Saturday November 18 GodSquad will host our second annual Thanksgiving Dinner at St. George's Episcopal Church, Antioch.
We will prepare and serve a full thanksgiving meal for the community. The meal is free and open to the community; especially the homeless and lower income neighbors in Antioch.
Each congregation is asked to support this mission by providing cooked turkeys and pies. We will also gladly accept donations to cover the cost of supplies for the day.
There is a sliding scale youth participation fee of $5-10.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Minutes from Mission 2007 Planning Meeting
Held Monday Oct. 30 7pm @ St. Paul's Youth Center
Next Mtg: November 20 at 7:00 PM at St. Paul’s
We began by listing some of the aspects of the 2006 (and earlier) trips we liked. The list looked like this:
• Flying
• Meeting people
• Getting far away from home
• Free time
• Staying at the beach
• Creative expressive worship
• Helping people
• Getting to know God Squad
• Ultimate Frisbee
• RICHARD
• Richard
• Lots of work
• Small groups
There was a fair bit of discussion around some of these items; these items tended to cluster around four ideas:
Service
Worship
Community (within God Squad and reaching out far beyond to new people)
Newness (of place, experience, and people)
We then listed many potential places we might go, along with a short description of what we might do there:
• New York City – work with kids/youth; renovate a park; “inner city” ministry
• San Diego – Head Start; little kids (as done three years ago)
• Los Angeles – same work as NYC
• Navajo lands – work in same area visited four and five years ago; fix & paint a church, etc.
• Alaska – assist in building a camp, and work in that camp; work with native Alaskans
• Hawaii – work in leper colony
• Idaho – assist in building / fixing up a school (as done two years ago, Lilian Vallely School)
• Chicago – Same as NYC
• New Orleans / Mississippi – possibly more hurricane relief, possibly inner city ministry (see NYC)
• Canada (quickly ruled out)
• Mexico: Build houses, migrant worker / immigration issues
• Wyoming – quickly ruled out.
• Taize – The Bishop is taking a group of youth and young adults to Taize France; many are interested in going, but this seemed to be separate from a Mission Trip.
• Florida – Hurricane / Inner city / migrant worker issues
As we discussed each of these possible places and work activities, we grouped activities into four areas:
Social work, especially with inner city youth
Construction
Environmental (inc. landscaping)
Teaching
We also identified potential resources in each location, which I will now misinterpret and misspell:
• NYC: somebody’s new rector?
• San Diego: Episcopal CS
• Los Angeles” Claire’s aunt?
• Navajo lands: Michael Carney’s earlier contact; the Bishop
• Alaska: Shana, the Bishop, Carol Luther, Sarah Crawford
• Hawaii: Michael Carney, Shana
• Idaho: Lilian Vallely School, Richard
• Chicago: Phil, Shana
• New Orleans: ULM, Marc Jones
• Taize: Bishop
• Florida: Katie Taylor’s sister?
After discussing many of these options for location, work, and resources to help in planning, we voted. Everyone could vote for four potential destinations.
The results were:
• New York City: 11
• Alaska: 9
• Hawaii: 7
• New Orleans / Mississippi: 6
• (Nowhere else got more than 4 votes, most got 2 or 3)
We decided that these four offered plenty of diversity, and there was good enthusiasm for each of them, so we assigned people to look into the following:
• Transportation costs, both to get there and while we’re there
• Where we could stay
• What we could do while there (work, recreation, program activities)
• What potentially good or bad dates there are for that location
The following teams were appointed:
• NYC: Erin, Meghan,
• Alaska: Rob, Rob, and Shana
• Hawaii: Sam and Sam
• New Orleans & Mississippi: Calvin, Richard
We had a discussion about dates as well, during which we discussed date conflicts with BREAD camps, the Bishop’s trip to Taize, and more. The weeks with the fewest conflicts (although there are conflicts for all possible weeks) were the weeks of:
• 7/23
• 7/30
• 8/6
• 8/13
An overall trip of approximately 10 days is the target, depending on budget and dates of availability at the destination.
The next meeting will be held on November 20 at 7:00 PM at St. Paul’s. At that meeting, the four teams will report their findings, and we will narrow down the field of potential destinations, possibly to one.
Next Mtg: November 20 at 7:00 PM at St. Paul’s
We began by listing some of the aspects of the 2006 (and earlier) trips we liked. The list looked like this:
• Flying
• Meeting people
• Getting far away from home
• Free time
• Staying at the beach
• Creative expressive worship
• Helping people
• Getting to know God Squad
• Ultimate Frisbee
• RICHARD
• Richard
• Lots of work
• Small groups
There was a fair bit of discussion around some of these items; these items tended to cluster around four ideas:
Service
Worship
Community (within God Squad and reaching out far beyond to new people)
Newness (of place, experience, and people)
We then listed many potential places we might go, along with a short description of what we might do there:
• New York City – work with kids/youth; renovate a park; “inner city” ministry
• San Diego – Head Start; little kids (as done three years ago)
• Los Angeles – same work as NYC
• Navajo lands – work in same area visited four and five years ago; fix & paint a church, etc.
• Alaska – assist in building a camp, and work in that camp; work with native Alaskans
• Hawaii – work in leper colony
• Idaho – assist in building / fixing up a school (as done two years ago, Lilian Vallely School)
• Chicago – Same as NYC
• New Orleans / Mississippi – possibly more hurricane relief, possibly inner city ministry (see NYC)
• Canada (quickly ruled out)
• Mexico: Build houses, migrant worker / immigration issues
• Wyoming – quickly ruled out.
• Taize – The Bishop is taking a group of youth and young adults to Taize France; many are interested in going, but this seemed to be separate from a Mission Trip.
• Florida – Hurricane / Inner city / migrant worker issues
As we discussed each of these possible places and work activities, we grouped activities into four areas:
Social work, especially with inner city youth
Construction
Environmental (inc. landscaping)
Teaching
We also identified potential resources in each location, which I will now misinterpret and misspell:
• NYC: somebody’s new rector?
• San Diego: Episcopal CS
• Los Angeles” Claire’s aunt?
• Navajo lands: Michael Carney’s earlier contact; the Bishop
• Alaska: Shana, the Bishop, Carol Luther, Sarah Crawford
• Hawaii: Michael Carney, Shana
• Idaho: Lilian Vallely School, Richard
• Chicago: Phil, Shana
• New Orleans: ULM, Marc Jones
• Taize: Bishop
• Florida: Katie Taylor’s sister?
After discussing many of these options for location, work, and resources to help in planning, we voted. Everyone could vote for four potential destinations.
The results were:
• New York City: 11
• Alaska: 9
• Hawaii: 7
• New Orleans / Mississippi: 6
• (Nowhere else got more than 4 votes, most got 2 or 3)
We decided that these four offered plenty of diversity, and there was good enthusiasm for each of them, so we assigned people to look into the following:
• Transportation costs, both to get there and while we’re there
• Where we could stay
• What we could do while there (work, recreation, program activities)
• What potentially good or bad dates there are for that location
The following teams were appointed:
• NYC: Erin, Meghan,
• Alaska: Rob, Rob, and Shana
• Hawaii: Sam and Sam
• New Orleans & Mississippi: Calvin, Richard
We had a discussion about dates as well, during which we discussed date conflicts with BREAD camps, the Bishop’s trip to Taize, and more. The weeks with the fewest conflicts (although there are conflicts for all possible weeks) were the weeks of:
• 7/23
• 7/30
• 8/6
• 8/13
An overall trip of approximately 10 days is the target, depending on budget and dates of availability at the destination.
The next meeting will be held on November 20 at 7:00 PM at St. Paul’s. At that meeting, the four teams will report their findings, and we will narrow down the field of potential destinations, possibly to one.
Elizabeth P's Sermon (St. Anselm's)
I suppose you could say that I’m a veteran of these mission trips now, having journeyed on three separate occasions to do God’s work, and I can definitely say that the phrase ‘third time’s the charm’ applies in this case. Our whole group knit together into one body that laughed and cried and listened. Throughout the trip, it really didn’t matter that there were a few of us who were feeling down at the end of the day, because there was always someone around to lift us back up again. And it was an extremely emotional trip, at times very trying, but I know I am much stronger for having witnessed both the destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the reactions of its victims to our help.
It was truly heartwarming to see the faces of those we helped, some of whose houses had been ruthlessly toyed with by insurance companies, or overlooked by FEMA. One such house hadn’t been glanced at by a volunteer since the storm hit nearly a year before. It was the first house we worked on, and had been protected by a mere four feet of brick wall on the coast side. The couple who lived there was older, and the man had been having back problems, but there he was, out there with us in the sweltering heat, telling us stories and gently directing us as to where all the debris could go. His name was Robert James, but he insisted on being called RJ, and his wife, a talkative French woman with a definitive accent, was bubbling over with goodwill and gratitude. We were still adjusting to the heat, and moving bricks in that weather was no laughing matter. The sweat and dirt were layered on us before we’d been at the site even an hour, but I, not wanting to appear idle when all my buddies were slaving away under the heat, kept at it, and after awhile someone noticed my flushed face. That someone happened to be RJ, and as he led us all away from the formidable pile of bricks to take a water break, he asked me how old I was. He seemed really surprised when I told him, and he kept an eye on me for the rest of the time we were there, making sure I didn’t keel over. I didn’t, but it really struck me that we were all out there to care for and help each other—the God Squad wasn’t just brute labor to these people, but friends to be loved and cared for.
It encouraged me greatly to see that both of them were out there with us, really wanting our help. They couldn’t do it alone, but they had been doing their best for months before we arrived. Volunteers and victims were in this together, picking up and putting lives back together.
When I sat back to think about what we had accomplished as a group in the five days we worked, I knew that most of what we had done couldn’t be seen, if one was to travel to Biloxi and inspect the houses. We had painted rooms and moved and bricks and heard stories, but most of the change will stay locked up in our hearts, and in the hearts of those we helped, because now they have hope, and we have newfound love and friendship. I was wishing the entire time we were there that we could have done more, could have stayed longer, because these people are going to need help for years to come. All that aside, I am so indescribably glad that I was able to go in the first place, and give the gift of my hands to RJ and all of the others who are forever linked to ours.
Down there in Mississippi, we were all doing the work that we felt God had called us to do, but you don’t go have to go as far as we did to find this kind of spiritual fulfillment. There’s bound to be a calling for all of you, even just down your street. Take the time to look around, every once in a while. Regardless of age, all of us can be of help to each other, and reach out our hands to make a difference.
It was truly heartwarming to see the faces of those we helped, some of whose houses had been ruthlessly toyed with by insurance companies, or overlooked by FEMA. One such house hadn’t been glanced at by a volunteer since the storm hit nearly a year before. It was the first house we worked on, and had been protected by a mere four feet of brick wall on the coast side. The couple who lived there was older, and the man had been having back problems, but there he was, out there with us in the sweltering heat, telling us stories and gently directing us as to where all the debris could go. His name was Robert James, but he insisted on being called RJ, and his wife, a talkative French woman with a definitive accent, was bubbling over with goodwill and gratitude. We were still adjusting to the heat, and moving bricks in that weather was no laughing matter. The sweat and dirt were layered on us before we’d been at the site even an hour, but I, not wanting to appear idle when all my buddies were slaving away under the heat, kept at it, and after awhile someone noticed my flushed face. That someone happened to be RJ, and as he led us all away from the formidable pile of bricks to take a water break, he asked me how old I was. He seemed really surprised when I told him, and he kept an eye on me for the rest of the time we were there, making sure I didn’t keel over. I didn’t, but it really struck me that we were all out there to care for and help each other—the God Squad wasn’t just brute labor to these people, but friends to be loved and cared for.
It encouraged me greatly to see that both of them were out there with us, really wanting our help. They couldn’t do it alone, but they had been doing their best for months before we arrived. Volunteers and victims were in this together, picking up and putting lives back together.
When I sat back to think about what we had accomplished as a group in the five days we worked, I knew that most of what we had done couldn’t be seen, if one was to travel to Biloxi and inspect the houses. We had painted rooms and moved and bricks and heard stories, but most of the change will stay locked up in our hearts, and in the hearts of those we helped, because now they have hope, and we have newfound love and friendship. I was wishing the entire time we were there that we could have done more, could have stayed longer, because these people are going to need help for years to come. All that aside, I am so indescribably glad that I was able to go in the first place, and give the gift of my hands to RJ and all of the others who are forever linked to ours.
Down there in Mississippi, we were all doing the work that we felt God had called us to do, but you don’t go have to go as far as we did to find this kind of spiritual fulfillment. There’s bound to be a calling for all of you, even just down your street. Take the time to look around, every once in a while. Regardless of age, all of us can be of help to each other, and reach out our hands to make a difference.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Episcopal Charities Walk-A-Thon
A small dedicated group from God Squad made it to Grace Cathedral by 7AM for the 12 mile walk through San Francisco. Stops along the route included St. Gregory of Nyssa, The Family Link, Ohlhoff Recovery House, Episcopal Homes Foundation, St. Luke's Hospital, SOJOURN chaplaincy at SF General Hospital to learn about the important work of these social ministries. Following the walk we enjoyed lunch in the Cathedral Plaza, received permission from The Very Rev. Alan Jones to soak our tired feet in the fountain, prayed to close the day's activity and rode BART home. All in all a great day out to kick off the year of God Squad Missions.
We raised close to $1000 to support the many ministries of Episcopal Charities.
Reflection by Liz P:
I wasn't so worried about it at the start, but when you get right down to it, twelve miles is a long way, and all the uphill makes a big difference.
But, blisters aside, I'm glad we were able to see the different agenicies that Episcopal Charities supports, and as we walked, I was reminded again that God Squad is always going to be needed. I was particularly touched by a group that works mostly with single mothers and children who are homeless, finding them education and jobs so that they can move on and up in life. Overall, I'm just glad that there are so many of us who are willing to help.
...Although the numbers seem to drop sharply when 'helping' involves getting up at five in the morning.
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