Available…for His glory.

I had a great time on this trip, my 4th such mission trip to the Gulf Coast since Katrina (twice with Cornerstone & twice with EAMC). While each trip has been decidedly different from the others, they have all been great. It’s so rewarding to do something for others and to expect nothing in return. I’m convinced now that I have caught the mission fever, although I’m not as brave as Andi about it, so I plan to keep my day job, my house and my truck. 

To me, there are 3 parts to a mission trip: meeting and serving others, re-focusing your spirit and learning more about your co-workers or church friends. This trip did all of that for me. Speaking of my church friends, here’s what I learned about them:

•  Patrick isn’t afraid to talk to anyone…he even bothered to let a cab driver know his tire was losing air.
  Sarah is the opposite…she is very soft-spoken, but always says “good morning.” 
• Donny is and isn’t your typical teenager. Sure, he listens to his ipod, plays video games and eats junk food. But, he is also eager to work, respects his mom, loves oysters and adores motorcycles.
•  Selenna is very genuine and not afraid to tackle a tough job. Assuming Ms. Patricia’s house turns out beautiful, it will be because Selenna (and her mudding posse of Cindy, Sarah, Lisa and Lucy) “mudded” over all of the mistakes us sheetrock hangers made
•  Lisa knows how to welcome in outsiders…to open their hearts and minds and make them feel appreciated and loved.
•  Lucy is nice…maybe too nice…she never hesitated to laugh at my jokes and was always willing to work on crossword puzzles with me. 
• Cindy is a troublemaker…just kidding, she’s really a hard worker who likes to finish a job once she starts it. Don’t get on her bad side though…she’s grouchy in the mornings and when John Parker Wilson throws interceptions. 
• Andi is Andi. She is very generous, loves to help others especially when they least expect it, and is fearless when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B. She hasn’t met a road in New Orleans yet that she doesn’t like, and believe me, we saw a lot of ‘em. A word of caution if you attend the next New Orleans mission trip…don’t sit in the backseat of a 15-passenger van without wearing a crash helmet. 

As you can see, we had a great bunch…people I will call friends for years to come. Each trip has such great memories, not only for me, but for the ones we touched as we shared God’s love for them.