Evergreen SGV Relief team Sgvserve.org
Thank you to all who followed us, prayed for us and took the time to join our journey
Our presentation luncheon was held on June 10, where a few members of our team shared of their experiences.
We hope you enjoy the video of the presentation
Katrina 2012 Final Presentation HD from SGV Habitat on Vimeo.
Here’s the video that Gary worked so hard on.
Thanks for all the photos submitted, especially from Gary and James…
Katrina 2012 Sent Strengthened Blessed from SGV Habitat on Vimeo.
Evergreen SGV Sent 17 missionaries to Mississippi to work with Habitat for Humanity Mississippi Gulf Coast. God Strengthened the team members to do the good works they were created to do. The team was Blessed as they served in all capacities and sought to be a blessing to others.
This video was created to capture the heart of this trip and was presented as part of the Final Presentation for this missions trip.
Thanks to photo and video contributors Peter, Tommy, James, Art, and Craig.
Gary M’s been coming on to Mississippi for these Habitat trips for more than the majority of them. He’s been an integral part of all videos and photographs you’ve seen, but usually behind the camera, that’s why it’s hard to find pictures of them. As much as his videos have inspired many to keep returning to Biloxi and the Gulf Coast area, his courage and heart fuel the camaraderie.
Katrina Reflection 5/19/12
After coming back home and unpacking, I started to reflect on the things our team brought home: dirty clothes, yet another HFH T-shirt, dry rub from the Shed, HFH water bottles, bug bites, pictures in our camera, and possibly a pound or two extra muscle (or fat) on the body.
However, more importantly it was not what we brought back but what we left that really counts. Our mission was not to gather and take from the Gulf Coast, but to leave something that remained after we left; a legacy.
The premiere missionary, the Apostle Paul, wrote:
He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:8-15
Did we plant and water while we were there? Did we build something that will stand the test of fire?
We really won’t be absolutely sure until the Day, but that is what really counts when we look back at all that we did.
I look forward to the Final Presentation to especially hear about the planting, watering, and building that left behind a legacy in Mississippi.
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| Gary, center in black, with his support group at the airport |
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| Tommy praying for the home |
Tommy’s been on all six trips we’ve made to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for this project. He’s also inarguably the most skilled of our team. Here’s something God taught him during this trip.
Straight, Square and Level
When doing construction on a house you often hear the question “Is it straight? Is it square? Is it level?” To check any of these you must have a reliable reference. For instance, to check squareness you’ll use a speed square or a framing square. But what happens when your reference is a little off? This actually happened one day as we were installing baseboards. Pam and Millie were helping me install baseboards. At first I would give them measurements and they would cut the pieces to length and then I would nail them in. Cutting is done on a chop saw. A chop saw cuts boards to length and in our case at either a 90 or 45 degree angle. After a few boards, which were perfectly cut, I had them measure and cut the boards. They would then put the boards in place and move on to the next room. Since both of them are self-described “perfectionists,” their work was very accurate. This was the beginning of a good partnership and we were all happy.
I then came to a room and noticed that there was a gap where two baseboards came together in a corner. After trying to adjust how the boards met, I determined that one of the boards needed to be re-cut. I dreaded telling Pam because I knew she would be very disappointed and would most likely not be happy with herself. I tried to tell her that it probably was a problem with the wall and wasn’t her fault, but that the board needed to be a little longer.
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| Pam, working on one of her windows |
After a while, Pam returned, but something was obviously wrong. Her countenance had changed. Instead of a satisfied joy, there was now frustration, self-doubt and confusion. She told me she had cut two more boards and there was still a gap. I felt badly for her and was a little confused as well, as up to that point all her measurements and cuts were flawless. We then checked the chop saw and I noticed that a part of the fence (guide) was a little loose. After tightening it, I made a cut, measured for squareness and it was still off. I then measured the squareness of the blade with the speed square and determined that what was supposed to be a 90 degree angle was off by about 1 ½ degrees. After fixing that, we cut the board again and it fit perfectly. Pam’s smile came back. The Lord showed me that just as we need good, reliable and accurate references when cutting baseboards, that in life we need them too. If we rely on things that may seem accurate and may be off by only a small amount, it will lead to frustration, self-doubt and confusion. That’s why I’m so glad we can rely on God’s Word and His absolute truths. They are always straight, square and level.
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
Updated the photo album…
Click on the pic for photos of the 2012 team members!
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| EvergreenSGV Katrina 2012 Team |
Our 2012 Prayer Letter will be hitting your mailbox pretty soon.
Went to kids’ church today and had the kids pray for us.
Carol, who ran the presentation, noted that among her tools, her Bible was the most significant one.
Notes:
Click on the photo below to see the pictures from the time with the kids
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| Kids church 2012 03 11 |
We’ll be gone from 4/22 to 5/6 this year
Sadly due to unforeseen circumstances, a couple of our guys had to drop out .
We assembled the info /prayer letter for our friends.
Thankfully we’ll be staying at New Life again and we’ll hopefully have time to see our friends at Mosaic church before we fly out
