Today was the beginning of the end. Not just for the week, but forever. It's a bittersweet feeling- but we knew this moment was inevitable. Next year we will all be so far apart: Florida, Colorado, Alabama, New York, Maine, and Minnesota. Although we'll be separated, the lessons and memories we have experienced together keep us close at heart. We are blessed to be leading such an amazing group of dedicated, hardworking, and passionate people. It's an incomparable feeling to witness such a transformation in every smiling face, whether it be while tiling, sanding, mudding, or mind games on the bunk beds. The experiences on past trips and especially this trip has left us with an indescribable feeling of fulfillment, optimism and faith. We are forever thankful for the gifts we have received and for the gifts we have left behind to the future missions leaders and people who have been with us throughout the years. We are glad to say that the mission trips to come will be truly amazing because of the people behind us.

Ecclesiastes 3:15

A Time for Everything

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

We will see you soon!  

Much love, 

Nora, Nate, Krista, Phinney, Foley, Lindsay and Eddie

Juniors

Working at the tile house today, I continued to seal the brick kitchen tiles. We finally finished putting all the tiles in and sealing them all, which was an accomplishing feeling. A man from our camp, Bruce, comes to camp restore every April to volunteer. While cleaning up our site I got the chance to talk to Bruce. He told me that he's been coming here ever since the Hurricane hit. He first came six months after Katrina to help out. The most interesting part he told me was his experience at this time. He told me that the entire city was bare. Absolutely nothing was in sight. He didn't see one person besides who he was working with. All the businesses were nonexistent and the street lights were powerless.          
The part that struck me the most was that he told me every single tree was bare and not even the birds were to be found singing. New Orleans was equivalent to a ghost town. I got a much better picture of how everything was around here and this conversation will definitely stick with me.
"For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, whom you have prepared for all the world to see" Psalm 134
-Heather Dorn


This week as well as last year I have been working with Mr Kellar doing the tiling. This year has been significantly different then last year because in general there has been more stuff to do and more people to help at the house. Today Dream Team (the people that have staying at tiling all week) took on finishing the tiles in the kitchen of the house we were working on. I was in charge of the grouting in the master bathroom and helping lay down the mud in the master bath for the rest of the tiles to go in. I have loved working with the tiling and seeing the progress. Then at the end of the work day the group that hadn't gone on Monday to a churches after school program got to go and play with/tutor/mentor inner city kids. Before this year I hadn't really gotten to talk to the people in New Orleans and hearing how the 6 year old kids had to get searched in school today because there was a kid who brought a knife and how they were not phased by it was something that I wish could be stopped. This program gives them a safer place. Today was a good day.
-Becca Hanlon

Everyday on the mission trip has been a great learning experience. Today I met kids that live in New Orleans and it was very emotional. They all had huge hearts and loved to smile. When a kid named Taji's face lit up, I couldn't stop myself from smiling. I love working on the mission trip and I can't wait for next year.
-James Mattes

When I heard about the mission trip a few months ago, I had an idea of what was waiting for me in New Orleans. I thought I would be helping people rebuild their homes, or helping kids with their homework. I was not expecting the impact these things would have on me. Today, I sanded and mudded a room I had been working on all week, when I realized this was somebody's home, that someone had lost everything they had and that we were helping that person get some of it back. I can't describe how grateful I am to have had this opportunity and these memories will stay with me forever.
-Mia Pattison

Today I continued at the tile house, as I have been doing since the start of the week. I, along with the "dream team" had another amazing day. Everyday I have helped another worker, Bruce, lay down the bricks and then seal them. To see the kitchen floor which initially only had a corner of bricks laid down, to the entire room covered in a brick floor really impacted me. To see all of those days of work come to completion. The tile house crew aka "dream team" has honestly made my day, everyday. We always are laughing and singing along to country or Whitney Houston as we spend the day tiling away. Today I also got the chance to visit and mentor a group of kids from New Orleans. When they saw us waiting for them after school they immediately became giddy, jumping up and down asking us a million  questions on who we were and our home. To hear the stories from children under the age of 12 about their daily lives, school, and experiences was heart breaking but inspiring. Each of them with a bright smile on their face. An amazing experience.
-McKenzie Walker

As a Mission Team, we keep tossing around the point that meeting the owners of the house we are working at brings so much more meaning to our work. Today, while at the Flake House, two of the owners of the house (it will be a four-generation household) came in to see our progress. While I was in the middle of mudding one of the hallways, the man came up to me, and the first thing he said was "thank you." That made me think for a second: we do not come here to work for the thank you's, we do not come here to work for our own personal gain, and we do not come here to work because it is 'the right thing to do'. We come here to help the community of New Orleans and improve the lives of our fellow brothers and sisters. We are blessed to be as fortunate as we are and we see that everyday while here in New Orleans. But hearing a heartfelt "thank you" connects you to the house you are working on. It connects you to the people you meet here, to the city, and to God. That is mission.
-Matt Griffin

Sophmore

April 17, 2012

Flake House-

Today was the 2nd day at the flake house. Shannon Hunt, Ross Kellar, Matt Markella, Matt Dyroff, Cari Librett, Christa West, Meg Glattstein, and Ian Brown were the sophomores who contributed their efforts. The work today included sheet-rocking, mudding walls, as well as sanding. Struggles, achievements, and contributions flourished throughout the dust-filled gutted two-sided building that is the Flake House. Everybody contributed 100% throughout the day and accomplished a good amount of work. The day was filled with enthusiasm and frustration, but in the end it was just enthusiasm.

Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Tile House-

Today was the second day at the tile house. Frances Anne McDonald and Caroline Shaunessy were the only two sophomores out of the small group of the eight kids working at the house today. While Caroline was hard at work cutting small tiles to go on the kitchen floor and mixing cement to lay the tiles down, Frances Anne learned how to grout and polish the newly laid tiles. Everyone had a great time and got to know the small group better. At the end of the day the group enjoyed driving to see the "Brad Pitt" houses built near the levees, including those who had not seen them the previous day. It was a day filled with fun and hard work!

Acts 20:24 - "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."

Community Center of St. Bernard

Brad Marcotte was the only sophomore along with juniors and seniors that traveled to the Community Center of St. Bernard in Arabi, off of New Orleans East. Before Hurricane Katrina, the population of Arabi was 64,000. Today, only 32,000 now live there. With the families usually containing three to four kids and a single parent, food is hard to get with an average income per family of 18,000 dollars a year. At St. Bernard, our group and other volunteers helped bag foods necessary for the people who need them. We also helped them collect their food and bring them out to their cars. We became friendly with many diverse people, such as Mr. Joe, aka the Boss, and Jeffrey, an accountant. We have experienced something new and we will be affected through the rest of our lives.

"You don't know if you can fly if you dont jump." -Jeffrey

Missions 2012 Freshman

April 16, 2012

Today, Ryan, Olav and Mackenzie worked on drywalling, and sanding the "Flake House". It was located around .8 miles from Camp Restore, and was a messy job. We started off the day by sanding the ceilings and walls, and dust clouded the air. After a hard job of sanding, we started mudding the walls. We got a lot of work done on the house for the 107 year old woman who lived there. Remi, Will, and Wyatt worked at the tiling house. We chiseled the brick tile floor, learned how to cut tiles on the wet saw, and put down cement flooring. It was stressful but we got the job done with a good outcome but an even better experience.

After working, Will, Wyatt, Ryan, and Remi went to the Glorious Day Lutheran church after school program. We assisted kids with their homework and studying, and chatted with  them. We ate the traditional New Orleans monday night dinner: red beans and rice.

The freshmen had an excellent and eventful first day of missions that they thoroughly enjoyed.

Mackenzie Bright, Remi Demos, Will Kalous, Ryan McSheffrey, Olav Serres, and Wyatt Prime.

It's almost like a dance, the way all the people move abut the vast rail terminal at Penn Station in New York.  So many individuals. All ages, all races, all backgrounds.  The random choreography is almost hypnotic to watch. Then you find yourself on the "dance floor".

It is amazing to watch these wonderful kids ... they are so open to everything! They make us so proud as they connect with people every where. It began on the train with a tired mom of 2 (who is pregnant with twins!) and continued in ways too numerous to count right now...we can't wait to see what this week will bring!

During the Rev. Terry's sermon at St. Anna's church, he walked from the alter over to the pews in front of where our group of kids were sitting. He thanked them for coming down to help, not just for sheet rocking or painting, but "for helping to give our lives value," and helping us to feel like what happened here maters. The silence was profound throughout the sanctuary as he spoke.

An incredible few days with an incredible group of kids and adults...truly an honor and privilege to serve alongside all of them.  So fun to watch these kids as they have interacted with each other and all those with whom they have come into contact.  Such giving hearts and so open to everything and everyone.

Who in there right mind would want to spend 37 hours on a train with 30 teenage kids?  It's a crazy answer, but Me. Watching the relationships build each minute, mile and munchies consumed was amazing. Friendships and memories are made that will last a life time.  I feel fortunate to be a part of this and to get the opportunity to get to know these kids in such an honest and meaningful way.

At our meeting tonight we asked three questions: What was the best part of today?  What was difficult about today?  Where did you see God today? The answers and discussions around these three simple questions where thoughtful, emotional and just amazing! Meeting the young children at St. Anna's was one of the best parts. Reading the names on the murder board and hearing Father Terry read the names and ages of those killed in New Orleans last week was difficult and sad...a fifteen year old boy had been shot and killed. And God, well He is everywhere..in the young boy who randomly walked up to the girls and gave them hugs and in the child who said thank you for coming to help us.
I am so proud of these kids for openly sharing with us and each other what they have felt and seen so far on this trip.

Tomorrow we will find out where and how we will spend our week helping the people of New Orleans. Tomorrow, we begin to add more to our story here.

Goodnight!
Heidi, David, Doug, Jonathan, Meg, Roy and Sue

It is our last day here...we are packing, finishing up school work and getting last minute errands done!  We meet tomorrow morning at the Route 128 Amtrak Station in Westwood, MA at 7:15 a.m.  The train departs for Penn Station at 8:30 a.m. and from there, we will board the Crescent to New Orleans at 2:00 p.m.

Thank you for the support and the letters you have written...we take each of you with us on this mission!

We had a great final dinner together last night before we head to New Orleans next week!  So excited to return to Camp Restore and help the residents there.