St. Anne's On the Road. . . . . . . The Mission Trip Blog

Day 2 - The Day of Four Church Services

2011-08-01T21:09:00.005-04:00

Dungannon has a thriving church community. Each teen selected and attended a service at one of the four local churches: United Methodist, Catholic, Freewill Baptist and First Baptist. All the church services were well received and there were a great number of comments about the Freewill Baptist.

After services, we put on our hiking shoes and bathing suits and headed for The Falls, a local watering hole featuring a 100 foot waterfall. The teens had a great time getting wet and hiking. This year, half of the group decided to hike a 2.7 mile trail from a trail head up to the falls. There were a great many obstacles requiring the teens to climb over trees and negotiate rocks and boulders in the trails. There was also a section of the trail that was overgrown and a short search party was dispatched to locate the proper trail. With the group linked up, the hike continued. At the end of the hike, everyone met at The Falls for a cool swim below the thundering falls. Since this is a favorite of the locals, we joined in with 4 families for an afternoon of fun.

This evening was the first time we started to learn about the work sites. There appears to be a lot of great jobs in an around Dungannon and out in other rural areas. In the morning, teams will be assigned and the work will begin in earnest.

(Written by Clifton Poole)

Dungannon! Traveling.

2011-08-01T20:58:00.000-04:00

Loading up on Friday evening at St. Anne's

Clifton writes:

The start of our Dungannon Mission trip always begins with a grand caravan. All of the churches met at St Timothy's and actually departed relatively close to on time around 8:30 am. This year there are a total of 63 missioners, from four Region V churches: St Anne's, St Timothy's, St Thomas' and Holy Cross.

After the group pictures were taken and goodbyes said, we hit the road heading west... Dungannon, VA or bust! If you did not know, we are heading to a region of the country where many immigrants settled. According to Ancestry.com, 13% of Dungannon residents report German ancestry, and 10% report Irish.

The travel was uneventful. We negotiated Interstate 66 and found ourselves in southbound traffic on Interstate 81 in about 90 minutes. The further south our caravan traveled, the bolder the colors of nature became. The greens of the trees were brighter and the sky blue shown vividly, without a hint of cloud.

Our first rest stop was just south of the Interstate 81 turnoff. We stopped for an extended lunch in Christiansburg, VA at 12 noon. Last year we had an extended - extended stop. Instead of eating near the highway, we spent an additional hour driving into downtown Blacksburg, VA. (Blame it on poor GPS management.) After lunch and a short thunderstorm, we arrived at Abingdon, VA in 90 minutes and began our rural road driving into the town of Dungannon.

Girls at the Grill

All the church groups arrived within 30 minutes of each other and by 3 pm, the Dungannon Development Center was a buzz of activity. The biggest activity is locating the prime bunk spot. That accomplished, we started the task of unpacking the vehicles and storing gear.

For the first two days the teens prepare meals. This first evening was the traditional hot dogs and hamburger grill where we encourage them to work the grill (for some, for the first time). This year, the meat were accompanied by baked beans and fresh garden salad. After dinner, we got down to the preppin' for the business of the week.

Anyone want watermelon?

Suitcases

2011-07-20T16:43:00.000-04:00

I was pretty pleased with my packing for the DR trip this year. I pared down the number of pants and shirts I took, choosing to rinse out light-weight clothes rather than pack a pair of pants per day. I had a bunch of supplies for VBS and the Friday goody bags, a few gifts and a pair of shoes I knew I would leave behind. The bag weighed well under the 50 lb. limit set by the airline. I was looking forward to a really light bag on the way home.

Packing up to go home should have been a snap! I knew my swim suit would be wet from a morning snorkeling and had a plastic bag for that. I had a couple things to leave with Lilian - the rest of my sunblock, some bracelets for the girls, a battery-operated fan for Gabby. What I hadn't really thought about were the box of dominoes, 6 lbs of coffee, three bottles of vanilla and three jars of jam (passion-fruit, cashew-fruit and mango). With a little trepidation I shoved my bag onto the scale at the airline counter... 48.7 lbs, ten pounds MORE than what the suitcase weighed on the trip down.

There are things that came home which don't weigh anything, though, and they're far more durable than the glass jars of jam or the vanilla that the TSA folks had to open my bag to inspect. The bonds of friendship between team members, the stories shared with family the minute they met us at the baggage claim, the facebook friend requests from the Cristo Salvador teens, the digital photos you will see if you click here.

I credit the Holy Spirit with the success of DR Mission 2011. We so often pack her without paying enough attention to whether she goes in the suitcase or carry-on bag. I really take her presence for granted. So here's one last thank you to that member of the Trinity - in the name of the Father, and the Son and especially the Holy Spirit, who will never put your suitcase over the weight limit! Amen.

I lift up my eyes...

2011-07-17T08:00:00.003-04:00

View from the camp

...to the HILLS! From where will my help come? Psalm 121: 1

Away we went to the mountains on Saturday. The Dominican Republic is mountainous and has several waterfalls. There is an ecotourism industry, especially around the town of Jarabacoa. So, to get to know the country a little better, we headed to the mountains and a waterfall.

Rosanna pitches during an impromptu baseball game

Tomasina! Eleven years later!

The bus had 30 seats and we added some folks from Cristo Salvador to the mission team for the ride. Padre Hipólito, his wife Dulcina, daughter Natty, 3 grandchildren and 4 of our teen friends came along. The first stop was the diocesan camp. Similar in use and feel to our Shrine Mont, it is located about 10 minutes drive from Jarabacoa. Memories flooded back for Jim and me as we saw the buildings we'd stayed in 11 years ago. The dining area has been screened in, there is a nice walkway between there and the dorm building. But the fence footings Jim placed with the help of kids now graduated from college are still there. Weekend visitors were moving into the rooms we had painted all those years ago. The mattress covers Kay and I sewed are long gone but, Tomasina, the kitchen manager, is still there! I walked over to the little house and asked the woman inside if she had a 10-year-old son. She said, "No, I have an 11-year-old son." I'm sure she was worried about why I was asking. "I was here the night he was born," I told her. With smiles and hugs we remembered details of that visit, so many years ago, my first mission trip to the DR.

Jack on the bridge to Jimenoa

After a tour of the school and church on the site, we got into the bus again and headed to Salto Jimenoa. Suspension bridges and rocky paths led to a spectacular waterfall. While we got wet in the spray, a rock climbing group let themselves over the edge. We waved and admired their adventurous spirits.

Back in Santiago, some of us got off the bus at the Monument, toured there and walked back to the hotel through the city. We could see the hills that Margel used as inspiration for the mural, there was a wedding at the cathedral, a quinceañera photo shoot at the park, some friendly folks on the street and one last trip to La Sirena.

At the waterfall

Saturday, a day to ponder the work done this week, pack the bags for our leave-taking of Santiago, start to dread the good-bye scene at the church, enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

As is our tradition, we met on the roof patio for our evening meeting. The full moon rose next to the monument as we shared impressions of the day. We're subdued. A job well done. Goodbyes to be said. Do you suppose the fireworks display launched as we finished was God's exclamation point to our mission here?

A "quince" photo shoot

Loaves & Fishes

2011-07-15T18:55:00.002-04:00

Oh, Friday comes so fast! Work today was finishing the murals, mounting fans - both ceiling and heat extractor, packing goodie bags, and surviving the Friday crowd at VBS.

Margel finishing up

The murals look GREAT. The yellow room mural is now labeled "Santa Ana y San Tomás." Margel, Claude and various other mission artists have done a fabulous job - better than any of us could have imagined!

The heat extractor fan involved beating a hole through a concrete wall and removing a section of iron rebar with a hacksaw! Bob and Jim were prime in that effort... and succeeded, as you can tell by the photos. The ladies who cook will be grateful for a long time.

This fan required a hole to be broken through the concrete wall.

Goodie bags are a mixed blessing. We love to decorate the bags and stuff them with pencils (thank you, Susan Maukenhaupt), stickers (thank you, Perry), bracelets (thank you, Claude), cookies, candies, etc. Then we pray. We pray for another loaves and fishes miracle. We need enough bags for the children who show up on Friday. The kids who have been at the church all week should be sure to leave with one but, the kids who show up on Friday want them, too! Oh, please, Lord.

225 goodie bags!

We did manage to satisfy most of our VBS kids. The oldest ones were willing to let the younger ones get bags and left with smiles.

Finishing up is one of the most difficult things we do all week. Hearts are full of love that has blossomed between the mission team and the Cristo Salvador folks. Hearts break as we realize that this is the moment we say goodbye. Sure, we'll be at church on Sunday but then, we're gone for a year. Remember that old movie Brigadoon? It's like that. Or that guy in Pirates of the Caribbean that comes back for a short time every 10 years. It won't be 10 years before St. Anne's heads back to Cristo Salvador but it feels like it today.

Rock Star Poly

A note from Yanibel

Thank you, St. Anne's family, and St. Thomas, too. Your "on the ground" team couldn't do this without you at home in Virginia. Thank you, from the bottom of our joyful and tearful hearts.

Routines

2011-07-15T07:47:00.000-04:00

We've been on the job for three days now. We know who will be at breakfast first who will order fried cheese with breakfast, who will climb into the back seat of the van, who will sit in the front. We know who will pick up paintbrushes and who will look for a screwdriver, who will go shopping with Fr. Hipólito and who will sit down to talk with the kids. We're in the routine.

But... it's THURSDAY already!!! We haven't packed the goodie bags, we still need to finish the murals, we just got the fans and had to make one more trip to Ochoa this evening, we're just getting to know (or remember) the names of the kids!

Hurry, there's stuff to be done! Slow down, there are moments to savor.

More photos:

Meet Bob, Fr. Hipólito's chauffer! (Note the finger pointing.)

Hands washed, food blessed... LUNCH!

It's pretty tedious, painting the ironwork.

Margel detailing the mural.

Bridget painting in the blue room.

Jacob's ladder!

Miércoles - Just Say Yes!

2011-07-13T22:43:00.000-04:00

Dora welcomes her guests

Traditionally, Wednesday is the toughest day of a week-long mission trip. The excitement of arriving, setting up and getting to work is replaced by the challenges of working in a new environment, living with people you generally see for a couple hours and wondering how you're going to get it all finished by the time you have to pack up and leave! Today was that day.

How do you make it past Wednesday? Just say YES!

Gray & Justin switched from rollers to brushes

Say yes when Father Jim says, "Let's go visit Dora before we start work at the children's center!"

Say yes to Chencho when he decides that brushes are the tool of choice for painting the concrete - NOT the rollers that seem to be working so well!

Pablo starts on his mural

Say yes to Pablo when he presents you with a beautiful drawing he's willing to transfer to a classroom wall.

Say yes to the kid who wants a green crayon, not a blue one!

Now, that's a happy child!

Say yes to the proud artist who wants to post a coloring page on the wall!

Say yes when Glennys suggests one more song!

Moses' burning bush(es)

Rock star Glennys

Say yes to a mission trip opportunity - it will change your life.

Peeking from the door

Making a Joyful Noise

2011-07-13T08:26:00.000-04:00

Monday of our 2011 trip was a bit slow... the country had a general strike and we were stuck in the hotel for the most part!

Phil has been helping Lazaro with his website so he got some work done. We combined the Vacation Bible School supplies and started decorating the goodie bags. We spied on a dominoes game happening on the roof below us. It sure felt like a slow start!

Tuesday, though, we hit the ground running.

The rooftop domino game.

Father Hipólito has decided to keep the feeding program open for the children. They were finishing breakfast of chocolate milk and bread when we arrived at Cristo Salvador. What cuties! They were wearing blue polo shirts with a church crest on them. Like all of us, some are morning people and some are not. There were happy smiles and blank stares as we said hello to the kids; but saying hello to the adults was full of nothing but smiles and hugs!

Walking across the street to the children's shelter, we decided what room to decorate with a mural, we reviewed what else might need to be painted in the children's center and we had a fabulous lunch before getting to our afternoon work - VBS!

Josie with one of the kids.

Poly, our rock star guitar-playing priest, will not be with us until Thursday so Martha was song leader of the day. She had the unexpected help of GLENNYS and that made all the difference! A couple rounds of familiar songs had the room ringing with the joyful noise familiar to DR mission veterans.

Pablo is surprised to run into Fr. Jim

With a theme of angels as messengers among us, the first story was of the unusual visitors to Abraham and Sarah who announced the pregnancy of Sarah. We passed out crayons and paper plate angels. The kids set to work and soon we had angels with pipe cleaner halos all over the room!

Just an angel or two!

At Home Again in Santiago

2011-07-11T16:33:00.001-04:00

Breakfast at the Hotel Colonial was an opportunity to introduce those new to our team to the hospitality of Lazarus and his staff. Café con leche appeared, passion fruit juice was served. Eggs, toast, fruit and fried cheese were among the choices offered.

I figured that Padre Hipólito would be calling to make sure we were ready for church but we were all pleased to see him walk through the door instead. We climbed into the van, headed across the river and up the hill to Cristo Salvador. Bridget, Jenni and Margel read, Fr. Jim preached, Fr. Justin and Fr. Jim co-celebrated with Padre Hipólito. The passing of the peace was a round of huge hugs for those team members who were returning and those who were experiencing their first Sunday at Cristo Salvador.

Sunday afternoon was spent at Padre Hipólito's house. We watched the U.S. women win their game against Brazil, welcomed Poly, Lilian and the kids, had a fabulous meal, a couple naps and a tour of the garden.

Believing that one picture is worth 1000 words I'll stop "talking" and share the following photos:

Jenni reading Old Testament

Fr. Justin reading the Gospel

Stairs at the new children's center.

Sean, Bridget and a new friend.

Lots of potential banana bread?

In the garden.

Meatloaf, chicken, rice, vegetable salad, pineapple, avocado... (don't tell Sean's mom it was the best meatloaf he ever ate!)

Getting advice on growing figs.

Jack, Justin, Mary Anne, Bridget and Claude relax on the patio.

Mmmmmm, eggplant!

El Monumento

Checked Bags and Chex Mix

2011-07-10T12:25:00.000-04:00

Martha writes:

On Friday afternoon I felt the need to make some Chex Mix. Harris Teeter had their fancy nut mix on sale and I bought a can to throw in. (FYI, if you’re making some of your own, Worcestershire Sauce does not contain gluten!) While the mix was in the oven I filled my suitcase, printed off information sheets for the group, took stuff out of my suitcase, stirred the Chex Mix, searched for my flashlight, decided to pay the $30 for an extra bag so I could carry some kids clothes to be left … you get the picture!

“Do you have plans for that Chex Mix?” asked my husband. “Yup, I’m going to try to carry it with me, otherwise, it’s yours,” said I.

We had the luxury of a late start on Saturday, meeting at Dulles about 9:30 a.m. for our 11:30 flight. When our group of 15 was together, we parceled out the clothes in my second bag, sent the bag home with Aleesha’s folks and then started the check-in process, and a very slow process it was! Finally, we were ready to clear security, grab a cup of coffee and step onto the plane.

DR Mission 2011 was on the way!!

After a lunch of medianoche sandwich, tostones and a great cup of coffee at the Cuban restaurant in the Miami Airport we flew to Santo Domingo where we arrived in a thunderstorm. Immigrations, Customs and then – Bob and Ellen Snow greeted us with the Iglesia Episcopal sign, helped load our bags on the bus, prayed with us and waved us on our way.

This is where the Chex Mix comes in! Claude filled individual baggies from the huge bag I’d lugged through Dulles, Miami and Santo Domingo. Hunger made it “the best Chex Mix ever!”

Midnight arrival at the Hotel Colonial in Santiago, smooth check in there, a little unpacking, a great night’s sleep, alarms set to be at 7:30 breakfast. St. Anne’s is once more On the Road!

All of a Sudden, It's Friday!

2011-07-08T22:32:00.001-04:00

It has been a really fast week! And a very fast-paced week, too. Friday morning was spent at The Closet, a local thrift store. The staff gave our campers an orientation and then set them to work. Barbie dolls were dressed and given hair makeovers, battery-powered toys were tested, game pieces were sorted and matched. The Closet is careful to offer high quality items for sale and our kids did the shop a real service by making sure the toys were ready for new homes.

After lunch, photos from the week were set out and the kids made collages to remember Mission Possible 2011. Ice cream sundaes celebrated a week well spent.

After a round of singing and dancing to "King of Kings," we settled down to share favorite moments and recommendations for Mission Possible 2012. If the value of a program is measured by how many participants want to return, Mission Possible 2011 hit a home run!

(We can't let this chapter of the blog close without sending congratulations to Rev. Denise as she welcomes granddaughter Peyton. Thanks to text messaging, we got the news of Peyton's safe arrival early this morning. One day, we hope she'll have a great time at Mission Possible, too!)

Check the blog on Sunday evening to follow the adventures of the Dominican Republic mission team. They'll be arriving in Santiago late on Saturday and up early Sunday to attend church with the people of Cristo Salvador. Keep them in your prayers, please.

Thursday - Theatre Day at Mission Possible!

2011-07-07T23:46:00.001-04:00

Who's in Rabbit's House? The answer comes when a big, bad voice from inside the house roared, "I am The Long One. I eat trees and trample on elephants. Go away, or I will trample on you!"

Rabbit & Frog

Rhino offers to toss out the intruder.

The Mission Possible kids presented this Masai tale to groups of children at Common Ground and Laurel Learning Center today. The culmination of work on Mon., Tues., Wed., and today, the actors wore masks they had created and speculated how to rid Rabbit's house of whatever had moved in! The little kids were delighted when a terrified green caterpillar emerged after having been threatened by a tricky frog. The play was accompanied by audience participation sound effects. What fun for ALL of us! A beautiful lesson in the power of teamwork.

The "Long One" exits Rabbit's house.

The triumphant cast returned to St. Anne's for lunch and then headed over to Herndon for a visit to the Jeannie Schmidt Free Clinic (jsfreeclinic.org). One of the volunteer doctors talked about the importance of providing adequate medical care to all people, not just those who can afford health insurance. We left behind goodie bags stuffed with toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils and toys for children seen at the clinic.

Visit to the Jeannie Schmidt Free Clinic

Tomorrow - the final day of Mission Possible 2011. Green shirts and time at The Closet! We can't wait!

Weeding Wednesday

2011-07-06T23:08:00.000-04:00

Getting weeding instructions.

"It's raining!"
"Are you sure we're still going to work outside?"
"I didn't bring extra clothes!"
"Well, we won't have to wear sun block!"

Yup, it was raining first thing this morning. But the message was that the Reston Association staff would be waiting for us - rain or shine - to pull up English ivy, an invasive species common in Reston woodlands.

As often happens around here, by the time we got to the weeding site, the rain had stopped. After a briefing by the Reston Association staff, we spent two hours pulling up long strands of ivy roots. We left behind two huge piles of ivy and carried home a huge sense of accomplishment... not to mention some pretty muddy pants, shirts, shoes and gloves!

The afternoon was spent untying a "human knot," finalizing our script and making props for the play we're presenting tomorrow.

A little rest tonight and we'll be ready for Thursday!

A jackle!

St. Anne's + God = Mission POSSIBLE 2011!

2011-07-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

Shirts and journals are ready!

Today was the first day of Mission Possible, the outreach day camp at St. Anne's. We hit the ground running for our four day program. Blue was the shirt color of the day.

The morning began with Rev. Denise leading us in worship and scripture study. We talked about "Unity, not Uniformity." We prepared to work together, drawing on our individual gifts.


Like chocolate, go right.

Team building was next on the agenda.

Martha led some getting-to-know-you games before lunch. It was fun to find out who liked which Harry Potter movie or who would rather have a koala or a kangaroo for a pet. This is definitely a group that prefers the beach to the mountains for a summer vacation!

Toothbrushes and toys for goodie bags.

Following lunch at the park, the group designed an assembly line to sort and pack goodie bags that will be delivered later this week to the Jeanie Schmidt Free Clinic.

Our Thursday activity will be presenting a play to a couple local daycare programs. We chose the story and read through the parts before our busy first day came to a close.

Emily works on the script.

Journals

We spent some time journaling before a couple of songs, announcements and a closing prayer.

Tomorrow: green shirts and God's green creation!

Friday, Fun, Frisbees, (some juggling) and Farewell

2011-07-01T20:09:00.008-04:00

Our last day in Philadelphia began with pancakes and packing. We said goodbye to Chamonix Manor Hostel and made our way to the shelter for our last time with the kids. Chalk drawing and some lessons for us from the kids on Spades started our day. We replayed some greatest hits from previous days (friendship bracelets, Uno, paper airplanes, and an introduction to juggling) (yes, there is an app for that). Cara and Emma practiced their juggling-catch game (see video) and the boys of the shelter took their turns as well (you have got to be kidding me). Snakes appeared as the shelter boys had some nature experiments of their own to share (I'm just realistic). As our

time to leave approached, we presented the counselors all of the donated supplies we didn't use during our visit providing them the needed activities and support for the

rest of the shelter summer camp. Saying goodbye is never easy, so we ended with a farewell and the hope to return next summer to support the residents as they seek better futures for their families.

On the road (Emma navigate).

Stories from the week echoed throughout the van and over the cell phone as we recalled the great time we had (why is there jello in my bed?). Driving in each day (oh it's just a rental) to see the expectant faces and shouts of (there she goes in circles) "play with me" were wonderful memories. Drawing with chalk was a big hit lead by Thomas (this one time in China) as was crafting (oh I'll make some bracelets). We did learn, however, that our time with the children was not about giving "stuff", but of time, experience, and connection. The stuff (oh I just ate a kickball) tended to interrupt connection and put the focus not on relationships, but competition to "own" something. Definitely not our intent.

Singing, compline, and fellowship brought this group to a greater understanding our ourselves as members of our communion and our outreach to the residents of Stenton Family Manor showed us how we live our faith external to our church walls (we're going to get this in four parts). We are all grateful for our time together and the ability to share our blessings with our world (we need more Nutella).

The members of Philadelphia Mission 2011

Low-Key Thursday

2011-06-30T19:44:00.002-04:00

As the title states, today was a fairly low-key day. We started off the day not really knowing what to expect. The administrators at the shelter had told us that there was going to be a carnival to mark the official start of camp for the summer, but when we got there, we realized that we might have more work to do than we had thought. The carnival didn't really kick off until after lunch, so we entertained ourselves and the kids with more card games and chalk drawings.

After a successful lunch in the park, in which Cara and Thomas attempted to learn to juggle, we returned to the shelter for our last two hours. We finished up our cha

lk drawings and ended up with a lot of messy kids and a fantastic rainbow turtle. All of the kids worked together to created this masterpiece. All-in-all it was a good day with not too

many issues or fights. The kids are really lear

ning to work together and solve their problems with words instead of fists.

Video (Discussed Below in Blog Post)

2011-06-29T21:02:00.000-04:00

A Whole Lot of Fun and Cheesesteaks

2011-06-29T20:22:00.003-04:00

The day started off well with the St. Anne's Aviation Academy. Many junior pilots created their own aircrafts and took to the sky over Philadelphia (see our video!). With fewer crafts and more games to play, we are finally starting to see the connection with all of our wonderful campers. They are all starting to work together and are learning to cooperate with rules and behavior. With cards in hand, memory and other card games became a big hit with all of the kids, along with us too!

Little kids in Bright Space (2-5 years old) made felt t-shirts and had tons of fun playing and hanging out on the playground outside. In the afternoon they went to the playground again, except with a different plan in mind. The little kids ended up in the pool with Scott and Kami included in the water fight. While the little ones were getting wet, the older ones were drawing on the blacktop with chalk and playing more physical games like football and soccer. They also continued the infamous card games and had a blast hanging out with all of us.

The day also included some more sightseeing in downtown Philadelphia. We visited the Liberty Bell and a quick tour through Independence Hall really put us all in the mood for the 4th of July!

After the sightseeing got old, we were all getting hungry and the next stop was Pat's for the famous Philly Cheesesteaks. We all were able to order for ourselves, in the strict south Philly style ("one Provy wit," or "one wiz wit out," etc.) which we all found particularly intimidating. They were extremely filling along with the french fries and sodas. While in the area, we walked through the Italian market. Even though it was all closed down, it was still cool to see and smelled great.

All in all, it was a great day with a lot less difficulties at the shelter, and a more positive attitude from all of us and the kids. A whole lot of fun throughout the day and the city along wit

h cheesesteaks at night makes for a tired group of kids. With a good night of sleep, we will be ready for another day of fun with the kids at the shelter tomorrow!

Second Day at the Shelter in Philadelphia

2011-06-28T20:05:00.014-04:00

Dear St. Anne's Readers:

Today, we had our second day at the Stenton Family Manor, a home currently sheltering over forty families (with the ability to shelter one hundred).

Ms. Tami Hall, a staff member of Stenton Family Manor, described the situation in which these children find themselves. Imagine losing your personal belongings and confining you and your family - often more than one child - to a small room made for the temporary accommodation of two adults. The average family stays nine to twelve months. Transitions are often sudden and occur with little notice. Food is confined to three, timed, one-serving meals.

These transitions take their toll on the energy and coping abilities of the children (and adults, too). Often, the only way children know to solve problems is what is demonstrated to them by their tired and stressed parents. This manifests itself in bullying.

Today was more difficult than Monday. Today was the day we witnessed first hand the stressful lifestyle of families in the home. Children attempted to solve small problems by hitting.

We did have lots of fun with the children, today. Activities ranged from piggy-

back rides, bowling, Twister, and arts and crafts.

Observations and Personal Reflections:

Scott:

Today, as I was walking toward Ms. Tami Hall's office, one of the residents came in. She had clearly been crying immensely. The tears looked like happy tears. Ms. Hall stopped her and asked what was the matter. The lady held up a key and, in a faint voice, muttered, "This is my house. I own a house." The speaking was followed by clapping and cheering. Ms. Hall made an announcement: "Congratulations to Ms. Jones, a proud house owner. When you see her in the halls be sure to say 'good job' and pat her on the back. That is all." When I saw this exchange in made me realize there is always a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark or faint that light may be.

Thomas (YPI Intern, Chaperone):

On Monday, I played basketball with a boy, Jeron. His father had been in and out of the shelter all day (he was father also to another girl in the shelter). He walked on to the basketball court. "Finally, I got the papers. You're with me for good," he exclaimed. It was a moment filled with joy for both. It was a humbling experience that the father allowed me to share.

The shelter was a better home for the children than the 'other [whatever it may have been] option.' This shelter - with more than three people to a room for two - was joy. Too, the father was proud of his children. Never in the interactions I witnessed did the father dampen his children's dreaming. Though these humans live under such difficult circumstances, I do not think it right to label them 'depraved.' They are indeed trying.

Our First Day on the Job

2011-06-27T19:24:00.002-04:00

Today was our first day working at the Stenton Family Manor. It was a little slow in the morning, but things picked up after lunch when other kids heard about it and came. We made name tags, which were a huge success and played multiple other organized games. In the afternoon we played cards and drew with chalk. We also played basketball and kickball. Some members of our group went inside to Bright Space to play with the kids 5 and under. At three we wrapped up with the kids and headed to the grocery store to acquire dinner supplies. For dinner we had Cincinnati Chili cooked by Scott and Kami. Tomorrow we look forward to getting to know the kids better and playing with them. We expect a greater turn out of kids!

Written by Emma and Callie

Philadelphia Mission Trip: Sunday

2011-06-26T18:50:00.010-04:00

We arrived in Philadelphia on the evening of Saturday, June 25. This morning, after self-made breakfasts, we journeyed to the Episcopal Cathedral of Philadelphia. This unique service was new to us as it mirrored St. Gregory of Nyssa in San Francisco. We moved about the sanctuary for different parts of the service. The cathedral was decorated in a minimalist style displaying the artwork of a congregation member. We enjoyed learning about the cathedral and its traditions. (Above, our mission group stands with Reverend Andre of the cathedral.)

After the service, we traveled to the Reading Terminal Market for a culturally diverse lunch, (Chinese, Greek, Cajun, ice cream, and crepes.) Next we walked eight blocks to the Franklin Institute. There we explored the museum and all it had to offer. The exhibits ranged from giant walk-though hearts to riding a bike on a tight rope suspended three stories high. All-in-all it was a great first day. We ended with a delicious meal of homemade tacos. Currently we're planning for tomorrow's first day at the homeless shelter. Be sure to check back here throughout the week to hear about yet another exciting day in Philadelphia, through the eyes of St. Anne's youth group!

Dungannon: In Retrospect

2010-08-08T18:11:00.000-04:00

Now that the roofs and floors are done

we must wait for the storms to come

In a year, what will be gone?

•

As the years plod on, Dungannon may grow

or it may slow, populations may hit all time lows.

•

But we will journey and we will learn and love

we will toil and thank the Lord above

•

for the finest treasures

are simple ones we cannot measure

•

Thank you, Dungannon

Monday

2010-08-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today was our first day of work. My team worked on putting tin roofing on a roof of a house owned by two sisters. Their parents, who had built the house in 1921, died eight years ago and the older sister has a cognitive problem; the other sister cares for her. It's great to know that by the end of the week, their ceilings will stop sagging when it rains; the tapping of rain on the tin roof will be a testament to God's power to change us through service and selflessness...

The roof was very hot, but my team worked well together, and by 4 pm we had done about half of the roof!

Sunday

2010-08-02T19:56:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, we split into groups and visited local churches. There was a fiery rant at the Freewill Baptist Church, a guitar-playing Reverend at the Methodist Church, and a 12:00 mass at the Catholic Church. After we returned from our respective services, we had lunch. We then split into groups: one group went by car to the spring near the Dungannon, and others hiked about a quarter of the way to the spring when they were unable to proceed further because several fallen trees blocked their ways. We (I was in that group) chatted and played and sang (a bit) for about an hour. Afterwards, we had dinner, which was barbecued chicken. It was succulent enough. Compline was from the New Zealand BCP.

Oh, Dungannon

2010-07-31T23:20:00.000-04:00

Nestled in the valley

lies a town, a gem to see.

Driving in through drying rain

meeting my home to be.

for seven days, five of toil,

two of leisure we'll discover

an undercover God

in the hearts of those we meet.

Fixing and painting and reveling

praying and singing and slinging

stories of friendships, stories of grace

we hope to see God face-to-face

with prayers from a parish

our works shall not perish

our deeds will be scribed,
and nowhere will God's love be denied.

Phil Vollman's poetry may be found here

Oh, Dungannon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Kids Helping Kids

2010-07-29T17:21:00.001-04:00

Matthew 10: 13 and 14
People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.'

So began Thursday at Mission Possible, a day for the St. Anne's kids to remember that Jesus counts children as important members of God's kingdom.

Some painted birdhouses, some played bingo, some watered plants, all made new friends among the children whose special needs are addressed in a local summer program in Fairfax County Public Schools.

We walked our new friends to their buses and headed back to St. Anne's for a lunch break.

Over the past two weeks, members of the congregation have been dropping off school supplies. This afternoon the Mission Possible team sorted through the pile of donations.

Supplies were organized by category and decisions were made as to how to pack bags for elementary aged students and middle school or high school aged students.

The sorted and packed supplies will be taken by the youth group members who are headed to Dungannon, Virginia this weekend.

Mid-Week at Mission Possible

2010-07-29T16:22:00.000-04:00

How do you know which day it is at Mission Possible? Here's a clue: if it's Monday, Wednesday or Friday, the group is wearing gold shirts; Tuesday or Thursday, the shirts are gray!

As you look at the pictures in this post, you'll see that it was Wednesday. The shirts have been through the laundry once.

When you look at pictures on Friday, you might see some dark splotches on those gold shirts... souvenirs of the paint job done at Lift Me Up, a therapeutic horse-back riding program located in Great Falls, VA.

The group listened to an orientation by the Lift Me Up staff and observed a lesson.

Then, it was time to work!

There was fence to paint! And tack to clean!

Much good work was accomplished by cheerful Mission Possible team members!

Weeds = Bad; Dirt = Good

2010-07-27T20:24:00.001-04:00

Tuesday at Mission Possible...

Gather at 9:30 (view previous day's photos)

Sing some songs

Identify Bible reference for the day
(Gen. 1: 26-28)

Listen to a story (St. Francis)

Load 'em up, head 'em out (sort kids to cars)

Arrive at work site (Reston Assoc. pathway)

WORK - pull invasive weeds under supervision of Reston Association staff

Weeds are bad; pull them up.
Knock off the soil; dirt is good.

WORK - keep pulling weeds, fill bags, haul bags to truck, chop down a couple burning bush bushes.

SMILE! - Work has been accomplished, mostly in the shade, with cheerful attitudes and with visible results.

Load 'em up, head 'em out (back to church)

LUNCH!

Team building activity (create a living statue)

Group photo of living statues and their sculptors

Unwrap living sculpture(s)

Sing some more

Announcements for Wednesday

HOME

SHOWER

Rest

Get ready to repeat tomorrow!

Must You Pack a Suitcase To Go On a Mission?

2010-07-26T20:43:00.004-04:00

The answer at St. Anne's is: NO!!!

Today was the first session of Mission Possible, a day camp for rising 6th through 8th graders. For the next week this group will meet in the morning to read the scripture theme for the day, sing and prepare to head out for the day's outreach event. Upon returning to St. Anne's in the afternoon, the group will re-read the scripture and discuss the project of the day and journal about experience.

Monday is a team-building day. We drove to Claude Moore park and spent the day getting to know each other through better by using problem-solving activities. We also got the chance to swim for a while before heading back to St. Anne's to wrap up the day. We'll be working in four locations in Northern Virginia this week as we live into the theme, "Growing Hearts for Mission."

We're Heading "Home"

2010-07-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

With Father Hipólito

An essential part of every mission trip is the "going home." Leaving the people who have been so hospitable and so much a family for the week, and heading back to the people who are also family, is a bitter-sweet event.

Bob and Stacy

And so, we said goodbye to our Cristo Salvador family on Sunday after church with tears and hugs and promises that we'll be back next year, "si Dios quiere."

Jim and Lazaro

We boarded a comfortable, air-conditioned bus and drove to the north coast for a couple days at the beach before catching the plane to Virginia.

The beach is beautiful and we've been lucky enough to have Poly, Lilian and their kids with us here... kind of a gentler way to start the work of re-entering the culture we live in "the rest of the year." How do we integrate the experience of living in the Dominican Republic with open hearts and open hands with the busyness of work, studies, traffic, bills, and all our other obligations. Tough, it's tough!

Tomorrow, I'll make my own café con leche. I'll do my laundry, I'll get a reminder call from the dentist. I'll long for a hug from Leonardo, I'll wish for the chaos of passing out and collecting crayons from the VBS kids. I'll hear Fr. Hipólito's voice calling, "MARTA!" in my head but not with my ears. And I'll get a call from my granddaughters, I'll get excited about sharing our experience with my St. Anne's family, I'll get a frappuccino and I'll remind myself that we are separated only by distance in miles, not by distance of the heart!

It's been a GREAT trip! Thank you, St. Anne's. The team will be fired up for a while, ask us about DR2010, we'll be happy to tell you.

More photos here.

Yesterday Was Tough

2010-07-17T19:01:00.003-04:00

After much preparation and many prayers of petition, the 2010 DR mission team has spent a very fast week here in Santiago. As I write this, we have been in Santiago exactly a week. And now, we're preparing to say our good byes.

Friday is always my most difficult day. I start the day tensely, praying for a re-make of the loaves and fishes miracle while we pack up 200+ goodie bags to be given out at the end of the VBS session. We strategize how to dismiss the kids so that no one gets trampled and each child gets a bag.

After working with the week's theme of Noah, it will come as no surprise that Friday was the day God made a covenant after the rainbow appeared in the sky. Our rainbow was made of post-it notes!

The session began with a fierce tropical rain shower. Kids came in wet. We sang, we chatted about God's promise to never cause that kind of flood of destruction again and the responsibility we have to keep God's creation working in the way God would want us to keep it. We colored. We sang some more. And then... it was time for the bags!

I caught Milet's eye and we went upstairs to fetch the bags. Poly sang a calmer song than usual. The kids were told that we would dismiss them pew by pew. Finally, we opened the door and started sending them home.

Why do those kids love those little bags so much? Why will some of them actually accost each other in the street to take a bag that has pencils, stickers and some cookies? The week's activities are really about the relationship we share. They know my name because I've been here so often. They learn the names of new team members. They ask to have their pictures taken with us. They want to know where Fiona and Matt and Ann and Kati and Susan are. I have to comfort myself with the idea that the pencils are fine but the hugs we've given them will last as long in their lives as the hugs they've given me last in mine.

DR2010 Team w/ Constanza in the background

We also said goodbye to our construction crew. Chencho and his brothers Danilo and Mariano are also part of our Dominican family. Each time we pack up to head home, I know that I leave a part of my heart in this place and I carry them all home with me.

Today we took a field trip to Constanza, a beautiful drive into the mountains and a rich agricultural area of the country. Tomorrow we'll go to church at Cristo Salvador and then head to the north coast for a couple days on the beach. We'll be home before we know what hit us!

Watch for more photos. I wanted to make sure you all know we're thinking of you, that we're grateful for St. Anne's support of this trip, of this relationship. Pray for us tomorrow morning, as I know the people of Cristo Salvador will be praying for you.

Faithfully,
Martha

Rainbows

2010-07-15T22:58:00.002-04:00

If you have been following this year's blog you know by now that our theme for the vacation bible school has been Noah's Ark. It's remarkable how this has permeated everything we have done.

Martha wrote in the blog yesterday that it rained hard, in the morning steadily, and off and on the rest of the day. As we were waiting for the guagua (that's small bus-- into which can be crammed anywhere from six to twelve people—in Spanish), Father Hipólito mentioned that Dominicans were especially adverse to rain. “In this country,” he told us, “water, especially coming down from above is considered evil.”

That got me to thinking. In a place where there is a distinct rainy season, where floods are frequent, and an island, a place effectively separated from the rest of the world, at least until the advent of air travel, water must be daunting. And then I thought, working with the flood story, a universal mythic metaphor, stay with me now, maybe there is an inborn fear of water in all of us.

This makes the Noah story an important one for everyone.

Yesterday afternoon, as we left a local store, there was a gorgeous rainbow in the sky, stretching from horizon to horizon, in vivid rainbow colors. There was a rainbow in Noah's story too, if you remember, and we see that today as a symbol of God's willingness to stay involved with humanity, no matter what, a metaphor of hope. In the past few days significant things have happened on a larger then usual scale for the people of the Dominican Republic.

This is a nation of amazing resources, natural and human, and a nation that is growing up. President Obama invited President Leonel Fernandez to the White House to discuss matters of import for both countries of this island, the DR and Haiti. On a lighter note (although for a diehard Red Sox fan such as myself) David Ortiz, a Dominican and a Red Sox won the hon-ron (Dominican for home run) Derby at the All-Star Game festivities. In so many ways this appears to be a country moving into a new place, a place of prosperity and self confidence. Certainly, it faces many challenges, but this is no longer a nation staggering under post traumatic stress syndrome from the reign of the terrible dictator Trujillo.

There was another downpour this morning, while we were working in the new school. When
I looked out the door, through the curtain of rain there were a half a dozen kids were cavorting, most stripped to their underwear, having the time of their lives. I so remember doing the same. Hope, hope in the next generation, of this country, of the world. We are finishing up a week of being with, and working for the children in a barrio in a country far from home, and yet, it seems the next village over. We have witnessed, we have been part of a hope, a joy made real in the radiant faces of those children dancing in the rain. We work for, we pray for, we hope the day when the clouds will fly away, the sun will shine and all creation will dance in gratitude, peace and harmony.

And then it rained...

2010-07-14T22:15:00.001-04:00

Brett creates an ark

The VBS theme this week has been Noah and the Ark. We started on Monday talking about God's good creation. Tuesday brought the bad news that the creation had been squandered and God wanted to have a do-over. Therefore, Noah was contacted to build an ark.

Kids' planks fill in the ark outline

Our ark was crafted by Brett Nelson with the able assistance of Art Light and Bob Van Hoecke. It's a masterpiece! The kids were given "planks" of paper and asked to include their names in a drawing of something God had made. We pasted the planks to the ark, symbolizing how we should listen to God when asked to do something others might think of as crazy.

Thanks for the lift!

Today, Wednesday, was a rainy day here in Santiago. Appropriate to the theme! As the children entered, they were given animal stickers and helped to put them up on the ark.

After we talked about all the things that were covered up by the water and all the work Noah's family must have done on the ark, the kids had some coloring pages to work on. There was the usual hunting for just the right color crayon, jockeying for a photo, questions about whether there were toys today, questions about where some of their favorite St. Anne's folks were.

Well, that was fun!

VBS at Cristo Salvador is an intense session of songs, story, crafts and behavior management. In fact, it can wear a person out in a very short time!

Tomorrow we'll talk about sending the dove out to look for evidence that the waters have receded. The craft requires some prep work, tracing a dove and cutting it out of a paper plate. While the guys hauled sand at the children's shelter work site, Eleanor and I started work on the craft. Before we knew it, we had lots of help. It was great fun having our Cristo Salvador friends take up scissors and gather around the table for a work session.

With any luck, there will be sun tomorrow!

Everyone helps prepare!

For more photos, click here!

Noah's Ark

2010-07-13T22:00:00.004-04:00

Danilo and Jim building the stairwell.

So if you remember the Disney movie "Fantasia," you must recall the scene famously called the "Sorcerer's Apprentice." Remember the brooms, all the brooms dancing wildly around the room, spilling water until finally the whole house is floating away. Well, that's exactly what the work site was like first thing this morning. We were trying to put flexible plumbing pipe together to get water from the street onto the roof to make concrete when chaos struck! Pipes falling apart, water flying all over the place, people running around (me included) trying to fit the pipe back together again, or turn the water off at the street, or just get out of the way before getting drenched (I did), which didn't feel so bad in the heat. Finally, we got the pipe pieced back together, then... no water, a water main break a block away shut all the water on the street down. Not to be dissuaded, we set up a bucket brigade and brought water from the church's cistern across the street. Mission accomplished, although by that time it was too late to do the roof, so we helped pour stairs instead.

Smoothing out newly poured stairs.

So goes a day like other days on a construction site on a mission trip in the Dominican Republic, humor and flexibility essential attributes. Yet the work gets done, and wonderful functional schools and churches get built. We have worked with Chencho, the master builder on other projects, San Lucas Church, and a house in the poorest section of the barrio. There is a lot of mutual affection and respect and he is just a delight. Yesterday afternoon during vacation bible school I spied him in a back pew watching the kids sing, having a great time.

That there is poverty, abuse and deprivation in this neighborhood is simply a fact, and an obvious one at that. But what is not so obvious is the strong sense of community. People genuinely care for each other here. For the second time I have witnessed Padre Hipólito

build a congregation that became a family, and now he is fulfilling a dream in this place by adding a school for the children. It is, if anything ever was, the work of the Holy Spirit.

Tomorrow, hopefully, we'll get to the roof, but tonight, in my tiredness, and in my missing you all, I give thanks to God that those of us here, because of your commitment and love, can be part of this holy thing. We are, after all, representing you.

Monday - Lunes

2010-07-12T22:13:00.003-04:00

Chencho checks out his new crew!

Today was our first day "on the job." We had all slept well, eaten a hearty breakfast, brushed our teeth and put on our workin' shoes. Father Hipólito came by to make sure we were ready to go and then called us a cab. Some of us piled into the van and some climbed into Padre H's car and we headed out through the Santiago rush hour traffic. Over the river and up the hill we went. Those of us in the car made it to the church where we waited for the van to arrive... and waited... and waited. Oops! Wrong turn! They showed up after a detour to the hill next door.

Jack waiting for an empty bucket.

This trip has been one of meeting up with people we haven't seen for a while. Today we saw Chencho, the job foreman. We worked with Chencho on the construction of San Lucas and on a house rehabilitation in the Cristo Salvador neighborhood 5 years ago. This was the first time we'd seen him since then. What a great reunion! We got a tour of the children's shelter, from the roof down. Then we put on gloves (yes, and sunblock) and got to work. Some of us shoveled sand, others raised the bucket of sand to the roof, and still others broke plaster off the walls in the section of the shelter that has been remodeled from an old house.

Surrounded with love and admiration.

A full bucket heads across the street.

After a break for lunch, we had our first session of VBS. About 80 kids came today. Poly led songs, we talked about God's good creation and drew animals on paper plates. Seeing the kids was great. Those of us who have been here before saw familiar faces. I was astounded to hear that one of the boys I've known has just finished 6th grade and is 11 years old! Where has the time gone? Isn't he still a very little boy?

The day finished with a trip down the street and around the corner from our hotel to La Sirena and the market before we had dinner and our nightly meeting.

We have much to be thankful for today. Good work, good company, many blessings. Now we rest and start again tomorrow!

Click here for more pictures.

Sunday Morning at Iglesia Cristo Salvador and an Afternoon With Family

2010-07-11T22:05:00.038-04:00

“I think this is a new section of pavement,” Eleanor said, “I don't think this store was here two years ago,” I added. So was our conversation during the first drive across the bridge and up the hill to the little community of Pastor. Even though some things have changed there is so much more that is familiar that it feels like coming home. It certainly felt that way as we walked into the Church, hugging adults and children alike as there was mutual recognition. As Father Hipólito, the acolytes, and I prayed before beginning the service it felt both like being home at St. Anne's and preparing to lead the service again at Cristo Salvador. It is a joy and a privilege to preside at the Eucharist with this wonderful congregation, and my Spanish is getting better!

Sunday afternoon conversations.

Yum!

We were invited to a fabulous lunch at the home of Fr. Hipolitó and the wife Dulcina where we also watched the final game of the World Cup. Even though the Dominican Republic is a fanatical baseball place, the strong connection of a common language and heritage created a vocal fan base for the team from Spain and shouts of joy reverberated though the neighborhood when the game was won in overtime.

Spain! ¡España! ¡Campeones! Champions!

While we were at the Church this morning we stopped in to check out the school which is being built across from the Church. It is up, the concrete block walls and the roof, but just. There will be plenty to do. It's really exciting to see Fr. Hipólito's dream come into reality. Within the next year there will be a thriving school for kids from the barrio.

A first look at the shelter project.

It feels good, to see this neighborhood, and the Church become a better place. Tonight we walked to San Lucas, the beautiful church we worked on for several years. It is a thriving community, someday Cristo Salvador and the school will be just like it.

St Paul said in the letter to the Romans: "Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Paul's right, you know, in the end it's not about being right, or successful, or powerful. it's about being faithful, and hopeful, and loving.

DR20

Care and Feeding of Missioners and the Blog!

2010-07-11T08:26:00.001-04:00

Good morning from Santiago! This is Martha writing.

The 2010 Dominican Republic team has arrived on site! We had a very smooth trip from Dulles through San Juan, Puerto Rico to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. While in this current age of travel there is not much "feeding" done by the airlines, we were well taken care of! All bags arrived with us, customs and immigration were cleared with no problems and we were met on the sidewalk by a grinning Father Hipólito.

I know that part of Father Hipólito's smile came from seeing the familiar faces of Jim Papile, Art Light, Eleanor Ware and myself. The other part came from realizing that when I told him were were bringing "tall guys," I really meant it! He looked waaaay up into the faces of Brett Nelson, Ben Webster and Bob & Jack Van Hoecke and welcomed them to the Dominican Republic.

As I write this, we are assembling for a quick breakfast and then headed up to church at Cristo Salvador. By day's end we'll have more stories to tell and maybe a picture or two. For now, know that greetings will be offered on behalf of all the people of St. Anne's and we will think of you all as we worship here today.

So, we'll try to "feed" this blog more regularly as we progress through the week! Keep in touch!

Day 7-Our Last day

2010-07-04T09:37:00.008-04:00

Our final day at Stenton Family Manor held mixed emotions. While we were all ready to journey home to see our families and get some rest, it was very difficult to say goodbye. We knew that we probably would never see these particular children again. They, too were aware that we would be leaving. We all made the most of the time with lots of hugs and piggy back rides. I think the favorite activity however was the relay races and water balloon toss!

Before we left, we had the opportunity to talk with the staff to ask what particular items were most needed for each age group and we left behind not only all of the equipment we brought, but lots of ideas for activities for the summer.

Our trip home was smooth, with lots of chatter, laughter and sleeping! Several of the missioners talked about their experiences and how much perspectives were changed. It was a wonderful week for all of us and many are already looking forward to next year!

Thank you again for all of your prayers and contributions. Everything we brought was in full use when we left Stenton Manor and now we know what things to bring for our next mission!!

The Philadelphia Mission Team 2010

Day 5!

2010-06-30T19:55:00.004-04:00

Today was another day full of smiling faces and laughter. A woman from the Wissahickon Nature Center came and took the kids on nature walks around the shelter. She gave them all bug boxes that they really enjoyed playing with! They loved walking around and finding interesting bugs in their own backyard. Others made animal masks out of paper plates, construction paper, and feathers. Some of the kids played with balls while others drew themselves in chalk on the pavement. After a full day of playing with the children, the group went into the heart of Philadelphia and ate some delicious Irish Ice in Mango, Cherry, Lemon, and Blue Raspberry flavors. After the Irish Ice, we travelled to Pat's for some delicious Philly Cheese Steaks, except for Mike and Kelley who are vegetarian, and Hayley who doesn't care for Cheese Steaks. They ate Chinese food instead. Overall, we had a full day of fun with the kids and stuffed stomachs.

Mike Sills and Kelley Ficklin

Day 4

2010-06-29T19:56:00.003-04:00

Today was a very eventful day at the Stenton Family Manor. For some reason there were about 70 volunteers and about 50 kids. We don't have the excuse to say that we were outnumbered anymore! The biggest reward of the day by far was seeing the happy, smiling faces of the young children we helped. During the afternoon we all played outside with the kids that ranged from about 5-12 years old. We drew pictures with sidewalk chalk, and enjoyed games of basketball, soccer, football, and four square. Overall, by the end of the day we were all extremely tired but walked out with smiles on all our faces. :)

Sam Allen, Kyle Jeffries, and James Allen

Day 3

2010-06-28T21:05:00.002-04:00

After an early rise of 7am, the group all piled into the kitchen. There we ate our cookie crisps and frosted flakes then packed our lunches for the long day ahead of us. Once we arrived at the Stenton Family Manor shelter, we met up with the Clayton United Methodist church volunteers. We learned that this shelter was one of two in the entire country that grows their own vegatables in their "Hope" garden. After sketching out our day, we met some of the wonderful children. Finally after a few hours of intense outdoor play, it was time for lunch. We went inside and enjoyed our nicely packed lunches in the "employes" room, while the kids devoured their hot dogs with gusto in the back lawn. Next we ventured out to the pools while some stayed back with the preschoolers. After a funfilled day it was time to leave. On our way back we were hit with an enormous rainstorm, in which Grace and Hailey sprinted about. For dinner, Kyle, James, and Sam prepared a magnificent feast of salad, fruit salad, bread, and chicken alfredo. (With a little assistance from our Tunisian chef friend who's also at the hostel.) All in all it was a fufilling day. Off to compline now.

-Emma Toomer & Grace Gillen

Philadelphia Mission Day 1&2

2010-06-28T17:32:00.000-04:00

The first two days of the Philly Mission Trip were very entertaining. The car ride there was 3.5 hours and we made it in time for Ghana's last goal. After we became aquainted with the Chamounix Mansion, we went shopping. Groups of 2 and 3 went shopping for various supplies we needed to get through the fun and exciting week! Our dinner on the first night was make-your-own pizzas, and it was a mess. Then we had fun with compline lead by the fabulous James Allen, and it was truly inspirational. Day 2 we went to church at the Philadelphia Cathedral, and it was a "different" approach on church. There was a lot of movement from the baptismal font to the lectern to the altar and lots of singing! After, we went to the Reading Terminal Market to eat our lunch. Then we traveled as far as New Jersey to experience the Historic Philadelphia area (i.e., we got lost). The two days that we have been on this mission trip have been great! Tomorrow we start to help at the homeless shelter, so we did a lot of planning tonite.

Written by,
Scott Waters

Reflections while waiting for a plane

2010-03-28T00:33:00.005-04:00

This time the scene was so different. And it lifted my heart.

Driving to the airport after the first St. Anne's Mission to New Orleans in February, 2005, I was numb. A week of shoveling three feet of mud, pulling down mold-ridden drywall, and sifting through families' treasured belongings, ruined by the flood waters had been too much for all of us.

One of my last views of the city, and one we witnessed all week, was the mounds of debris outside every home that had been gutted. Driving down a residential street felt like floating down the Grand Canyon, only rather than beautiful sculptured cliff faces, we experienced cliffs of ruined appliances, sodden clothing and broken toys. It was awful. How could they ever clean up such devastation? How could they ever recover emotionally? Each of the four of us returned sick and depressed.

Today, on our way to the New Orleans airport, where I am writing this, things are very different. There is life and energy in the city again. Every year I have seen restaurants, groceries, and schools back in business. That first year, when things were so tough, I remember seeing a child in a coffee shop and thinking, "My God, that's the only child I've see all week." Now, there are kids playing basketball in playgrounds, and riding to school in buses again. We drove past an art festival and I could feel myself begin to smile. Art and music didn't just show up this week, of course, but the symbolism of a city block covered with white awnings, sheltering artists and art lovers alike from the spring sun, was wonderful to behold, life!

Serious conversation continues, the city has just elected a new mayor, the first change since Katrina. What will happen to the Crescent City? Will natives who want to return be able to come home and resume a cherished way of life? Will the new folks that have come cherish and work to preserve the culture of this proud and quirky city, and at the same time come to terms with generations of racism and corruption? Will the developers and speculators have their way and New Orleans become a get-rich-quick scheme or a big theme park, a caricature of its former self?

Last year, getting on the plane to come here, I noticed how it seemed like everyone in line had on work clothes. An army of volunteers, most of them from religious groups, transformed a city. Will the fervor be there? Was this a training ground for Haiti and the next huge disaster after that?

No one knows, at least not yet. But this I do know - today the spring sun was warm, there were bikers and dog walkers and bird watchers in beautiful Audubon Park. Azaleas were popping. I have just spent the week with a part of the beloved community. This city has changed my life forever, and I believe that I, and thousands like me, have changed this city.

God bless New Orleans.

The Road Home

2010-03-26T00:57:00.003-04:00

Names matter, they always have. God changes Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, claiming them as His. Some people change their names when they marry, or seek a new identity. So the Diocese of Louisiana changing the name of the Disaster Response Program to Episcopal Community Services is significant. It is also important to realize that the ECS has recently received its 501(c)3 status and become an independent nonprofit, no longer closely affiliated with the Diocese. What started as a grass roots program to help New Orleanians move back into Katrina-ravaged homes has now grown into a new phase. Those involved in the program today understand that with immediate disaster relief coming to a close, and some things like gutting contaminated homes ending, systemic changes must occur for the community of New Orleans to thrive. There are still homes to be made livable, but this cannot be the end of assistance for the poor.

There is a new vision being developed by the young people who continue to staff and support the organization. Katrina-decimated New Orleans is becoming a test tube, a model for how small non-profits can effect important change for at-risk communities, and it's very exciting.

Having said all this I want for you to know that this past week, the 2010 St. Anne's New Orleans Mission Team has worked very hard in helping a family get back into their home. We have spent the week doing the most complicated finishing work inside a home, as well as building a complicated and beautiful handicap access ramp and a set of stairs on the back of a house ruined by the flood waters after Katrina. This has been done on a house some of us did structural work on last spring. There is a family in the Gentilly section of New Orleans who will finally, after five years, be able to move out of a FEMA trailer and back into their home.

I am so proud of our team: Heidi Marggraf, Susan Ficklin, Lorriane Cross, Dina Widlake, Claude Saffer, Jim Hunter, and me. The team's incredibly hard work, and considerable carpentry skills, have made the crucial difference in creating a new life for a deserving family.

Even though some fundamental changes are happening for the program, it is still a constant that the small group of dedicated young people who staff the ECS are working tirelessly, for little pay and recognition. In a time when large entities like federal and state agencies are struggling to help, some committed and exemplary young Episcopalians are making a significant difference. They are to be commended and emulated.

Jim Papile

Our 2010 Mission Roadtrip is Starting!

2010-03-19T21:41:00.004-04:00

It's so great to be headed (back) to New Orleans! We're reconnecting with old friends and will make new ones. We have some good work to do - building a wheelchair ramp and outside stairs - to finish a house.

We have a team of 7 going - 4 "old hands" (Father Jim, Jim Hunter, Lorraine Cross, and Claude Saffer) and 3 newbies (Dina Widlake, Heidi Marggraf, me). I'm excited to be going on this trip for the first time and on my first all-adult trip :-)

Please keep us and the family we'll be helping in your prayers this week. We look forward to sharing our adventures during the week and worshipping with our St. Anne's family on Palm Sunday.

Most of all, Thank You, St. Anne's, for making it possible!

What Happens When We're Not There

2009-08-28T22:08:00.005-04:00

As a long-term volunteer on short-term mission trips, I miss our Christian siblings in the months between our trips. When we first started going to the Dominican Republic in 2000, we had very little contact with our new Dominican friends between trips. These days, phone calls are easier to make and the internet has made it possible to send and receive email, and even to instant message with the people we visit each summer.

This past week I received two amazing emails. One was the thank you message translated and copied here:

Dearly Loved Father Jim,

May the peace of Christ and the Holy Spirit fill you with blessings and the same blessings to the sister church of St. Anne’s. The church of Cristo Salvador joins me in thanking you for the help that you have given to the children, the young people and the older people as well.

Thank you for all the love you bring when you visit us, thank you for the VBS that draws more than 200 children. They enjoy the same friendship and love that you offer to the church and my family. We always enjoy a sermon from Father Jim, God bless him, and God bless Denise, the priest who accompanied the team this year.

The people of Cristo Salvador see that I am not alone. Thank you. They all see that I have people outside of Santiago who help me proclaim the Gospel. It makes me happy to see Martha and her team working at Cristo Salvador. Thanks to St. Anne’s for sending these people to clean, paint and to fix houses of the poor.

I know that God will especially bless the donation that you have sent me for the shelter program. Many children and some older people come to eat and get the attention they need. Without your help, none of this would be possible.

Gracias, muchas gracias, Padre Jim, Martha and all our brothers and sisters at St. Anne’s.

With much love,
Padre Hipólito
Cristo Salvador
Santiago – La Yaguita del Pastor

The second message was amazing... Father Hipólito's church has been selected to receive a grant from the United Thank Offering. The grant will be used to buy a house which will be renovated and used as the new home of the children's shelter at Cristo Salvador! When the next mission team visits, we'll be putting finishing touches on the new shelter.

So, short-term mission trips may be the seeds of long-term relationships. What a gift it is to see those seeds grow, indeed, to flourish. Thank you, God!

Thursday

2009-08-06T23:08:00.005-04:00

Today began with pancakes. Mr. Colie woke up extra early in order to make these amazing pancakes for us. After breakfast, our group had a meeting in which we sent off two now un-needed group members to new projects. When we got to the thrift shop, we all split up to continue working on what we had left undone the day before. Some of us worked on the drop ceiling, some finished putting up the drywall, and others began to put a second coat of paint on the other walls. Work continued on that way, everyone working diligently, until the first big news came in the form of a completed drop ceiling. Finally! We finally got the grid all worked out, and all the ceiling tiles cut and placed into their spots. The shop looked amazingly up to date with the new ceiling in place. especially with all the new lights on and working where there had formerly just been bulbs hanging off of the ceiling.

Lunch was fairly uneventful, as we ate our lunches and heard some of the funny stories from other work sites. When we got back to the shop, everyone cleaned up all the saws and other tools, so that we could paint and be already cleaned up when we finished. Painting was long and tedious, especially the trim and touch-up painting and paint scraping (to get it off the windows), but looks really fantastic now that it's done.

Once we finished painting, the job was complete and we were free to relax. So we went to the swimming hole, of course! The water was freezing, but with the higher water levels this year the rope swing was the big hit. The people were willing to brave the frigid mountain water were rewarded with 15 foot falls off the rope swing into the deeper parts of the swimming hole.

After the swimming hole, everyone came home to shower and eat. We ended up getting three guests to come to our taco night, and the food was pretty good. But "taco night" ended up consisting of taco filling on nacho chips. The most amazing thing was that one of the guests brought home made ice cream and frozen yogurt, so we all got to have sundaes for desert. After dinner, we gathered around the card tables and listened to music while playing cards.

And that's about it for today. Hopefully we'll catch up with you again tomorrow!

- Written by Ben

Why I Do This

2009-08-05T23:04:00.002-04:00

I went on a mission trip to Preston County, West Virginia with the church I grew up in several times in high school and college. Those trips gave me many things: practical experience that I've used in my own house, friendships that continue to this day, and a needed perspective on life in a different segment of society than the one I grew up in. But the most valuable thing I got out of those trips was the confidence to lead, even when I didn't know exactly what needed to be done ahead of time.

This is my second time on this trip in three years, and many of the kids who were quiet first-timers two years ago are budding leaders. Others are in the same position I was in at their age -- being stretched to figure things out and keep a crew motivated and productive at the same time. As I listened to the kids in my car discuss going off to college on the ride home from Pizza Hut tonight, I realized how so many of the young people on this trip are rapidly becoming the kind of adults we need more of in this society.

-- James

A Successful Day of Starts and Stops

2009-08-04T22:57:00.001-04:00

Today was a typical second day at Dungannon, VA. As our crews begin to have early successes, there is often an increase in demand for our services. One of the crews is working on a new Mission Building to support the local Methodist Church. The church's pastor envisions servicing this community with a new center that offers job counseling, substance abuse support, mental health counseling and an extension to the library. He has very big plans for this building and has taken our presence as a positive sign that his vision is closer to coming true.

We were not able to meet many of his demands because the church lacks the funds to purchase the supplies. Our crew sat patiently on site as the church leadership attempted to locate the right people to approve funds and move supplies to the worksite. We spent about 2 hours waiting and finally supplies came to the site. We were able to complete the insulation job and received instructions for future framing.

Our team is thankful to have the work. We are also grateful that the recipients of our services are humble and appreciative.

Written by Clifton

Roof Work

2009-08-03T22:55:00.003-04:00

Carol Grish emailed this picture of the Methodist mission roof.

Monday August 3rd

2009-08-03T22:26:00.000-04:00

This morning our Region 5 Dungannon Mission team awoke ready and rested enough to begin our first day on the job sites. We packed our lunches, teamed up and headed out. Some of the job sites require the entire week to complete and perfect while others are day or 2 day sites. This morning I was assigned to a roof repair and painting job on an empty building. This old grocery store is in the stages of changing into another mission building. The Methodist church in Dungannon is sponsoring this mission center. We used silver cool seal as well as caulk to repair the leaks. Long mops were great for spreading the cool seal--although it seamed like we all blended in with the new roof by lunch time! We successfully and safely completed the job this afternoon. Back at the Center we reflected on our day's in small groups where discussed the up's and down's of each work site. It is so heart warming to hear of all of the work our mission team is doing. God has blessed up with energy and full hearts to go out into this world sharing his love those in need.

Thank you for supporting Dungannon Mission Team 2009!

Madeline

Day 2 at the Phoenix Center

2009-08-02T22:52:00.001-04:00

It's now day 2 at the Phoenix Center in Dungannon! We arrived on Saturday afternoon
and everybody picked their bunks. We had a lovely barbeque and the coleslaw was a
huge hit! It was SO good.  I hear it's on the menu for later this week, as well.
Last night everyone picked their secret buddies and got to know each other a little
better during ice breakers. It's exciting to see so many new faces here! The girls
room had a little bit of an air conditioning problem. It got very very cold! But
Scott has it under control now. We went to the falls today and had a great time. As
usual, the water was freezing but many people went in anyways. Most of the group
took a long and beautiful hike down from the falls. Tomorrow we head out to start
the job sites. Don't get worried parents, but we have a few roof painting jobs.
Tomorrow's blog will tell you about that. Now it's time for Compline and then bed.
Bye from the tiny town in Virginia!

- Written by Kelly

Here a Mission, There a Mission, Everywhere a Mission!

2009-08-01T21:47:00.007-04:00

We typically think of short-term missions as teams who leave home and spend some time in service to God at a place some distance away. For the second year, St. Anne's has had a mission team that sleeps at home and serves God in our backyard.

Mission Possible team members are as young as rising 6th graders. They sing, pray and work together from morning to evening, using St. Anne's as their operations base.

This year the Mission Possible kids did the following:
Monday: team building and planning for a carnival at Common Ground daycare.

Tuesday: painting fences and cleaning tack at Lift Me Up!, a therapeutic riding center in Great Falls.

Wednesday: weeding a field of okra at the Volunteer Farm run by the World Foundation for Children in Woodstock, Virginia.

Thursday: a concert and bingo at a local senior center in the morning, carnival games and puppet show for the daycare center in the afternoon.

Friday: cleaning and pricing toys and other items for sale at The Closet, a local thrift store that provides clothes and household items to anyone in need.

The day camp version of short-term mission trips serves to help solidify for our young people that the opportunity for mission surrounds us every day. Mission is about using our hands while we give our hearts to God. We can do mission work in our back yards as well as we can in any of our other short-term mission settings. It's all about being part of the family of God!

Dungannon News - the Team Arrives Safely!

2009-08-01T20:59:00.004-04:00

Well, the Dungannon mission trip got on the road today - and they arrived safely (in spite of the trucks on I-81!). Three churches - St. Anne's, St. Timothy's, and St. Thomas - sent 52 adults and teens to work as God's hands and heart in Dungannon, VA (in Appalachia). Father Jim and Mother Leslie annointed their hands last night at the Commissioning Eucharist and Mother Leslie blessed the cars for the trip this morning.

The missioners will tell us all about the trip this week in the blog - but for now, this is what I've heard:

- They have wi-fi, a big-screen TV, and lots of computers with internet connectivity!!

- The new grill arrived but had to be put together - the very first job was completed successfully and the hamburgers and hot dogs were great (thanks, Mike Colie, for being the grill master!)

- Once again, I forgot to order the coleslaw dressing so the coleslaw makers had to improvise - I hear it was a big hit so I hope they bring the recipe back with them.

- They've found the compline copies, made buddy bags, broken ice (gotten to know each other), and generally have settled in, with the first forays to Dollar General already underway.

Dungannon Team, know that we are praying for your work and safety this week - enjoy church and the Falls tomorrow!
- Susan Ficklin

Father Jim's General Convention Adventures

2009-07-08T16:12:00.002-04:00

We certainly are a traveling congregation!

Father Jim as begun blogging about the General Convention in Anaheim!

And, if you haven't already done so, join the St. Anne's Episcopal Church - Reston group on Facebook!

Dom Rep 2009 Team Is Home!

2009-07-08T09:58:00.007-04:00

Today, for the first time in more than a week, I will be making my own coffee and not drinking it with the 10 other members of my team! But, I will use the coffee I bought in the Dominican Republic and I will savor the memories of a wonderful mission trip as I go about a beautiful summer day here in Reston.

Spending the last couple days of our trip on the beach gives us time to unpack the experiences we have had while living in Santiago and being part of the community at Cristo Salvador in Llaguita del Pastor. We are able to laugh at how each of us had difficulty sharing our paint brushes with the kids who wanted to help us. We marvel at how quickly the 150+ kids at VBS became individuals to us, even if we couldn't remember all their names. We point fingers at each other for emphasis in conversation, just like Father Hipólito. We teach Gabriel to swim, play shark with Rosana, applaud Lilian Maria's karaoke performance and float in the pool with Poly and Lilian. We are grateful for the opportunity to rest as a group, knowing we will miss each other when we get back home.

Father Jim as long told us that all our mission trips are more about the relationship than the job. I hope that from the stories you've read over the last eleven days, you have felt the strength of the bond between Cristo Salvador and St. Anne's.

We couldn't make this trip without the support of the entire St. Anne's congregation. The 2009 Dominican Republic team will be sharing some stories during Rev. Denise's sermon on July 19. Come on by!

Transitions

2009-07-05T07:40:00.006-04:00

Saturday was a grand day! We split into two groups... las chicas went for pedicures and the guys trooped up to the Monument. We picked up flowers and then headed up to Padre Hipolito's house to celebrate Independence Day in true Dominican form. We ate well, sang some songs and enjoyed cake and ice cream in honor of our country's birth and Yonny's 15th birthday! (Pictures were added on Monday.) The day ended with our meeting and a surprise gift - a burst of fireworks!

Today is Sunday and the Dominican Republic mission team is in the midst of transitioning from Santiago and our Cristo Salvador/Hotel Colonial families to being tourists on the north coast.

For me, Martha, this is one of the most difficult parts of the trip. I spend post-goody-bag time dreading the good byes. Church this morning will be great. We are more comfortable, we know what we're doing, we will be hugged on our way in, and we will be embraced on our way out.

I have tissues at the ready, I know I'll need them.

But, think of us floating in the pool this afternoon! We'll be trying to catalog of all we've done this week so that we can remember it forever. Now, that's a big job!

More soon,
Martha

2009-07-04T20:17:00.005-04:00

We go where we are called….(an intermission from the DR trip)

St. Anne’s short-term missions build on its commitment to serving God in the community and the world. Our church family is providing spiritual and financial support for more than 70 people to participate in missions in 2009. With some trips, we see the results of our handiwork right away (a finished renovation or repaired wall) but usually the work continues after we’re gone. Sometimes it’s not clear what we’re accomplishing. So, we remember that each of us has been called, specifically, by God to participate in the mission. We may not know why but He does – and that’s enough!

I thought it would be useful to provide some background and a summary of St. Anne’s 2009 mission trips so that you can see where God called us to be this year.

Dominican Republic
When Father Jim became rector at St. Anne’s in September, 1999, he came with the dream of taking a team of St. Anne’s parishioners to the Dominican Republic. That dream was realized in the summer of 2000 and has continued as an annual trip. Including the Mission Team of 2009, more than 65 people (youth and adults) have participated in this trip, many of them have gone more than once.

The teams have built fences, hauled and laid concrete block, painted many walls, mixed concrete by hand, pulled nails from forming wood, sewn mattress covers for camp, shoveled piles of sand and gravel, taught Vacation Bible School lessons to 150 children at a time, learned Spanish songs, taped up hundreds of coloring pages, and strung thousands of beads. They have helped build a church, rebuilt a house, constructed a bathroom and built a roof.

Most importantly, the teams have also given and received “la paz de Cristo,” the peace of Christ, in four Dominican Episcopal Churches. The opportunity to serve our sisters and brothers in Christ is certainly a grace-filled experience. Far more grace-filled is the feeling of receiving more than was given. The relationship forged between St. Anne’s and the people of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic is a gift from God.

From June 28 to July 7, 11 adults and teens are working with the church in Santiago to refurbish the church and conduct VBS.

New Orleans
In 2006, St. Anne’s sent a men’s ministry team to work on the cleanup process in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They spent a week “mucking out” mud, pulling down ceilings and doing other demolition work. We decided to follow this up in 2008 and 2009 with a construction team made up of skilled craftsmen and less skilled workers. We worked on homes to complete “finish work” including trimming out doors and windows, painting, and removing and installing floors. We developed a great relationship with the local homeowners and the teams permanently working for the Diocese of Louisiana and have even provided a permanent member of the diocesan recovery team! More than anything else we do, the people we help treasure the knowledge that someone else cares and that they are remembered.

In February 2009 (right AFTER Mardi Gras!), 10 adults worked on finishing two homes.

Philadelphia
The Philadelphia mission trip takes St. Anne's teens and adults to work and play with inner-city kids as part of a summer program. This is a continuation of our Atlanta trip, started in 2004. Our teens learn to think about what they have to offer others in terms of their time and talents while the children in the summer program benefit from energetic and enthusiastic teenagers who provide them with new activities and new perspectives for the week. We have been told that the children we play with will remember us for the rest of our lives - that someone cared enough to spend time making crafts and playing sports just with them.

In June 2009, 10 adults and teens work with preschool and elementary age children to get their summer started. We taught them some new games and crafts and helped them make Independence Day cards for veterans at the local VA Hospital (because everyone can help someone else).

Dungannon
For more than 15 years, St. Anne’s teens have gone with teens of other Region V churches to Dungannon, VA, in the southwest corner of the state. There, we build or repair homes for elderly, handicapped, or other needy people in surrounding Scott County. The poverty in the Appalachian region remains great, with continuing loss of jobs. In addition to making and keeping friends in Dungannon, we learn to live under one roof with a large group (typically more than 50). With both new and returning teens, as well as college-age adults, and chaperones, we have multiple levels of jobs for team members. Older teens show younger teens “the ropes”, assistant chaperones (college-age) take charge of different tasks on a site – teaching and guiding the teens working with them, and adults fill in where needed. The people we help with are rich with their own stories, music, and families and they share them freely with us. We know that many of the repairs we make are temporary, but they keep our new friends in their homes through another winter. We trust that God will provide what they need when they need it and we are glad to be His instruments.

In August 2009, we expect to send 20 adults and teens along with 30 others from St. Timothy, Herndon, St. Thomas, McLean, and St. Francis, Great Falls.

Mission Possible
In 2008, St. Anne’s started Mission Possible to provide day mission opportunities for middle school-aged youth. Mission Possible is a week-long experience in July in the local area. Starting with some team-building activities, the adults and youth then serve in a variety of ways – helping with food pantries, making and distributing food, working with elderly, and helping other local ministries that need engaged hearts and hands.

In July 2009, more than 20 youth are expected to participate in the second Mission Possible camp.

Thank you to St. Anne's for supporting all of these missions - it is you that send us out and make it possible to be God's hands and feet.

- Susan F.

Friday - Bag Day!

2009-07-03T23:02:00.013-04:00

Hey gang,

When we last met we were about to begin decorating the goodie bags to be delivered to the children today, our last day of VBS. The group stuck a sticker on each of the 250+ brown bags and called it a night.

This morning we stuffed the bags with a variety of “goodies” including pencils, band-aids, candy, bubbles, stickers, small toys, and a kazoo. Many of these items were donated by St. Anne's members!

We had a little extra time before lunch so we traveled to the house the 2008 mission team helped build. It was a new experience for many of us. We were faced with a new level of poverty that shook the conscience.

The resident was extremely hospitable. He not only welcomed us into his home with a smile, he also brought out chairs for us to sit in. After talking with him for a while and finding six puppies to take pictures with, we hiked back up the hill to our church for another amazing lunch of beans, rice, chicken, and mango prepared by the best cooks on the island. The lunch was especially important today because today was Bag Day and we needed all the energy they had to offer.

At VBS, after singing a few of our favorite songs, we organized into the “baddest” bunch of security guards that church has ever seen in order to shuttle the kids out while handing them their goodie bags. After they were all out, we sat in the pews and gave each other high fives. We pulled it off-what an amazing week!

We rode back to our hotel and treated ourselves to more Helados Bon—the best ice cream around. After making a run to the Market for some “tourist” things, we all enjoyed hot showers and using the Internet café a few doors down. Dinner was again FANTASTIC - steak, chicken, rice, pasta, tons of vegetables and, of course, passion fruit juice. The day ended with worship time and our “highs and lows” of the day. We are all excited for tomorrow-we are going to a 15th birthday party where we THINK we’re going to learn to Meringue and if we do, we’re SURE we’re going to make fools out of ourselves. :)

Until next time…

Matt

Thursday... According to Anne and Sarah

2009-07-02T23:07:00.006-04:00

This morning we went on a neat tour of Santiago. Our first stop was the cathedral. We didn’t get to go inside because it was under renovation. A friendly man offered to give us his tour of the city. We went to a really cool museum with modern photography, and another photography museum with a water theme.

Our next stop was a folk art museum that focused on Dominican carnival masks. These wild masks were huge and showy and made of everything from buttons to cigarettes to glitter and jewels. Most found them very interesting, especially since the owner of the museum led us on a personal tour of the museum (which was actually an old house in the middle of the city). Our trek back through the streets of Santiago to the gua-gua (van) seemed to be especially hot, but we were all excited to take in the sights and sounds of the city. We returned to the cathedral to find a group of boys playing baseball on the steps. The photo-op was priceless.

Next we arrived at a Spanish Fort where Sara, Matt, Skylar, Sarah, and I took several pictures with the tanks and one of the guards on the site. We were about to get back in the gua-gua when we spotted see-saws and all took a turn before we ran back to the gua-gua and made our way to the Centro Leon.

When we arrived at the Centro Leon, we were all overjoyed to be welcomed by a blast of air conditioning. We were super sweaty and although the outdoor tour had been fun, the indoor museum was a nice change. We wandered through an exhibit about the Dominican Republic and as we looked at typical wildlife, historical artifacts, and read information about cultural traditions, we were all impressed by the how modern and thorough the museum was.

The real point of our Centro Leon stop was to see the process of making handmade cigars. We were hit with a wave of tobacco as we entered the room with several men at stations supplied with tools and lots of tobacco leaves. It was SO cool to watch them work like machines rolling the leaves together and setting them in molds to make their shape. The man who explained the process was really enthusiastic and let us smell different leaves to see the difference in their strength. This was definitely a high-point of the day-it was just so interesting! Of course… there was a gift shop in the next room, and we made some purchases. We were running late though, so we rushed back to the gua-gua and made our way back to the hotel.

The new gua-gua- came to get us from the hotel and we piled in (in our usual crammed fashion) and drove up to the church. A delicious lunch (as usual) was waiting for us when we arrived. It was fantastic (of course). As the post-lunch food coma set in, we were lucky enough to watch Jordan, an amazingly talented 16 year old, as he completed a pencil drawing of Jesus. We admired the finished work, even taking some pictures of it, but soon we had to shift our attention to getting pumped for VBS.

We walked in the door to the church, and were immediately were greeted by the smiles of the children waiting for VBS to begin. We did the Good Samaritan story and acted it out for the kids. We also did a couple coloring pages and some phenomenal songs.

After VBS the chicas made the most successful shopping excursion yet! The boys stayed at the hotel while we hit a clothing store, La Sirena, and the market. Everyone walked home happy with their finds-MUY EXCELLENTE!

Dinner was fantastic, and the showers after were even better. We successfully sang a 3-part harmony-which is incredibly notable-props to Denise for patience with our lack of singing capabilities.

Is tomorrow really Friday? False.

Mid-Trip Bonus Blog Entry!

2009-07-02T07:52:00.017-04:00

The 2009 Dominican Republic Mission Team is half-way through this year’s mission trip.
Here are a few observations of the trip so far:

We were blessed with a smooth journey.

Our accommodations are comfortable.

Meals have been outstanding.

Father Hipólito looks great and seems in very good spirits.

The road to Cristo Salvador has been re-surfaced! (Miracle???) But, don't worry, the van ride is still pretty crowded!

Dominican friends welcomed us warmly and send greetings to the people of St. Anne’s, especially those who have been to Santiago in years past – and most especially to Padre Jim!

The weather has been warm but not horrible, no rain at all.

Did I mention that the food has been wonderful?

Little kids look so cute in Moses and Pharaoh headbands and bandannas!

It’s been fun to have guitar players in our group and sing during our evening meetings.

VBS has been mentioned as both high points and low points of the day in our evening meetings. We learn so much every year about how to manage the flow of that short, intense time with the kids. (Father Hipólito makes a great Jonah... no pictures of that, though!)

Lazaro is a terrific host!

Helados Bon makes delicious ice cream.

We got to meet Lazaro's son! Here he is with his grandfather Victor.

St. Anne’s has given this team great support!
Thanks!
We'll have more pictures available soon!

From Phillip's Point of View

2009-07-01T22:18:00.006-04:00

Hi! Phillip Vollman here!

Today’s theme was “Jonah and (or in) the Whale/ GRAN Pez”. We were originally going to do loaves and fishes but…that’s not much of an action story…

Morning was great! We had for breakfast…whatever we had—and we had it with PASSION FRUIT JUICE [!] (it’s kinda a big deal)

We loaded into the van and went on our way to Iglesia Cristo Salvador. On our way we saw schoolchildren—it looks like schools ends quite early in Santiago. We arrived and split into two groups—one that would clean and paint the sacristy, and one that would finish the upper room (this last one had only 3 members.) The sacristy was painted the same color as the upper room—a fab light blue. There were always two or three too many people in the room—Ann and Fiona had nice naps and I had some more iPod Touch time while we stayed out of the way. ☺

After we had finished, we cooled off and prepared for another amazing/chaotic 90 minutos of… VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL—(Dominican Version). The kids were much more well behaved today… we also used a method of handing out crayons that made it harder for people to hog them. They had so much energy—it was amazing to watch them. My favorite part was when Father Hipólito played “Jonah” and played a little trick on Martha by quickly getting to the opposing door of the building that he had departed from… (It was just nice to see how Martha lit up—he is in his eighties, after all).

After VBS we returned to the hotel, rested for a while, and went to market. We went to a superstore called La Sirena, and there I really discovered that the technological items in the Republic did NOT match those in the States by far… We then went to a market and bought items for us and our families…

We had dinner. We did compline… and attempted four-part harmony but settled on two part for now…
That’s pretty much all that happened today—as far as I know*

*(That might not be a lot)

Day 4 - Santiago

2009-07-01T08:14:00.004-04:00

We had a great day today! One of the highlights of the day was painting the upstairs room of the church a “cool blue.” Other highlights were when Sara French braided Sarah’s, Anne’s and Ann’s hair and Skylar shared his guitar with a couple of kids.

After a delicious lunch, we started the second day of Vacation Bible School. The theme of the day was “Daniel and the Lion’s Den.” The kids loved the lion mask craft and the room was filled with excitement and music.

We spent the late afternoon getting some much-needed R and R after a very intensive, but rewarding Vacation Bible School. The evening activities included a trip to “Bon,” the local ice cream shop, where we tasted flavors like Cake, Corn, and the classic Vanilla. During our evening meeting we enjoyed “Jewish-style dancing,” while Denise played “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” Although the most exciting part of the evening seemed to be when we wore the googley eyes, for Wednesday’s craft on our own eyes, and proceeded to take funny picture shown below.

-Ann

Monday In Santiago

2009-06-30T07:56:00.010-04:00

The street outside our hotel is beginning to bustle with the sounds of Tuesday morning as I try to consolidate for you the events of Monday!

First, if your family member is on this trip... we are all well and we are all much more rested than we were when I posted a message on Sunday evening!

Second, we are having a great time!

Morning work was to wash the walls in the large room above the sanctuary that is used for the children's day care program run by Father Hipólito. While Denise and crew scrubbed, Padre H. drove Steve, Martha and Phillip to the paint store. We chose a semi-gloss in a lighter shade of blue than is currently on the walls. After lunch, and a song lesson from Poly, we headed down the stairs to greet the kids. The lesson for today was Moses leading the Hebrew people across the Red Sea and how that demonstrates that God takes care of us. The kids colored either Moses or Pharoah pictures attached to a headband. We distrubuted bandanas to wear under the headbands and the sound of staplers punctuated the general hub-bub of distributing crayons, re-distributing children in the pews and explaining that we only had bandanas for the kids who were actually in attendance!

Highlights shared at our evening meeting all included a reference to how much fun it was to work with the children at vacation Bible school (VBS). We will be applying paint today. I anticipate some photos of the blue mission group!

¡Domingo!

2009-06-29T09:16:00.004-04:00

¡Hola, Santa Ana!

Fiona here. It’s Sunday night and our internet has been turned off, so this won’t be posted until Monday. But I’ve got to tell about the day while it’s fresh in my mind! Here goes.

‘Twas a bit of a difficult wake up this morning, we’re all still fairly exhausted. We choked down a delicious breakfast of café con leche, eggs and the FRESHEST mango in the world (such martyrs) and packed into our van, which is built for seven, but held 12 of us just fine (except for those crammed in the center…sorry Sarah and Phillip). Arriving at Cristo Salvador was like coming home. Padre Hipólito remembered those of us who have been before and was delighted to meet our seven new folks.

Church, as usual, was an absolute delight. We start off clapping with some super-excelente Dominican songs, which is sort of how you get the feel of the church. There were plenty of familiar faces, and I was delighted when two of them, named Rosanna and Lilian-Maria, came to sit with us. The peace would be familiar to any regular St. Anne’s attendant, as the church chaotically erupts into a noisy hug-fest (it’s always been my favorite part ☺). Padre Hipolito talked about (among other things) the importance of giving, no matter what hand you’ve been dealt. There is a huge amount of gratitude and appreciation for our presence and the work St. Anne’s does to get us all here. So, GO YOU GUYS!

Soon after we were presented with yet another heavenly meal, which we humbly scarfed, and took to playing catch-up. It was wonderful to talk with Padre Hipolito, his wonderful wife Dulcina, and his granddaughters Lilian-Maria and Rosanna. A bit of a food coma set in then, and we spread out taking naps, gathering around the fan, and playing games on Phillip’s iPod Touch. Around 2 we headed back to the hotel for showers, naps, blasting A/C, and general vegging. We finished getting our VBS kit for Monday ready and then sat down for (you guessed it) ANOTHER MIND-BLOWING MEAL. It sounds like I’m overestimating, but I promise I’m not. This eggplant will change your life, unless you’re Matt Miller, in which case it’s plantains.

Towards the end of dinner, Poli (Father Hipolito’s son, another priest), his wife Liliana, and their beautiful kids Lilian-Maria, Rosanna, and Gabriel joined us. It was exactly like a family reunion gone right and it was the final reminder that I was home. Gabriel has become quite taken with his new girlfriend (novia in Spanish, our one and only Sarah Binger!) and I’m sure there will be more romantic updates throughout the week.

As of right now, there is an intense card game going on that I am missing, so I’m done. We are all thinking of you, and being here is just like an extension of the St. Anne’s family.

Peace and love all around,
Fiona.

A Long Way to Travel, But Dinner Was So Worth It!

2009-06-27T22:11:00.004-04:00

The 2009 Dominican Republic Team is on site! We had a very smooth trip - on time flights, all luggage arrived, Ellen put us on the bus and we were checked into the Hotel Colonial with plenty of time before dinner.

When we shared our highlights of the day, dinner was on nearly everyone's list. (We all look exhausted!) We're headed to bed, it's been a long day...but we're ready for tomorrow!

Thank you for your prayers, keep them coming!

One Team In, One Team Out!

2009-06-27T00:08:00.003-04:00

As the Philly team says their good byes and prepares to return to St. Anne's, 11 people will be dropped off by family members in the wee hours of Saturday morning to begin their journey from Dulles to Santo Domingo and on to Santiago.

Wikipedia has this entry about the monument shown on the left...

The Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración is a monument in the city of Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic. It was constructed by Dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in the 1940's as an honor to himself. After Trujillo's assassination and the end of his regime, the government changed the name to "Monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración" (Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration).

It is located on a hill in the middle of Santiago with spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains. It also has a surrounding park and it is an attractive place at night where people go to relax.

Saturday evening, those same 11 will be able to look up the hill at the Monumento. There will be stories to tell, check back soon.

Welcome home, Philly crew!

~Martha

Did we make a difference?

2009-06-26T22:23:00.000-04:00

Today was our last day and it was fun, but sad. We played outside all day by doing field day activities – soccer, basketball, hopskotch, ring toss, hula-hoop, four-square, tug-o-war, and water balloon toss. We played outside in the afternoon, as well as crafted friendship bracelets, gimp lanyards, and God's eyes. We bonded so much that it was really difficult for all of us to say goodbye. Many of the kids just walked away mad. I guess they've had so many highs and lows in their lives that they've learned to deal that way. Mr. Harrison, the Manor's director, said that we made a difference and that these children will remember us the rest of their lives. We hope to return next year.

- Anne J.

Projectiles

2009-06-26T08:26:00.001-04:00

Today is Thursday, our second-to-last last day in Philly. In order to give the kids something to do for the rest of the summer, we taught them how to make paper airplanes. We then realized that we had given them a skill that involved potential eye-poking, but they loved them anyways. As excited as I am to go home, I hate to leave the kids at the Stenton Family Homeless Shelter. Some of the kids may be a little troubled, but most of them are amazing. The kids have experienced things that a lot of adults will never have to experience, but they still come in everyday with a smile on their face and a positive attitude. If more people could see these kids in action, maybe the world would be a better and more positive place. I cannot wait to go in tomorrow to see what these children can do during field day!

-Kelley F.

Wednesday

2009-06-25T08:35:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a pretty good day. In the beginning we worked with the kids and made bean bags and built towers out of cups while Pierre attempted to teach some willing children how to juggle. I'm not sure if giving children projectiles while others were building cup towers was the smartest of ideas. It was like a big carnival game to the kids. In the afternoon we went outside with the children and I played basketball and football with some of the older kids. I ended up on a team of all 10 year olds and below while the other team had three 12-15 year olds. We ended up winning every game. After that i played football with the smaller kids that had an age range from about 2-5 and I'm going to have to admit that they were just a bit more fun to play with. I think the best part of the day was leaving and knowing that every kid there knew my name.

KJEFF

Tuesday

2009-06-24T08:43:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we went to the shelter and told all the little ones that we were going to make rainsticks. They were ecstatic because we had brought examples and they just loved the sound that they made. Once everyone had finished, we took all the little ones outside on the playground. Most of the children were fine but one little boy named Seth was just having a really bad day. He wouldn't let anybody play with him and whenever we tried to talk to him he would scream and start to kick if we picked him up. Later that day, after we had gone to lunch in a park and gone to the grocery store, we had a pizza party for the older kids. The party was in celebration of the end of the school year. As i was kindly talking to some of the older kids about things, a little kid named Kameron ran straight into me in the worst possible place. I was in a chair quite a long time. As the day wound down we went outside played some basketball and went home. It was a long and tiresome day but, we all had a great time.
Signed by,
Sam A.

Day 3 in Philly

2009-06-23T08:17:00.003-04:00

Today was the real start of our mission trip. We arrived at the shelter to be given an entire presentation on the history of the shelter. Mr. Harrison broke our stereotypes of homeless shelters from just being single mothers with young kids to a mix of single men and teenagers. From this we traveled through the tiny halls to the preschool area. All of the kids were eating their snack when we proceeded to meet all of them. They were quite the bunch. Every kid was either excited and maybe a little intimidated to see us but most of them greeted us with the regular, "My name is　ˍˍˍˍ, what is yours?” and finished the conversation with “nice to meet you.” Then we started to make masks with the kids. Sabrina, who is in charge of the preschool, thanked us later for doing crafts since they do not have the numbers in staff to support those types of activities. Once those masks were finished with the preschool touch, we proceeded to move onto song and dance while they dried. Kyle, Sam, and I started with some animal sounds once we had gotten them into a circle of chairs. We roared like a lion and meowed like a cat, pleasing the kids greatly. After we all joined in the familiar song of 'Old McDonald had a Farm' then taught them the girl scout's very own 'The Little Duck Song' and finished with 'The Wheels on the Bus.' They had been sitting too long and we were hurting from the miniature chairs, so we got the masks and had a parade on their playground. Every kid was joyed to run around and show of their mask. After the long haul around the playground, we got to have free time on it and play with the kids. We all felt like little kids again. Some of us set up a line for the slide but ending up in a bit of a cutting problem. Some of us were trolls under the bridge. Some of us were wanted to just walk around with them holding their hands. And some of us were given the pleasure to push people around on bikes. The black mats that make up the floor of the playground escalated the all ready hot day, making me at least sweat. Also since the bridge was tall enough for the kids to bike through, we got to run after them crawling under it. After a long fun filled free time, we had to go inside to wait for their parents to pick them up. Thus ending our first enjoyable day of preschoolers.

Signed by
Joel W

Smells, Bells, and Jazz

2009-06-22T21:41:00.004-04:00

After a quick breakfast at the hostel, we put on our Sunday finery and headed to the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas to worship.

AECST was founded by Absalom Jones, the first African-American Episcopal priest. The combination of incense and "Wade in the Water" made for a unique, but still familiar experience for us. (No, Fr. Jim, we didn't get up and dance - but we felt you there with us in spirit!) High church and Lift Every Voice and Sing work surprisingly well together. David would have been jealous of the jazz band - I think there were at least 10 musicians, not to mention the male singers that accompanied them. Fr. Shaw and Fr. Bonney welcomed us, along with the rest of the congregation - and look forward to seeing us again next year.

After stopping by Starbuck's (we're not roughing it here!), we visited the Philly Museum of Art and the Reading Terminal Market. We definitely will be headed back to the market again for pretzels, crepes, BBQ, and shopping. We've practiced our songs, cut out the animal masks, planned games and crafts - generally, have prepared for whatever we might find tomorrow.

Compline and a good night's sleep are next on the agenda. As the NZ prayer book says -
What is done, is done;
What is not done, is not done;
Let it be.

~Anne J.

Philly Team - Anne Checking In!

2009-06-22T21:24:00.008-04:00

We had a typical drive on I-95... much longer than it needed to be! Once we arrived, we couldn't check in yet so we planned our meals and headed to the grocery store where we raced to see which team could finish up their list first!

We still couldn't check in, so we started our first team-building event - a shopping trip to Target.

We checked in to the youth hostel which is a really old mansion in a park (www.philahostel.org). We planned for Sunday and then started dinner. There was another large group, so cooking was sort of hectic. The non-cookers did the cleaning.

The next team-building event started... playing poker (see picture)! The only rule that was made was that there was to be no gambling. Other team members (adults) decided to read!

~Anne J.

Summer Starts With a Mission Trip

2009-06-19T18:30:00.003-04:00

School's out for summer vacation!

Summer vacation means many things: sleeping late; rolling out of bed early for swim team practice; the cheerful tune of the ice cream truck; Wednesday grill nights up at the church; reading for fun instead of homework.

At St. Anne's, summer vacation means mission trips!

The first trip of the season hits the road on Saturday morning. A group of teens and adults will head to Philadelphia for a week of work and play at a family shelter. On Sunday, they are hoping to worship at the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, founded in 1792 by Absalom Jones.

The Philadelphia team will return just hours after the Dominican Republic team leaves on June 27 for St. Anne's 10th annual trip to that country.

But it doesn't end with those trips. "Mission Possible," St. Anne's mission-trip-of-the-day outreach program for our twelve and thirteen year-olds and the Dungannon mission team will hit the road in late July and early August.

Stay tuned!

And... They're Home!

2009-03-10T20:24:00.003-04:00

The New Orleans crew (or is that "krewe"?) have returned
with stories to tell!

And Tim has posted pictures!

NOLA Day 6 - Wrapping Up the Week

2009-03-07T08:41:00.008-05:00

The Mission Team gathers at the 9th Ward house for a final get-together.

In this final episode of Tim's audio blog entries, Father Jim and Jimmy Hunter reflect on the projects we worked on this week in Gentilly and the 9th ward. This has been a very successful trip and we return to St. Anne’s with stories and updates for everyone. When you see us around be sure to stop and ask us about our experiences in New Orleans.

And the St. Anne's people say, "Welcome home, crew!"

NOLA...Special Guests! (Thursday Evening)

2009-03-07T08:24:00.004-05:00

On the left is “Musician’s Village” in the Upper 9th. This is a larger development, a couple of blocks, that is targetted at local musicians and was built by Habitat for Humanity

Work continues at the worksites and we’ll have our final reports tomorrow night. However tonight we have two special guests, Katie Mears and Nancy Hunter. Katie used to head up the Episcopal Diocese’s Rebuild program and has been in New Orleans for over 3 years. Nancy is currently an intern with the program. Nancy’s parents, Jimmy Hunter and Lorraine Cross, are members of St. Anne’s who have been on the last two Mission Trips to New Orleans. Listen to Tim interview Katie and Nancy.

NOLA Day 5 - Busy Day... on and off the worksites!

2009-03-05T06:51:00.002-05:00

We were working hard at the Gentilly and Upper 9th worksites and we had a busy day attending events focused around volunteering and local support. Mary Ann Panarelli and Kevin Crawford discuss today’s activities and also reflect on the impact of the trip.

(Link to story about All Souls Episcopal, mentioned in this post.)

NOLA Day 4 - Getting Into the Routine

2009-03-03T19:32:00.005-05:00

Today the framing crew continued preparing the Gentile house, working on framing a pocket door and replacing rotten wood. The Upper 9th team continued finishing work, painting, staining cabinets, trimming out the exterior and generally preparing the house for the homeowner.

Tim interviews James and Judd here.

Day 3 In New Orleans: The Team Goes to Work!

2009-03-03T06:48:00.006-05:00

Tim says:
Today was our first day of work. We split into two groups, one was doing structural framing and the other finish work on a house that’s almost completed, two opposite ends of the construction process. Claude Saffer and Lorraine Cross talk about the work and challenges they faced today.

Here is the day's audio entry.

2009 in NOLA Day 2

2009-03-02T07:47:00.002-05:00

Tim interviews Mary Ann and Jimmy
after a good Day 2 in New Orleans.

Click for the audio blog entry.

The Team Has Arrived

2009-03-01T08:18:00.005-05:00

As the congregation in Reston assembles for Sunday services in the SNOW, an intrepid band of St. Anne's folks as arrived in New Orleans for a week of work.

Tim reports on Sat. evening: We left Reston at 5am today, traveling to BWI and then flying to New Orleans. After a trouble-free journey we arrived at St. Andrews in Carroltown where we are staying in the parish house. We visited the Strickland house that we worked on last year and some folks took a tour of the lower ninth and saw the devastation that still exists there.

Tim's posted the first podcast of the trip. Click to hear! Kevin Crawford and Father Jim talk about what they’ve seen and done today.

(Maybe we should send them some of our snow!)

Off to New Orleans!

2009-02-22T17:41:00.004-05:00

Watch this space for messages from St. Anne's first mission trip of 2009! A team leaves for New Orleans on Saturday, Feb. 28th to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana (EDOLA) in the continuing efforts to reconstruct homes destroyed in the Katrina floods.

Check out photos from the 2008 trip and look for 2009 photos soon.

It's great to have St. Anne's out on the road again!

The Iowa Team Is Home

2008-08-11T17:11:00.003-04:00

Welcome home to the Iowa Flood Relief Team!

St. Anne's was treated to a wonderful sermon which included stories shared by the team members. With any luck, the sermon will be posted soon. In the meantime, Rev. Neesie's message was that sometimes God calms the storm we are experiencing and, sometimes, God calms the child in the midst of the storm. Always, God is present.

(Pictured are 6 of the 7 team members... guess #7 is taking the photo!)

Hello from Iowa

2008-08-06T23:18:00.000-04:00

Hello from the Corn State!

Sorry about not posting last night but don’t worry because we are all alive and well…except for Art. He is in the hospital due to a horrible Mattock axe accident. I’m kidding. We are all great though and here’s what we’ve been up to:

TUESDAY

We started out the day at the same house on Normandy St. that we worked at on Monday. We just finished up the work there with some nail removal and tree stump exterminating. After about 2 hours there we moved onto another house on the same street. There we did a bunch of lawn beautification. This entails more tree removal, pruning, serious garden cleaning and sand bag relocating. Denise and a local volunteer, Dale, were out mowing lawns. Tall grasses watch out because Denise is equipped and prepared to trim you down to 2 inches! At the end of the day we were all tired but it was worth it to see the work that we had done. The yard was looking much better and it was a huge sense of accomplishment. After that we all showered up and got ready to go to dinner. On our way to dinner we dropped off our laundry. Apparently some people on this trip aren’t comfortable with wearing the same dirty, muddy, smelly clothes every day to work in. I don’t get it. Well we ate at the famous Hamburg Inn which has award winning burgers. This restaurant has been featured in movies and has been visited by a few presidents. We came to understand why as the burgers were delicious! Following dinner we picked up our laundry and went to our local trip organizer’s house for compline and then broke into two groups. One that went home and one that went to get ice cream at Whitey’s, an Iowa City unique place. The ice cream group was primarily the 3 boys and Denise. We ate ice cream, walked around the city, and then returned home for bed.

WEDNESDAY

On this beautiful morning we were planning on working with Habitat for Humanity. That didn’t work out and it appears as if we won’t be working with them this week. We instead returned to good ol’ Normandy St. to help the people there. Today we moved onto two new homes. One home belonged to a great guy named Frank. His story is that he was 2 weeks away from moving into this house that he had just bought and fully upgraded with brand new appliances. The flood came and ruined all of that. Now he is just trying to finish up the house quickly so that he can move his sick wife into their home they’ve never slept in. It felt good to help him with the painting and other help that he needed. The other group moved onto another home right next door. There we were removing stumps (never a lack of dead trees to be removed), pruning back trees, and bagging toxic mulch. We knew it was toxic because an hour after touching it, Perry grew a 3rd arm. She’s going to be even more efficient now in the St. Anne’s office. We returned home after work to shower and get ready to go out. Some of us went to go get groceries, dinner and to check out the artisans gallery. I hear that the gallery was a really neat place. The second group, the 3 boys, went out to explore the University of Iowa campus. We all returned for excellent feast of a dinner and for compline. Compline seems to be growing in popularity as our group keeps growing with other parishioners wanting to join in.

Again we are all doing great and God’s presence can really be felt in this group. Especially as all of the relationships that we are making within the group and outside of the group are growing. We all feel truly blessed to be here while missing our loved ones at home. We are all excited for the next days of our grand adventure!

- Varun

2008-08-04T22:10:00.001-04:00

This is day two of our Iowa Mission Trip. The day started with an impressive thunderstorm, but we pressed forward. Katharine Nicholson, our on site crew chief from Trinity Episcopal Church, had chosen one of the houses on the Iowa River within the flood plain. Katharine and Dale, another local volunteer worked alongside us. We picked up flood debris that often showed up in unexpected places high up in the bushes. We pruned and removed lots of dead bushes, filled holes, repaired tractor damage. We were just getting into our stride when the scary whaling of several loud sirens began going off through the neighborhood warning of a tornado. We looked at each other wondering what to do. It didn't feel like a tornado was coming. Luckliy Dale identified the sirens as a monthly drill. We enjoyed getting cleaned up and having lunch in a local park and were joined by Rev Mel from Trinity Church. After lunch we arrived to find the owner of the house had stopped by and we were able to spend a few minutes with him. As the heat and humidity wound up we began to wind down and finished about 3PM. We went back to Joan's house took showers and cleaned up.
We plan to go back to the same house tomorrow to finish our work and then onto the next place.
This late afternoon finds us trying to decide which Iowa cuisine to try this evening. We are once again under a severe thunderstorm watch until 12 midnight in a city that does not need anymore rain. More to come.
In the words of St. Paul's letter to the Romans " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8.

Greetings From the Iowa Team!

2008-08-04T08:55:00.001-04:00

Hello to All!

We have safely arrived after a night's stay in Bloomington, Illinois (not a typo, it really is in Illinois!) We were met with great hospitality at Trinity EpiscopalChurch and I was invited to read the gospel and serve as deacon at the table. It was very moving to represent St. Anne's in this way. All here are very appreciative of our commitment of time and energy. We were given lunch and a briefing after church and then a full tour of some of the ravaged neighborhoods and the damage at the university. The Rector Mel Schlachter and his wife Barbara hosted us for dinner and we have settled in to our host home at the Rinner Family's house.

We will be working for the next couple of days cleaning up debris and pulling dead bushes and limbs out of yards. Much of the debris is embedded in the ground and will require digging- some hot and heavy work ahead! Wednesday we will begin work with Habitat and expect that to be deconstruction work. We also may be doing some painting of some homes that have been under repair. A little work for all skill levels!

Tomorrow we will upload some photos (hopefully onto the blog that Martha sent to us) and will have a more detailed narrative of our journey! We will have it to you in time to go into the Wednesday e-news- stay turned....more to come.

We send our love,
Denise and the Iowa Mission team

Ready, Set, Go!

2008-08-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

St. Anne's Episcopal Church gathers for worship on a hill in Reston, Virginia. We are a vibrant, energetic bunch who love to spend time together. More and more, we have been spending time with our sisters and brothers in various places - southwestern Virginia, New Orleans, northern Virginia and the Dominican Republic.

Tomorrow morning, in the gentle light of dawn, a group will leave Reston and head for Iowa City. They will be mucking out houses that were flooded several weeks ago.

Tomorrow afternoon, in the mid-summer heat, another group will return to Reston from their time in Dungannon, Virginia. They've been repairing homes in Appalachia.

Watch this space for stories from St. Anne's folks who are out on the road!