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Day 0 – On the Plane and Lunch (Craig)

New friends Hamir and Chris…

Laura’s business cards are coming in handy.

Hamir, whom we met on the plane from Houston to Gulfport, is a Riverside native now living in Ocean Springs, a Gulf Coast city near Biloxi. During the two-hour delay on the tarmac while awaiting flight re-routing, he offered dining suggestions and we exhanged business cards.

Chris, pictured above, runs Bruno’s Cafe, a lunch-only, week-day only cafe where we enjoyed fresh shrimp and crawdads, po’ boys, gumbo, pulled pork, ribs, and assorted fried seafood items. Hungry yet? What a great lunch!

Guys, if you’re reading this blog, thanks for extending Southern hospitality to us big city boys. God bless both of you.

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Day 0 – LAX Sendoff

We met at 10p at LAX and were sent off by many well wishers.

The support is remarkable, and speaks volumes of those that we represent.

We proudly represent our church, our friends and our family.

While meeting, Pastor Kyle prayed for us, then our Leader/Captain Craig spoke encouraging words for us, praying for the families we would be leaving behind to work in Biloxi. He prayed for them to know they would be left in God’s hands, and that we left to serve in part to honor our friends and family.

It was a long flight, as mentioned before, the 1 hour layover in Houston wasn’t bad, but we spent 2.5 hours on the tarmack, where most of us fell asleep.

Thanks to those who saw us off..

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Delayed..

After 2.5 hrs of sitting on the runway, we’re finally in the air. it was raining in Houston, and all flights were rerouted somehow. But we’re in the air for our 58 minute flight. We’re thankful the delay was after we had to make the connection.

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Chowtime


Us eating our bag of food minutes after we went through security at LAX.
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Day 0 – LAX Sendoff (Steve O Style)



We’re in the airport in Houston, with our one hour layover to Gulfport. Steve O wants to make sure his photos and comments get uploaded..Here are his first few shots, including one from the plane..

Click on the photo to see all his pictures.

We’ve been eating a ton of food from the sendoff. Peter’s MSG brought an entire duffel bag of munchies, and we started eating it minutes after we got inside the terminal.

The sendoff was much appreciated and set the tone right for the trip. We prayed for our families and friends and focused on what we needed to do.

Thanks guys

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2008 Flight Information

For those wondering…We’ll be flying Continental from LAX to Gulfport Via Houston.

To Biloxi: Monday, May 5, 2008

  • Leave LAX 12:45 a.m. (CO1094), arrive IAH (Houston) 5:57 a.m.
  • Leave IAH 7:05 a.m. (CO2525), arrive GPT (Gulfport/Biloxi) 8:23 a.m.

Our Return is: Sunday, May 11, 2008

  • Leave GPT 11:58 a.m. (CO2555), arrive IAH 1:23 p.m.
  • Leave IAH 2:15 p.m. (CO137), arrive LAX 3:51 p.m.

Yes, we return on Mother’s Day, pray for the guys’ families that their wives will be understanding 🙂

If you wish to see us off, we’ll be at LAX Ticketing for Continental near 10pm Sunday Evening (May 4)

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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)