Spring Break '06: my first one in college. Lets just say I learned more than I could ever imagine. I hit the beach and soaked myself in 40% Deet to keep away the biting gnats. This past week I ventured down to Waveland, MS with UGA's RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). I am still processing the event that took place and trying to understand the eternal consequences of the trip. However, I know that I felt for one of the first times in my life alive in Christ, seeing the work of my hands giving glory and honor to God.
Waveland, MS was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. It received the brunt of the Strom, and was on the northeastern side of the eye. The beach front mansions are gone, the once sunny beach seems so dark, and there is devastation everywhere. Images from CNN or any other news stations cannot capture the true chaos of the Gulf Coast.
We arrived late Sunday night, and as we drove closer and closer the damage began to increase. First just a few trees, then a gas station, then houses, then nothing. Where once stood houses that families had worked so hard to keep up and manage were gone, completely obliterated by Katrina. It gave me an erie feeling to be driving past a wasteland filled with bits and pieces of lives.
On our first day we all met with Jean Larroux, a minster from Independent Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN. He is originally form Bay St. Louis which is not far from Waveland, MS. He has come back to start a PCA church named appropriately, Lagniappe Presbyterian Church. Lagniappe means "a little something extra" in Creole or Cajun dialect. The name is so true beucase God has GRACED us and we are not deserving, giving a little something extra. Jean also spoke about us not thinking we were there to be the heros who have it all together to come and help the devestated, but that were are also devestated ourselves. It put so much into perspective.
The work was hard and o boy was in muggy. But in the same way so incredibly rewarding, not for myself but for the building up of God's kingdom. Each day a team of 5 or 6 would go to a site where a person's house once was and now stands a FEMA trailer and build a 8 X 10 shed. These were Sheds of Hope, meant to not only provide a place for the storage of stuff but to represent the love God has for each individual. I remember thinking on night and pardon my FRENCH, "I dont want to builing another damn shed," but how selfish is that!!!!!!! But I knew that no matter how tired I was or how bad smelled the work I was doing meant something it had eternal weight!
The iCare Village where we stayed was sponsored by the Morrell Foundation, was not filled with Christians looking to glory God. But mainly kids on Alternative Spring Breaks from all over the US. If you asked any of them why they were there it would be to "do good" but nothing more than that no meaning behind it. I had a reason to be there to extend the love God has extended to me through Christ. I can't even explain how that makes me feel.
Well thats it for now i'll probablly have more later. If you want to know more about Lagniappe Presbyterian Church go to http://www.lagniappechurch.com/ and watch the video it is amazing.
Give me Christ of elese I die!!
