These pictures were taken when Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Iowa City, sent groups down to Biloxi to help with the cleanup.The top two pictures are from their March 12-17th trip, and the bottom picture is from their December 27-30th 2005 trip.
The first time they had 18 people fo. The second time they sent 22 people (not all church members).
A poem written by Brenda Johnson who went on the second trip.
Biloxi
The city of Biloxi was in great need,
Many people from all over took heed.
This Iowa City group drove hours to see.
The devastation of life we couldn't believe.
The trees, the bridges, the churches, the homes,
were either twisted or broken or gutted or gone.
The people we talked to were still shaken but proud.
They were determined to survive with some help from this crowd.
Someone said, maybe it was the Queen, "What man made is gone,
But what God made is coming back and will live on."
As we reflect on our own lives - how thankful we should be.
It was our turn to give, as did He.
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Below is an email from Kaja Marie, Director of Youth Ministry, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, she wrote following their most recent trip.
Greetings all in Christ's most Holy Name! I am finally sitting at my desk getting back to work here in Iowa City. I came into the office on Sunday early morning to see what kind of damage was done in my mail box for the past week. I started pulling out magazines to order from, information about Sunday school, Bible order forms, concerts to go to, and even a stack of 10 Sermon Summaries to get through from my wonderful 7th grade Confirmation Class. I had an eye opening moment as I remembered that the world did not stop this past week.
Many things till went on while we were gone. I am sure that we are still recovering doing laundry, cleaning our mess from just walking into our home, We went a whole week without watching a movie, or the television. We did not really go shopping for clothes or even things that our family needed. We made no special trips to the grocery store because we forgot something for dinner that night....but the world still went on. The lives we packed up with and headed down south with were not the lives we came back with. We have this new found respect for recycling, and what trash really is.
I was reading 1 Kings 18:21 today. "Elijah stood up in front so all the people and asked them, 'How loving will you try to have it both ways? If the Lord is God, follow Him; is Baal is God, follow Him.' The people didn't say a word." We have a choice now to live as God directing our lives or us. We were so comfortable with our lives before but each of us was driven by the Holy Spirit to come on this trip for different reasons. Think about what those were. Remember what you say, felt, heard, and even smelled. We now get to live a changed life. Yeah!!!! Break some of your routines. Just think, This is a great season we are in...Lent. Did anyone get the connection between our Servant Event and Lent? I know I did not until right now. Tiss the season for reflection. Talk to someone, read your Bible, keep this freshin your mind so that others may benefit.
I am going to do pictures today. Lets talk about getting together in the near future. If anyone has ideas lets communicate.
I thank you all so very much for making this a wonderful trip. I thank God every moment that you were the guys I went with this time. To share just like Paul says in Philippians this kind of "partnership in the Gospel." I truly am honored......to be the Queen of!
In Him,
Kaja Marie
