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| As I reflect back on my experience of the LAST3 trip….these words that were spoken during one of the services kept reverberating in our ears, “God is good all the time. ..all the time God is good”. The Lord provided for us during our entire trip. From the time we all hopped on board our New Orleans bound flights to the time we stepped off the plane back home on California soil, God’s hand of protection was with us. Obstacles were overcome…our 20 member group convened to New Orleans on different flights from different locations. Some of us experienced missed and delayed flights. We encountered minor issues renting the 3 vehicles, two 15 passenger full-size vans and a Chevy Surburban SUV that were our source of transportation during entire stay. Almost the entire group had limited rest. Yet we all stood together as a group, your LAST3 group on Monday morning, the last day of 2007! The siding and roofing projects we worked on would have made an OHSA safety inspector cringe. We used tools and equipment (nail guns, air compressors) that were foreign to most of us. We also used extension ladders and were working with or alongside other volunteers from other churches. God’s hand of protection was again with us. We had a few banged fingers from missing a nail with a hammer but no injuries during the week. God is good ! Our teams worked hard. I know that my LAST3 team #2 that was involved in the roofing project were really focused on getting to roof done. On our last workday on Thursday, we started off the day wanting to finish early so that we can knock on a few doors and talk to more people. God had other plans. We ended up finishing up later than expected. But the seeds of our trip have been sown. We were able to talk to the Vietnamese neighbors next door to the house we worked on. And we did make verbal contact with the absentee owners of the home we worked on. I encourage all of you who have never been on a short term mission trip to step out of our comfort zone and go on one. Wherever you go …you too can see that “God is good all the time…all the time God is good”. Alvin  | | |
| By now after being home for almost a week, you've probably figured out that I'm not very good at being a timely blogger. Nonetheless, I wanted to finish off this entry. Which brings me to, "Is anything ever finished?" We learned from our experience in Louisiana that there is much work to be done and it doesn't look to be finished anytime soon. Both projects that we worked on definitely need other people to continue our work. And as we look back, it's easy for our team to say that there was more that we wished we could've accomplished (we weren't even allowed to put up the last plank on our front siding). Yet I believe God called us to do what we did, and only what we did, for a reason. If we would've finished our projects, we would have patted ourselves on the backs and said we've completed our task and therefore, there's nothing left to do. However; I think we all have a sense that there is more to do: in Louisiana, around the world, and at home. On Friday, we returned to the area that we had been working in: the inner city. This was new for half the team since they weren't on the Habitat for Humanity project. We rallied together and went out through the neighborhood picking up trash and speaking to the neighbors. Our team met Sam and Millie. Millie had lived in the same house since 1949. She was considered the neighborhood matriarch who go to her neighbors and encourage them to clean-up: even to the point of bringing out her hand shears to cut their lawn. Sam and Millie lost everything in their house when Katrina hit. They were able to evacuate 4 hrs. prior to this. Although we were told that the water got as high as their shoulders, Sam said that based on the damage, it appeared to be above their heads. Through the help of various agencies, they were able to restore their home and replace all their furniture. You would never realize that their house was hit by a hurricane. They were one of the first residents back on the block. Unfortunately, they believe that many of their neighbors will never move back. Millie shared with us her life: her nephew is the pastor of the church next door, she worked for a doctor prior to retiring, she had a stroke a few years ago and shows very little effect, and lost her daughter and granddaughter (bone cancer); which prompted her to help raise her two great grandsons. We prayed with Sam and Millie. They promised that when we come back that their neighborhood would look much better. We took their address and will be mailing them a DVD (yes, they have a player) where they can remember us by. In our debriefing session, all the team members said they would come back knowing full well that we wouldn't accomplish everything. This was a great team that packed a load of talent across our various ages. In a ways, we kind of looked like a freak team because most of the other teams were rather homogenious (same age, etc.). We really did enjoy each other's company and I'm hoping we can continue our relationships into the future. This team was not just great for LAST3, I'm trusting it will be great for BACBC. Thanks team, no matter how different we all are, God brought us together to start relationships that will never be finished. Come January 20th where we'll open the Missions Conference (1 p.m.) with our LAST3 worship team and welcome our Trinity host pastor, Michael Sprague.AND join us on January 27th in each of the BACBC English services to hear us share our experiences and lessons. Blessings, Pastor Dave | | |
| On Saturday morning, we had the awesome privelege of breakfast at Pastor Michael Sprague's home. His wife Donna, graciously whipped up a delicious breakfast and we definitely appreciated their hospitality. After leaving their home, we went to see the roofing job that "team 2" worked on. Along the way, we drove through neighborhoods where we were able to see how high the flood waters rose. It was sad to see deserted neighborhoods sprinkled with some homes that have been repaired and are occupied again. It will be a long time before many of the neighborhoods will be like they were before. The flight home went smoothly and we arrived safely. Given that we acclimated to the cooler temperatures earlier in the week, the warm upper 40's upon our arrival home was most welcomed. Even being greeted with sprinkles was a welcomed, after hearing about the torrential rain we missed the day before. I praise God for how He found the right jobs for our team. I would say we were all pushed a little out of our comfort zones doing construction, but we all have learned a new skill and now look at homes with a different focus than before. Some of us look at siding, some of us look at roofs. Although we didn't get to meet the homeowners of the homes we worked on, we are grateful to be able to help someone come closer to moving back home. I'm also grateful to have served on such a diverse team - ages spanning from 11 to 60, backgrounds so diverse yet we all have our faith in common, and the laughter we shared as we hung out together after "lights out" brought us closer. Julie Wong | | |
| On Wednesday, we had the most dangerous day. It was not only cold, it was very windy. I thought for sure that someone would get seriously hurt. We had several people on ladders when one blew into the other two with people on it. Fortunately, we put on hard hats because several things flew off the roof and almost hit someone in the head. We stopped working and got together to pray for safety and wisdom. The winds died down but we changed our work to being on the ground. For lunch, we went to Orleans Seafood which was owned by Chinese. We spoke to the owners and found out that they were there for 12 years. In the evening, we had our service which turned out to be only for the people participating in the various projects (Trinity Church didn't schedule Wednesday evening service). We had our own team members leading the worship: Kristina, Vivian K., Allan, Grace, Vivian C., and Kevin. I think it was greatly appreciated. After I spoke, there was a time of sharing. Several people shared including people from our team. The saying for the week (as shared from another team) was: "I love right now!" During the day, we met Eric and Rick. One of them was homeless because he lost his house when it burned down (probably due to an electrical short). Prior to this, there was water damage to his house from the hurricane and the agencies were going to help him rebuild until it burned down. When that happened, they apparently withdrew any assistance. With it being as cold as it was (high 20's to 40's), he was sleeping in the abandoned project buildings. We prayed with both men where they requested safety and employment. It's been really nice seeing the team come together in the evenings. We went to a particular room and slowly small groups would join until the whole team of 20 was together enjoying each other's company. Seeing how the team interacted and supported each was the highlight for me.
Well, we ended our project with Habitat For Humanity on Thursday. It didn't end the way we had hoped. We came close to finishing the front wall siding up to the last plank because the foreman put away all the tools. We didn't finish the back wall and got 1/4 of one side wall. I believe that God was sending a message to us: we wouldn't finish the job because someone else will need to come and continue the work. I also wonder if it's also the message that we need to keep this work going when we get home. In the evening, Pastor Michael Sprague shared his experiences with us. Their new video shows how many teams had went home and continued to initiate similar projects. We will be going to Pastor Michael's house for breakfast on Saturday. He showed a few of us the new Children's Center as well as their redecorated offices. We discussed the BACBC Missions Conference 1/20/08 where Pastor Michael will come and share at the English services as well as in the afternoon. We are planning to use the LAST3 team to lead in worship for the Sunday afternoon session.
Praise the Lord that He kept us safe and there was no serious injury (although I hit my thumb 3x with a hammer).
On Friday, we're planning to do the Citywalk in the inner city. Afterwards, we hope to visit the French Quarters.
Blessings, Pastor Dave
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| It’s amazing how God can use broken vessels. When we first started this “roofing project” last Monday, none of us – the 7 of us from BACBC and the 8 members from the Vancouver team – had experience roofing. Yet, over the last 3 days, we, united as the body of Christ, were able to finish 2 roof sections and get a favorable approval from Steve, our Construction Specialist Staff person from Trinity, for our finished work. This demonstrates II Corinthians 12:9-10 that God’s grace is sufficient, and it is in our weakness that He is made strong. A lesson we learned from experience is that serving together as a body of Christ is a powerful experience. The Vancouver team consisted of a 20-30 something year old group. Our group consisted of a teenager to middle-age group. Despite our differences, God was able to supernaturally unify our team in fellowship and ministry for His glory. We are looking forward to see how our work will further the kingdom of God. Thank you for praying for all of us! Sheldon, Alvin, and Lavina on behalf of LAST3, Team2 | | |
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