Below are some photos from the recent trip to Slidell, LA by members of Asbury UMC. This was a United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) trip.

Below you can see the carpenters with finished back stairs at the Hagler home.

Here is Evelyn Jackson’s completed back stairs.

“How many of these do we need?”

Here is a photo on the last day on the front stairs for Evelyn Jackson.

Here is a photo of a quilt presentation to Shawn & Carla Hagler.

You can see some of the photos here.

“We’re coming back,” the restaurant marquee exclaimed.  We would agree.  As our mission team crossed the bridge on to Galveston Island, it was evident that the recovery from Hurricane Ike was underway.  Many of the businesses along the main thoroughfare have re-opened.  The hustle and bustle of spring break along the beach drive brought energy to our first impression.

But, as the periodic vacant lots and boarded up storefronts hinted, once you get off into the neighborhoods, the damage was quite evident.  Over 5,000 residences in Galveston were damaged and about half the Island’s population, around 35,000 people, are displaced.  Driving around other parts of the Gulf Coast, such as the Bolivar Peninsula, suggest thousands more properties need to be repaired.

From our home base, a shuttered former United Methodist Church, we divided our team of fourteen and fanned out to get to work.  Our focus for the week was to rewire and install the electrical service for three homes. Alan Miller, our construction coordinator estimated the value of our labor at roughly $25,000.

Debbie and Darrell Lane are living in a FEMA Trailer next to their gutted home and are doing some of their own repairs.  Debbie provided continual cleanup help and was the recipient of one of the Asbury quilts.  Bea Castanada had a modest floral business before she retired.  And lastly, we worked on Miss Lillian Ward’s home.  A vibrant 82 years young, Miss Lillian was a delight.  She gushed her appreciation for what we were doing and sealed it with a heartfelt hug.

Our days were filled with hard work, many trips to the hardware store and great camaraderie.  Our evenings centered around great home cooking, a hot shower, a group devotion and lots of music and laughter.  Despite the creaky bunk beds and frequent snoring, we got just enough sleep to make it through.

At the end of the week, we knew we had accomplished important work and made a difference in someone’s life.  The fond memories of a faith well lived will last forever.

Roger Everett, Coleman Johnson and John Van Scyoc joined Raeanne Passantino, Doug and Mary Ellen Huey, Corinne Leslie, Beth Okurowski, Steve Kirch and Steve Elliott from Lynnewood UMC, Warren and Ginger McGuffin fromSanRamon Valley UMC and Ruth our cook and husband Larry Coffing from Minnesota.

Thanks to Steve Elliott for this trip summary.

Below are a variety of photos from the recent mission trip to Texas that Roger Everett, John Van Scyoc and Coleman Johnson were a part of. Here is some beachfront damage.

And some more beachfront damage.

Here is a beachfront home awaiting repair.

Crocket Place UMC no longer has a congregation:

Here is a home on a pier:

This is one of our homes under restoration:

Alan Miller: Our dynamic coordinator

Coleman Ascending

Roger and Larry Powering up the Panel

Upsetting

The Solano UMC Chancel — the Church was beautifully and creatively decorated for the Harvest Festival.

The children and families to be served by the mission effort — which will distribute the bags of rice and food, along with toothbrushes and toothpaste and toys — gather for worship. They are all looking attentively [except for the sleeping child who reminds me of some Asbury folk who I won't mention by name] and listening mightily as Pastor Chuck [whose visage is off camera] brings them the sermon — a retelling that somewhat kept their attention [mainly because Pastor Stan translated] of the story of the Prodigal Son/Loving Father. An effort God hopefully used to share the gracious and forgiving love of God, who we as missionaries and local volunteers had received and that was the reason we were present with them. Even with the commotion and birds flying about in the Sanctuary Pastor Chuck, helped by Pastor Stan, got done without any serious mishap. Praise be to God!

Pastor Stan Cuerto, a beloved pastor of the region, stands with volunteers. The following day was Pastor Stan’s birthday and he was lovingly sung to by a chorus of men from the church following the Sunday mission.

Here are 100 lb. bags of rice waiting to be opened and sorted into smaller (5 kilo) amounts for distribution.

The bags of rice along with cans of sardines and Spam are being organized.

The RiceWoman cometh. Teri handing out food at Solano Kiddie Kollege.

The work at Kiangan was accomplished through the outstanding cooperation with the local Rotary clubs.  They coordinated the link with the site — the Tungngod Elementary School of Lagawe, Ifugau Province, and made arrangements with doctors and nurses to volunteer.

Here is our host, giving a certificate of recognition to Pastor Paul Cabotaje, our leader. The Rotary clubs of Lagawe and Vizcaya did a wonderful job making arrangements for the whole mission endeavor.

We made connection with many of the pastors — men and women — and their families around the Solano UMC location. Here we are posing for a picture with them following a time of welcome and sharing of gifts. They were very enthusiastic in their reception of our Team and encouraging of our efforts.

On Sunday afternoon, following our worship at the Solano UMC, where Rev. Ted Virts, Delta D.S. preached we went to Baresbes Elementary School, in Baresbes, Quezon Nueva Vizcaya, for a mental/dental mission effort to the community. Here is Teri and Chuck and the great volunteers posing in anticipation of the arrival of dentists and patients.

In our transition from the mountain region to the valley and a mission at Kiangan, we stopped off at Pastor Paul Cabotaje and Virgie’s rice farm — where he has a hut and a pond stocked with bait and hook biting Tilapia.

Here is Adriano showing off one of the whoppers he caught. Don’t let him tell you it took 30 minutes to reel it in!

The next day, Friday the 20th, we took our supplies of food, medicines, toys, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. and went to an elementary school where nurses, doctors and volunteers worked with 150 children, many parents and siblings, for four hours bringing needed medical attention.

Here is a picture of Pastor Chuck, along with Pastor Stan Cuerto, native Filipino and pastor of a church in Vallejo, finding medications prescribed by the doctors. Our driver, Georgie, in the hat, is on the left, making sure we get it right and then he helped convey to the families and children how they were to use the various medications. All are given vitamins and most prescriptions have to deal with infection and chest congestion. About one out of every six children needed only vitamins.

The first picture is of the terraced rice fields which begin in the Banaue area and then over the 40 kilometer ride to the church at Dukligan, they covered hillside after hillside. They are an engineering marvel.

The ride in the “Jeepney” was quite an adventure … over roads that were often only one lane wide and generally dirt, or on the way back in a pouring rain … mud! The 300 foot drop off kept us from falling asleep… as did the bouncy road. Here is a picture of one of the houses that the people of the Dukligan area live in …hanging off the edge of the road. The mountains are dotted with houses and the rice terraces are sprinkled whereever the terrain slopes and permits it.

here is one more picture … it is the work at Dukligan …a little boy who was a real pro at catching a Hacky Sack with one hand … like he’d been doing it all his life … there was time for playing while the children and parents waited to be assessed, given meds, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, toys and food … we served about 150 – 200 people that day …

The first is a picture of the front of the Good News Clinic, with our leader of the UMVIM Team, Rev. Paul Cabotaje and his wife, Vergie, on the left, along with the staff, with Dr. Antonio Ligot, the head of the Clinic.  This facility is the only hospital of any sort with ability to do serious things like surgeries, etc. within hundreds of square miles.  Dr. Ligot has been the head of the Clinic for over 20 years.

The second picture is Teri illustrating the incorrect way to get an xray … but we wanted to show a machine that was of WWII vintage, donated over 50 years ago to the Clinic … it still works!!

It’s been days since we wrote, six days actually! But we have been on the road constantly! We left Manila Monday morning at 5:30am, and arrived in Solano 8 hours later! We were able to meet, Eliza, the toddler that Asbury has been major sponsor towards her facial surgery. She is already so beautiful we hope that this surgery will give her the chance to live a full and happy life. We hope to have confirmation that the surgery was successful, prior to leaving for home!

Then on the road again to Banaue, another 3 hours away. A drive to a mountainous region of the Philippines, actually it looks like a giant jungle to me! Below is the scenery that was part of our entire 13 hour trip last Monday from Manila to Banaue, which is in central Luzon and in the high country.  We were lucky to have left Manila at 5:30 a.m.so that we could get to Banaue before it was completely dark … the last few miles on a narrow switchback type road were rather harrowing … as the darkness and fog settled in. That’s a part of Rev. Ted Virts, who joined our group along with his wife Charlie (Charlene) on Sunday, the day before.  Ted is District Superintendent of the Delta District.

We stayed in nice hotel in Banaue, and on Tuesday morning visited the Good News Clinic, the only medical facility within 3 hours in any direction by road! We brought medicines to the doctors and gifts to the patients. which fortunately all seemed to be on the road to recovery. It is amazing what these talented doctors and nurses can do with so little, they perform surgery, delivery babies, and take xrays (with a machine built in 1944!) All the while, providing a testimony of God’s love and commitment to the well being of all.

The picture below is of me giving a gift to one of the patients at the Clinic. We delivered medicines, toys and other supplies which were donated by contributors from our church and other churches.  The Clinic has an operating room, a delivery room, incubators, wards for children, adults, and emergency cases.  Fortunately the hospital wasn’t crowded when we visited, which means that there were not as many serious cases as might have been the situation another time.   The staff, led by Dr. Ligot, helped coordinate our effort the next day, Wednesday, which was a visit to Dukligan.