job.  Only two people in the entire crew had ever been on a roof (and I was NOT one of them), but there they were, climbing up onto the roof, walking around as though they were born there.  (Not me-I am on the roof but definitely not looking as though I belong there).  Yesterday our crew removed the old shingles and tar paper and replaced one section of the roof with new tar paper.  Today we began replacing the new shingles-hope to finish tomorrow.  Collin E-10 extra credit points in biology just for carrying those shingles up the ladder.  (Mr. Sabota-I will clear this with you later).

Tonight at dinner (we had gone out to eat at a local restaurant), a man stopped in our dining room and thanked us for coming down to help the people of Slidell in their time of need-to be the arms and legs of Christ.  This trip came about because the youth of our churches wanted to be those arms and legs.  We are here because they are here.  Your kids are fantastic-what a joy and privilege it is to be here with them!

From Pat Lee & Tom M.

Our first day in Slidell was spent cleaning up brush around a playground at an Elementary School.  This was one of the few schools that was opened again after Katrina.  Their kindergarten playground was heavily damaged by Katrina.   We also painted their tool shed.  The kindergarten kids came out to see us and play with us after their naps.  The youth enjoyed playing them while we adults heard the Katrina stories from some of the teachers.

Our second day we joined another crew working on a church.  The goal is to get it ready for Easter Sunday.  There is a lot of work to do but we think we can have it ready.  So far rotten spots in the floor have been replaced, walls have been built and drywalled, and rotten bathroom floor have been completely replaced.  A broken glass back door had to be removed and some rotten wood outside replaced.  The new door was temporarily set in place and will be installed tomorrow.  The exterior siding around the back door will also be replaced.

We have a great team and they are all working hard.  We are very proud to be a part of this group.  We are here for guidance when they need it but they are sometimes guiding us.  Their ideas are very good so most of the time we take their advice.

Today is Hannah’s birthday and she is on out team.  She is such a talented young lady.  We wish her a very Happy Birthday. 

To finish off the night, the several vans have gone to Walmart or Sonic; then it will be off to bed for everyone.  

From Randy Hippen:  Our team worked Monday on a church to help it re-open on Easter in Slidell.  Tuesday morning: We worked with a great team of folks from Michigan replacing the shingles on a single story home in Slidell in the morning.  Then we headed to an eastern suburb of New Orleans in the afternoon to replace the shingles on a two story home and help a college group from Nebraska on mold cleanup inside the home.  Wednesday: We continued working in New Orleans on the two story home.   

From Karen Wright: Our crew has been blessed to work on the Overcometh Church, a small church community that would like to worship in their sanctuary for Easter service.  At first the task was overwhelming, with many small jobs and little hope that we could organize and get it together.  But, after a few shifts with the crew, we have had three great days and a lot of progress. Brother Sam, an associate of the church, stopped by today for the first time and his visit really motivated us even more to get this job ready for Sunday.  His gratitude and smile are etched in my heart.  The youth have constantly amazed me.  Their energy and enthusiasm makes this trip even more special.  Their faith and devotion to God have strengthen me in ways I didn’t know were possible.  Looking forward to sharing more stories with everyone in person.

With an amazing group of adults and youth being led in the spirit from Slidell, goodnight to all! Mark

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March 19, 2008 by MarkH.

Unlike any other mission trip I have been on, this time I am not on a “crew” (an amazing group of youth and adults who become your best friends for life) and I am not getting to actually do the physical work that is what most see as the “mission” we are being here in Slidell.  But I am constatnly reminded that the trip is as much, or maybe more, about serving the needs of people as it about the work.  Certainly we are here to serve a need, to assist those who have and are still suffering loss and suffering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  In this I am still struggling as I am mostly working behind the scenes, doing food, shopping, running errands.  We brought with us a lot of tools, hammers, saws, gloves, goggles, but also “mission tools” which are those tools we use to accomplish our goals, some who have been on Glen Mar mission trips will recognize many of these: 

NO ONE CAN DO MISSIONS, RATHER WE CAN BE A MISSIONARY FOR GOD

IT’S ABOUT RELATIONAL MINISTRY WITH CONSTRUCTION ON THE SIDE

FLEXIBILITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET ON THIS TRIP

ASK, “WHOSE NEEDS ARE BEING MET?”

REMEMBER TO PRAY and PRAY AGAIN, YES, THEN PRAY AGAIN

THIS IS A YOUTH LED TRIP – INVOLVE THE WHOLE TEAM IN ALL DECISIONS – ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH

IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE, NOT WORK

WHEN THINGS DON’T GO AS EXPECTED – PRAY FOR PATIENCE

WHEN VOICES ARE RAISED – PRAY FOR CALM AND PEACE

WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO IT – PRAY FOR GUIDANCE

WHEN SOMETHING TOUCHES YOUR HEART – PRAY IN THANKS

WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE GOD’S PRESENCE – PRAY WITH PRAISE    AMEN!!

I do get to share with what is going on during the Thanskgiving circles in the evening…and what they share is simply miraculous.  I will post more on what all the groups are doing later today.  Be sure to find the uploaded images. And know your support is what has made this misssion possible, in turn changing the lives of those on the trip, and those we are in mission to here in Slidell and New Orleans. More later today to get you caught up for the last two days!

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March 17, 2008 by MarkH.

and all in their lime green 2008 YOAM shirts sat in the airport while Kim Bowman took our photo. After a long, safe couple of flights (from BWI to Atlanta and then to New Orleans) and CiCi’s pizza for all we arrived at Aldergate UMC and got set up on our cots and mattresses on the floor and stage. All were rested, and very thankful for a safe trip and a lot of fellowship and friendship being shared. Many strangers asked about our bright green shirts which gave us an opportunity to tell them about the amazing youth who are leading this trip. We devoted about the amazing God we know, Jehovah, who is responsible for this mission. The first devotion focused on Mark 9:37 again…the scripture on our shirts. We have entered into the harvest!!

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