Summer Journal 2007

On our final night in New Orleans we celebrated together the completion of our work assignments, and as we sat around the table eating a meal at Bubba Gumps in the French Quarter, we couldn't help but realize that although our work here was ending there was still so much work still to be done as New Orleans continues to try to rebuild.
 
As we left the French Quarter we stopped at an area cemetery for some grave thoughts. This is typically a time of reflection that touches on many aspects of the pilgrims journey. In the cemetery we found ourselves gathered below a 15ft cross and our hearts where so grateful for the work that Jesus accomplished upon the cross. Because Jesus finished His work on the cross, there is hope, not only for the rebuilding of our own lives but for the city of New Orleans.
 
At the foot of the cross the best of God meets the worst of men. Jesus said 'come follow me and I will make you fishers of men,' this past week in New Orleans this team from IBC followed in the footsteps of Jesus, and the cross of Christ was lifted high for all to see.
 

St John's Church in Jackson, Wyoming has an amazing ministry through the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. Each year, thousands of people have the privelege of worshipping there in the chapel in the shadow of the Grand Teton Mountains. As a way of saying thanks for this ministry, our pilgrims from Oregon spent an entire day serving St John's.

For several hours, the students dug up and hauled dirt and rocks while landscaping a section of the church campus. The staff of the church was thrilled with the quality of work the students did and the joyful effort that was put forth. On Sunday, we will be able to visit the Chapel of the Transfiguration for a Holy Eucharist service. In the meantime, we are enjoying the scenery and wildlife as we hike, swim and explore. Each day we are more and more aware of the breathtaking apsects of God's creation.

Our five senses work together to enrich our lives by giving texture to our world.  Today on our journey to the geyser basin at Yellowstone National Park, our pilgrims from Westminster Presbyterian were challenged to approach the day with all of their senses.  The colors, sounds and smells, sensations, and even the tastes that we experienced today were amazing.  Just like no two people are alike, no two geysers or thermal pools are exactly alike. We marveled at the diversity of God's creation.  

The geysers rumbled, steam filled the air, and so did the smells of the minerals in the water.  Some of the students were daring enough to touch the geyser's runoff water...most of it was still pretty hot to the touch.  The other amazing diversity that the students noticed was the people visiting Yellowstone; we heard languages from all over the world, and the cars in the parking lot seemed to represent all fifty states.  It was truly a day that in some small way reminded us of the creative genius of God. 

Space. Space is the absence of tangable matter. It is in this lack of substance where the unknown silence and nothingness meets our reality. In our modern world. Space is what we fear. The unknown grips our mind so we grip harder to control our surroundings. But what we lack when we cease to allow space into our lives is the encounter with the intangible, the great discovery of the adventurous unknown.

I wrote that the first night we were in San Antonio and since we've unplugged the earphones, given up the constant communication with people and given time to silence, either through prayer or journaling, the intangible God has come to our reality.

There is no other place I would rather be than right here with these kids. From the San Antonio Food Bank to Mission Road Development Center, God is not only working through the kids, but in them.

Today, we participated in some of the hardest work that I have done in a very long time.  As you can imagine - there is alot of work to be done at New Vision Children's Home.  The Directors here have only held their positions for two years and have been working months without a break to help improve the lives of the children, staff and the physical property.  One of the challenges - making improvements on the property of an island nation is not cheap.  Materials are expensive and hard to find and much of the work to be done requires many hours of strenuous, manual labor. 
 
The first project that we tackled was assisting in the building of a septic system for the new children's dorm.  It is a beautiful structure that cannot be finished until this system is done.  It is hard to move children into a new home until the plumbing is up and running.  However, the job required us to manually haul large rocks from the top of one hill to the bottom where the hole had been dug.  Since the tractor was not working we had to accomplish this task via our hands and wheel barrels.  Easy enough - NOT!  The ground was uneven, the rocks heavy, and wheel barrels unstable (esp. over this terrain).  But we jumped at the opportunity to help.
 
In addition, we helped excavate land from the side of this new dorm, hauled trash to the "burn pile" and continued to play with the kids.  It was cool to watch the team and its leaders just jump in and give it 200% - pushing themselves physically and spiritually.  There was alot of sweat, tired muscles and hungry people at the end of the day.
 
One really cool event happened before the day even began.  One of the leaders (Peter) wakes up at sunrise.  Today he walked over to help the cooks (house mothers) prepare the teams breakfast.  He noticed that they did not have all the kitchen equipment they needed.  So, when it was time to run into town to pick up some supplies for our work project he purchased the missing kitchen utensils that New Vision did not have.  Now, that is a heart of a servant.  This is the HEART of the entire team. 

As the caravan of vehicles rolled through the 9th Ward in New Orleans, the group from Irving Bible Church was amazed at the devastation and horrific destruction still left two years later after Hurricane Katrina.

Our day in the 9th Ward was spent working with the Episcopal Diocese distributing water, clothes, and non-perishable food items. Our team of 32 was divided into groups with various assignments. One of our teams worked on gutting a home, while other teams visited homes delivering various items, and then engaging other children in the neighborhood in conversation and activities. As we concluded our work day we took a few moments to drive through one of the most devastated parts of the Lower 9th Ward. We gathered the 32 students together on a cement slab that was once the foundation of a home that no longer existed. We invited them to walk and pray through parts of the area riddled with debris and carnage only a few yards from the cement levy that broke; spilling water into the neighborhood.

Walking along, the students found pieces of broken lives which represented the stories of people who once lived in this wrecked area. These broken pieces of debris became sacred relics of remembrance along the journey for these pilgrims.  

Every day is a beautiful day in Grand Teton National Park, and the students from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Salem, Oregon are here soaking up the beauty, majesty, and surprises that this amazing place has to offer.  We started out the day with service, assisting the Revegetation Crew from the National Park Service.  Even in the pouring rain, this team worked and laughed the entire time. 

Our afternoon included a hike around Taggart Lake, with some time spent in stillness and silence, pondering the notion of peace, and where that really comes from.  Our desire for peace comes from God, and it is only in listening to Him that we can come to the healing and freedom that real peace provides. 

An afternoon rainstorm on the trail didn't dampen the students of this energetic crew, and they finished the hike with enthusiasm.
The drive back to camp brought a unique surprise: a sighting of not one but 4 grizzly bears, a female and her yearling cubs, as they crossed a field right in front of us!  Many people go a lifetime without seeing one of these fearsome creatures up close.  It was truly a special day.

The East Bank area of New Orleans is not the most common area mentioned for destruction from Hurricane Katrina, nevertheless it was destroyed after additional levies broke once the storm had moved on. Many of those who survived spent numerous days on the roof of their house awaiting rescue and much of the area is still uninhabited today. Those who are gradually making their way back to the city are finding their homes ravaged and sometimes unsalvageable. It does not take long to find people in need of house gutting here, and this is where the group from Irving Bible Church came to work.

It was a large task. Three houses in two days. One of which had remained completely untouched in two years (meaning the fridge and all). The group worked hard and they pushed through with great success and teamwork.
 
During our first work day in East Bank the group came across an older-lady who had just recently moved back into the area. Her name was Penny and she had spent the past year and a half moving from Houston, to Atlanta, and then strangely enough, to Irving, TX. Penny was one of the many who spent five days on the roof of her house, well, both her and her mother. It was because of her mothers insistence that they had eventually moved back to New Orleans, finished their house, and begun to settle back in. It was not long after they settled in though that Penny’s mother got sick, and eventually passed away. When we found Penny she had just buried her mother the Saturday before and she was lonely and hopeless.

Penny is like so many in New Orleans still trying to put the pieces of her broken life back together. As we left Penny that day we where caught by something she said to us. Penny said that she felt like “we were our brothers keeper.” That small statement was a powerful reminder to the team. We were meant to care for one another. We can’t just tell others about Gods love, we must be God's love to each other  This week this team from Irving Bible Church learned what it truly meant to be their brothers keeper. Along the road we all travel, God speaks and for those who have ears to hear still hear.

Today, we participated in some of the hardest work that I have done in a very long time.  As you can imagine - there is alot of work to be done at New Vision Children's Home.  The Directors here have only held their positions for two years and have been working months without a break to help improve the lives of the children, staff and the physical property.  One of the challenges - making improvements on the property of an island nation is not cheap.  Materials are expensive and hard to find and much of the work to be done requires many hours of strenuous, manual labor. 
 
The first project that we tackled was assisting in the building of a septic system for the new children's dorm.  It is a beautiful structure that cannot be finished until this system is done.  It is hard to move children into a new home until the plumbing is up and running.  However, the job required included manually hauling large rocks from the top of one hill to the bottom where the hole had been dug.  Since the tractor was not working we had to accomplish this task via our hands and wheel barrels.  Easy enough - NOT!  The ground was uneven, the rocks heavy, and wheel barrels unstable (esp. over this terrain).  But we jumped at the opportunity to help.
 
In addition, we helped excavate land from the side of this new dorm, hauled trash to the "burn pile" and continued to play with the kids.  It was cool to watch the team and its leaders just jump in and give it 200% - pushing themselves physically and spiritually.  There was alot of sweat, tired muscles and hungry people at the end of the day.
 
One really cool event happened before the day even began.  One of the leaders (Peter) wakes up at sunrise.  Today he walked over to help the cooks (house mothers) prepare the teams breakfast.  He noticed that they did not have all the kitchen equipment they needed.  So, when it was time to run into town to pick up some supplies for our work project he purchased the missing kitchen utensils that New Vision did not have.  Now, that is a heart of a servant.  This is the HEART of the entire team. 

Stuart and Wendy Brown told us when we arrived at New Vision that several things were important if we were going to understand Jamaica.  First, respect is very important.  Second, the success of an event is more important than ensuring that it runs on time.  Third, that people here really value RELATIONSHIPS. 

Immediately we found this wisdom to be true.  As we began our first full day of service to residents, staff, and property of New Vision Children's Home we were immediately "welcomed in" to the lives of the children.  They were not worried about what our church denomination was, the color of our skin, or the differences in our economic status.  What they cared about was that each person of our team was engaged, joyful and ready to play.  That is what we were called to on DAY ONE - to engage, build relationships with the kids, and PLAY!
 
So, play the team did with excitement and energy.  You would have never believed that we had just traveled from the US the night before or that we had known each other less than 24 hours.  The team and the kids made an immediate bond that has left a strong impression on our young team. 
 
It has been great to see everyone connect - to see the girls allowing the young residents of New Vision to play with their hair, playing games and just talking.  The guys have definitely jumped in and made some strong connections around the game called, "four square."  All in all, none of us could have asked for a better opening day.  A day filled with play, sounds of laughter, and GREAT food!
 
I can't wait to see how the week turns out...

"Then the King will say to those of you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

Today we worked for 7 hours at a local 'community owned' food bank called San Antonio Food Bank. They are largely city supported and very organized. We got a tour of the 104,000 plus square foot facilities. They included a volunteer area massive refrigerator and freezer sections, nutritional counselors, auditors (to ensure the donations end at the intended destination) grant writers, aid assistance counselors and a chef school.

Our students worked HARD. Together we went through hundreds of boxes of food; separating old and expired food from several categories of usable food. We then packed the usable items into boxes of varied, nutritional meals and stacked them onto pallets for weighing, delivery and distribution. We organized 14,500 pounds of food which feeds about 8120 people in a week. Not bad for a group of 29 Jr. varsity students and workers.

When Wonder Voyage goes into a location with a heart to serve, we always tell organizations the same thing: "We're here to serve the servants; give us the job no one else wants to do."  In Biloxi, Mississippi this week, the team from St Nicholas, Flower Mound lived up to that statement. 

They painted a house, helped demolish a house, mowed grass, cleaned and organized a rodent-infested pantry and fed the homeless.  They prayer-walked in downtown Biloxi, cleaned bathrooms, mopped floors, fished huge chunks of storm debris out of a lagoon and led worship at a local prayer service.

They did all of these things with joy, and all the while they took care of each other.  This week we focused on the concept of RAIN.  God  leads us through the storms of life, and plucks us up when we have reached our high water marks.  God sends His rain to revive us when we are in the driest of valleys.  God is present with us during the storms, and calms the storms when it is time.  God leads us through the storms to help develop perseverance, character, and ultimately hope. 

We send this team back to Flower Mound with hope.  Hope for the endurance and healing that God will bring to their parish as it weathers a storm and enters a new season.

Every good pilgrim knows that in the practice of living there must be times of rest, reflection and worship. We spent our first full day in New Orleans celebrating the Sabbath together. We worshipped and were fed a delicious lunch at Mt Olivet Episcopal church (a wonderful community of faith that has worked with Wonder Voyage for years), and we then toured the historic area of New Orleans called Algeirs, making friends with a group of girls who joined us for a game of cabbage ball in the park. We took the ferry from Algeirs across the Mississippi River to the French Quarter for some ice cream, and some New Orleans Jazz as street performers entertained us.
 
Along the way we stopped for a time of reflection, asking the group to reflect upon their personal relationship with God. Many times when the busyness of life, coupled with the demands and pressure we feel, the thing that often gets neglected is our personal relationship with our Heavenly Father. As we work this week touching lives and serving those in need we aim to find Jesus in the moment and to remember to take Him with us. For literally we are His hands serving those in need.  
 

"Welcome to New Orleans", the lady at Budget Rental Car said. "Its gonna be a hot one". As we made our way to the YWAM house where we will be hosting 32 Jr High students from Irving Bible Church in Dallas, TX, we could feel the heat as it settled down upon the city. Preparation for the teams arrival began immediately and as the team arrived we greeted them with a traditional New Orleans red beans and rice meal and orientation for the week's journey.
 
Jesus said, love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your mind, and with all of your strength. He said this while being challenged by a religious man. Jesus told him a parable of a Samaritan who put his own agendas aside to serve a man who was beaten and left on the side of the road. As this team of pilgrims prepares for the week of service and exploration, they will encounter many opportunities to put aside their own agenda and embrace the perspective of our Lord serving the city of New Orleans, and loving others as unto the Lord. We have already begun to ask each other, what does it mean to be Jesus with skin on?

Well, we made it. Trinity Church is at New Vision Home for Children in Christiania, Jamaica.

My first observation is the amazing difference between costal life, where the economy is supported by mass international tourism and the mountain towns, where communities are supported by small farms and markets. In our journey into the mountains (3000 ft. above sea level) we learned that people survive without regular running water or electricity and depend on each other for produce and meat. Many of the 2.6 million Jamaicans live below the poverty line. There is about 12 to 14,000 street children and only about 40 or so homes through out the country who care for them. 80 percent of the children are born out of wedlock and the same percentage are physically or sexually abused.

One lesson we have already learned at New Vision - is the JOY of the simple life. We arrived on Saturday after a long day of travel to a home with no water. They have been experiencing drought conditions and the cisterns had run dry. Our team was immediately challenged by this condition - no showers or regular running water. Yet all we saw from the children was laughing and playing - general excitement that we had arrived. The next morning we were greeted by a LOUD truck dumping 4,000 gallons of water into our cisterns for the team and kids.

What would you do if you came home to no regular water or electricity? What would our attitude be?

Pilgrimage. This is the word used to describe these trips. Its defined as a "journey to a place associated with someone or something well known or respected." This trip to Honduras was certainly a pilgrimage. It was a pilgrimage with God. Many of us saw things with our eyes, tasted things with our mouths, and heard things with our ears that we will never forget.

The sight of the children smiling as we played, the taste of the cheese as we chewed it, and the sound of the fireworks as they exploded back to back in the square will forever be ingrained in our memory. These things are easy to remember.

All these things and more we witnessed in Honduras and as we journeyed through this country we witnessed God and His work. In Luke 8, Jesus healed a man of demon possession. The man was restored to sound mind and this was witnessed by the town. But their reaction was one of rejection. They saw God work but they feared what they saw and inturn, asked Him to leave. There is nothing more tragic than to witness God at work and ignore it.

May we always remember what we witnessed on this journey to Honduras and may it change and shape who we are and how we see God working in our lives each day.

Cathie was the director of the cafeteria at the camp where we stayed.  She returned home to find a camp in shambles and the need to feed numerous volunteers that were swarming into the area to help. Karen and Robert came to the camp only this spring to continue the work of housing volunteers.  They have met Christians from all over the world who have descended upon the Gulf Coast to love God's people.

These are just a few of the faces from the storm that we have encountered this week.  All of them have thanked us for our mere presence here.  All of them have been grateful to God for sending us. 

The team has worked very hard to love and to serve not just the people of Mississippi, but each other.  They now have become part of the sotry of healing that God is writing here. The faces of the team members are now faces of the storm as well.

The team from St Nicholas Flower Mound has had a variety of opportunities to see the faces of people who have been impacted by Hurricane Katrina. 

Our first day of service included making sack lunches and distributing them to the needy in downtown Biloxi. One man named John, who escaped the 27 foot storm surge on the roof of a house with 2 stray dogs, had an amazing thing to say: "We are really blesssed.  The storm could have come at nighttime instead of in the daylight.  If it had happened at night, lots more people would have died."  After seeing so much devastation and loss, this man, who struggles to keep a roof over his head, found a blessing for which to thank God.

Another  face from the storm was Skip. Skip is a Vietnam Veteran; he was also a first responder after the storm.  Age and muscular dystrophy have taken their toll on Skip, but he sat and kept us company while we fished all manner of storm debris out of the lagoon in front of his property. A dishwasher, a TV set, pool toys, a box fan, clothing, and a pair of hobby horses, were just a few of the items we scooped and scraped from the water.

Brent is the father of a young woman who never got to move into her new house before the hurricane hit.  He and his 8 brothers and the rest of his family lost all but one house.  As a local firefighter, Brent was on the front line in the hours, days, and months that seemed to stretch on after the storm.

To be continued...

Today we slept in. This was a nice change from the very early rises we had been experiencing. We had breakfast and then the rest of the day was ours to explore the town. We headed to the central plaza where the Cathedral was located and from there split into groups and headed out.

I headed to the post office to mail cards, others to the bank, but all of us eventually went to the market areas of the city where we frequented the stores and street vendors. You could find anything. Shoes, food, supplies of all kinds and they were cheap. The markets were like stepping back in time. As I roamed the streets, I experienced something everyone on the trip experienced. We all stood out. Part of me wanted to blend in, to just
blend in the culture as a local. But there was another part of me that liked standing out.

I think that there is a part of all of us that likes to feel important, noticed and loved. After this week, I realize more and more that I don't have to travel to Honduras to experience that. God is with us and we are noticed by Him; we are important and loved.

The team spent another half day in Copan. Three opportunities were available. Team members could stay in town and explore the village, go horseback riding into the mountains, or go back to the ruins and explore the archaelogical tunnels under the temple. Choosing the ruins, I was able to see the massive stones and carvings that are abundant under the structures.

Much like our lives the outside hid much of what was beneath. Fortunately for us, the foundation of these structures were strong enough to support what is seen above ground. This week the group has witnessed poverty, beauty and wonder. They have taken part in both service and adventure. I realize these opportunites are great, but without the proper foundation in our lives, like these structures, it will give way to the pressure and pains of this world. Our lives should be built on the foundation of the One who has overcome the world- Jesus Christ.

After a celebration dinner, we had our final time of worship and prayer together here in the desert. Each student and leader was encouraged to share a time where they heard from the Lord this week. Some mentioned our Lectio Divina time, some our service time, and some mentioned their own personal quiet time as special moments.
Pastor Jason Cross reminded all of us of Christ's words in John 15 about the vine and the branches...that the words are not meant to threaten, but rather to remind and encourage. He loves us. We need to remain in Him.

Our week here in Del Rio, Texas has drawn to a close, and it is a bittersweet parting for the participants and our staff. God's presence has been tangible this week, and His blessings have been many. We have become family in such a short time as we worked, served, played, and prayed together. We look forward to the stories of new community involvement by this team and by Zion Christian Church.

At 6 am we hit the road for the ancient ruins of Copan that sit on the Guatemalan/ Honduran border. Copan was one of the largest and most complex of the Mayan cities at the height of their civilization. Wrapping up the service portion of our journey, we now dive deep into adventure and exploration.

After a six hour journey we arrive and visit with our guide Jorge. The ruins are beautifully maintained in their forest surroundings. Large stone and steep steps are everywhere. Imagine this civilzation constructing these massive structures without even the use of the wheel. As we walked through the ruins I noticed the precision needed to engineer these structures was amazing. Off just a bit in the calculations and the whole thing can collapse.

God´s creation is so delicate- like our lives- and God is intimately interested in the details and not just the generalities of our lives. This week has gone by quick and as we begin to wrap up in Copan I am grateful that I have been able to observe God in the details of this week knowing we can rest in His plan for our lives.

This morning we headed to the Missions of Charity, a local outreach run by Mother Theresa´s order. The mission primarily serves the uncared for elderly and a small group of mothers and children who carry the AIDS virus. Two projects were our main focus. The first was to make photographs of the mothers and their children using a digital camera, laptop computer and a printer. We then created frames for the photographees. Our second project was to serve lunch to the same group.

I was paired up with Miriam, a 50 year old woman with AIDS. After taking her picture we picked out her favorite color and began to work on the frame. I observed others in the group also working. Maggie, Chris, Everett and Bill played hard with the children.

What struck me was these kids seemed to be starved for physical contact. I saw God work through simple acts of affection. Our Lord held the children in His arms as He holds us, even though we do not always understand his ways.

The day has ben long. Waking early, most of us slept- out of exhaustion- much better than last night. We loaded our stuff and headed back to Comayagua. We stopped at another school in the slums just outside of the city. We spent the morning feeding children and playing games with them.

The school was much larger than the one in the village- at least 200 kids. When we arrived we handed out sanwiches and juice to kids who devoured them. Occasionally you would see one carefully wrapping a sandwich in napkins to take back to a little one at home. Then it was play time. Immediatly we found ourselves overwhelmed with smiling faces eager to make friends. We danced, played soccer, games, taught and Keifer even put on an hour concert with his guitar.

Numerous kids latched on to us fighting to hold our hands. One in particuliar was Keid. She was 5 years old but she attached herself to me, holding my hand. As I reflect I relaize that if you want a picture of transparancy look at the innocence of children. They love greatly and seem to accept anyone who shows kindness. They give us a beautiful picture of who Jesus was and still is. "Allow the little children to come unto to me for such is the kingdom of heaven..."

I woke up at 5:30 am this mornig after a rough sleep. I took the coldest shower I have ever taken in my life. We ate brekfast and left to the village of La Hacienda. Our project for the day was painting all the desks at a local school. The paint prevents the onslaught of termites which can wipe a school of their equipment. The local kids helped us with the project. We then fed lunch to the children and for many of them this will be their only good meal today.

One of the kids that helped was Lisa. Together we painted a couple of desks. Communication was hard> Outside of a few words of broken Spanish, verbal communication is difficult. But the smile is a form of communication that transcends culture and all of us were able to speak to the children in this way.

As I sit back and reflect on the day I realize that as humans, whether in the US, Honduras or some other country we all crave love. I met new friends today like Lisa and I am thankful that God has provided this experience for us to be a part of.

The Roswell is an apartment complex for senior citizens here in Del Rio. Most of the residents have very limited resources, and few visitors. Today, with the help of the youth group from St James Episcopal Church, we ventured over to the Roswell for some bingo and some fellowship. The students were challenged to ponder the way that America regards its elderly. Many of them were moved by the understanding that to someone on food stamps, even necessities like toilet paper, soap, and shampoo, become luxury items. The team showed amazing love and compassion when they immediately sent a representative to the local grocery store to buy enough supplies to give every resident some toilet paper, soap, and shampoo. It was truly a blessing to the residents.

For our free afternoon we headed to the Devil's River for a little fun in the sun. The week has truly flown by. the students have cared for each other as well as the people of Del Rio all week. From the border patrol, to the checkers at Wal mart to the owner of the local Sonic, we have received hugs and thanks for our presence here the last 6 days. We say "thanks be to God" for choosing us to serve here this week.

Faith Mission International has been sending mission teams across the border from Del Rio Texas to Cuidad Acuña Mexico for the last fifty years. Twice a day these teams distribute food and clothing to the lass fortunate in the town. The food and clothing are donated by generous people all over the US.

Our team from Zion Christian Church spent the entire day working in the Faith Mission Warehouse preparing the bags of goods to be distributed. This energetic group of young people was able to bag more than 1000 bags of clothing for the Faith Team to distribute. The warehouse staff was amazed, and the distribution team that is here from Missippi was grateful. This saved them all a huge amount of work and leaves them more time to minister across the border.

We were able to share the evening meal with the Mississipians, and when we returned to our camp, we celebrated with ice cream sundaes...a treat to beat the Del Rio heat. Tomorrow will be our final ministry day here. We are anticipating another day full of seeing God's incredible love through the serving hearts of the youth from Zion.

We left Comayagua early for the mountain village of La Hacienda where we will live for 2 days. It is humid here and sweat starts pouring off your back by 9 am. We arrived in the village and even though we have rooms most of us will be sleeping on the large outside pavillion to catch a cool breeze at night.

We went on a long hikle in the Honduran mountains covering about 5 miles through various environments and experiencing the beauty of God through creation. The conditions we are living in would seem primative to most Americans but the Honduras are joyful and content with what they have. There is much we can learn from those with much less.

"Manana es otra dia..." These are the words of Andres, our host in the mountains, said to me as he departed for the night. He is not wealthy by our standards but his attitude of, "Tomorrow is another day..." spoke to me about what we miss about God. I need to hear this phrase often. I miss what God is doing now because I am too worried about the future. May I learn to liv in contentment and thankfulness today.

The youth from Zion Christian Church have traveled all the way from Michaigan to Del Rio,Texas for a week of service, fellowship, and fun. The group is full of energy and enthusiasm, and for the last two days the students have painted up a storm. In conjunction with Texas A&M University's Colonias Project, we have been assisting struggling families in the neighborhood called Cienegas. The colonias are essentially squatters' settlements that have grown into defacto neighborhoods over the last 20 years. Only recently have the roads been paved, and many families rely on garden hoses for their running water.

On both of our days in the colonia, God demonstrated His providence; both days, we were short of either paint, or supplies, and both days, a generous person at a local building supply stepped in to pay for what we needed. Two days...two different benefactors. Amazing.

Our team was joined today by three of the youth from St James Episcopal Church. By the end of the day, it was hard to distinguish them from the rest of the students. We give thanks as well for the generosity of Fr David Chalk who helped us to secure some much needed paint. As we journey through the rest of the week, we will focus on sacrificial love. Judging by the way this team works, and serves, and cares for each other, they already have a good handle on the concept.

This journal entry will be a bit different. A few months ago I was approached by a guys named P-Dubb (that is what my daughter calls him) who is a small group leader for the teens at the church we attend. He was about to graduate seminary and looking for a job as a social studies teacher in the Dallas school system. Before he launched out into his career dreams Paul wanted to take a journey with Wonder Voyage. After thinking through his destinations he chose Honduras.

We are in the city of Comyagua Honduras awaiting the arrival of our team of St. Michael´s Church from Boise, Idaho. P-Dubb will write from the perspective of a first time voyager and first time out of the country. He will give you a fresh perspective with new eyes. Enjoy the next few days of the P-Dubb Perspective from Honduras.

Vital Stats:

Name: Paul Wetherington
Age: 30
Status: Single
Profession: teacher
Emotional Status: excited

In Colssians chapter 3 Paul discusses the need to put on a new self in order to fully live the life that God has created us for.  In order to put on the new self, we must first cast aside some things.  This passage was the New Testament passage that our Colorado pilgrims heard during the Holy Eucharist service at St Matthias Episcopal Church in Monument, Colorado. 

When we returned to Benet Pines in the afternoon, we alllowed our focus to remain on this new self as we walked the Labyrinth.  We stopped along the way to discuss the elements in our lives that needed to be discarded on the trail.  We took time in the center of the Labyrinth for a footwashing, and a discussion of loving servanthood.  As we traveled back out again, we spoke of the clothing of kindness, compassion, meekness, humility, and patience that we must put on in order to live, love, and serve the way God intends. 

We left the Labyrinth as different people.  May the Lord continue to change our hearts and minds as we  move forward in our own journeys of faith.

Our last full day in Galway just happens to be the 4th of July...America' Independence Day. This is the first time many of our pilgrims have been away from the US on the 4th. After touring the recently refurbished Galway City Museum, we stroll the Long Walk and then visit the commercial docks to see the huge cargo ships at port.

At the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas, we pause to ponder the concept of big dreams. Christopher Columbus stopped at St Nicholas before embarking on his famous voyage; his huge dream was based on his reading of St Brendan's tales of his own journeys. As we walked through this historic church, the students were challenged to spend some time praying about their wildest dreams, and the huge dreams that God has for them.

In the afternoon, we were delighted by three stories from a Celtic storyteller. His tales made us laugh and think all at the same time. We walked down to Nun's Island which houses the Poor Clare's Convent. This facility has for years housed the Sisters of Poor Clare, the order which was begun by Clare of Assisi. The nuns take a vow of poverty, chastity and obedience, and live a cloistered life of prayer and devotion, separated from the world at large. It was here that we spoke about the concept of radical commitment when it comes to call of God on one's life. The Poor Clare's life reflects such a commitment, and the pilgrims were encouraged to ponder what commitment to God looks like in their own lives.

Our evening time was filled with a traditional Irish meal of Stew and Bacon and Cabbage. Our dessert, however, was pure red, white, and blue: apple pie and ice cream on the 4th of July! Our final encounter time of Pass the Candle included the students' own stories of the ways they had encountered God this week in the 'thin places' in Ireland.

Tomorrow we will return to America. It has been a week of stretching, of growing, of change. We pray that the St James pilgrims will return to New Jersey with a recognition that there are 'thin places' in their hometown as well, and that it is God's presence that makes sacred space.

From the quiet beautiful island of Inisheer, our St James pilgrims journey to the bustling city of Galway. Our home in Galway is An Tobar Nua, which means A New Well. This amazing ministry is one of favorite to work with in all the world. WVM director Ryan Koening has lived in Galway for the last 6 years serving with this ministry, and he gave us a tour of the facilties and described the work they do here. When the clouds cleared a bit, we walked to Salthill, a local seaside resort area where we had loads of laughs on the rides at a local amusement park. Our evening culminated with Mc Donough's fish and chips, and an evening walking tour of the city centre where we learned many of the stories of the tribes and landmarks of this historic city.

Our next day in Galway the team spent exploring and shopping. We walked down the river to the Galway Cathedral and spent some time in reverent awe at the beauty of this magnificent place. We discussed many of the differences between the Celtic and Roman churches, and compared the architecture of this grand place, which is a new building but an 11th century design, with the quaint St Kevin's on Inisheer. Tomorrow will bring more time to explore and absorb the rich history of this place, and a Celtic storyteller as well!

Well, we have come to the end of our work week here in New Orleans and Snyder UMC has done a tremendous job at gutting Mr. Taylor's house (4 small units). Through the rain, humidity and conditions on the ground this team has truly "weathered" the storm well.

I am amazed at the detail work this team committed themselves to. Snyder came into this particular project to finish a job that was started by a WV team from Dallas, TX. We entered this house with a ton of detail work that needed to be done. In addition to the detail work, we also tore down walls, drop ceilings, and dismantled a wall that fell one night due to heavy T-Storms in the area. The great thing about this team was that no job was to big, small, dirty enough to keep this team away.

So, we tore into the work sub-dividing the team each day into units that worked on different sections. We had teams pulling nails from studs, tearing down sheet rock, pulling down wood-siding, taking ceilings apart, haulers and a cleaning crew. It was amazing to see everyone share in the load and to see the women (often time) outwork the men. Of course - there was no competition!

Today, it was amazing to see Patty working one particular room where a ceiling need to be dismantled, wood siding taken off the walls, sheet rock removed, wooden slats between the studs taken down in the midst of black slit pouring down from the attic region. It was like we were working in the midst of a storm and not two years removed from one. It was a sight to see.

After it was all over we took pictures. Why? The team looked like they just returned from a coal mining operation - they were covered in sweat and silt until their clothes we permanently stained. However, at the end of each day they returned home with a smile on their face ready to begin again.

Our last few days in Madrid have been a whirlwind of activity. There was freetime to shop, history to learn (such as visiting the Plaza Mayor where kings were crowned and the Inquisition tortured people in full swing) to the Palace Real and Madrid Cathedral. We are all into the swing of Spanish time (breakfast 9 am; lunch 2 pm; dinner 9 pm and bedtime after midnight).

On Sunday we visited the only Anglican Church in downtown Madrid, St. Georges, where we enjoyed fellowship and Eucharist with our brethren across the pond. It was only proper that George, one of the youth on the trip, read the New Testament reading in front of the whole church. The evening was spent at a traditional night of bullfighting in the most important toro arena in the world. After we learned the history and cultural signifigance of the battle of man and beast we watched, many times gasping with the close calls we witnessed.

Our last day was spent in reflection as we started the day contemplating Matthew 9 and what it means to follow Christ instead of just going to church or playing religion. We gave the team a couple last hours of exploration then had a time with historian Michael Wickham who gave us one last overview of Spanish history, tying all the loose intellectual knots we had left. We then partook of a special time of sharing our moments of wonder and each pilgrim was given a simple wooden cross from the birthplace of St. Theresa, a model of simple loving passionate faith for Christ. The evening ended with a delicious tapas feast of traditional Spanish cuisine.

St. Martins have become friends in our first journey to Spain and they have paved the road for many years of trips to come. May they continue to walk as steadfast pilgrims.

Snyder UMC traveled a "great" distance (12 to 13 hours) to come down to New Orleans and work on behalf of those in need.  They arrived about 7:30 pm on Sunday and were ready to go!  We had a great dinner and Bible study around the idea of "Serving Beyond Our Door Step."  I was amazed with their focus and willingness to jump in and discuss their theme and the upcoming work week in the city. 
 
On Monday we worked with Quinn to provide relief supplies to those in St. Bernard's Parish and the lower 9th ward.  They worked hard to interact with residents coming to get supplies, cold water and prayer...  Our day doing relief work ended a little early and so we shifted gears to cutting down tall grass at Mrs. Donyette Williams house.  We met her earlier at the relief depot and responded to her request for help.  She was tired of the rats living among her families trailer.  We traveled to the end of St. Bernard's Parish to help her cut down tall grass as another work crew tried to finish her house.  It was a hot / humid job but Snyder UMC poured out the power and got the job done.  After a long day's work we retreated to our house to get cleaned up and prepare for dinner.
 
After dinner our day did not end.  We went for a reflection tour of the lower 9th ward to see exactly where the levy breached and destroyed miles of homes, neighborhoods, and lives.  It was hard to imagine the water rusing in at over 200 mph to flood a city.  But it happened and what we saw could not be compared to what we did not see.  No more homes, businesses or neighbors.  No parks filled with children or sounds of weekend BBQ's.  Just empty and desolate. This set the stage for the rest of the weeks work.

The pilgrimage team from St James Episcopal continued their voyage this week by moving from the rural culture of Athenry and Esker Monastery to the rugged wild life on the island of Inisheer. This island is truly a step back in time...all the locals still speak Gaelic as their primary language. We had the unique opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist in St Kevin's chapel, a 10th century church hidden in a sand dune.  The altar at St Kevin's is reputed to have healing properties.  In the evening, the team enjoyed some real Irish music. 

On Sunday we attended church in the local parish church, all in Gaelic. After the mass, the priest acknowledged the team and then asked for a "small favor."  The church was to be repainted the following day, and we helped to move all the Stations of the Cross, and the church pews out of the sanctuary  to make the job easier for the painters.  It was a fun job to roll up our sleeves and join with the locals to get this task done.

That afternoon, our brave pilgrims hiked around the entire island, taking in St Enda's well, the lighthouse, and the shipwreck of the Plassy.  The students were able to see the rugged and wild part of the Aran Islands that most visitors never get to see. After two days in this special place, we are headed to Galway...