Be The Tool- Marquette1- The end of the first part

When we last left our team, we were getting ready to wrap up.  We had finished the roof and were working on finishing the bedroom in the basement.  

So in the basement, we got the drywall up and the first coat of mud.  We wrapped helped clean up a little outside and inside.  

An old friend brought over some pizza for lunch.  

And it reminds me about the importance of community.  There is an African philosophy (although "philosophy" isn't really the right word and I don't know what is the right word.) called ubuntu which, in a woefully incomplete nutshell, means "we are all in this together and as you are stronger, I am stronger.  As you are weakened, I am weakened."  It promotes value in humanity as opposed to value in individuality.  Bishop Desmond Tutu said it like this:  

One of the sayings in our country (South Africa) is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – Ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.

We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole World. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity. (taken from Wikipedia)

As Christians, we can relate to this as being a part of The Body.  We all have a part or role to play, and someone else does not have a lesser role because he or she is not the head or the hand.  The person that brings pizza or picks up shingles or does laundry or hauls brush is just as important as the person who is laying shingles and nailing them to the roof.  We all need each other.  

So when Troll told me he was coming on this trip, I was pretty excited for a number of reasons, one of which being that Troll has a gift of relating to a lot of different kinds of people, but especially people who would otherwise be marginalized and disregarded.  Our homeowners son being one of those people.  You can look at Ian (home owners son) and Troll standing together and pretty much get it.  (see the pictures- link below).  And I KNEW Troll would be a good influence on this family.  Troll was definitely called by God to this trip.  

And when Roma told me that Ray was going to come, I was really excited because Ray knows how to do just about anything construction-wise.  Before Ray joined the team, we were not going to try to tackle the roof, but leave it for a bigger team.  When he "got on the bus," we decided we could do the roof.  Ray's enthusiasm and positive attitude really helped carry the work this week.  

And when I met Annette and Larry, and heard their hearts and saw their love, I KNEW they were in the right place.  Annette did such a fantastic job helping manage the cleaning up, that nobody really knew she was managing it.  Her sense of humor, compassion, and love for God and for others were in EXACTLY the right place.  And Larry did a great job managing the second job in this project.  He had the right skill set and mentality to put up the walls and get them sheet rocked in the basement.  

Roma and Justin and I played our parts exactly like we were supposed to as well.  Justin's knowledge of roofing and roof projects AND his ability to "stick to the roof" made the project possible.  Justin could get around on the roof when some of the rest of us thought it was too steep.  

And there were people that didn't come from out of town that came by and helped out.  Don and Dort offered their home for us to stay in and made us breakfast every morning (if you're ever in Marquette at breakfast time, ask Don to make you a smoothie!).  They came to the worksite and helped out each day.  They went and borrowed tools and equipment from friends.  They ran to Menards for us.  They were "here I am. send me" people.  Don and Dort exemplify Jesus.  

Their daughter, Heidi was also on site every day.  Heidi is actually the person that has spearheaded this project.  She is the one that introduced us to Jill and Ian and was our liaison.  She coordinated some meals and got a few meals donated.  She pushed and continues to push for more serving for this family.  "Good enough" is not good enough for Heidi.  I believe her vision is a complete home make over and I wouldn't be too surprised to see her getting donations above and beyond what we can do, just to bless this family.  Not because they "deserve" it or have earned it, but because we are all people.  

Brian A. is also in Marquette and is a contractor and helped define the projects and did a lot of the initial evaluation.  He also got some materials donated.  

Bob M. let us use his scaffolding and ladders.  

Bob and Lolly M. fed us dinner and supplied another couple meals.  

The list goes on.  And on.  

The Body.  

And it's not over.  There is still much to do.  Next on the list is a bathroom renovation and a kitchen renovation.  There are no cabinets or counter tops in the kitchen.  The chimney needs to be tuck pointed.  The bedroom in the basement needs to be finished.  And there is more stuff to go through and help sort.  

Are you called to come be a part of this story?  We are trying to pick some dates now to go back.  Justin is talking about bringing another team towards the end of the summer.  And maybe another team around the beginning of August.  Let me know if you're in.  There are several ways to participate.  First-  Your support-  pray for us.  Pray for the home owner, Jill and her son, Ian.  "Like us" on Facebook.  Tell your friends to "Like" us on Facebook.  Look at the pictures.  Tell your church or group about this.  Second- Your time-  Join us in Marquette.  Third-  donations:  money or materials or meals.  To join this story, you can email Rod by clicking HERE.  

I did post some more pictures.  You can see them here:  (CLICK HERE FOR PICTURE SITE)

You can see our Facebook page here:  (CLICK HERE FOR FACEBOOK)

Thank you everyone who is and was praying and supporting and reading these emails.  You already are a part of the story.  

See you soon.  

rod

--

Are you a tool?

Be The Tool- Marquette1- Day4

I didn't take any pictures today.  I don't think anyone else did, either, but I'll get them later if they did.  

We said goodbye to Annette and Larry and Justin, who had to head back to Wisconsin.  We can't wait to work with them again.  More about them later.  

But we got the roof done at 4:50pm.  Ray is probably the hero of the roof.  His leadership and skill and teaching ability really were able to drive this project.  It looks good.  I'll shoot some pictures of it in the morning.  

Troll worked with the homeowner's son on the drywall in the basement.  They got a lot done, but not everything.  Tomorrow we intend to finish hanging the sheet rock and put the first layer of mud.  Roma and I are going to take a lot of things back to Menards (because I bought a little extra here and there-  8 bundles of shingles!!????)  

One more day.  Roma and Ray head back downstate tomorrow afternoon.  Troll and I head back to Michigan on Saturday morning.  

On a lot of our trips, Howard reminds us that while we are serving and thinking we are blessing others, the truth is that we are blessed beyond belief by the people we are serving.  This trip has been no different.  There are some things very different from our normal template of what a trip looks like.  We stayed at a house instead of a center.  We were given meals by volunteers who believe in what we are doing and want to support us.  It has really been a great experience.  W'e'll sum things up sometime next week.  But it's been a great week.  And a good team.  And a great week.  

AAANNNDDDDD....

We are going to come back.  There are still projects in the house that need to get down.  If you are interested in coming to join this story, let me know.  The plot is good and it is going to end very well.  

Until tomorrow.  

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Be The Tool Marquette1 - Day 3

There are more photos posted on our Picasa site.  (Or you can get to them via Facebook.  

Click Here for Facebook

Click here for Picasa

We got a lot done on the roof today.  I was a little surprised we didn't get further, but I think we can finish it tomorrow.  In fact, we kind of have to because it is supposed to rain on Friday.  

Larry and Troll got a lot done in the basement room they were working on.  All the walls are constructed and half the drywall is up.  Troll is going to try to get the son of the homeowner to help him do the drywall tomorrow.  

Today was Larry and Annette and Justin's last day with us.  They are heading back to Wisconsin Thursday morning.  It has been fantastic getting to know them and working alongside them.  I hope this is the beginning of a long friendship.  

Dinner was donated by a local restaurant tonight.  Same restaurant owner bought us gift cards for another restaurant for lunch tomorrow.  (Jimmy Johns!)  After dinner, we went to Presque Isle Park again.  Troll jumped off the Black Rocks into Lake Superior.  Justin and I were ready for an epic rescue in case he got incapacitated by the cold water, but all was well and Troll feels very good about this trip now.  

We can't say enough about the hospitality we have been receiving.  Don and Dort have been so fantastic to us.  And Bob and Lolly, and even the mail carrier brought us doughnuts.  The community taking care of the community.  Ubuntu.  I am well if you are well.  

What a week.  Fantastic.  

Let's keep going.  

Rod

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Are you a tool?

Re: Be The Tool- Marquette Day 2

Praying for the team.

In Christ's Love and Service,

Pastor Paul Marzahn

CROSSROADS CHURCH

612-799-PRAY (7729)

P.S. How may I pray for you?

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 9, 2015, at 11:03 PM, Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org> wrote:

We started early today because we had to be ready to meet the delivery person that was going to put some shingles on the roof.  So we started at about 7:30am at Jill and Ian's.  We worked and worked.  Ray, Justin, and Roma really worked hard on the roof.  Annette and Larry worked in the basement helping set up the new room.  There was another guy that came to help that is a friend of Don and Dort's.  He was a great help, mostly in getting that room in the basement ready.  Troll bounced around between all areas as needed.  

It is supposed to rain tonight, so we had to get everything covered up where had stripped shingles.  We stayed a little long to get it all done.  So we have one long side completely covered.  One short side mostly shingled, but all felt paper.  And the next long side is completely covered with felt/tar paper.  Tomorrow, we are going to strip the last side and shingle the long side.  I think Thursday we will shingle the last side and do the finishing pieces.  I think.  Maybe.  The good things is that have Friday, too.  

After working, we went to dinner at the home of a local family.  It was fantastic!  Bob and Lolly Mager were great to share a meal and share time with.  I think that's another representation of the Body sharing time together.  We share our lives with each other.  People we serve and people who serve us.  

And again, I'm going to keep this short.  I just can't stay up all night anymore.  

Thank you to the people who have sent us encouragement.  It means a lot!  

And some people found that the picture site needed approval.  I think I fixed that and you can just go look at them.  (Let me know if that's not right.)

Our picture site:  click here for photos. (but I didn't put any new ones up yet today)

Our Facebook page:  Click here for our FB page

Prayer requests for safety on the job site.  And productivity.  

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Be The Tool- Marquette Day 2

We started early today because we had to be ready to meet the delivery person that was going to put some shingles on the roof.  So we started at about 7:30am at Jill and Ian's.  We worked and worked.  Ray, Justin, and Roma really worked hard on the roof.  Annette and Larry worked in the basement helping set up the new room.  There was another guy that came to help that is a friend of Don and Dort's.  He was a great help, mostly in getting that room in the basement ready.  Troll bounced around between all areas as needed.  

It is supposed to rain tonight, so we had to get everything covered up where had stripped shingles.  We stayed a little long to get it all done.  So we have one long side completely covered.  One short side mostly shingled, but all felt paper.  And the next long side is completely covered with felt/tar paper.  Tomorrow, we are going to strip the last side and shingle the long side.  I think Thursday we will shingle the last side and do the finishing pieces.  I think.  Maybe.  The good things is that have Friday, too.  

After working, we went to dinner at the home of a local family.  It was fantastic!  Bob and Lolly Mager were great to share a meal and share time with.  I think that's another representation of the Body sharing time together.  We share our lives with each other.  People we serve and people who serve us.  

And again, I'm going to keep this short.  I just can't stay up all night anymore.  

Thank you to the people who have sent us encouragement.  It means a lot!  

And some people found that the picture site needed approval.  I think I fixed that and you can just go look at them.  (Let me know if that's not right.)

Our picture site:  click here for photos. (but I didn't put any new ones up yet today)

Our Facebook page:  Click here for our FB page

Prayer requests for safety on the job site.  And productivity.  

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Be The Tool Marquette 1 - The first work day

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because I am exhausted and want to get to bed.  

Good first day.  Ray helped lead the shingle project.  The roof is steeper than we were hoping for.  Ray says, "I can't 'stick' to this roof without help."  We got a whole side stripped and a few rows re-shiingled.  We are confident we will be able to finish.  (but it was questionable.)  We also started throwing away a lot of stuff that our homeowner don't need anymore, and sorting out what she wants to keep.  And we started working on making a wall for a 2nd bedroom.   

Saw some old friends from Marquette.  

Spent wayyyyyy too long at Menards getting supplies.  

There are a few pictures on our Picasa site.  Click here to go to our pictures site. 

And click here for our Facebook Page (where you can "Like" us!)  click here to go to our Facebook page.

Thank you to everyone who sent thank you notes.  It was good hear from several people.  

Pray for continued safety.  And productivity.  

All is well

Rod

--

Are you a tool?

Re: Be The Tool in Marquette

My thoughts and prayers are with you.  I wish I was physically with you too.  God Bless to you and the team!

On Mon, Jun 8, 2015, 12:32 AM Rod Scofield <rod@bethetool.org> wrote:

Hi all!  Tomorrow me start our next adventure in Marquette, Michigan.  We have (eventually) seven people on this team and a good project to work on.  

The project is a home we are working on for a single mom in a small home.  She has one son with some mental health issues.  He is in his 20's and because of his issues, cannot get/hold a job, doesn't drive, and a few other things.  She works for a small non-profit and sometimes she gets paid and sometimes she doesn't.  Her roof has leaked and other parts of the house have fallen into disrepair.  She doesn't have the resources to get the roof and other parts of the house fixed and has had some water damage in the house.  She also has a lot of stuff.  She isn't a hoarder.  But there are a lot of things in this house.  

The team for this trip doesn't include many of the usual suspects.  The team is Rod Sc., from St. Paul, Roma B. and Ray B. from Lower Michigan.  Mike "Troll" B., from Atlanta, GA, and Justin H., and Larry and Annette S., from Amery, WI.  Rod and Ginger, St. were supposed to come with us, but Rod had a medical issue and it became prudent for them to back out of this one.  It's a diverse and multi-talented group.  

And because of who was or wasn't coming, we waffled quite a bit on which projects we were going to do.  We have decided that we are going to work on.  We have decided to make a good hard run at the roof.  Ray and Roma brought up air compressors and nail guns and shingle shovels.  I think we are also going to try to put in the bedroom in the basement.  If we don't finish it, we don't lose anything.  Whereas if we started the bathroom redo, we are committed to finishing it and I'm not sure we could pull it off AND get the roof done.  

So far, Troll, (that's Mike B.), Ray, Roma and I have arrived in Marquette.  Justin and Larry and Annette arrive tomorrow.  They are from Amery, Wisconsin and we are excited to meet them.  

We are staying at a house in Marquette.  The house belongs to Don and Dorothy Sch.  They were not here for the first night that Troll and I got here (In fact, they arrived home just as I was starting to type this email.)  But their hospitality is sooooo rich.  They told us to make ourselves at home and by the notes they left and the food in the cupboard, the agape on our pillows and the way everything was laid out for us, you can't help but know they meant it.  

We start tomorrow.  Pray for safety for us on the roof and for Justin and his contingency in travel.  Pray for ease of acquiring what we need.  (a dumpster, roofing materials, some more equipment)-  and my friend Diane St., says it is against the grain to pray for weather, we really could use some clear days so we have enough time to get the roof done.  And pray for our homeowner.  Her first name is Jill.   

We'll post some pictures tomorrow.  

If you haven't "Liked" us on Facebook, we encourage you to do so.  Click HERE to go to our Facebook page.  

Thank you for your love and support.  We'd love to know you are following along with us this week.  

Rod and team

--

Are you a tool?

Be The Tool in Marquette

Hi all!  Tomorrow me start our next adventure in Marquette, Michigan.  We have (eventually) seven people on this team and a good project to work on.  

The project is a home we are working on for a single mom in a small home.  She has one son with some mental health issues.  He is in his 20's and because of his issues, cannot get/hold a job, doesn't drive, and a few other things.  She works for a small non-profit and sometimes she gets paid and sometimes she doesn't.  Her roof has leaked and other parts of the house have fallen into disrepair.  She doesn't have the resources to get the roof and other parts of the house fixed and has had some water damage in the house.  She also has a lot of stuff.  She isn't a hoarder.  But there are a lot of things in this house.  

The team for this trip doesn't include many of the usual suspects.  The team is Rod Sc., from St. Paul, Roma B. and Ray B. from Lower Michigan.  Mike "Troll" B., from Atlanta, GA, and Justin H., and Larry and Annette S., from Amery, WI.  Rod and Ginger, St. were supposed to come with us, but Rod had a medical issue and it became prudent for them to back out of this one.  It's a diverse and multi-talented group.  

And because of who was or wasn't coming, we waffled quite a bit on which projects we were going to do.  We have decided that we are going to work on.  We have decided to make a good hard run at the roof.  Ray and Roma brought up air compressors and nail guns and shingle shovels.  I think we are also going to try to put in the bedroom in the basement.  If we don't finish it, we don't lose anything.  Whereas if we started the bathroom redo, we are committed to finishing it and I'm not sure we could pull it off AND get the roof done.  

So far, Troll, (that's Mike B.), Ray, Roma and I have arrived in Marquette.  Justin and Larry and Annette arrive tomorrow.  They are from Amery, Wisconsin and we are excited to meet them.  

We are staying at a house in Marquette.  The house belongs to Don and Dorothy Sch.  They were not here for the first night that Troll and I got here (In fact, they arrived home just as I was starting to type this email.)  But their hospitality is sooooo rich.  They told us to make ourselves at home and by the notes they left and the food in the cupboard, the agape on our pillows and the way everything was laid out for us, you can't help but know they meant it.  

We start tomorrow.  Pray for safety for us on the roof and for Justin and his contingency in travel.  Pray for ease of acquiring what we need.  (a dumpster, roofing materials, some more equipment)-  and my friend Diane St., says it is against the grain to pray for weather, we really could use some clear days so we have enough time to get the roof done.  And pray for our homeowner.  Her first name is Jill.   

We'll post some pictures tomorrow.  

If you haven't "Liked" us on Facebook, we encourage you to do so.  Click HERE to go to our Facebook page.  

Thank you for your love and support.  We'd love to know you are following along with us this week.  

Rod and team

--

Are you a tool?

Leanne's Sermon/Recap of NOLA9

This is the sermon Leanne preached at her church on May 3rd, 2015, right after we got back from NOLA9.  I left it as true to what she wrote as possible-  editing very little.  -  Anything in italics I put in for explanation.  

I hope everyone noticed in the Key about the amount of money you raised for River bend at the pancake breakfast and by donating week to week in the jar. $905. We are truly grateful for your gifts.  (This was a fundraiser done at Newport United Methodist Church in Newport,,MN)  

Riverbend Mission team was started in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Several Methodist churches in the West Saint Paul area sent a team to the gulf for disaster relief. They, we, have continued to serve – Biloxi, New Orleans, Minot, Crisfield MD.

Riverbend has just renamed itself as a non-profit called Be The Tool. So when you hear me talk about Be the Tool, it is essentially the same as Riverbend. At the beginning of the week we were given flashlights - with screwdrivers. “Trust in the Lord”. We were told to shine God’s light into the world and pass it unto the lord. To Be God’s Tool.

Our team ranged in ages from 21 to mid 70’s. We were matched with three job sites.

1. Randy and Michelle: They both have medical issues; Randy has COPD and Michelle has several hernias. Their house was damaged in Katrina and then again in Isaac (2012). Half of the house was fixed up. A plywood wall was installed to cut off the fixed part from the unfixed part. No repairs were made to the house behind the plywood until our team arrived. They removed old moldy sheetrock and insulation; installed new insulation, new sheetrock, taped and mudded. The house is ready for texture and paint.  Our 21 year old, Dhoods, is a mechanic and brought his tools. Randy and Michelle couldn’t access medical appointments because their car wouldn’t start. “Be the Tool” donated the parts, and Dhoods donated his time - and the car now runs.

2. Patricia and Willie: 2 trees fell on their house in Isaac. The house currently has only stud walls inside. The team was installing siding and fascia.  The house was very un-square. I helped finish this site on Friday morning.

3. Lucia: The team I was on. In New Orleans – still being fixed from Katrina – 10 years.  She had an older son with severe autism, and 2 other children from her husband’s previous marriage. She also had two babies (grandchildren) when the Katrina hit. They thought they were evacuating for the weekend, but it became a 3-4 week journey through unspeakable fear. She spoke of being scammed, the National Guard keeping order with guns, gangs, bodies, sleeping in shifts to keep safe. She asked that we pray for New Orleans – most people lost their minds in Katrina and don’t have them back yet.

Lucia is currently raising her adult son with autism and 6 grandchildren as her own: two 11 year olds, a 7, a 5, a 3, and a 2 year old. The three year old has Down’s; the two year old is in the “No” stage. The older children leave just after 6 in the morning on the bus for school. They get home after 5:30. 1 ½ hour bus rides both ways.  They came downstairs and sang 2 gospel songs for us – it reminded me of “Sound of Music” – they stood like stair steps. It was quite beautiful. They were delightful and well behaved.

Lucia has a great sense of humor and is very close to God. She spoke of brown crunchy grass after the water receded and the amazingness of huge watermelons and sunflowers growing in the mud in the gutters.  She doesn’t know where the seeds came from, but they grew. She called it: God’s beauty amid the chaos.

She called us her “Miracle Squad”. I looked up miracle: an unlikely but beneficial event, often attributed to divine intervention. I also looked up Miracle Squad – which consists of angels that God uses to ensure events happen as planned.  We were their Miracle squad on Wednesday when the upstairs faucet broke.

We have devotions in the mornings and again in the evenings. I took notes all week during our devotion times. The following is a compilation of what we focused on, what was important to the presenter. The ideas aren’t necessarily in the order they were given. I tried to divide them into themes.

I.  I start with the parable of the Great Banquet from Luke 14. The master of the house was throwing a banquet, but the invited guests decided not to come. He sent his servants to bring the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The servant did what he was told, but there was still more room. The master sent the servant to find more, make them come in, so that my house will be full.

The message is: There’s room at the table. Invite those who can’t repay you. Don’t be satisfied until the house is full, until the table is full.

In my father’s house there are many, many rooms.

If I go prepare a house for you, I will come back again.

That where I am, there you may also be

Up where the truth, the truth will set you free

In the world you will have trouble, but I leave you my peace

That were I am, there you may also be.

II.  A Super God  

Thursday, April 23rd, 2015 (Upper Room)

1 Corinthians 12:27-31

12:27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

12:28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues.

12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?

12:30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

12:31 But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

We all have superpowers: Our skin can heal when it’s been cut; broken bones can mend; we can see color and movement, hear sounds, taste food, smell roses, and recall happy memories.

More importantly, we have the superpowers of patience, tolerance, understanding, empathy, and love.

God has given us an astounding array of skills, functions, and abilities — which all too often we take for granted. Just like those superheroes in the comics, we can put God’s superpowers to great use with those around us every day, whether by offering physical or financial assistance, being willing to listen, or by telling someone about the God who offers these gifts to all.

III.  (some quotes):

Love God and love the peoples.

God works through the peoples.

Aim your attitude toward God.

Don’t put God in a box.

We are family and this is home.

The lord will take care of me.

God says, “I’m here – don’t give up. I gotcha.”

Lord I lift Your name on high

Lord I love to sing Your praises

I'm so glad You’re in my life

I'm so glad You came to save us

IV. (My devotion) (Leanne’s)

Mark 4:26-27   He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

Mark 4:31-32   It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.

I spoke on the Acorn Theory (from “The Soul’s Code” James Hillman) and gave everyone a hand- carved acorn.

Our calling in life is inborn and it is our mission in life to realize its direction.

Sooner or later something seems to call us onto a particular path. You may remember this “something” as a signal moment in childhood when an urge out of nowhere, a fascination, or a peculiar turn of events struck like a proclamation:

This is what I must do; this is what I’ve got to have. This is who I am.

Acorn Theory = the idea that our lives are formed by a particular image, just as the oak’s destiny is contained in the acorn.

This theory states that all people already hold the potential for the unique possibilities inside themselves, much as an acorn holds the pattern for an oak tree. A unique, individual energy of the soul is contained within each human being, displayed throughout their lifetime and shown in their calling and life's work when it is fully actualized.

I challenged everyone to find his or her “inner acorn”.  What is inside of you that you need to share?

V.  (more quotes):

What are we doing?

Every life matters.

Look for the need nearby.

Don’t pass on the chance to serve.

We are ambassadors.

Live as a citizen of heaven.

We make a difference when we walk into a room.

Help because it seems like the right thing to do.

And from our 21 year old: Match your behavior to what you preach. Is what you “preach” just for show? Are you here just to brag about it? Do what your heart says. What is your real intention?

"Fly Like An Eagle" – Steve Miller Band

Feed the babies

Who don't have enough to eat

Shoe the children

With no shoes on their feet

House the people

Livin' in the street

VI. Parable of the 10 servants (Luke 19:11-27)

26 “ ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given.’”

Take what you have and invest it.

Love one another and work together.

Teamwork and communication

Have the courage to keep going.

Be true to your convictions (Dead men, in fact, do bleed) (Long story-  one told by Pastor Rod in his devotion)

Say thank you

Be more affirming

Be more encouraging

Share when you appreciate someone

Sometimes life forces us to wait. Impatience can cause us to miss blessings or opportunities.

VII. Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Learn humility

Be more humble, less prideful

Offer humble service

Take help when it’s offered

Matthew 20:16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” (Parable of the workers in the vineyard)

_____

VIII.  There’s a park shelter on top of a levee in the lower 9th Ward. We have devotions there on Friday afternoon. You can stand on the levee and see the level of the river and the lower level of the 9th Ward. You can imagine how it filled with 9 feet of water in 4 minutes when the levee broke during Hurricane Katrina. You can pray for all the lives lost.

IX.  A story was told about a presenter that was speaking and put a fish bowl in the center of a table. She scooped in the bowl and placed a fish on the table and continued speaking as the fish flopped. Eventually one person put the fish back in the bowl. “Somebody had to do that.” It’s like sharing your faith – without that action – the fish (faith) will die.

X.  Kirkwood UMC – Lego block

Sunday’s message was about ACTION! We talk about generosity from the heart. How committed are we to take action and practice generosity? Generosity from the heart, given to God, is an experience that brings us closer to God. It pleases God and brings us into partnership with God. This partnership is a loving relationship that moves us to act and transform God’s world into the kingdom of God.

XI.

I was on a short-term mission trip.

But, Life is a long-term mission trip – it doesn’t end today.

We are the “someone else” (as in: someone else will do it)

If you don’t do it, who will?

In “Be the Tool” – “be” is an action word. We need to act today.

Posted on a sign in the Kirkwood UMC lobby:

To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.

What if Jesus had said, “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

So, how is God calling you to act? What is your mission?

NOLA9- the whole trip!

Using a new mail sender, I didn't add the email to come to this blog.  But here's the emails I sent out, -  top to bottom from the Commissioning to towards the end of the week.

NOLA9-  Leaving tomorrow!

Our final number for this trip is 19.  

We meet tonight at 6:00pm to load the trailer and we have our commissioning service at 7:00pm.  We leave in the morning.  

Prayer requests would be for safe travel, and for our home-owners.  We know we will be PROBABLY starting with three projects, one is installing cabinets, one is installing exterior vinyl siding, and the other is finishing drywall.  There is a possibility we will be on a roof sometime during the week.  We'll keep you updated.

Keep us in your prayers!  We'll be sending pictures and updates.  "Like us" on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter.

Thank you for your support.  It's good to know you are alongside us.

Rod (and the team)

Getting from MN to LA-  

Just the important parts....

We got on the road on Saturday morning just a couple minutes later than we were intending.  But a good day for travel.  We got to Albert Lea and picked up Louie and Kim.

Now, Rod Sc. was driving a gas guzzling Chevy van (in 17 trips, this is the first time they gave us a Chevy instead of a Ford-  where's the windshield wiper??? and other "hey this is different" moments))  and got gas.  Now, I guess you have to know that for this trip, we tried a little something different and used pre-paid gift cards from TCF Bank.  4 of them with $500 each for gas, food, and emergencies.  Rod Sc. and Rod St. both pumped gas and swiped those cards at the pump and little did we know, that that gas station would tie up the complete $500 in pre-authorization for 72 hours.  We found that out when we went to swipe the cards again a couple hours later and they were declined.  A phone call later and we realized what the problem was, but not before the other two cards got swiped at the next pumps, (which rendered them inoperable for 72 hours.)  We had a couple debit/credit cards to get us the rest of the way, and we learned to go in and prepay or ask to pay afterwards with one swipe.  (and for anyone worried that we might be short on funds, if God is calling you donate, - fine.  Be obedient, but that's not a problem for us right now.)  So we have been using our debit/credit cards and trying to stay low-key enough to not trip fraud control since we didn't call ahead to tell them we would be traveling.

We got to Cape Girardeau around 7:00pm.  La Croix United Methodist Church has a fantastic hospitality ministry.  It's not anyone that will let a group of strangers come and stay in your church.

Got up early-  The church we stayed at fed us breakfast.  Very cool.  On the road by8:00am.  Some rain.

Just before Memphis, we saw two ladies standing with their flat-tire car on the side of the freeway.  We went up the the next exit and followed the frontage road back to them to see if we could help.  I wonder what the ladies thought when four vehicles pulled up to help them.  (They had help on the way.)

Arrived in Slidell after a good travel day.  I'm sure I say this every time, but this is a GOOD team.  I'm happy to be here with them.

We are praying for Luke and Amanda Stombaugh and their family.  Luke and the two kids were in a pretty bad accident.  You can see the news article here:   Stombaugh They have a Caring Bridge site and a Go Fund Me site.

We are also praying for Kim and Martin Eddy and their family.  Another car crash.    Older kids.  Lots of bills.

For us, we would ask for prayers for our home owners.  And opportunities to share the love and support God gives to us.

Like us on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter (although really, I don't often remember to post to Twitter.)  Click on this link for pictures (although the same pictures are on Facebook.) 

The First Two Work Days

It's been a couple days...  I used to be able to stay up until inhuman hours uploading pictures and writing the emails.  The past couple nights, though, it gets to be later and I just couldn't stay up.  I'm getting older.

We are working on three projects.  Howard's team is putting on vinyl siding.  He's working with Rod Sc. (me), Lewis, Debbie, Elbert, and Carolyn.  We have met the homeowners.  They were in the house during Hurricane Isaac and a tree fell on the back part of the house.  They take care of their two grandchildren.  This house is a pretty long way away from being ready for them to move in, but they have been appreciative and very hopeful to be back in their home by July.

Bob's team is working in New Orleans at a Katrina house.  The house was damaged in Katrina, and the family living there (a Grandmother with seven grandkids living with her) has a sad and scary story of escaping Katrina and having to go from place to place and finally just going back to the house where it was safer, even though it was damaged pretty severely in the Hurricane.  They have been installing cabinets and countertops.  This is the last thing that has to be done before they can move back in.  (They are currently all living on the 2nd floor-  this will open up the1st floor.) Bob has been working with Rod St., Vince, Corrine, and Leanne.

Louie's team is working in a home that is occupied by a Vet and his wife.   It sounds like they are both pretty sick.  He has cancer.  The house has a lot of damage from Hurricane Isaac.  They have ripped out some walls and ceilings.  Found more mold than they were originally told.  They are putting in drywall and will be doing texture and paint and other things.  Louie is working with Krissy, Ginger, Dhoods, Linda M. and Ron.

Cindy and Kim are our kitchen crew.  They have been making sure we have been well fed.

There are more pictures on our Facebook page, OR-  if you're not on Facebook, you can click HERE and see pictures on our Picasa website.

Please pray for the health of our team.  Louie and Lewis and Elbert are a little under the weather.  (Louie more than others).

Last night we went into New Orleans and bummed around the French Quarter (read:  ate beignets and drank French coffee while listening to a bagpiper and watching all the people.)

Stay tuned.  More excitement to come.  In the next installment, remind me to tell you about the young "homeless" man we met.  Anyone that was on Biloxi 2 will remember a young lady named Angie that we missed an opportunity to serve.  We didn't miss this one.  More tomorrow.

The Middle of the week

It's getting tired time...
It's funny because at the beginning of the week, everyone is gung ho and gets up early and arrives at breakfast early and is chomping at the bit.  On Thursday morning, we have to wake people and do a little coercing to get people out of bed in time for breakfast.  Happens every time.

Today I want to tell you about Josh.

The other night, Dhoods came to me and said there was someone outside he wanted me to talk to.  I went out and met a young man who said he was 23 and was in an unhealthy situation at home and needed a place to stay.  We talked to him for a while and decided to put him up in a hotel overnight.  I was doing this on my credit card and a little nervous about what he was going to do.  We took him to one hotel who was "full" and wouldn't take him.  We found one that would and got him set up for the night.  Linda, Dhoods, and Krissy was with me while we took him.  We talked to him some and he told us that he had struggled with marijuana in the past and it had caused problem, but he was off that now.   I asked him how he got off it and he said, "Jesus."  Now, anyone with a brain knows that is the desired response and I was skeptical.  -  So when we dropped him off and got him set up, we gave him the number to the Epworth Center (where we stay) and told him to call back in the morning and talk to someone there and they would start him on the path of getting him some help.

I didn't think he would do it.  I thought I had seen the last of him.  But the next day, he came back to Epworth and they started the process of getting him into a homeless shelter and some job skills programming.  It has been frustrating because that center hasn't been super-keen on taking him in.  He has spent three nights in a hotel now.  (nice, right?)  and still trying to get him the help he needs.

In the meantime, we met his mother who says he isn't homeless, that he can come home anytime he wants.  And she actually filed a missing person's report on him.

We will keep you updated as we can.  Pray for him and his mom and let's see what God will do.

In other news, we are winding down the work projects.  Today (Thursday) is the last full day of work.  Bob is almost done.  Probably will finish by noon, he thinks, and then will join another team.  Louie has enough work to keep his team busy the rest of the week, and I think Howard's team will be lucky to finish, but it's not out of the question.

We have had some great conversations and good connecting on this trip.  Devotions have been great and everyone is getting along very well.

There is still a little bit of sickness, but I think today is better for everyone that was feeling it yesterday.