Category: Preparation

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2010 Support Letters and Response Cards

Sorry we didn’t post this sooner, but here are the Support letters and Response cards we sent out earlier. In case you missed it, you can click on any of these to view/download them.

Click on the following if you’d like to see the:

We thank all of you for your support and care. We’ll work hard on your behalf, and for the Glory of God. This is so much more than just hammers and nails, it’s about building lives, communities and hope in Christ.

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Coed Team Leaves This Weekend!

The Co-ed team, led by Mo and Carol Nakatsui, will be flying out this weekend (4/18/10).

If you can, be part of their commissioning service at our church, Evergreen SGV during the 11am service. you can find directions and more at www.evergreensgv.org

For those of you well wishers that would like to see them off at the airport, they will be gathering Sunday evening at about 9:30p at the Continental Terminal at LAX

Look for us near the check-in area!

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Pretrip Thoughts From Helen


This is Helen’s first time on the Trip. She is one of the 4 Ladies on the Coed team.

Hello everyone. I’m really excited for our upcoming Katrina trip next week!

For many of you who do not know me, I’m a 3rd-year PhD student at USC studying pharmaceutical sciences. My everyday task consists of testing the thousands of chemical compounds we have in our lab in human cancer cells. I do a lot of pippeting (mixing small amounts of chemicals together), plan different experiments, make proteins and DNA and sometimes spend months writing grants asking for funding.

I’m glad I will be taking a break from all that and doing something very different in Katrina. Though building homes is not part of my training as a student, I know that it is part of my training as a Christian.

When I was talking to a coworker about my upcoming trip and what I’ll be doing, she said jokingly, “now if this PhD thing doesn’t work out, you have other trades to consider.” I was thinking about that and I’m reminded that it’s not about what I’ll be doing, but rather about who I will be serving. I’m not going because I’m qualified, but because God is using this opportunity to teach me humility and complete trust and dependence on Him.

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A Note From Art F

Art returns to Biloxi, including having served in the inaugural team. He will be once again doing double duty as volunteer/worker and team photographer. (which is why you may not see many pictures of him….

Returning to Biloxi

This year will mark my third time joining a team of men to help build homes in Mississippi for those whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It’s been five years since the hurricane and people are still without homes. During our stay, we will be working with Habitat for Humanity to assist in whatever construction work is needed.

I had previous experience volunteering with Habitat on local, one day projects through my workplace and enjoyed it immensely. The thought of going to another state to help build Habitat homes over a one week period never crossed my mind until Evergreen wanted to send a group of men to Mississippi. My reservations and doubts were assuaged when my friend, Dennis Cho, team leader of that inaugural 2007 trip, shared that God wanted my availability, and not my abilities, to minister. So, I signed up and it was an awesome trip! We built a house from the ground up, got to meet some great people, and ministered to a few others. In the end, I was enriched by the experience and blessed to be used by the Lord as His servant.

Before my second trip in 2009, Dennis lost his battle with cancer. This time, I felt the Lord prompting me to go, so I went in memory my friend, and Dennis’ presence was with me throughout the trip. I could hear his quips and anecdotes as we ministered to each other and the people around us. Some of us even used the “DC Hammer,” a present to him after the inaugural trip, as a way of honoring his life and ministry to the people of Mississippi. One of the many blessings from that trip was when we got to meet and share a meal with one of the Habitat families — a family that would be a recipient of a Habitat- built home. What a blessed time.

This being my third trip, I have a different reason to go, one more compelling than the other trips I’ve taken — I even get choked up just thinking about it. I’m going not only to help those people I just mentioned, but to honor Dennis by continuing the ministry he helped lead and encourage others to do the same. And I’m sure if he were here, he’d be going along with us! Will you join us too? God wants your availability not your abilities!

Art nailing away last year….

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2010 Teams are preparing!

2010 has arrived, and so our preparation has began!

Evergreensgv will be sending two teams this year, a Coed team (April 18-25), followed by an all Mens’ team (May 9-16 [yes, we know we leave Mother’s Day, but we’re leaving late that Sunday evening…])

It’s an exciting addition to have the Coed team, led by Mo and Carol Nakatsui

From Katrina 2010 Team Meeting

The Men’s team will be led by Craig Kakihara, Tommy Yamada and Chris Chan

From Katrina 2010 Team Meeting

We’ll have the team roster and prayer letter available for you soon either by mail, or on this site, but in the meantime, here’s some footage shot from preparing that letter.

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2008 Personality Profiles

Evergreen has been sending out missions teams for a bit… and has tried to prep and support their teams before they ever leave home.

One aspect is the MSG, Missionary Support Group. Another is trying to have the team become aware of their different personalities and styles, ever before any of these differences become apparent while away from home.

Two of these exercises include the Myers-Brigg Personality Test and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Resolution Inventory.

It was suggested to post our results? The comment was made to compare how these personality profiles might play themselves out during the Mission. The goal is to help us understand, support and communicate with each other (and those around us) more effectively, and is part of our making the most of the mission.

All of the profiles and inventories are just a thumbnail of how the team member answered some questions, giving some indication of their dominant personality traits and possibly some weight for them.

So, for your edification and enjoyment:

If you want to play along at home go to personalitytype.com and read what each of the personality types mean…




Personality Types




Conflict Resolution Types

Interesting note about the Conflict Resolution Type is that the numbers not only indicate dominant conflict resolution styles, but the closer the number is to the next dominant style, the easier it is for the person to switch between the two.

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These Last Two Weeks…

Katrina 2008 PreTrip-Last Two Weeks

Commissioning

Two weeks before we left for Biloxi, we were commissioned at a church service.

This is a time where the team of ten is brought before our congregation, a pastor prays for our trip, for us to touch lives, and return home safely.

Each team member has a “MSG,” or Missionary Support Group, which is their personal support group while they’re preparing, on the trip, and upon their return. These guys really help a ton because there’s always a lot of things to do. They also meet and pray for their team member while they’re gone. Many of the 2007 team members are serving on the Support Groups for the 2008 Team members.

Kids’ Worship

A week later, we went to the Kids Worship, a smaller session during the church service designed just for the younger kids. Craig made a presentation describing the trip and what we’ll be doing. We gave them photos of us so that they can pray for us while we’re gone. They in turn, prayed for all the team members.

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“Daddy, Just Do Your Best!”



Paul Liu will be joining the team for the first time this year.

One of the tasks to get us ready for our Hurricane Katrina Relief trip in May is to practice hammering nails.

Tommy Yamada had graciously given each of us some 2x4s with nails provided by Steve Chen so that we could practice on our own before we go. One Saturday, while it was over 90 degrees, I endeavored to practice pounding nails on the 2×4 in my driveway. I thought, “Geez, how hard can it be to hammer nails?” Sure enough the first few nails went it pretty straight as I took my time, then I started getting cocky and tried to pound them in faster.

At one point my daughter, Noemi, heard me saying “Aaarrrgh!” when the nail I pounded started to go in crooked. She promptly came over and asked in her sweet little voice, ‘Daddy, are you frustrated?” I simply smiled back and said “No honey, daddy is fine.” The next nail also went in crooked and I let out another “Aarrgh!” This time she came and over and said, “Daddy, just do your best! Don’t say ‘Aarrgh’ but just say ‘Oh well!’” That caused me to stop and burst out in laughter and I gave Noemi and Mason a big hug. Noemi was repeating back to me instructions we’ve been giving our kids all their lives. At least now I know they’ve been listening to what we’ve been telling them!

It was a great reminder that whatever happens in Biloxi, Mississippi, I should just do my best and give glory to God! And also, it still may be best for a person like me to use a nail gun!

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” – Col 3:23

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DC Hammer



Tommy, a team member returning from 2007 to co-lead 2008, explains a special member of the 2008 team… DC Hammer

What or who is DC Hammer and what on earth does it have to do with the Katrina Gulf Coast Relief Team? DC stands for Dennis Cho and Hammer stands for hammer. In this particular case a hammer that the members of the 2007 team presented to Dennis Cho for his exemplary leadership as team leader of the 2007 team. Even though he will not be able to return to the Gulf Coast this year because of a recurring battle with cancer, his hammer will return with the 2008 team and hopefully many more teams in the future. His friendship and support will also travel with us and we will hammer nails in his honor, build walls remembering his resolve and share the love of Christ as he did last year.

By grace,
Tommy


“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. Psalm 91: 14,15 (NIV)