A
big storm hit the gulf coast of the United States in September of
2005. The storm was named Katrina. The wind ripped through the
southland near the Gulf demolishing buildings, trees, and people.
A little to the north of that area buildings had their roofs and
walls torn off. People were hurt in many ways, including being
left shocked and homeless. Then after about twenty four hours the
Dam around New Orleans, LA broke in several areas flooding
neighborhoods. Some of the population had evacuated but many
remained. Some of these people were killed and many were sent out
of the city to places unknown. It was a sad time for our nation.
But being the great nation we are, we all rallied around those
who were hurting. Funds were sent to the devastated areas. The
homeless, displaced people were helped in the cities and towns of
states through out America.
Our
area of Texas got 300 people from New Orleans. We put them in a
beautiful Baptist camp built on a man made lake. The area was a
peninsula dotted with trees. It was more like a resort than a
camp. For about a month we took care of these people. Many of
them found jobs, and moved into more permanent living
accommodations with the help of the government and individuals.
Some wanted to go back home; but, their homes were gone, or at
least uninhabitable.
Twenty
years ago I had worked for the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA). I would travel into an area and help people after
a disaster to rebuild their lives and homes. My area of expertise
was Hazard Mitigation, (flood insurance) or in those days called
the Map department. We located the victim’s home on a map.
It was a job which was emotionally and physically draining,
working seven days a week, twelve hours a day. After the first
few months we could cut back our work schedule to six days a week
and eight hour days. My living accommodations were not like home,
and I missed my husband and children, and the lack of a social
life.
Even
after I had worked with the transported “Katrina”
refuges in our town, and had given to many charities for their
needs, I was still thinking about them. If FEMA needed me because
of a shortage of people to work after the disaster perhaps they
could use my experience. So, I offered my services. Thinking they
probably would not need me, I bought a house and moved when FEMA
contacted me. I was working my part-time job where I worked up to
40 hours a week when FEMA contacted me. They needed more workers
and wanted me.
On
a Sunday morning during Sunday school class in the month of
January, a man told us to continue to remember the victims of
Katrina. He went on to tell us the story of a team of volunteers
including his brother, who were gutting and rebuilding houses for
the victims of Katrina in MS. That team pulled up in front of a
house and the team leader went to the door of a badly damaged
house. An elderly man answered and the team leader told him they
were finally there to rebuild his house. The man asked who he was
and what agency they were from. The team leader gave him the name
of the volunteer group. The elderly man did not know of the
group, nor did he contact them with an application. The team
leader went back to the van and looked again at the paperwork,
thinking he had the correct address. The older man told the team
leader that house was two doors down the street. But that he and
his elderly wife desperately needed help. They could not rebuild
the house by themselves. They had tried to get help, but none
came. They did not know what to do, did not have anyone to help
them, did not have money, and had given up hope. Just that
morning they had prayed and decided to take their lives! Then the
knock on the door came. He asked the team leader if they could
rebuild their house too. The team leader of that volunteer
organization said they would rebuild their house and the one down
the street too.
I
was in charge of prayer requests that morning in Sunday school,
and I prayed that God would help the victims of Katrina as He saw
fit.
Tuesday
FEMA contacted me. They informed me I was assigned to be gone for
a 30 day deployment. I was to be in Jackson MS on that Monday for
training, and sent to Baton Rouge, LA., and then where ever they
needed me. So, I had to get my life in order including
telling my boss I was going away for 30 days. I had to buy my
high blood pressure medicine, write checks for bills due during
that time, and pack.
That
next Sunday morning as I led our Sunday school class in prayer, I
was on the prayer list. My prayer was for physical and emotional
strength and safety during my entire trip. I also asked for
prayer that God would use me as a blessing to other Christians,
to share God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, with
those who did not know Him as Lord and Savior.
It
was pretty much an exhausting adventure from the beginning.
An overload of change is like that. I was finding my way to new
locations, learning the ways of a new car, learning new materials
for a job, changing my motel or hotel every night, and finding
new places to eat. Not being a shy person, I always found someone
to ask for help when my needs were beyond my expertise. But
sometimes, no one was available. It was just me and God. We got
to be very close. Driving cross country to a new city was a
challenge but finding my way around a new city was more
stressful. When a group of us were to relocate to Baton Rouge
from Jackson, MS, God provided for me. During training I had made
some contacts and three of us decided to drive together. When I
arrived for training at the regional field headquarters in Baton
Rouge, I knew my way around. Unfortunately for me, that very
morning a coordinator decided to send me to New Orleans after
training that afternoon. They warned me of the difficulties in New
Orleans, signs down, traffic lights not working, street lights
out, deserted areas, not many gas stations, etc. So outfitted
with a map, and directions from the internet, a quick phone call
to advise my husband of my plans, I prayed and committed the trip
to God. My prayer was that God would take care of me. That He
would put an angel on my front bumper who would guide me right to
the door of the Sheraton on Canal St. in downtown New Orleans;
and an angel on my back bumper to keep me safe from an accident.
I also asked to arrive before dark, for protection and safety
while I worked there, and an enjoyable trip to New Orleans.
Because I knew my way out of town, even though it was rush hour
in Baton Rough, I had a full tank of gas, felt rested, had snack
food in the car, cell phones, and a radio to keep me company, I
was doing fine! It was a beautiful dry sunny day and I enjoyed
the scenery. My map and instructions were handy as I hit rush
hour bumper to bumper traffic in New Orleans.
My
directions told me to look for exit 234B stay left. So, I was in
the left lane. The exit in Baton Rough to go to the field office
exited to the left as well. I know of left exits in Chicago, even
though almost every other exit on an interstate in the U. S. is
on the right side of the road. There were five lanes of bumper to
bumper traffic as I spotted the Superdome just to my left. I did
not see an exit but I was downtown. The only exit to the right
was 234A. I thought my exit should be next. I could not see it as
I scanned the horizon. Plus there was no moving over. It was a
sea of cars. My exit never came. In fact, it turned dark
while I sat in bumper to bumper traffic. I ended up on a very
long bridge. When I got across the bridge, a road that went to
the city of Slidell was to the left and unmarked exits on Hwy 90
were to the right. It was official, I was lost! I could not get
over the nagging question of “What happened to my exit?”
I crossed five lanes of traffic as I watched dark exits into the
abbess go by. Now, I found myself calling out loud to God for
guidance. After I asked Him “what exit should I take”
and “how am I ever going to find my way back” and
“please find me help”, and “please send me a neon
sign to tell me the way, so I will know it is from you”. I
spotted the golden arches of McDonalds several exits up the road.
They would have a bathroom and hopefully someone to give me
directions. As I pulled into the parking lot there was only one
empty parking spot. It was next to a big green van with big white
writing on the back doors. As I was pulling into the spot I was
reading the words on the back doors. I quickly realized I was
reading God’s Word! They were Bible verses! God gave me what
I was asking for. This was my neon sign from heaven! God made it
very clear this was my help. God took the load from my mind when
I saw those Bible verses.
After
walking around my car to the green van I stopped, noticed a short
haired black woman with her head down. I knocked on the window. I’m
an older white woman and was pleased to see God sent me a middle
aged black woman. She would understand and most likely know where
I needed to go. When I told her I saw the Bible verses on her
vehicle and asked her if she were a Christian, she said yes. I
told her I was a Christian too. Now, we had the strongest bond
possible, sisters in the Lord. I next told her I was from out of
state and lost. Would she be so kind, as to tell me how to get to
where I needed to go? After I told her the Sheraton on Canal
Street in downtown New Orleans, she confirmed my understanding of
how lost I was! While she was telling me how to get to where I
needed to go, my phone rang. It was my husband Ron, who had not
been able to reach me. My phone was in my purse which had fallen
to the furthest place on the front floor board, and was out of
reach. I asked Ron to pray because I was lost. I told him God
sent me help, to keep praying and I would phone him when I
arrived at the hotel in New Orleans. Pauline, my new found
friend, told me she was waiting for her grand daughter to be
dropped off. Then she, her daughter, and grand daughter would
drive across the street and buy gasoline. If I could wait, she
would lead me onto the highway and to a police car. Then the
police person would lead me the rest of the way to the Sheraton.
During
my pit stop at Mc Donalds, Pauline’s family arrived and I
followed her van across the street. We sat through at least two
traffic lights, and still no one would let her vehicle out. She
started to honk the horn of her van. Although I could not see an
opening, one was made. I kept my eyes on those Bible verses and
stuck closer than a brother behind her! Next we were on the
highway and driving toward New Orleans. I was reading those
verses and praising the Lord for His provision. One verse was
from Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
And, John 3:7 “You should not be surprised at my saying,
‘You must be born again.” Suddenly we were off the
highway and driving in the dark through the narrow deserted city
streets. We passed not one but two police cars. Then we were on Canal
Street and had street lights and traffic lights. Before I knew it
Pauline had double parked in front of the Sheraton, and I pulled
my rental car into the side drive of the hotel garage. When I got
out of the car I realized I was shaking like a leaf, and my blood
sugar was low. But I realized God had answered my prayer, sent me
an angel to take me to the door. I told this to the valet and
then to the bell man. When Pauline arrived I hugged her and
thanked her. Then I introduced her as my angel to the valet. She
again refused to take any money from me. Instead she handed me a
paper with her name, address and phone number, and asked me to
pray for her family. I agreed to do just that and keep in touch.
That
experience was the opening of a wonderful testimony of God’s
provision for me. It was to open the conversation between me and
countless people who God has brought into my path ever since.
God could have brought me to that hotel through my own map
reading, but He had other plans for my life. God knew I was
stressed, and he took care of my concerns about driving into Algiers,
LA the next morning also. The woman I would be working with the
next day offered to pick me up in the morning, as we were only
two blocks away from each other.
The
next morning I met the man who would be sitting next to me in the
Disaster Center, who was a native of New Orleans. He worked for
the Post Office and was an assistant minister at a large Baptist
church there as well; so, I shared my testimony about the night
before. He became a friend and a source of information to help
Pauline. After working the first night, I phoned Pauline to see
how I could pray for her family. What was her situation, and what
were her needs? I believe God wants us to be specific when we
pray.
Pauline
had been victimized by the storm and a building contractor. She
asked me to pray that God would send her a Christian contractor,
someone to hang sheetrock, and someone to finish the electrical
work that had been started. A contractor said he would do work
for her for a specific amount of money. Then, he told her it
would cost much more. They had settled on an amount of money but
the remaining work would have to go undone. She could not afford
to sue him and she needed help. While I worked at the center, I
was able to find a Christian contractor and a woman lawyer who
would help Pauline without charge with the previous contractor.
We found a Christian organization that might be able to help her
rebuild her damaged home. When my husband Ron shared with our
church and Sunday school class my experience and Pauline’s
needs, they were able to help both Pauline and her church. God
was working.
As
I was sharing my testimony of God’s provision for me, It
dawned on me, that Pauline had driven past not one but two police
cars. She had taken me directly to the door of the hotel. I
wondered why! When I asked her, she told me when I knocked on her
window that night she had her head down and was listening to
Christian music and was praying. She was discouraged by what had
happened with the contractor and seeing all her money go out
without the job being finished. She had just given the situation
to God when the knock came. She looked up to see me. As she was
driving and leading me to my destination, her daughter pointed
out the police not once but twice. Maria, Pauline’s
daughter, asked why she had not stopped to let them lead me to
the Sheraton. Pauline told her daughter she felt strongly she
should take me all the way to the door of the hotel, and she was
not going to miss out on God’s blessing in her life. I
shared with her, what my prayer was when I left Baton Rouge the
night we met; and how God had answered my prayers. So, we could
clearly see that God brought us together to answer both our
prayers. What a great God we serve! And, what a blessing we have
each been to the other.
God
continued to take care of me, even through the difficulties of
the New Orleans Mardi Gras. The event was one and a half weeks
long, which was shorter than in past years, but it caused a lot
of stress and inconvenience for many of the workers. It
definitely kept me in prayer. The Mardi gras would take two
weekends. Because of the drunkenness of the big parades on Fat
Tuesday the Disaster Centers in and around New Orleans chose to
close down. However, the Joint Field Office for FEMA in Baton
Rouge was not aware of this until I mentioned it to them.
Although they were not happy, we were happy not to be out trying
to get back to our hotel that day. As that first Saturday came, I
was convinced I should not go to Algiers to work, as I would be
trying to get back to the hotel during the third parade. I
was afraid the streets would be closed near the hotel and I would
end up on a deserted street in the dark. However, my coordinator
in Baton Rouge wanted me to go to work and figure something out
during the day. I followed orders and prayed. God sent a wind and
a cold hard rain. I prayed all the way back to my hotel when I
realized there was no parade and the streets were open. I then
changed my prayer to one of praise. The third parade could not
get a permit and was cancelled as well, allowing me to get safely
back again.
During
that week, I was transferred to another Center in the area where
the levy broke. This neighborhood was worse than the first. Few
people were living in the area and no businesses were open. There
was more trash on the streets, and the water lines on the
buildings were much higher and noticeable. Things there were bad.
At lunch, we ate food provided by a Red Cross truck. We were
busier here than at the Algiers location. My partner in the
Hazard Mitigation department was also staying at my hotel. There
were only three hotels available for us and I could not get
closer to where I worked. We all were still inconvenienced by the
Mardi gras. We left early from the center in order to get back
into the parking garage before the street was closed.
On
Thursday, the hotel gave us all written instructions how to
survive the week end and through Fat Tuesday. We were to be in a
lock down with all doors but one locked. Guards were to be
stationed at that entrance and we were to wear a purple wrist
band to identify us as hotel guests. We were to keep our vehicles
in the parking garage as it would be full and streets closed.
They suggested we take public transportation. Of course the city
had very little public transportation. Saturday was really going
to be a problem. There were three of us from that Center who were
housed at the Sheraton, and one woman intended to drive to work
that Saturday. So, my partner and I asked to go with her. I was
at ease as I knew I would not be alone in a car and not able to
get back to the Sheraton.
After
the parade on Thursday night, the street below my hotel room on
the 37th floor was quiet and I was able to sleep. At
3:00 AM, I was awakened by my heart beating unusually fast. I
could not figure out what was wrong with me. I knew if there were
anything seriously wrong, I was in trouble, as the only two
hospitals in New Orleans were closed. I prayed fervently to God
to stop the unusually fast beating of my heart. Since I needed to
get up in just two hours, I really needed to sleep. My heart went
back to a normal quiet beat, and I fell back to sleep until my
alarm went off. As I was praying I thought of Philippians 4:6
& 7 from the Bible “Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your
minds in Christ Jesus.”
On
Friday, we contacted our Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge and
advised them of the hotel lockdown and our plans for Saturday. A
few hours later the coordinator phoned me and asked if I could
stay beyond my 30 day deployment (which was one week away). Since
I have a job back home and told my boss that I would be back in a
month, I turned them down. A few hours later she phoned back to
tell me they were closing some centers and I should drive back to
Baton Rouge the next day (Saturday). I had to book an airline
flight from there. So again, I could see God taking care of me. I
did not have to work in New Orleans on that Saturday, and be
concerned about getting back into the hotel during the parade. In
fact I could avoid the madness of the Mardi gras celebration
completely.
When
I left New Orleans that morning, it was a beautiful sunny day. I
was happy to be going home. After a short time on the highway,
traffic became only a crawl. After some time, I realized traffic
was being led by the floats heading toward another town for a
parade. So, now I was in a parade! Eventually they went down a
different road. While crossing a very long bridge with a swamp on
each side, the heavens opened up and the rain was so hard I could
hardly see out my window. With God’s help he kept me safe
and I arrived at the “JFO” in Baton Rouge to check out.
Then it was off to the airport where all the flights were going
out without all their passengers. Between the heavy rain and the
heavy load of passengers with luggage, the flights were not able
to carry everyone. When I made my reservation, I got one of the
last seats on the last flight of the day. I was sad I would have
to wait around from 3:30 PM until 7:30 PM when my flight was
scheduled to depart. In the end, God took care of all of us
trying to get out of Baton Rouge that day. The airline was able
to send a large plane to take all the people from the other
flights plus our passengers. It was a full flight, but I for one
was happy to be home again!
Time
has passed and Pauline and I have kept in touch. God has provided
in many ways. Pauline, her daughter Maria and granddaughter
Aa-Ria are living in a FEMA mobile home behind their house, which
has had much work done on it so far. Anytime now, a volunteer
group will come to finish rebuilding her house.
I
am reminded of the Bible verse from Ps 46:1 (NIV) “God is
our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.”
The song, “God Will Take Care of You.” God has
proved himself to me many times in many ways. He is very much
alive, real and He loves me very much. I can trust Him, and His
Word. I am very blessed that someone told me about Him. I pray
that if you are reading this now and do not know Him, you will
pray to Him to forgive you of your sins, and He will forgive you
of your sins and save you for eternity, even now. Because, that
is what His Word promises us all.
Europe –
Summer 2005
by
Sara Ramquist (great great grandchildren of Antonio)
Teresa
Danizio with Jeff Ramquist & Stafania Danizio
Many
of you most likely don’t know us, or at least have not met
us. Our names are Jeff and Sara Ramquist and we are the
grandchildren of Al and Bernice Bieber. Only a month before she
passed away, our grandma asked if we could share some stories of
our travel to Europe during summer 2005. It was Jeff and I who
went to Europe, not our parents, Kent and Memorie. First of all,
a little bit about us; I (Sara) am a sophomore at Seattle Pacific
University in Seattle, Washington. I am pursuing pre-medicine and
the sciences in order to one day become a pediatrician. Jeff is
also a student and pursuing the arts of photography, painting,
drawing, and his most recent art, wood carving (FYI, his carvings
are amazing and if you are interested in having a wood carving
done, he can be reached at 651-206-7943 J). How did we end up in Europe?
Jeff had decided to study abroad for the month of June at an art
school in Ireland with an emphasis on photography. Because he was
going to Europe, he decided to take four extra weeks after his
term ended to travel some other countries. I thought maybe I
should go with him for the last two weeks of his leisurely
travels, just to make sure he didn’t get lonely. I knew this
particular opportunity to travel Europe with Jeff would never
present itself again or at least with the same dynamics. So, I
jumped on the idea and bought my airline ticket from Chicago to London.
It was finally July and I was off to meet up with Jeff on the
other side of the world, or so it seemed. Because I hadn’t
really spent much time with Jeff since Christmas (seeing as I was
away at school), I was so excited to see him! After being warmly
welcomed by a bleary-eyed brother (it was rather early in the
morning when he had to meet me), we hopped on the tube (the London
underground subway) and headed for our hostel in Russell Square.
As we were scheduled to leave for Milan, Italy the following
evening, we walked around London for the rest of the day and saw
the buildings that I had only seen in pictures. We got back to
the hostel late that night and headed straight for bed. The next
morning we went down for breakfast and noticed everyone was
crowded around the televisions. When we got closer we could see,
to our horror, that London had been the target for terrorism. As
we continued to watch the live coverage, they listed the towns
which were hit. To our surprise, one of the tube stations that
had the greatest damage was at Russell Square, just a few blocks
away from us! Then it occurred to Jeff that he had awakened that
morning just shortly before 8am and had heard an enormous “BANG.”
It had been too loud to be a gunshot, so he thought maybe
something had dropped in the construction zones. I think I woke
up when it went off, but didn’t process the noise. It was
July 7th and we were in the midst of the anger and
uncertainty of the London Bombings. By that time, we were unsure
if we were going to be able to make our flight, because the
airport was quite a ways and the tube and bus companies were
down. It was a crazy day! Once we were finally able to leave the
hostel, it took us the rest of the afternoon to walk to the above
ground train and make it to the airport. But, we made it right on
time for our flight and headed off to Italy for another
adventure. As I look back, I am so proud of the majority of the Britains
on that day of terror. After the shock of the incident, England’s
citizens did not allow the terror to put an end to their normal
lives. We heard several people say something similar to, “We
are going to keep living our lives, by going to work, and doing
our daily tasks. We are showing these terrorists that they will
not make us hide or cower in fear.” That was a profound
statement to me.
Well, we left London, in all its turmoil, and headed to Italy for
the next 7 days. So much happened in such a short time! We
traveled through Milan, Genoa, Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore and
Manarola – I would highly recommend these towns as ideal
vacation spots for anyone traveling to Italy), Rome, Naples and
finally to Catanzaro, where we had the most interesting time
finding our relatives. Unfortunately, because our trip was
decided upon so last minute, we were unable to get directions to
anyone’s house or pre-arrange to meet someone at the train
station. Elena, my Grandma’s cousin, knew we were coming,
but did not know exactly when. We certainly did not speak Italian
and very few people in Catanzaro spoke English. Because we hadn’t
pre-arranged to meet anyone, you can imagine that we had quite
the time trying to figure out how to find Elena and her family.
We knew that the family lived in San Pietro – Magisano, but
had no address for them, only a phone number. While we sat at the
train station, we tried calling Elena, but because she speaks
Italian and we didn’t, it was very confusing for both of us.
So, we hired a taxi to take us to San Pietro (only knowing our
family lived in or next to an old church). Once we arrived in San
Pietro, we saw a bright yellow Catholic Church (The Sanctuario or
Sanctuary) and decided that would be a good starting place. As it
turns out, the Catholic Church is not associated with Elena or
the Danizio’s, but Elena lives about two houses away! God
led us right to her! It was amazing!
We
quickly met Elena and she quickly called Teresa, her 25 year-old
granddaughter, who speaks English, to come and meet usJ. The next
36 hours, we spent time with Elena, Teresa (our personal
translator), Teresa’s sister, Stefania, and her parents,
Giulia and Rosario Danizio. After talking a bit, we found out
that the taxi driver who drove us into San Pietro is actually a
friend of Rosario’s, and that Giulia worked right across the
street from the train station and had been working at the time we
were waiting at the station wondering what to do. It’s funny
how things work out J. Teresa walked us back to her house (just
down the street) and showed us the church that they do own.
Giulia
made us delicious food while we were there; Rosario and Teresa
took us up to the Sila Mountains, to a forest preserve and also
to Bethel, the camp that Uncle Frank started years ago; Stefania
played her flute with Jeff and also tried her hand at English;
Elena made us feel right at home and provided us a place to stay;
and Dario and Anna made a special trip up from the Seaside to
come and meet us. Even more, the girls walked us through San
Pietro. Rosario and Giulia treated us to Italian drinks and
gilato by the sea while Dario and Anna told us numerous stories
about the Scorza family history. We were showered with love and
hospitality and were enriched by having met these wonderful
people, who just so happen to be our family J. They invested many
hours of their lives during those two days and even though we had
never met, we talked as though we were family. Unfortunately, our
time with them lasted only a short time, for we had to make our
flight back to the UK. Even though we didn’t even spend two
full days with them, our time with the Danizio’s and the
Scorza’s was certainly the highlight of our trip to Europe!
We hope that one day, they will be able to come and visit us in
the States and we will be able to show them the hospitality that
they bestowed upon us.
Jeff & Stefania
Dario, Giulia, Elana, Sara, Stafania, Jeff & Anna
After talking about our encounter with the Scorza relatives, the
rest of our trip seems a bit superfluous. But, in short, we flew
to Ireland, stayed a couple of days in Dublin, traveled to Drumchapel,
Scotland (trying to meet up with some friends who were currently
doing missions work in Northern Scotland), and then we flew back
to the States a couple of days later. Our trip to Europe was
memorable to us for countless reasons: we enjoyed several flavors
of Italian gelato, pesto pizza, gorgeous views, tremendous
hospitality, sleeping on church steps in the rain J, being given
breakfast and hot showers from a Scottish pastor we didn’t
know, sleeping outside of the Milan airport (the airport closes
down between 1 and 5am) and many other events. But, these don’t
quite compare to our enjoyment of the Scorza family! If you get
the chance to travel to Europe, we would highly encourage you to
make a stop in Catanzaro, where love and hospitality, beauty and
majesty, overwhelm the senses!
Athletes in
Action and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy
by Berniece
Bruinius (great granddaughter of Joseph)
To
all the family and friends that received my letter or heard about
my trip to the Olympics in February, thank you so much for your
prayers and support. The trip was indeed a success. I am so
grateful for the opportunity and wonderful experience to
participate in the project organized by Athletes in Action (AIA)
at the 2006 Winter Olympics. I traveled to Turin, Italy with my
friend Darla Cupery who is another professor at California Baptist
University. She and I traveled non-stop to Paris on February 10
and then onto Turin. Both flights were comfortable, and we
enjoyed reading articles about the Olympic athletes competing at
the games during our “short” ten hour flight.
When
we arrived in Turin, we still had to travel another two and a
half hours by train and bus to meet with the rest of our group in
the small, quaint Italian city Torre Pellice. We stayed in
missionary housing that seemed much like a typical college
dormitory. Our room had three beds because we were
expecting another member of the group to join us, but she was not
able to attend. Darla and I took advantage of the extra
space and often draped our many layers of clothing on the extra
bed. Our first night was very cold because the radiators were not
working properly. We survived with a few extra blankets, and I
also slept with my socks and sweatshirt on. Thank goodness the
heating in our room was fixed the following nights. We were
able to sleep comfortably the rest of the week.
Our
room looked over the courtyard of the grounds of the mission
complex. Across the way from our dorm was a cafeteria that
served granola and yogurt, fruit, coffee, tea and croissants, a
typical Italian breakfast. The grounds included two other
dormitories and another building where our team met every morning
for prayer and worship. Outside the mission grounds, Torre
Pellice proved to be very hospitable to the many people including
several other mission groups visiting for the games. The streets
in Torre Pellice were all made of brick and very narrow. We
walked ten minutes each day through the town to catch the bus to
get to the train that took us to the Olympic venues! When
we were not leaving at the crack of dawn or returning after
midnight, the town shops were open. In fact, on the last
day, the town opened a flea market that attracted several more
shoppers besides those of us visiting.
At
the bus stop, we took a 30 minute bus ride to Pinnerolo. At
Pinnerolo, some members of our group attended the curling venue.
However, the half-hour bus ride to Pinnerolo was only the
beginning of each day’s travels for those of us who went on
to Turin. The train ride into Turin was another hour and 45
minutes. The bus and train ride into Turin and back to Torre
Pellice usually made our travel time a minimum of 4-5 hours a
day. It was a bit cumbersome, but the time spent traveling
offered opportunities to get to know the other members of our
team. I spent a lot of time with Skiers for Christ. They
are a newly formed group and joined AIA to learn more about
mission trip development and organization.
On
the first day in Turin, I went to the women’s speed skating,
3000 meter event with Darla. It was very exciting to my surprise.
I did not anticipate enjoying the sport as much as I did. Many of
the spectators in the crowd were from Holland, but they cheered
for skaters from several countries. The Dutch love speed skating.
Some of the spectators equated their love for speed skating to America’s
appreciation for football. I suppose if you are a football fan,
you can understand their passion for this sport. They were very
enthusiastic! I also went to the medal ceremony on the
first day. After the women of Holland won both the gold and
silver, Darla and I went on to the ceremony where we saw two
Americans receive their gold medals. Chad Hedrick won the
men’s 5000 meter speed skating event, and Shaun White won
for the men’s snowboarding event. It was very inspiring to
hear the American Anthem played twice.
The
following day, I returned for the men’s 500 meter speed
skating event. The Dutch fans returned as well. There, I saw Joey
Cheek win his gold medal. After winning his medal, he donated his
award money to charity. All the American athletes were so
impressed by his generosity; they elected him to carry the
American flag to the closing ceremonies.
I
was also inspired by the camaraderie among the spectators we met
on buses and trains and walking through Turin. Many seemed to be
pleased to meet people from another country, other than their
own. The games offer such an enjoyable way to bring the world
together and have fun! The Olympics provide a way to bring the
world together in a new part of world every two years and also
provide unique opportunities to share God’s love and
compassion.
Several
members of our group had opportunities to meet with athletes and
share DVDs that presented testimonies of faith from former
Olympic athletes. Darla, the Skiers, and I all had the
opportunity to encourage and pray with one of the speed skaters.
Then, we met his parents on the way to a café and helped them
find the entrance to the Olympic Village to meet up with their
son. Both the skater and his parents were Christians and seemed
very encouraged by our prayers. Other members of the team met
with several other athletes, including Bode Miller, and shared
the encouraging DVDs with them. Some of our leaders had chaplain
passes into the Olympic Village and spent two days praying and
encouraging several more athletes.
After I returned from the trip, I truly began to realize the need
Olympic athletes have for Christian love and outreach. I read
many more news reports highlighting athletes and the pressures
they endure. The athletes undergo many pressures the world places
on them. Because of their talents, they have the world on their
shoulders. AIA’s focus on these athletes is so important
because I believe many of them desire to know that their success
or lack of success has meaning beyond record books. Additionally,
they are people who have family, health, and spiritual needs like
the rest of us. Hearing that they are truly loved no matter what
the outcome of their event is indeed good news to many of them.
Kopp
Family
New baby for the Gerrish family
Home Going for 91 yr. Faith
in Isreal; 9-22-06 Taline Jan
Evangeline Cass – 8-11-06
More than 70 years of faithfulness to her
husband, Charles, her family and her Lord Jesus; Faith Evangeline
passed into Glory in August. Charles Herbert Cass writes:
1915
– The Dash Between the Dates – 2006
Faith Evangeline Cass arrived in her heavenly home on August
11, 2006at about 12:30 P.M. I had talked with her about fifteen
minutes earlier.
