Slidell
Lindenwood joined a team from FCC, Paris, TN along with a larger group of nearly 100 Disciples volunteers from Duncan OK, Lynchburg, VA, and Columbus, OH at First CC, Slidell, LA. This spring blitz build, sponsored by Week of Compassion and the Office of Disciples Volunteering, is erecting a new "mission" hall on the grounds of the Slidell congregation and is part of the Disciples long term hurricane recovery effort.
I never thought words like studs, kings, jacks, trusses, chalk lines, and blocking would become part of my vocabulary. I never knew the size of a nail mattered so much. I never really understood the full devastation Katrina caused until I was standing in the lower Ninth Ward. I was clueless until God blessed First Christian Church with an opportunity to experience something new.
In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things in the past. Behold, I will do something new.” Megan has preached on this scripture, and it describes my first mission trip perfectly. First, I had to make a decision, and commit to going. Second, I had to put aside my fears that I was not a “handy” person. Third, I had to have faith and truly trust God. And being true to His Word, God did something new for me. He opened my eyes and my heart. He gave me confidence to learn new tasks. He brought wonderful new people into my life. He gave me new appreciation and strengthened my love for the people already in my life. He turned lack of comfort into humility. But the greatest gift God gave me during my week in Louisiana was a new direction, a new way I want to live my life. I pray to continue to focus on serving God, no matter how small, dirty, or insignificant the task may be. I pray to reject serving myself no matter how big, glorious, and important the task may be.
I’ll never forget my trip to Slidell, LA. I’ll never forget the hard work, the need, the love, the laughing, and the fun. The whole trip was truly a blessing. My hope is that First Christian Church will have many more blessings like this trip. I hope that we will not ponder the past, but open our hearts to new things God has planned for us.
-Susan Anderson, FCC Paris, TN
Slidell
Lindenwood joined a team from FCC, Paris, TN along with a larger group of nearly 100 Disciples volunteers from Duncan OK, Lynchburg, VA, and Columbus, OH at First CC, Slidell, LA. This spring blitz build, sponsored by Week of Compassion and the Office of Disciples Volunteering, is erecting a new "mission" hall on the grounds of the Slidell congregation and is part of the Disciples long term hurricane recovery effort.
I never thought words like studs, kings, jacks, trusses, chalk lines, and blocking would become part of my vocabulary. I never knew the size of a nail mattered so much. I never really understood the full devastation Katrina caused until I was standing in the lower Ninth Ward. I was clueless until God blessed First Christian Church with an opportunity to experience something new.
In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things in the past. Behold, I will do something new.” Megan has preached on this scripture, and it describes my first mission trip perfectly. First, I had to make a decision, and commit to going. Second, I had to put aside my fears that I was not a “handy” person. Third, I had to have faith and truly trust God. And being true to His Word, God did something new for me. He opened my eyes and my heart. He gave me confidence to learn new tasks. He brought wonderful new people into my life. He gave me new appreciation and strengthened my love for the people already in my life. He turned lack of comfort into humility. But the greatest gift God gave me during my week in Louisiana was a new direction, a new way I want to live my life. I pray to continue to focus on serving God, no matter how small, dirty, or insignificant the task may be. I pray to reject serving myself no matter how big, glorious, and important the task may be.
I’ll never forget my trip to Slidell, LA. I’ll never forget the hard work, the need, the love, the laughing, and the fun. The whole trip was truly a blessing. My hope is that First Christian Church will have many more blessings like this trip. I hope that we will not ponder the past, but open our hearts to new things God has planned for us.
-Susan Anderson, FCC Paris, TN
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