Steve was one of the most interesting, if not energetic, of those on the mission. Here’s an excerpt from his notes:
Life’s Moments… Dressed and Pressed
I thought it best to write down my thoughts whilst they are still fresh and felt, so in no particular order:
One of our goals as members of EBC’s Katrina Project was to intercalate (to join, or combine or unite with others to increase the quality, quantity, size or scope of) ourselves into the culture of this devastated region and serve as envoys of God’s hope and love to the people so devastated by this “act of God.” It seems we did. In the process of building a home, we also did other things; have fun, learn about ourselves, each other, and most importantly about the God we serve and worship.
We ate. History has it that during a bitter local transit union strike, two brothers took pity upon the jobless “poor boys” and gave out inexpensive sandwiches. They evolved into a signature Southern-style po’ boy. Take fried meat or seafood placed between sub-style buns, add mayo, lettuce and tomato(dressed) and smash it down in a machine to make it more crisp (pressed) and there you have it. We had these at the beginning of our trip and on the last day. They reminded me of ourselves, humbled and grateful to be used by God.
Po’ in spirit.
Dennis and I created this contest to determine which team member would ultimately do the stupidest things, both in quantity and quality; the BoneHead (BH) award. The problem with the BH point system was that as soon as someone earned a point, for say, letting go of a hammer mid-swing and thus raising a welt on my arm (Peter), he would step up, stay on the roof all day nailing down the OSB boards, and negate that point. Or at a layover in Atlanta someone lost his cell phone on the plane (Dennis) holding everybody up from making the connecting flight to Gulfport, then turn out to be this patient, organized, flexible leader that I would follow just about anywhere. It was like that the whole time. And I still don’t know who won the award.
I totally enjoyed a wonderful mix of meal time espirit de corps and bunk house cruel banter. I think others call it “fellowship.” Speaking of accommodations, for 10 guys, make sure you have enough outlets to recharge 3 laptops, 7 cameras and 11 cell phones. And don’t volunteer for KP duty unless you know how to use a 1600psi power washer and compressor strong enough to blow your toe off. Yes, I was able to use all the power tools I could have imagined and then some.
On the Saturday that we were flying home, Dennis and I fully intended to make the hour and a half drive to New Orleans. Before the trip, I had shared with three self-indulgent ladies (Ju Lo, Yets Saguchi and Ruth Hata) about our missions trip to the South, and all they could think about were beignets, French doughnut delicacies, especially from the Café Du Monde.
Right before we were to leave Biloxi, a local said we shouldn’t even think about driving to New Orleans because of the weekend’s Jazzfest there. The city was a zoo. Sorry, ladies, God is sovereign.
On airplanes, NEVER give free drink coupons to a passenger next to you unless you want to hear her chatter on for the next four hours. ALWAYS give candy to a crying child, even if the candy is not yours to give. And The Holiday, with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet is still a great film even for the third time.
When we prayed over the house we built those last moments before we left for our last dinner, I thanked God that he gave us all a foretaste of heaven, to be co-laborers in an act of worship to the Father. It seems like guys don’t like to cry.
After getting back, I tell everyone who asks me how it was, that theyneed to go and feel what I felt and see what I saw and do what I did and be a part of something greater than yourself and be a part of a community rebuilding and regaining its dignity and distinctiveness by the grace of God. Dressed and pressed.