2008 - Craig's Reflection

From Katrina 2008 ...

Craig was this year's team leader. He describes his feelings about the trip

Personally, if I could describe my experience in one word, that word would be "humbling." Here's why: The "suffering" I endure in life is nothing compared to what the hurricane victims endured and continue to endure. I come from a very stable family, I own a house, have a steady job, make a decent salary, drive two reliable cars, eat three meals a day, and sleep in my own bed every night. The Hurricane Katrina victims, with what little they have, are still trying to rebuild homes, relationships and a sense of normalcy. Others have relocated to other parts of the country with hopes of starting anew like the woman we met at the Gulfport/Biloxi airport who was on her way back to a new home in Iowa. So, I find it difficult to complain about any of my "sufferings." I hope to now have a new perspective and thank God more often in my circumstances.

Also, as a Christian, I feel somewhat ashamed that I can't/don't put in as much time serving the community as many people I met in Mississippi that aren't Christians. We met people that paid their own way and drove 14 hours straight just to serve the needy, working in the same conditions and with equal vigor as our team. And, they probably didn't have hundreds of people undergirding their trip with prayer. Though I am grateful for the support of my family, friends and church, I didn't have to put out a single cent to get there. So, it was fairly easy for me to go to Biloxi, Mississippi and work with a team (and a fine one at that) building framing components for Habitat for Humanity. I hope I would still choose to go even if I had to pay my own way.

Thanks. God bless you.
Craig

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Tommy's DC Hammer Reflection

Tommy, a veteran from '07 and '08, was co-leader of this year's team. Maybe more importantly, he was the escort for DC Hammer

I brought DC Hammer down to Biloxi hoping to pound many nails in honor of my friend and last year’s team leader Dennis Cho. Tuesday morning as we started to assemble top and bottom plates of wall sections, I hammered a few nails more concerned about accuracy than honor. After settling in to a routine, I paused and lifted a prayer for my friend. It felt good as I imagined that each blow was somehow killing a cancer cell. After a few more honorary blows, DC suddenly changed. Here I was using a hammer to pound nails to honor my friend, hoping to Defeat Cancer. But wasn’t it a hammer that drove the nails into Jesus’ hands and feet? DC became the Death of Christ. It was surreal for a while as I hammered nails visualizing Jesus outstretched hands and realizing it was because of my sin that Jesus had to be nailed to the cross. After remembering that Jesus resurrected on that Easter morning, DC became the Deity of Christ.

Every morning, this year’s team leader, Craig Kakihara, led us in a devotion (more DC’s - Devoted Craig, Dutiful Craig, Dependable Craig and Dedicated Craig). I appreciated the devotions and the authority with which he delivered them – authority that comes from speaking forth the Word of God. He reminded us that if we are Devoted to Christ, then there should be Deeds for Christ. These deeds should not only be physical (like building houses) but also in sowing seeds that will lead to Decisions for Christ.

So all of this pretty well summarizes this year’s experience down in the Gulf Coast. I began with a single idea and God redeemed and multiplied it beyond what I could think or imagine. DC began with my wanting to honor a friend and it ended up blessing me beyond measure. It reminded me that God is good and Definitely Compassionate and God is great and Divinely in Control.

I was truly blessed to be led on these two trips by two very good friends. To see them put themselves out there for God’s use was very inspirational. I was humbled and privileged to realize that God has allowed me to be a part of their life, a life which they are living fully for Him.

Humbled, grateful and privileged,
Tommy

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Biloxi Katrina footage

While working onsite, we met locals who talked about some video that was available on the internet.

Here's one that shows the Beau Rivage, a casino about 1/3 of a mile from where we were working this year..

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3d Panoramic Views of Katrina

While looking for some pictures for a presentation we're doing at church, we found this 3d Panoramic site for some shots.





http://bigeyeinthesky.com/Default.asp?CID=Katrina

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Katrina 2008-Day 6-Return to Los Angeles

We spent the night at Antioch House, which was a blessing in itself.

The home was comfortable, peaceful, enormous and a fantastic value.

We had our morning devotional and breakfast with our hosts, and took a picture outside with Stanley.

We flew back through Biloxi, Houston, and arrived at LAX.

At the Biloxi Airport, we saw people arriving for the JRCWP, and Paul was more than eager to shake hands, smile, and let them know that he had helped prepped the work they were about to do..

Met some nice people on the plane back, and Peter once again almost flew back on a different plane. This time he volunteered to be bumped, which was later found not to be necessary, but he and Kevin enjoyed his meal voucher at the Houston airport.

We arrived to find a large contingency of family and friends waiting for us at baggage claim. Some had signs, some had smiles, some had tears...

It was great to be back, and we thank all our supporters

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Katrina 2008 Day 5-Day off and Debrief

In preparation for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, all volunteers were given Saturday off.

That meant we had the day free to explore New Orleans.

We had coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and then toured the French Quarter, having lunch/dinner.

While standing in line for lunch, we ran into the girls from U of Findlay again.

We did a little shopping, with Will telling us how much money we could save at the flea market, and we thought we lost Steve O at Margaritaville, he was actually buying an alligator head, and a special tie for his fake son.....

We returned to Pass Christian, to the Antioch House, a Christian Retreat Center. After an orientation meeting with Stanley, we talked about the NBA playoffs..

We had our debriefing meeting, scheduled to last 60 minutes, it went on for over two hours... Peter had to apologize the most, but you already knew that.

Here are the photos of the day...

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Katrina 2008-Day 4-Paul's Reflection

Paul "V-Neck" Liu reflects on this last week...

As our time winds down here in Biloxi, I've had some time to reflect back on our experiences tonight. The one word that keeps coming to my mind is fortunate". I am fortunate to be here to serve, to be able to eat the food they provide me, to sleep in a trailer with 16 other guys, hanging out in the makeshift living area under the concrete stadium bleachers, to be able to get blisters on my feet, sunburn on my body, sore muscles, and everything else that has happened during this great week. I am fortunate because this experience has made me realize even more how short life is and how important it is to make a difference in our limited time here on earth. One volunteer named Keith shared yesterday that we all have a beginning and end point represented by birth and death in this life, however, it's the line in between that really counts in this life and what you do with it.

I just also read about Millard Fuller who was the founder of Habitat in the late 60s in a book tonight. He was a millionaire at the age of 29 but eventually sold everything he owned and gave the money to the poor. He started Habitat with the thought of "partnering housing" where those in need of homes would work side-by-side with volunteers to build simple, decent homes. This crazy idea has turned into a successful venture where they have housed over 100,000 families worldwide. It's amazing what God can do through one person's life.

Thank you all again for your prayers and support.

God Bless,

Paul

Be very careful then, how you live not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.. -Ephesians 5:15,16a

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Katrina 2008-Day 4-Steve C's Reflection

Steve Chen and his thoughts about his work here in Biloxi....

The Katrina team (known as Evergreen team here in Biloxi, Mississippi) has been staying at Habitat Village's sleeping quarters. We walk on gravel paths to the barracks. Since the 1st day we got here, I noticed that there were oyster shells on & by the gravel. I didn't think anything of it. Then I was perplexed as to the reason for the oyster shells being there since the Village is about 3/4 mile away from the beach. I soon realized that these oyster shells came from the ocean during the Katrina hurricane. How unusual to gather shells off of grass, pebbles and walkways.

Reflecting upon this scene, I felt that the 10 of us on the team is analogous to the oyster shells, OUT-OF-PLACE. We are OUT-OF-PLACE because we're from California & are here in Mississippi. Although Katrina caused devastation here in the Gulf Coast, there has been waves of assistance/aid in the form of supplies & manpower to help in the recovery process. People from all walks of life from college-age students to retirees have been moved to make a difference in the recovery process. God is good.

The shattered lives/families of the Gulf Coast now may call out to God for help. With nothing left God saved victims by providing for people's needs. He rescued them from near death & now they have renewed lives. From a spiritual perspective, we all should of drowned in our wrong doing (cesspool of sin), but Jesus saved us by sacrificing Himself on the cross for us so that we may live in abundance. God is good.

The survivors' hearts filled w/ thankfulness. Remembering the frailty of our lives here on earth & it is only through God's grace & mercy that we take our next breath. The destroyed bridge near by has been replaced by a new one. Jesus also build a spiritual bridge for us to be able to have a relationship w/ him. God is good.

The pulverized commercial & residential structures are being rebuilt with even more pride, security and beauty. The priceless & irreplaceable material possessions are replaced with less earthly emotional attachments, but turned towards heavenly things & eternity. God is good.

Furthermore, events like the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project next week is like the pearl that was washed up (see photo). Next week due to the project, there will be national attention/coverage placed upon the needs of the un-recovered, un-restored Gulf Coast which President Carter & the first lady will use to impart to the masses, pearls of wisdom that people effected by Katrina still need extensive assistance. Thus, if we are imparted the spiritual pearl, then we can acknowledge that God is our Lord & Savior and we can have eternal life. God is good.

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Katrina 2008-Day 4-Done

We finished up at the beach...

We started today with doing our devotional with everyone on our work crew at the beach. It was quite an honor and great experience.

They took about half the work crew away, including the Findlay girls, to do more work in prep for the JRCWP in a few days. Meant more work, hard work, but we finished the job.

Note: Peter found out that the pebble in his shoe since day 1 was still in there all this time. Ouch. Also, he's as red as a lobster (okay, Crawdaddy) .. another ouch. :(

Thanks for all your support and prayers.

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Katrina 2008-Day 3-The News

A local TV Station came to the site today and shot some footage in preparation for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work project...

Some of our team can be seen in the video, but featured in the interview is our very own Steve C.

Take a a look at http://www.wlox.com/global/story.asp?s=8292504

the content of the article:

Habitat Volunteers Participate In Framing Frenzy In Biloxi

Posted: May 8, 2008 05:58 PM

Updated: May 8, 2008 06:43 PM

BILOXI (WLOX) -- In the parking lot adjacent to Biloxi's historic lighthouse, several new homes are going up at an amazing pace. And despite all the hard work, the volunteers are having fun doing it. They even have a pet name for their unusual construction zone.

"They decided since we're in such a gorgeous location on the beach, it'll be banging beach," says Site Manager Vic Fasolino.

But these homes aren't staying on "banging beach." They are just part of the pregame show for the soon to kick off Jimmy Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity. Fasolino calls this the "framing frenzy."

"Normally during the Jimmy Carter Work Project, we have a bunch of houses that are getting built all at one time, from beginning to finish in five days," says Fasolino. "And that's the five days that Carter is present. In this particular case though, we've decided that we're going to build the wall sections for the next 48 Habitat houses that are going to get built in the Gulf Coast area."

That, combined with the 60 homes to be built or renovated across the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the coming weeks punctuates for volunteer Steve Chen of California the need that still exists on the Gulf Coast. A need that he says is too often forgotten back home.

Chen says, "Most people out there, they're like, Katrina what?"

He and his fellow church members from Evergreen Baptist in Los Angeles say this is their way to remind people what big things volunteers can do in just a little time.

"A lot of homes have been rebuilt and renovated and those are positive signs," says Chen. "But it looks like there's a long way to go."

The Carter project includes more than 250 homes to be built through the end of the year across the three state region affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

by Don Culpepper

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Katrina 2008-The girls from Findlay

From Katrina 2008 ...

One of the benefits of working with this larger crew has been meeting new friends.

One group has been Lisa, Pam, Gail and Alicia. These four girls are officers and members of their local HfH chapter at The University of Findlay.

School just let out this week. Gail graduated on Saturday, by Sunday evening they began a fourteen hour drive to Biloxi, just to volunteer together. No church sent them, no Missions Support Groups.. just to serve.

All four of them have been so encouraging and inspiring to us all. Craig mentioned that at their age, his biggest concern was probably about his car. But to see these girls so outward-focused was quite humbling.

Tommy and Peter were able to work with Gail and Alicia

Pam worked with Will, Kevin and Steve C.

Lisa worked with Craig, Chris and others on the team.

To these young ladies, actions speak louder than words. Their thoughtfulness and unselfish attitudes have touched us all and their friendship has been one of many blessings and inspirations that we have encountered on our trip so far.

As thirsty guys, we had to go buy Gatorade for ourselves, and we offered some to all the other volunteers. The girls returned the next day from Wal-Mart with some Gatorade to replace the ones they had drank, this coming from students who paid their own way to come down here... Their selflessness extends from beyond their involvement with HfH to us.

Tonight, we were treated by them to ice cream they had bought specifically to share with us. We made it a point to return from our dinner to join them, but were treated to more.... The common room walls of Yankie Stadium, have turned into a virtual walk of remembrance for various volunteer groups. The Girls from Findlay made their own mark, with their names and a drawing, but also drew one for us, using the Evergreen logo, copied from the business card we gave them.

Not only was it a nice way for us to sign the walls ourselves, but more importantly, another witness of their generosity.

Thanks Gail, Lisa, Alicia and Pam, you guys have been really too kind.

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Highlights from Day 3

Abandoning Steve C:
We drove down to the beach as a team, but then we lost track of Craig's car.

Apparently he was annoyed with Steve C, looked over his shoulder to tell Steve to close his window as the air conditioning was on, and then realized Steve wasn't even there.

Craig had to drive back to Yankie Stadium to find Steve C.

The reason why he was late is that he was photographing rocks. He claims it was fascinating, but we have yet to see the proof.

Here is a photo of Craig re-enacting what he saw as he walked past Steve C, before he drove off and left him at home.


Think of "Home Alone" Biloxi Style...

Paul, V-Neck

Paul has brought two V-Neck Tshirts. He thought he brought three. We've been seeing more of those shirts and more of Paul than we had wanted or expected. But he had to wash them so that he could last the week. Today he showed us that he had a (different) crew neck T-shirt. We now call him "V-Neck"

From Katrina 2008 ...

El Guapo
At the end of the day, Melinda, a volunteer, asked what ethnicity we were.. she figured most of us were Chinese or Japanese or Korean, but then she turned to Tommy and said, but you're Mexican, right? We now call him "El Guapo"

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2008-Day 3-Framing Frenzy part III

Okay, so now we know why it's called Framing Frenzy.

The JRCWP that will be happening here next week will have one of their main media centers at the beachfront location we've been working at.

Part of the set up will include showing how Project Home Delivery (or house-in-a-box as we call it) works.. So they'll be taking the lumber that we've cut into section and assembling them together into framing sections for future homes.

So with all of our efforts, we're helping affect about 50 or so homes.

It's been sunny, hot and today, pretty windy. The work is hard, the blisters have grown, but the work and people are well worth it.

We begin each day with a devotional, and this morning Craig reminded us to speak in more encouraging terms, to bless those around us with wholesome thoughts and words. We're called to be a blessing to others, whether on this trip or at home, let it be true here. We prayed for some of the new friends we've made.


We started the day with the entire work crew talking about why we're here. We were the largest group, Tommy explained that we had come last year and wanted to return, we told them that we wanted to bless people in a practical way, and Vic, one of the leaders correctly guessed if this was a mission trip.

The other team members were students, friends, a couple that wanted to take a vacation that made a difference, one woman who herself was living in a trailer, drove up last week and asked if she could volunteer. She's apparently in the process of applying for HfH, but in the meantime, just wanted to work on the projects.

We made a big push to finish up the homes that we were assigned and made incredible progress, especially with the help of each others. As the teams finished up some of their jobs, we interacted a bit more.

We've met a lot of good people, and it's an honor to serve alongside them.


Here's the day's pics.. stories to follow..

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2008-Day 2-Return to the '07 House

After dinner at The Shed, we returned to the house that the '07 team had worked on.

We prayed for the future homeowners and the neighborhood.

We also prayed for Dennis, and hoped he could return to serve with us on a future team.

In the meantime, his hammer, DC Hammer, represented him.

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2008-Day 2-The Shed

Tonight's dinner was a feast of ribs, chicken, pulled pork, sausage and everything else barbeque'd at a local hangout called the Shed. The food was delicious...if you don't believe us, just ask Chris!

From Katrina 2008 ...

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Katrina Day 2-Notes from Kevin

This year, our volunteer effort is different. While we're not working on just one house as a whole team, we're affecting and contributing to about 60 homes as we prepare materials for them.

In that process, we've been able to work with volunteers from all over the country, from different walks in life.

Kevin shares his experiences.

From Katrina 2008 ...

During our first few days here in Biloxi, I have had the privilege of meeting many interesting people. From college students to retirees, these people all have one thing in common...a heart for service. It is a real blessing to see people from all walks of life and from all over the country working together to help those in need. I have always considered myself to be a person with a servant's heart but after meeting these people I am beginning to find out what it really means to be unselfish and to put other people's needs first.

I have to admit that the work is a lot more demanding than what I had originally expected which is evidenced by the fact that I am sore in places that I never even knew existed. However, knowing that my efforts (no matter how small) are an integral part of HFHGC's grand plan of continuing to create housing opportunities for families here in the Gulf Coast is very rewarding and will hopefully help me to continue to grow in my desire to become a true servant.

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We're about to eat dinner...

We're about to eat dinner, but wanted to give you some pics from today..

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2008-Day 1-Framing Frenzy

What a day it has been.

First day actually working. It was clear to us that most of our work will be in preparation for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work project (JRCWP) , which this year is being held in Biloxi. We're preparing cut sections and framing for the crews to come out and assemble next week.

It's exciting and the HfH staff is a bit proud, excited and a tad anxious. But we're proud to be part of an effort to get a large number of people in their homes next week.

Many will be new builds that are assembled in the week, and also some local refurbs.

The nice part is that we returned to the Biloxi lighthouse, a site that we first visited when we arrived in town. This is where we saw the HfH staff prepping for us yesterday. Today we were the labor.

This section by the Lighthouse will be the main media center for the JRCWP next week, so all the better.

We split our team into five crews. Peter and Tommy; Craig, Paul and Steve O; Kevin, Steve C and Will; and Mo and Chris worked on their own

This was different from last year as we weren't all working on one house, which has its advantages and disadvantages, but it was great to be working with other volunteers and hearing their stories.

In particular, Chris was moved by working with one Habitat Client, a person putting in "Sweat Equity" time in order to receive their home.

Well, it was a long hot day, and.. here are the pictures..

And yes, Chris and Steve O wrote a lot of the captions, so enjoy.. their sense.. of humor :)

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it's lunchtime at the beach

lunch at the beach... we're prepping homes for jrcwp next week.

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we're working beachfront today

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Note from Kevin

After a two and a half hour delay in Houston (due to the weather) and with only about three hours of sleep we finally made it to Biloxi, Mississippi. Upon arrival, the "veterans" of our group (Tommy, Steve O., Peter and Mo) took us "newbies" on a "tour" of the immediate area. As we were driving, we were able to see first hand the level of devasation this area experienced as evidenced by the fact that there are still many homes and buildings that have yet to be rebuilt. During this time, we also experienced the love of God as we drove by a worksite that was manned by Habitat for Humanity volunteers who were diligently constructing frames that will eventually be used in the construction of new homes.

Seeing these volunteers gave me a renewed sense of energy after a long day of traveling and I am once again ready to tackle whatever God has in store for me during my weeklong stay!

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Note from Paul-Hello from Biloxi

Paul's note from Biloxi

Just wanted to say hi to all my friends and family back home. We are doing well and and excited about the week. There are some cool people here that work for Habitat and Salvation Army at this facility.

To my family, I miss you guys and will call you every day. Mason, remember you are the man of the house big boy! Noemi, you are a great little helper for mommie and Wen, I couldn't have done this without your support. Love you guys!

To my MSG, thanks for all your prayers and continued support this week? God could not have blessed me with a better team? I look forwards to communicating with you guys this week through this blog?

That's it for now? It's time for dinner!

God Bless,

Paul

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2008-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.

From Katrina 2008 ...

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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2008-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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2008-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 Info

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 for the team are:


Conflict Resolution Types are:


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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