Preparation:

"And Jesus, You have called us.
Freely we've received, now freely we will give.
We must go, live to feed the hungry.
Stand beside the broken, we must go.
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing.
Move us into action, we must go.
Fill us up, send us out."
Tim Hughes-God of Justice



Faisal Matin:

"I have always wanted to go on a missions trip but the chances always escaped me. I felt as if I should take advantage of one of the missions trips to experience serving God in a new way for me. Ever since I heard about the catastrophe over there and especially now in Haiti and Chile, I felt this tugging on my heart to help anyway that I can. This trip is the closest I can get to that tugging in my heart. If I had to choose one word to describe how I feel I'm being prepared, I'd say open-minded (I guess that's two words) but I feel as if God is trying to teach me to keep and open heart and mind so that I will go without much expectations other than to serve in any way possible. I hope to really understand the the concept of servitude and what it really means to be a tool/servant of God. I have lots of missionary friends and I hope maybe I can understand /experience in the faintest way what it means to be a missionary."

Melissa Studniarz:
"As most of you already know, this wont be my first trip to New Orleans. The first time I heard the announcement in chapel for the trip, my eyes welled with tears. Maybe that sounds corny, but they did. No one can understand what missions work is like until you experience it
for yourself. You often leave a piece of your heart in the places you go and with the people
you help. That was definitely the case for me when I traveled to New Orleans on my other trips. And even though I had already been involved in several hurricane relief trips, I had no
idea how much work still needed to be done down there. I felt like my work wasn't finished, God had more for me to do. As far as what God is doing in my life right now to prepare me, it's a matter of the heart. My heart has been crying out in worship, and I know it's preparing me for what's to come in this next week. I feel God moving here on the GC campus, and with this group especially. I wont claim to know what exactly He's doing, but I feel the power that's radiating around us. It's truly incredible."



Wes Bergen:
"Signing up for this trip was initially my way of keeping away from the hometown of Hannibal, Missouri during break. However, what began as an evasion quickly turned into an exciting and inspiring commitment. It is wonderful to see letters of support coming in from family and friends; promises of prayer and money. It is also surprising to see other students' reactions when they learn I'm a member of the New Orleans trip group- everyone is complementary. I will never pretend to know how my involvement in this trip will forward God's greater purpose. All I can truthfully report is my excitement, and a very real concern for the population of New Orleans who are still struggling. During this trip, I am aware that we will probably see some images and meet some people that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. I'm not sure how we will react, or even what we may encounter, but there will probably be some surprises (hopefully more good ones than bad). It's my hope, as well as my team's, that we can leave New Orleans a better place, having made a positive impact on people. We are called to be servants, and this is really a small service in the grand scheme of things. But more than our actions, I hope people will see our real motivator: love."

Just as the body of Christ is made up of many parts to make one whole, our team is made up of many different individuals coming together for a greater and higher purpose. Keep us in your prayers!