Gulf Coast Mission Trip Recap Video

Post Trip Reflections

We are home safe from our trip to the gulf and thankful to be sleeping in our own beds again. Upon our return several members of our team wrote their thoughts about their experience which I believe capture the essence of mission trips perfectly. God was active and working in our team and through our journey. I hope that you enjoy their stories as much as I do. -Kevin Jansma

On this trip I saw a loosely knit group of individuals come together through many different bonding moments to create a tightly knit team. I saw God working in opening our eyes to the great need that is still down there. I learned a lot about life in general on this trip. Especially in seeing all that Puppy and Sunshine had been through, it reassured me that really no matter what you do or how much you have, as long as God is in your life, everything will be okay. I'm a worrier who just doesn't want to fail, and meeting them and hearing all their stories reminded me how long life is and how exciting it can be. I strongly believe that everyone who claims to know Jesus, God in man form that came down and became the "least of these" with no money or assets, should go on at least one mission trip in their life. The Bible says that helping people in need is exactly like helping Jesus. What Christian wouldn't want that opportunity? One of my favorite verses from a mission trip a few years back is James 2:17: "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." -Jillian


I have been on several mission trips and it never ceases to amaze me at how God blesses the time that you spend on a trip. Close personal relationships are developed, insights into God's character are revealed and people's lives are changed forever. It is impossible to explain how profound a mission trip touches your life. The only way to understand it is to take a leap of faith and sign up for a trip. Everyone should experience at least one mission trip in their life. -Jeff Kennel


Although the mission trip meant many things to me, my most valued memories came from sharing the experience with my granddaughter, Madison. It was such a joy to see how God was at work daily in her life. She willingly did whatever she was asked to do, from pulling out nails, picking up junk, cleaning bathrooms, driving a skid loader, and painting a deck. These jobs were definitely way out of her comfort zone. All the while she maintained an upbeat, positive attitude and never complained. At fourteen that had to be a God thing. What a pleasure I had watching her relate to the others on the trip as well as the people for whom we were working. God gave her the strength to rise early in the morning, work hard the whole day, and still socialize in the evening. I saw how she accepted people, no matter what their circumstances. She said that she learned people can survive horrible events in their lives, and yet maintain their faith and trust in God. I have always known she was a special girl, but our trip together showed me her deep faith and commitment to God. I feel very privileged to have shared this experience with her and the other Prairie Ridgers. Because of the wonderful acceptance and support she received from the other trip participants, I'm sure she is looking forward to future mission trips. -Gordon Harrison

As a task oriented person I could have been frustrated by the fact that we could have gotten more done. But when I look back and reflect, it isn’t how much siding, decking or wiring that was completed but rather that we were there fulfilling God’s purpose. The discomfort of sore muscles, sunburn and lack of rest fades when you receive heart felt thanks and realize that you were permitted to extend God’s grace to others. I have come to appreciate and value the other team member’s unique gifts. Who knew talking could be so valued, the gift of caring and hospitality allowed team members to connect with the residents and other team members. We all try to describe the blessing we receive being part of a mission team but words fail us. I would encourage you to experience a mission trip for yourself and find out what we mean. -Craig Smiens

Thursday from Todd's perspective

Today was our last full day of work. It's too bad our week is coming to an end so quickly. It feels like we're just getting into our routine. Up at 6am...pack our lunch...breakfast at 6:30am...a brief group devotion...and off to our different work sites for the day by 7:15am...work till 4:30pm...dinner at 5:30...shower...cards, ping pong, etc.,...and lights out and off to bed by 10pm

I am with the part of the group that stayed at Camp Gospel in Pass Christian, MS. We split up into smaller groups to work at three different sites each day. Today three of us went to work on a new house being built for a lady named Tammi and her three sons. Tammi and her sons were left homeless after Hurricane Katrina and have been living with relatives for the last two and a half years. With enough volunteer help, hopefully her home will be ready to move into in the next month.

The neighborhood were Tammi's previous home once stood and where her new home is being built was flooded with 15 to 20 feet of water. Nearly every home was completely destroyed or damaged beyond prepare. Over half are still gone with no indication that they will be replaced.

We learned from a Pass Christian resident last night that only 40 percent of the people that lived in Pass Christian have returned since the storm. Looking at Tammi's neighborhood this is easy to believe. However, I still wonder why. From the stories we've heard, I think the reasons vary from person to person and family to family. They were under insured...didn't have insurance...are still waiting to settle with their insurance company...the stress of the situation broke up their family...their employer no longer existed (it took a year for the local Dupont plant to re-open)...or they just didn't want to stay here and have the chance of having to live through another disaster like Katrina.

Before coming down for this trip, I wondered what could be left to be done after almost three years since the storm. What I've learned is that the Mississippi Gulf Coast still has a long way to go to get back to "normal" if it ever will. What is encouraging is there are still hundreds of volunteers still coming to this part of Mississippi to help.

This has been a great trip for all of us. A few of the things that will stick with me are: the sincere thank yous from the residents for "coming down to help", the new friends I've made with people from Prairie Ridge, and seeing the works that are the result of the faith of the many volunteers that are here.

Wednesday:

Hey everyone, it's Jillian Siehlmann. I'm attempting to write to you as I am surrounded by a group of about seven of us, laughing about all our new inside jokes and enjoying the new relationships we've each formed with each other. It seems like I've been doing a lot of that on this trip--talking, listening, and laughing. Tonight we talked about what we've learned about ourselves, and I said I've realized how relational I am. I love talking to people and hearing their stories. Being a college freshman, I'm into the stage of life where I'm appreciating older people's wisdom and life stories. Being down here especially, where the community has endured so much, I'm realizing that honestly no matter what I do, everything will be okay.
This morning we woke up to a thunderstorm. As most of our projects involve outside work, it was time to show our flexibility. The regular crew went over to help drywall at single mom Tammy's house, a couple of people went to Puppy and Sunshine's, and the rest of us (including myself) cleaned bathrooms here at the camp. It was cool because Gordon Harrison and Christian Kennel were cleaning bathrooms together and got a real chance to bond; showing again that with relationships, age is just a number. After lunch, the bathroom crew went over to Michelle and Allan's house. I was especially excited about this because I helped paint the interior of their house last year when I came down. Unlike any of my other mission trips, I actually did stay in contact with Michelle throughout this past year, which made it all the more special being able to come back to see their (almost) finished product of a house and catch up with Michelle. The other crews also did quite a bit of work. The drywall is almost done at Tammy's, and the crew there got a good chance to bond and enjoy the sunny afternoon. The group at Puppy and Sunshine's put on a gutter, did a bunch of caulking, and started loading the (much needed) dumpster that we ordered for them. Jeff Kennel once again proved his manhood by getting nailed in the forehead in two places by a hammer, but his blood "coagulated" quickly, and he got right back to work. The group at Michelle and Allan's did some prep work to paint their front porch rails, and Mandy Trusty and Kate Sutphen got the chance to run the skid loader and take out a damaged fence. I'm still so proud of that house and feel so glad we can help such God-loving people. I asked Michelle the story behind a cross they have in the yard, and she told me it is the wood they used for the power line in their FEMA trailer, and that Jesus is their source of power.
Tomorrow looks to be another fun and productive day. There is still some work to do on Tammy's house, Puppy is insisting that everyone who has worked on this house come and sign their name and a Bible verse on the wood of his motorcycle shop, and we have to finish spending some quality time with Michelle and paint her porch.
A couple of the residents have told us that Katrina was a blessing in disguise. Even though a lot of things were destroyed, a lot of really positive things have resulted. A lot of work has been done and many relationships have been formed that otherwise would have never happened-- relationships with people living down here and relationships with people from our own church community-- which for me is what it's all about.

Tuesday at Puppy's House

Hello Iowa, this is Mandy Trusty writing to you from Pass Christian, MS. Since arriving on Saturday we have been very busy working around the community rebuilding homes and making relationships. On Tuesday I had the pleasure of working with a group of nine individuals at the home of Puppy and Sunshine DeGroat.(Yes you read that correctly) The names only represent a fraction of their persona. When we arrived at the home we were greeted by small home and framework for what would be a motorcycle shop. From living in Ankeny with nicely manicured homes and yards it was a surprise to see piles of junk and animals that roamed freely. We were surveying the yard and all the apparent work to be done for the day when out of the house walked a tall man with a white long beard topped with straw cowboy hat in overalls and tattoos. The tough exterior covered up the lovable man we came to know and love as Robert"Puppy"DeGroat. This mans life is one of excitement and doing what no one thought possible. He has lived an outlaw lifestyle as a card holding member of Sturgis, and a wildest reenactor in Deadwood, South Dakota. He has pride and ownership in all that he does making sure to show us pictures and memorabilia from his past. Around noon we meet Puppy's wife Sunshine. Sunshine is a hard as nails lady with a heart for animals. She spends her time outside caring for the animals and enlightening us with her past experience. Our main desire in working with Puppy and Sunshine is to encourage them through our simple acts of service as we helped to build their garage and clean their yard.
Although the work we do may not seem like much, spending a week with them has taught us that the simplest acts can be a bright spot in someone's recovery process.

Monday

Today was our first day of work in the Gulf. The weather was great, the sun was shining, and after an early breakfast we hit the ground running. 12 of our 27 are staying and working in Biloxi. Today they set subfloor for a new house build, painted sub-flooring, and prepaired a storage pod for a new house build job site. (We will get some pictures from them soon). The rest of 27 (15) are staying in Pass Christian and working in the Pass Christian / Gulf Port area. Today this group drywalled, dug holes for an air conditioner platform, installed vinyl siding, framed a garage, put tin on a roof and it was only day one! The group worked hard and had fun with each other. As we gathered tonight to reflect on our day we were struck by the amount of work that still needs to be done here in the Gulf region. This summer will mark three years post Katrina, but the work needing to be done is still plentiful. There are so many people that are in need of work and encouragement. We are eager to see how God will use us in the rest of the week to help meet the needs of others, and change us in the process. There is so much more to write, but we are tired and ready for bed. We look forward to tomorrow's adventure!

Sunday Part 2

Sunday was a great day as we prepared for our week of work. We worshiped with our friends at the church of the Good Shepherd in the morning, had a barbecue complete with alligator sausage for lunch, and made a road trip into New Orleans in the afternoon/evening to experience the sights and sounds of the French Quarter. A few from the group enjoyed some crawfish (shown). It was a good chance to get acclimated and relax so we would be ready to go Monday Morning.