Psalm 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

He will bring me back to Mississippi and I will rejoice and sing praise. I will trust that He has a plan for this time and that it is His good and perfect will.

More Mississippi Pictures

Mississippi Journal (3.20.2011)

I am on the plane home! It is so sad since I really wish that I could just stay in Mississippi. The state has really captured my heart and I know that God had the perfect plan when He placed me there last year.

On Friday, we were able to go over to Jasper's mother's house because she needed work done to her roof and house. Typically, he would not ask a group to work on his mother's home, but we did it as a surprise for him. His mother is in her 80s and has Alzheimer's. Carolyn and Jasper have to go visit her several times a day and they have to cook all of her meals because she cannot do it herself. Her home is old and the exterior was in somewhat rough shape because she hasn't been able to keep it up. What we did was replace some boards, nail in a rain protector lip, and we painted some of the house as well. The project was done that day and Jasper was so thankful that we had done that for his mother. I'm glad that Carolyn felt comfortable asking us to work on the project because I can understand why that would be uncomfortable. But, thankfully, we were able to help Jasper and his mother out in a huge way. That is the most important thing, because God was glorified with out ability to help the Bacon's in that way. Later that night we went to Mama Hamil's for dinner, and it is a classic southern style buffet. I had beans, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and I even tried catfish! It was so good. FOr dessert I had bread pudding and that was lovely too. I really enjoyed myself and had a good time chatting with some of the girls on the team.

On Saturday, we got to go into the Saw Mill Quarters and hang out with some of the neighborhood kids. I was really nervous because I was unsure about how some of them would behave. But I was happy that we did not run into any problems and the kids were amazing. Glenn and Robert were playing basketball with some of the older boys, which was fun to watch. I really admire Glenn for his ability to make such strong connections with some of these kids over the years. He is really great role model for that. As he was doing that, I was getting to know a six year old boy named Dimitrius. On Thursday we had gone over to the Saw Mill Quarters to patch up their basketball court, so Saturday we went to go get some more of that done. Dimitrius came right over and immediately wanted to help and was helping Nick tamp the patches. He was so adorable and friendly and I was instantly in a constant smile. He was so funny and was always saying the funniest things. Some of the girls on the team were going for a walk, so I asked him if he wanted to come along. He said he did and that he wanted to ride on my back. So I walked around the Saw Mill Quarters with him on my back, pretending to be a car. It was certainly one of the cutest things I have ever encountered. We walked around and said hello to different people in the area and Dimitrius just chattered away the whole time.

We got back to the basketball court and hung out there for a little bit again. Then Anders and some of the boys went to go play baseball, and Dimitrius wanted to go too. So he climbed on my back again and then he decided that he wanted to keep walking so we went farther. He saw a toad so we stopped to see if we could find it again, but we didn't. Lauren, Kyra, and Emily were walking towards us and I asked if he wanted them to walk with us and he said yes. "I want them to be my friends," he told me. It was just about the cutest thing I had ever heard. I told this that they already were his friends and that I was too, and that really made him happy. We then sat in the shade for a little and took some pictures, then walked another round around the block.

As we walked, I saw the Louis house that I worked on last year and was so excited to see it. When I got back to the court, I told Carolyn that I found the house, and she told me that they moved. She showed me the new house and then she took me over to see the family again. I got to go with her and Glenn and we saw Angel, the mother, and Timmy, the oldest son, and another boy named Eric. That was great to catch up a little bit with them. Timmy is going to a community college, which is great! I was so glad to hear that. He isn't sure about what he wants to do, but he has so much time to figure that out.

We hung out at the basketball court some more afterwards and then we left to finish one last detail on the bushes. We just needed to put pine needles around the base so that moisture would stay around the shrub. After that we had a light lunch and then some of us went out to explore the town center. The center square had a bunch of little shops and neat places to poke your head into. It was nice to walk around and see the community from a different standpoint. And when we got back, we had a home-cooked southern meal by Jasper and Carolyn, which was very generous of them. We had pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, beans, and sweet tea. It was wonderful. They really are some of the kindest people. And at 10pm that night, we had a foot-washing service. The purpose was to close such a humbling week with an act of humility. Anders and I had pots to wash their feet in and everyone came up and had their feet washed. He and I traded off reading John 13 to open, then we washed, and then we debriefed on the week. Everyone had lovely things to say and I was so happy. And they all got a lot out of the foot washing as well, which was awesome. I will write more once I process.

:{I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.}: ~ John 13:15-17

Mississippi Journal (3.17.2011)

Today was so productive! We got so many projects in and finished, it was incredible. First, we went to Cora and Alice's house to finish painting Cora's bedroom. The room is now a lovely light blue and it looks like a completely new room. We bought her new window shades as well, because hers were dirty and dusty. The room is brighter and more welcoming and I really hope she loves it. We also brought them over a bag of GORP (trail mix), which they loved.

After we finished at their house, we came back to In His Steps to work on the shrubs a little bit. And after lunch we worked outside of In His Steps a little more by moving the excess dirt from the sidewalk to a wet spot beside the driveway. Nick and I were working there are first and he had his shoes off in the muddy water. It looked a lot easier than trying to avoid getting my feet too dirty. So, I also took off my shoes and I must say that it was quite liberating! It was really squishy but I was able to just move freely and get the job done more efficiently. When Caroline saw us with our shoes off she decided that she wanted to help us spread the dirt with our shoes off. The three of us had a great time and we really had fun and some fun laughs.

When we were done with that project, we went to the Saw Mill Quarters to see about filling up some rough patches at the basketball court. We got six packs of instant asphalt and patched up the holes while some of the local kids watched. They were really excited about us fixing their court and asked if we were going to come back. Luckily, we are going back tomorrow (we actually went Saturday, not Friday) to hang out with some of the kids, which will be really fun.

After patching, we went back to In His Steps to finish the shrubbery and kill the project. While I was spreading dirt into the old holes, I got stung by either a bee or a wasp. Ah well. It really hurt, but I put ice on it and was fine.

Tonight, we had a devotional about acceptance and there was a lot of really good discussion on the topic. I was actually surprised by that because of how tired everyone was. But they were really bringing up some good points about acceptance and what a Christian should think about it. They mostly talked about homosexuality rather than race and accepting people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. But all in all, it was a good talk.

Yesterday, Jasper had mentioned an internship with In His Steps to the group and I am seriously considering it. I could be down here for about three weeks in the summer and help the groups that are down here, which would be amazing. It would be great for the Kingdom and my minor as well as being good practice and experience for working in the missions field. The experience and exposure would be great for tough missions work because much of Mississippi is either equal to or worse third world countries in some places in terms of poverty. Knowing this fact has shocked me and really made me more passionate about working in this state. There is so much to work with. And Jasper was saying that a gentleman from India came to see In His Steps and said that the American poor are worse off than in India! He said that the American poor have no hope, and that is why they are worse off. This was really bothersome for me and I want to be a part of a change in Mississippi. The internship would be the perfect opportunity to do that and let God work in me for the greater good of the people here. The people have more to offer than what they are able to give. I want to enable them to do more and show their potential and help them reach goals. Hopefully I will be able to do the internship this summer and come down and help Carolyn and Jasper. We shall see!

:{Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.}: ~ Ephesians 4:2-3

Psalm 23:4

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

God is good and in Him alone, I trust.

Mississippi Journal (3.16.2011)

The house is almost complete! Today, we primed the walls then painted them a lovely light blue. I got to do all of the edges around the bottom of the wall trim. It was nice to be painting again because I really enjoy painting around homes. While we were at the home in the morning, Alice saw our GORP and wanted to try some but didn't want to take ours. After lunch, Caroline brought them a cup of it and they really loved it. So when we go back tomorrow we are going to bring them a bag!

While my team worked on the inside of the house, most of Anders' team was working outside taking paint off the side of the house and then repainting it. All of them did a wonderful job and I am so proud of this team. When we got done at the house, we went back to In His Steps and finished the day by getting more bushes in their new homes. Robert and I got to work together for a little bit, which was really fun. We were moving dirt and clay from the sidewalk to the area behind the bushes, where they were originally. The dirt was really heavy and it was a pain to move, but it is going to look so nice when it is all done.

After dinner we surprised everyone with a trip to the closest Coldstone Creamery. It was really fun for the team to goof off and just enjoy each other's company while enjoying ice cream. We laughed so much and I was so glad to see everyone bonding and having fun. Hopefully they remain close once the trip is done and over.

Again, I love this team, and I am so blessed to be working with such an amazing group of people. I thank God for them and how wonderful they all are. I am the luckiest :].

:[Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!}: ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Mississippi Journal (3.15.2011)

Servitude

Working on the house today was great. My team got so much done and we made Cora and Alice so happy. What we did was we painted the crown molding that we had taken down to restore because it was salvageable. Then we began scraping all of the wallpaper off of the walls because enough of it was coming off already. We had to use a special spray that would help loosen the glue/adhesive in the wallpaper, and even that was at times difficult. But we got all of the walls free of wallpaper, so they are the color of the last paint job, which is pink. The walls are so dirty and even after wiping them down with water, they were still filthy. I saved a piece of the wallpaper to put into my journal because it is a nice reminder of the project.

I also got to help fix their leaky sink. Plumbing is not something that I usually do, but it was fun and I got to do something new. Nick and I unscrewed the drain and PVC pipe, then we cleaned it from the old putty that had been used before. We put the new ring and drain back on but the gap between them where the sink would be was too big. So we had to unscrew it and Zac told us that we needed a gap thingy... I forget what it's called. So when we got that the drain worked and there were no more leaks! Alice was watching us while we did it and it was really funny. She is so sweet. She told us that if we ever go back we would need to go back and visit them. I guess I will just have to come back next year :).

After our projects we went on a tour of Canton, which was good for the team to see the area they were serving in as well as the obvious racial segregation. It still amazes me that it is so blatantly obvious here. People are not shy about being prejudice and to me, that is really sad. After the tour we had our devotional, Led by Kyra and Nick about servitude and it got a lot of great discussion going about the projects we were doing, and how some of it seemed trivial. We can't go into a project with the mindset that it doesn't mean anything because God gave us that project for a reason. Missions is not glamorous and you don't always do what you want, but you do what you do with a smile. It's not about what you want to do, it's about what God has you do. The work of a servant is not what everyone wants to do. If it means something to someone else, then you did a good deed. When you work for the greater good of someone else, you have done God's Will.

:{Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.}: ~ Romans 15:7

Mississippi Journal (3.14.2011)

Potential

The team was so incredibly productive today, and it really got me excited about the rest of the week. First we had to dig out a bunch of bushes around In His Steps property because they were going to die from the run-off from the roof. We had to dig out all of the bushes after digging new holes a few inches out. And because the weather forecast promised rain, we wanted to get as much done as possible. So we dug our holes and made sure they were the right size. Some of the holes needed to be worked on with a pick-axe because the clay was so hard, and that was a really fun tool to use. I got to work with most everyone on that project, which was really great since it gave me a chance to get to know everyone.
Around 1pm, we decided to have lunch and just when we got inside it began down-pouring and thundering and lightning. Our freshly dug holes were filled to the top in minutes by rainwater. We weren't sure if there were any indoor projects because we certainly did not want to waste a day of work.
My half of the team, (Christy, Nick, Lauren, and Caroline), got to go to a house and do a project there. We visited an elderly woman of 90 and her 50 or so year old daughter who lived in the same house. We had to go in and put sheet rock into the ceiling because the ceiling was falling apart. So we got all of the crown molding down from the borders, then took all of the stray nails out. There were a bunch of old tiles there as well that needed to get rid of because there were barely any left. We then lifted the sheet rock up and screwed it into the ceiling, making the dark room a lot brighter. The house we were in had wallpaper on the walls, but much of it had also come off, leaving the dirty pink paint underneath exposed. The dust that had accumulated was astonishing. There were little things everywhere and picture frames hung unevenly on the walls.
All in all, the house was not the type of house I would see on a day to day basis. But what surprised me was that one room that you could not really see was a lovely, well- furnished living room. It had beautiful couches and furniture and it was obviously well-kept. And it amazed me that there was such beauty in that one room, but not necessarily in the rest of the house.
The house reminded me a lot of missions because there was a lot that was not lovable. However, once you searched a little more, you discovered something truly beautiful. Amidst all of the things that are not what people want to see, was something that should have been on display. There was obvious potential in that house, and they utilized it.
It's the same with people: there may be a lot that you do not like, but you have to be willing to see where something beautiful is. You have to be patient, wait, and work to see potential. It is just as much about the people you serve and their attitude as well as your own outward image.
A Christian worldview should see past what human eyes see and open to see what God sees. He saw potential in us, so He sent His Son to die on a cross for us. He believed that there was potential and He saw through our ugly sins and sent His Son to show that we were and are forgiven. It shows that because God saw something in us, we should see something in each other. Who else is better to see potential in a fallen human than another fallen human? My God saw the potential we have, we should certainly humble ourselves to the same view. Leave all the judgements behind and look for the potential that other people have. Look deeper than the human eye does and see the potential that lies in your brothers and sisters.

:{This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.}: - 1 John 3:16 (NIV)

Mississippi Journal (3.13.2011)

Sunday! We are headed to the Bacon's church for worship, which is exciting. Most of the team has never been to a black church, so this will be quite the adventure! After we are picking Nick up at the airport because he had to take a different flight. I believe after that we are going on a tour of Canton, which I always love because it gives us a better sense of the area.

Mark 10: 43- 45

(Side Note: we went on the tour that Tuesday instead of Sunday afternoon)

Light

Mississippi. That place has so much potential. It has so much to offer and so many things that it can do. The people there are amazing and they are kind. It is a shame that others from out of state do not want to go and help their brothers and sisters there who are fighting poverty and racism. But there will be a day when those things are not as prevalent and when the state is united and flourishing. This beautiful place can be so much more beautiful.
The people in the South, are first off a whole lot nicer than people in the North can be. People in the North do not wave to cars that drive by just because they can. There has to be a reason, and I am not entirely sure why. People in the South are friendlier and chattier because they aren't in a rush to get to the next warmest place and they are perfectly content with sitting outside on their porch with their neighbors, simply talking to one another. There is not as much of a drive to have an agenda as there is in the North where I feel as though I am always scrambling to get this, that and the other thing done. I considered getting a blackberry today for when I graduate so that when I have a career I can check my email on the fly. I doubt that people really do that as much in the South as they do up here. In New England I feel as though everyone has an iPhone or some other variation of the smartphone. I always swore that I would stick to simply phones, but now the whole data plan idea is tempting because it would be handy in a busy Northern living style. However, in the South I might not even consider that option.
The South does however, still struggle with racism and that is not something that is acceptable. People are people. No matter what their skin color, they all bleed red. We all have the same make-up, we just have different skin tones. And if that is reason enough to hate someone, then I am really confused. Would that mean that someone with blond hair has every right to hate someone with brown hair? Does that mean that it is acceptable for someone with brown eyes to hate someone with green or blue eyes? It is so silly to me that people can hate others just because of their skin tone.
With that, there are many ways that the South has positives and negatives. There is need everywhere, North or South. I want people to see the potential everywhere because in all the places that we look down on, there is potential. We should not look down on anyone that literally cannot help their living situation. I want to create hope and ability in those people because I believe that they have so much potential. Everyone has talents and skills that are unlike any other person. Everyone is extremely blessed with a gift that God has given them and I want to help others cultivate those gifts and let those people flourish because of their own talents and not mine or anyone else's. Go light your world and have someone else light their own.

Now I'm Asking Why

It's almost terrible how much I miss Mississippi. Everyday I realize more and more how much I would rather be there than here. And I realize that God has a purpose for me being here, but I would rather be in the South. If I could drop everything and go back, I wouldn't even blink, I'd just board a plane and leave. My heart still hasn't caught up with me and I am still trying to wrap my mind around all that happened last week, and it is so hard trying to adjust. All I want is to throw on my grubby work clothes, throw my hair up into a ponytail, and just get ready to work. I want to be going to someone's house to repair or paint something. Or I want to be heading to the Saw Mill Quarters to play with kids and share the love of Christ. Yet, here I am back at my privileged school and my education and the memories that stick to me. Everyday I look at some of the pictures and just want to cry. I miss the faces and I miss the smiles.
Being at Gordon is wonderful. But I feel trapped. I don't know what to do because I feel so compelled to just somehow get back to where I feel I belong. I pray that God will bring me back there soon. I love it too much

You Made Me From Dust and Matter

Mississippi is coming up and I cannot believe it. There has been so much preparation and hard work that has gone into this trip; shaping it into what it is and creating something of humility. God has truly blessed this trip and given us an incredible opportunity to do His will. And the fact that we are just made from dust is amazing. God is using dust to do His work.

DUST. What does that mean? We were made from those pesky particles that end up all over our furniture that we are constantly getting rid of. We hold ourselves as more important than what we brush off of furniture when we are made from the same material. We are no better than what we wipe up with a duster. Yet God loves us more than dust. He treasures us and cares for us because to Him we have so much more potential than dust. We have minds and personalities and souls. We have something to offer because God made us with something to offer.

So as dust, I will be swept away to Mississippi and will be serving other beings who are made of dust. My team and I will be heading down and serving the people of Mississippi. We will be learning what humility means and how to be servants, giving all we have to the people we serve. Dust serving dust.

I am thankful that for a whole week we will have the opportunity to forget ourselves and fully concentrate on God and His people. For a full week we will truly become dust and think nothing of ourselves and only of the people we serve and the God we love. I am excited to be once again humbled and to learn what humility looks like. There are so many people that we are going to have the opportunity to meet who are going to have incredible stories that are going to inspire us to continue with our work. I pray that the team does not leave Mississippi without a sense of needing to continue with acts of humility. Hopefully they will leave with a newfound love of serving and missions and living life fully for God and His people. I pray they thirst for this when they return to school and into their normal lives. Mississippi will never leave them.

Ecclesiastes 3:20

It's Been a Long Time

Wow. I have not used this blog in so long. I feel really badly about that. I started using Tumblr, but I do feel as though Blogspot has a more sophisticated quality to it. So I will probably start posting more on here!

On Saturday I will be leaving to go down to Mississippi for the second time, and I am so excited! It is such a blessing to be able to go down to a place to serve for a straight week. I'm really excited to go and work and really immerse myself in servanthood. Please keep my team and the people we serve in your prayers!

Mark 10:43 - 45