Mission Trip to Indiana

Barbara Musselman participated in a mission trip in June 2010. 
Here are her comments and reflections about the trip.

     On June 20 I traveled to northwest Indiana to do flood relief work for an organization called LARRI, (Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana).  The communities of northwest Indiana, an area known for its high water table, sit on the shore line of Lake Michigan.  In the fall of 2008 this region experienced massive flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ike, which dumped 10 inches of rain three hours and raised the water level of Lake Michigan by three inches.

Since the area is not considered a flood plain, residents did not have flood insurance.  Add to this the fact that communities such as Hammond and Gary have been depressed due to the decline of the steel industry and one understands why many people need help getting their homes and lives back in order.

The ages of our group of 19 adults were in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, with four adults in their 20’s.  The trip was organized by St. Paul Lutheran Church in New Cumberland and Trinity Lutheran in Lemoyne.  We rose each morning to a hearty breakfast and devotions, went to work, and returned in the evening for food, fellowship and lots of laughter and reflection about our work that day.

Our group was split into three work crews on three different sites:  one, a community park hidden by the debris from the storm and from further dumping; the second, a private home with lower level flooding; and the third, a former medical suites building also with lower level flooding.  This particular building had just been deeded over to the Gary Historical and Cultural Society for the creation of a community center.

I especially enjoyed my week working at the community center because the work crew were retirees who were developing evening programs for adults and enrichment programs for children such as music lessons, dance, creative writing and foreign languages.  They consider their exposing the children to culture and promoting an enthusiasm for learning a ministry to their community.

 At the private home and community center we cleaned out soggy debris, demolished walls and ceilings of rooms, hung new drywall and painted.  Our third crew worked along with other crews from other parts of the country to restore the park.  At the end of the week we left without seeing the projects completed but satisfied that we had moved the effort further along and made a difference.

That is what a mission trip is all about – working as part of the body of Christ to further the mission of the gospel.  Volunteers from across the nation were there the week prior to our arrival and other groups will be there in the successive weeks.  We were a blur of faces to those living in these communities.