A view from the peanut gallery…

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!

This entry was posted on March 19, 2008 at 8:39 am and is filed under 2008 Slidell Trip, YOAM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.