June 18th, 2015- 9:17 PM

     Two days ago the question was "What is home?" It took me a couple days to figure out my answer but in the end I have realized that home isn't a permanent, structural building or a place that you stay; home is where you feel like nothing really matters except for being comfortable and happy with the surroundings and people you are with. -Sophia Parker

Reflection on Day 4

Today we were asked to contemplate what we had brought to New Jersey with us and what our worth was and it made me think pretty hard about what I have done on this trip. On the trip here I hadn't entered a work mindset, you could say my mind was blank, and when the first day of work came it was definitely a wake up call; it helped me discover what I really could contribute to the group and I have decided that my ability is to do everything that I am capable of with as much determination as possible, whether it be demolishing a wall with a sledge hammer, or nailing a board into place. I have had set backs on the trip, cutting my foot on a ladder, slamming my thumb with a hammer, and hitting my knee with a crowbar, but I have noticed a similar energy in my teammates, and its evident in the work they do and their willingness to assist. If there is one thing I take out of this trip its that, even if I can't contribute a lot to a cause, I am going to give my all, because that is what I can bring to the table. -Liam

"We get more than we give"

I heard myself say this today when we were thanked by yet another person for "sacrificing yourselves and your time to come help our community."

"We get more than we give," I replied.

Was that true? Or was I just responding with a common platitude, though one I don't remember using before.

Well, what have we given? Yes, our time. We've all taken this full week away from jobs, families and -- in some cases, multiple grad parties -- to help rebuild homes destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. "Sandy" is referenced so often with one moniker that I sometimes expect her to walk into the room some night.

Two-and-half years after her actual arrival on the Atlantic coast, her presence is still very deeply felt. The senior couple who is benefiting from my team's house-rebuild lost everything and have been living in a subsidized apartment until they get their home back. They may or may not have fallen victim to insurance fraud. Or perhaps they didn't have insurance because their home was paid off and flood insurance was not required. Or they were bilked by a fraudulent contractor. In any case, their home went under 3+ feet of water after they wisely evacuated -- and they don't have a home, appliances or furniture.

When we leave, Mary and Jim will be that much closer to having their home back. (And my rotator cuff will be that much closer to getting back into shape after endless sanding of dried mud on drywall.) We have been part of giving them that through our time and our elbow grease.

But we have been given much more.

I must first include community. While it has been rightly pointed out that "community living" is not always easy, it also provides an extraordinary sense of security. Having slept overnight on a bus with these people, and negotiated showers built into a church school stage (I'm not kidding), and shared prayers and personal stories as we've woven down the Garden State Parkway, I know that these people have my back. I will miss them next week.

I then think of gaining a deep sense of purpose. When Mary declared delight in seeing more walls and fewer 2x4's, many of us felt a palpable sense of accomplishment. We have made a contribution to joy in another person's soul.

My confidence has grown yet again for what our youth today represent for our future. What wonderful children we have in our congregation! They are curious, intelligent in many ways, compassionate, empathetic, patient, loving and creative. Our future is in wonderful hands.

I've been reminded that it is good to ask for help. When Mary offered to buy us lunch, we declined saying we were well-fed by the church. "But I want to show my gratitude!" said Mary. "I know you don't want to take any help. I know that. I used to be that way, too." She had already learned that we are all stronger when we work together. I am reminded of that again now, too.

Have to run now. We're having our evening reflection to discuss the question of the day: what do we bring to this experience? I look forward to what our beautiful youth have to say.

Blog Post from Simon

Hey everyone it's Simon!

I forgot to blog last year, and although I won't necessarily be there for Mission Trip Sunday, I thought it would be nice to get my thoughts and experiences down. Since Monday, I've been working with a crew at a house in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. The owners are in their seventies and had lived in their house for a long time prior to the storm. Since then, their house has been raised on stilts (many comparisons to Baba Yaga have been made), where we are repairing it now. Since we started, the name of the game has been mudding, sanding, painting, and flooring. I painted three separate rooms multiple times. Our works days have been long (~8 hours), but it seems as though each day goes by more quickly than you would think. On Monday and Tuesday (as well as tomorrow) we visited Stewart's 50's themed ice cream shop, and it was amazing. Monday I had Salted Caramel Pretzel, and Tuesday I had Cookie Dough. Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend a minor league baseball game. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did, but it was really fun. We got on the big screen multiple times. I bought popcorn, but it was way saltier than I wanted, or expected. Probably to get their customers to buy more drinks. Many of the baseball players had weird names, such as Phildrick, it was fun to pretend like we knew them. Although our sleeping arrangements aren't as good as they were in New Orleans (but who expected them to be), they are notably better than they were in Joplin. There are three rooms, one for girls, guys, and adults. It's strange because even though both the girls and adults rooms are freezing, ours is very hot. One night, we woke up the group by trying to bring an industrial sized fan into our room. This week I've been reading a book my history teacher gave to me called River of Doubt. It details Teddy Roosevelt's journey into the Amazon rainforest. It's a good book, and also confirms my thoughts about his personality (which that he was cool, impulsive, and at times a not so nice man). Did you know that by the time of his death, Kermit Roosevelt, Teddy's son, knew Urdu, Hindustani, Romany, English, French, German, Spanish, Greek and Portuguese? Today, Ben, Ryan and I were working on flooring a room and the nail-gun jammed up on us three times. It was frustrating to say the least. It's been difficult being disconnected from the outside world. Generally, when another politician enters the 2016 race, I retweet CNN, but I was unable to do that for either Jeb Bush or Donald Trump. Also, I don't get to listen to all of the music I want to. Though I did make a mixtape which has been called "perfect; really good; A+". Luckily, before I left I binged the entire third season of Orange is the New Black so I don't have to wait in suspense. On Sunday, we visited the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City. I found the memorial to be very profound. I did enjoy the museum, but it didn't strike an emotional chord with me as it did with others. It has been fun being with all my friends here, though as it can be, communal living is hard, and it is very easy to grow irritable with others. On Tuesday we visited the ocean, I was hesitant at first, but eventually I got in the water. I had forgotten how much fun it was to ride up and down with the waves. I'm so thankful that I've gotten to be a part of these mission trips the last four years, and I'll surely miss them in the years to come.

Thanks for reading,
Simon Brown

Oh also sorry this blog post is very disjointed, but I wrote what came to mind.

Thank you

Youthies -
Thank you, thank you, thank you for the card and cake. My friends are really impressed (hopefully more by the card than my picture.)  It has been a blessing to me to be able to work with all of you this past year. Erica and Avery (and all of you) have made it a joy!  I hope you get as much out of the experience as possible. Enjoy the work, meeting the people you are helping and mostly working and living together as a group dedicated to doing good work.
To see you getting everything you can out of this trip, reading your posts, hearing your individual stories makes it all worthwhile.  Lee and I often discuss the trips and continue to agree that it can be one of the most thought provoking experiences for everyone involved (including us.)

Norm

Reflections of Home -- All of Us

Because we seem to always be working to help people recover their home, by working to rehab the house, we today discussed what we all thought when we think of "home."  Here are some thoughts:

Home is where I want to return at the end of a long days work. Its a place where I feel safe to be myself and relax. - Dan

Home is where you feel more comfortable being vulnerable and your authentic self.  It can be a place, but is most often with people. -Grace KL

Home is a place where you're able to express emotions in a way where they are understood and appreciated, where sincerity is cherished, and laughter is abundant. -Paul

Home is when I can allow myself to be free of worldly constrictions and be content, and it is not tethered to  a specific location but rather this feeling.-Liam

For me, I know I have found home when I step onto my driveway, walk through my backyard and finally reach my backdoor because I know I can relax when I get inside. -Ryan

Home isn't where you spend the most time. Home is where you create the most memories. It's where you're able to act towards and relate to others in ways which are personal and truthful to yourself. -Simon

To me home is a place where I can go to feel safe and included no matter what state of mind I am in or how I am acting-Alec 

Home is the place where you can zone out and just think and not let anything else confront or bother you. -Devin

Home is where I am with the people I love; it is where I am doing the things I love and most importantly when I feel loved. -Erica

Home is wrapped in the arms of someone who loves you unconditionally. -Grace

Home is where it's ok to be yourself, and not be judged at all. -Abram

Home is wherever you find yourself wishing to be when you're somewhere else. - Avery

Home is where I feel the most secure and the most at ease -Ben B.

Hello all, Allison here.

Since I forgot to write a blog post last year, I figured I probably should this year...

8:45 pm, Point Pleasant NJ.
We just finished our first all-group discussion. We had a lot to talk about.
As you probably know, we had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 memorial in NYC yesterday, and I think it was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life.
I only vaguely remember the actual event; I was four, still in daycare. I remember my mom (Hey Mom, how's it going? Yes, I've been getting to bed early enough. :) picking me up early from school. Once in the car, I questioned the reason behind it. She answered simply: "People died today, Allison." Back then, I didn't really understand what she meant; as a four year old, it can be difficult to grasp what "death" is. What it means, how it affects people. It wasn't until years later when I was finally introduced to the reality of the event that occurred on that day: four planes hijacked and aimed toward symbols of American power, the attacks carried out in the name of God. One plane hit the Pentagon, one crashed in a field before it could hit the capitol building in DC, and two struck and destroyed the World Trade Center towers in NYC. The horrors were incomparable, and they were especially apparent to me after visiting the memorial.
At the memorial there were names. They represented everyone lost in the attacks, from flight attendants on the hijacked flights to firemen crushed as they climbed to help those in the burning buildings. And there were a lot of names. Hundreds. Even thousands.
In the museum there were pieces of paper, burned on the outside. One a handwritten to-do list that had been blown from a desk and landed in the rubble hundreds of feet below. There were also pieces of the planes. A piece of siding with a window. A part of an engine. And dusty, ripped, seat-belts. Each a piece of reality, everyday life. Two things that I, as a student and a traveler, have become familiar with. Pieces of someone else's reality that had been blown to pieces.
I think this was what was most difficult for me; grasping how something so familiar and normal could become so horrible. How a normal day at work in a office so familiar could become a graveyard in seconds. A graveyard for so many.
To open the discussion this evening, Tom posed an interesting question: How do we find God in something like this?
Immediately, something like this seems impossible. How can there be a god when horrors like this occur? Surely the families and friends of those lost were asking the same question.  When one begins to grasp what "death" is, how can it be fair?
During the discussion, an idea was introduced. "God is the watchmaker, but the watch runs by itself."After seeing the exhibit and memorial yesterday and participating in the thorough discussion, I have come to a conclusion: God is in the awakening. He is not here to prevent or catalyze events. He watches. When the time comes, he is here to teach us lessons; to help us grow. While it was terrible, think of what our nation has learned from 9/11. The importance of security. That maybe, just maybe, we are not invincible. But most importantly, that we are not alone. One nation, under God. Families, friends, even strangers of contrasting religious and cultural backgrounds brought together by loss. Those who lost their lives now widely honored, even celebrated.
Today, I have come to realize something. While it was long (apologies :), I hoped this blog would show that. Yesterday, I walked through the 9/11 memorial searching desperately for some piece of reality to grasp. A piece of support. An understanding. In the end, I suppose it was not a coincidence that I looked up.
This week, as I continue my mission work, I hope to carry forward this ideal. This group has come to help those of completely different backgrounds to rebuild and regrow. We are bringing a community previously devastated by super-storm Sandy back together. We are showing those in Point Pleasant NJ that they are not alone...all in the name of God.

News of the Day from Ocean County, NJ

Hey,

All is well here in New Jersey.

We are working well south of where we are staying. This pleasant little church is in Pt. Pleasant Beach, and our work is nearly an hour south of here at the very end of Ocean County. We are using new, fabulous Ford vans to commute, donated for the week by a local Ford dealer.

One team is working on outdoor stuff related to the deck and stairs. It's in Tuckerton. The other team, renamed the Astronauts, is working nearby at Little Egg Harbor.

On a map it looks fancy, like the neighborhoods of affluent folks in Naples, but it is just middle class.

Both homes are owned by elderly folks flooded out by Superstorm Sandy. Neither had flood insurance, as it didn't occur to anyone that it is needed. A storm like that was just not something that happens here; the ocean had never flooded over the barrier islands and up over the beach before. They had paid off their mortgages and the houses they owned were by far most of their assets. It's not an exaggeration to say they lost nearly everything. The rebuilding puts the houses up on stilts, like they are in the Carolinas or Florida.

We can't seem to get many of the youth fired up about blogging, as they are now playing games. Hopefully there will be more news and some reflections tomorrow. We have been tweeting like mad, lots of pictures, so check that out.   @MPUCYouth.

It's a terrific group, and we are off to a very good start. Thanks for your support.

Lee

Morning in PA, All is well.

After the usual terrible night trying to sleep on the bus, we are in Lewiston, Pennsylvania getting Refueled.We are two hours out to New York City, and will next be looking for a breakfast spot.

Emergency Contact Numbers for Mission Trip

Hi Folks:

Here are the emergency contact numbers for the mission trip. The adults will have their cell phones with them wherever we go.

Tom Ewald:  612-716-3150
John Schepers: 612-730-7829
Nicole Chaisson:  612-810-6275
John Craddock: 651-387-2441
Lee Schafer:  612-812-0242
Anne Bushnell: 651-353-3554
Julie Schultz Brown: 651-295-7468

Peace,

Tom

Join the Fun on Twitter

Just a reminder that the MPUC Youth Mission Trip can be followed on Twitter. It is a "non-public" account, so only those approved by the administrator will see the twitter messages.

Go to Twitter.   Find  @MPUCYouth    The image is a drawing of a bunch of youth, one boy wearing a bowtie.  Click "Follow."

That's it.  It'll be the best way to follow the trip.  Of course, along with the Blog.

Important Mission Trip Reminder

Hey All:

Remember that the mission trip commissioning is during the 10am service this coming Sunday. All hands on deck!!!

Also, if you have outstanding forms, bring those.

Peace,

Tom

The Packing List for New Jersey

• Good Quality Work Shoes, ankle support with Tough Toes.  Imagine having a big brick fall on your toes, that will be your guide
• Work gloves (not garden gloves)
• Heavy full length pants for work sites, 2 pair
•  Long sleeve work shirt
• Nice-ish casual outfit
• Jacket
• Swimwear
• Towel
• Shower shoes (if you have them)
• Sunglasses
• Flashlight
• Hat for sun protection (not just style)
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Personal stuff: toothbrush, etc.
• Sleeping bag or Bedding (Must be extra long sheets)
• Pillow
• Water Bottle (32 oz Nalgene or equivalent)
• Games
• One mix CD –  music selected to reflect our destination and the work we are doing
• Movie on DVD

Twitter Instructions: So cool it'll be like 2010

In addition to the Blog, which will be regularly updated, we will provide updates throughout the week on Twitter.

It is a social media "microblog" site that is basically a blast text message, with the ability to attach pictures. People "follow" Twitter contributors, sort of like subscribing. Twitter is far easier to use on the road in a bus than it is to start a blog post, so communications from the road will likely be more frequent on Twitter.

To follow the MPUC Youth and you are already on Twitter, just follow @MPUCYouth.

If you are on Twitter, just follow @MPUCYouth.

If you are not, it is a free application just available over the web. Sign up, get an account, and then ignore Twitter's recommendation on who to follow and just follow @MPUCYouth. You can do a quick search and it will pop up. The image is a caricature of the Glee cast.

This is a So-Called Private Account, and the Administrator (Lee S.) will have to approve you before you can start getting Tweets. This will be open to the church members, but not the Whole Public.

It should be fun, but it is certainly not obligatory and the blog will be updated regularly.

Forms Update

Hi,

Greetings from the Committee! We have compiled and sorted the forms, and the following people have turned in all their forms:

Adults:

Tom E.
Lee S.
Anne B
John S.
Nicole C.

Youth:

Avery K.
Ryan P.
Daniela T.
Grace T.
Benjamin B.

That means we are still missing forms, at least one, from the rest of you. Please do your best to get them into the office, in the box for Tom Ewald, or mail.  We can’t still be doing this the night of the picnic, because the forms need to be in the offices in New Jersey well before the picnic.  

Lee, Erica and Avery

Mission Trip Commissioning June 7th

Mission trip youth and adults:

The commissioning service is an important part of giving thanks to the congregation for their support and to acknowledge the nature of the work we do on mission trips. Please do your best to be at the 10am service on June 7th. Spread the word.

Tom 

Youth Happenings, Sunday, May 17th

Hi all,

I know we have a busy Sunday ahead of us, particularly for the soon-to-be high school graduates. Tom already left a note regarding Seniors, so I am here to remind you of the rest of the activities slated to wrap up the youth program year.

9:30am Explorers Class (Last class of the year. There will be cake!)

10:45am Worship and celebration of the senior class.

Social hour directly after the service, followed by our last junior and senior high youth gathering of the year, the end of year picnic. If you have not already signed up to bring something, please do so
here. We are looking really great on desserts, but could use salads of all varieties or sandwich fillers. We will have pulled pork as one option, but could really use a vegetarian or alternate option.

Thanks! See you Sunday!
Sarah

Senior Sunday Details for Youth

Hey Soon to Be Graduates:

We have a good group of ten of you who will be honored during the late worship service on Sunday!

A couple of details:

1. Please arrive in the Sanctuary by 10:20am at the very latest

2. Please sit together on the side of the church where the piano normally is

3. I'll have you come forward with your speakers shortly after the meditation (the shortened sermon)

4. Relax and enjoy the fact the congregation is proud of you

5. After the service, head out to the social hall for the coffee hour

Congratulations to each of you and I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

(Speakers-please check your email for some additional details.)

Peace,

Tom

Almost Final Paperwork

Folks -
At church this morning, I distributed some and will tomorrow mail out the rest of the "almost final" set of paperwork for the mission trip. There are a set of forms to be filled out - yes another set, beyond what was distributed at the overnight. (If you weren't at the overnight, there will be more than 1 set of forms.) Unfortunately, we are working with 2 different relief agencies, and both require a different set of release and medical forms. Both also have additional forms if the youth is under 16.  Sorry.
Also included is the mission trip accounting statements for everyone. Basic price is the same as the past 2 years ($225). There is a summary accounting of the trip included.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Norm Tiedemann

Attention Seniors!!!

I have the following names of seniors and their speakers...

Dani T. ....Susanna Short
Maria S....Nancy Lund
Avery K...Patti Craddock

Senior Sunday is May 17 at 10:45am. Please let me know if you are attending and who will be speaking for you. Would someone get the word to Paul? Thanks

Tom