The Washington Story Continues with our Interfaith Celebration!

Welcome back to our Interfaith story!

Some time has passed, and our lives have moved on. We are back to work, school, and family life in our cozy northwest Chicago communities. The people of Washington have recovered significantly since the November 2013 tornadoes, and many have moved back into their homes.

Many in Washington, especially the farmers, are still far from recovered! Many homes still have a lot of work to be done, or are not even ready for occupancy. Farms are still littered with debris, damaging equipment as they try to plant and harvest. Many farmers have not rebuilt, and may never rebuild.

Our Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council is having a Thanksgiving Celebration this evening, and we hosted Bob and Allison, on whose farm we labored, to a luncheon to welcome them as part of our larger family of faith.

Bob shared some photos of how their farm has progressed since our visit in July, and Allison put into perspective the needs still present in the greater Washington area. We shared some memories, and learned of some great progress. One great joy is that they will be moving back into their rebuilt home some time this coming week! There is still a lot of work to be done, but at least they will be back home after one year of tears.

Should you be in the Buffalo Grove, IL area, please join us this evening at the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council's Thanksgiving Celebration. We would love to see you, and it sounds like our congregations have a lot to share as well.

http://northwestsuburbaninterfaith.org/information/2014%20flyer.pdf

Sheds of Love!

For our third day, we went to Washington Christian Church to build sheds. These structures will keep families' valuables safe either while they rebuild their homes, or after if previous sheds were not covered by insurance. These simple constructions are a vital part of the recovery effort, and the leadership team from WCC takes this work very seriously. The attention to detail and excitement of the build was contagious, and kept us motivated throughout the day.

Adding the flooring sheets.

We worked on six sheds, in an assembly line with each at a different stage of completion. We start with a floor, made with 4x6 skids, and 2x6 joists. This would be one sturdy shed! Our construction coaches were sure we made the base square, since the entire structure would rest upon a good job on this piece.

Walls were built at another station, with two identical sides, a front and back. Once all the panels were made, the assembly began! Teams put up the back, added the walls, and finally tacked in the front panel. Each step required teamwork and planning, and our team did very well each step of the way. Everyone worked on at least one of these parts of our shed puzzle, making this a true team effort!

Placing the final, front wall onto the base.

When it came time for the roofing, we borrowed the guts of some of our more adventurous younger team members! They did an excellent job of climbing on top of the sheds we just created, ready to install roofing and shingles. The last step was to put on the doors and trim, making a complete shed, much like one Bob and Allison from our previous site were making good use of!

The roof, though hot and crowded, was still a popular place to work.

We stacked the floors and walls for the next teams, gave the area a final sweep for stray nails, and gave a heartfelt goodbye to our hosts. We were done with our work for this trip, and it was time to celebrate with some pizza and shared memories. We visited one of the local restaurants, Monical's Pizza, and enjoyed yet one more fantastic meal in Washington. Our bus trip was quiet, as we were full from dinner and tired from the work, but otherwise uneventful. We arrived back at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd just before 9pm on Saturday, and gave one another a tearful farewell as we returned to our homes. There was much discussion about how to best share our stories, and the stories of those we worked with. We committed to putting something more detailed together for you, and will share many more stories along with a few surprises in our road show. Watch your congregational news closely for upcoming presentations, thank those who worked on all the tasks we tackled, and pray for the people of Washington, who have a long road to recovery yet ahead of them.

"Welcome to Washington" sign, with six crosses for each those
who lost their lives in the November, 2013 storms.

Please follow along with those who will continue rebuilding long after we left for our homes and families

Bob & Allison: www.facebook.com/1322Washington
Washington Christian Church: www.washingtonchristian.net/tornado-relief-4/sheds

Thank you for following, and pray about joining us next year!

In Justice and Mission,
The Interfaith Service Team

Amazing Relationships on Holy Ground!

Work crews remove tons of debris. -Hal N.

Our team continued working on Bob and Allison's farm today. We did much more of the same work as yesterday, picking up pieces of the city of Washington, strewn across their fields. The work was the same, but we could all feel the effects of our previous efforts and see the encouraging results of our labors. We did well, some of us pacing ourselves with a little more wisdom gleaned from yesterday's experience and a good night's sleep.

Some of our crew enjoyed a new task today.Pete, one of Bob's friends, brought his retirement gadget, a portable sawmill, along to convert two destroyed oak trees into planks for a table and benches. These two large oak trees were over 60 years old, and provided wonderful shade during the hot summer days. Both were completely destroyed by the tornado, and Bob and Allison wanted to keep them in a new form. These furniture pieces will allow them to host friends for conversations, cherishing the lives they have and the memories of the trees which provided the wood. Each log from these trees  weighed over 2,000 pounds, and it took a lot of muscle to move them! Pete and the sawmill made quick work of converting these enormous trees into 2" slabs and our White Stone representatives, along with select additional power tool-loving volunteers, stacked these slabs to be stored and dried. Each of the slabs took 2-4 people to move.

Some of our logging experts. -Jeff W.

We again met for dinner, and this time we were privileged to host Bob and Allison, along with Pastor Gary Salm and his wife, Lori, of Christian Union Church. It was Pastor Salm, through an inspired connection with Tom Chrysler, who helped connect us with our work projects. Each shared stories of despair and hope, as well as the concept of 'beschert', which is a yiddish term for "It was meant to be." We all felt God's presence as we shared our stories with one another, and learned how much helping others can mean to both those receiving the help and those who have been called angels.

Bob and Allison, sharing their joys! -Hal N.

We enjoyed a prayer before dinner, welcoming Shabbat and offering a spiritual close to our week so far. Rabbi Cohen and Rhonda N. led us in the prayer, lighting the Shabbat candles and reciting the words we share between all our faiths. In closing this telling of our story for today, we reflect on the words of the blessing over the candles: "Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to light the lights of Shabbat. (Amen)"

Shabbat candles, wine (juice) and bread.

Picking Up Pieces

One of the homes left as it was on November 18th!

Welcome to Washington! We've made it to the site of November's tornado, driving through the neighborhood, seeing a lot of construction but also just as much destruction still remaining. We saw contractors from all over, working on many houses damaged or destroyed. We also saw many foundations, and even some houses damaged and not even touched!

Photos from Bob & Allison's album, comparing
their farm, before and after the storm.

Arriving at our work site, we were greeted by Pastor Gary, our connection through Tom C, who introduced us to Bob and Allison who owned the farm on which we would work. They shared the story of Bob's family owning the farm several generations, how they survived previous tornado's, and how this one just about ended the family tradition. Bob is a Lay Pastor, so he and Allison were 30 minutes away the morning of Sunday, November 17th, watching the storm from a distance as he led worship. On their way home, they received many calls, initially of concern, and as they got closer, offering bad news about the condition of their farm. More than one of those they talked with said simply "It's all gone!" They had many great stories to share, and were sure to work side by side with our crew to show their appreciation of the help we offer this week. As a point of irony, Bob preached on the verse from Luke, found at the end of today's blog contribution.


Our task, as we accepted it, was to clear the field so it could be planted. As we've seen so many times in aerial photos of large groups combing a field, we formed a long line to pick up anything that would interfere with crops. Nails, large shards of wood, roofing and siding, and any inorganic materials we could find. Some of what we found was very moving, and too much to share at this time. We'll continue collecting unique and personal items, and will share them with you at one of our follow up presentations. Please keep an eye out for a traveling Interfaith Washington road show, coming to a congregation near you! ;-)

Picking up shingles, siding, wood, insulation, and other inorganic materials. ;-)

After our day of labor under a beautiful blue and cotton sky, we shared a meal and reflections on our day. Rabbi Cohen shared the motivation of our call to Justice as we read in Deuteronomy 16:20, Pastor Schlichting pointed out that we act in response to God's gifts already given, and Pastor Halls guided us into reflecting our experiences with one another in smaller groups. Danny K offered a word of closing prayer, so our first day was brought to a fulfilling and encouraging close.

“As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” Luke 21:6 

Welcome to Morton!

We have safely arrived! ...well, we've arrived at our home for the next few days, the Best Western in Morton, a neighboring town to Washington. Our drive was wonderfully uneventful, and offered a great chance to meet others in our group. Most were able to join us on the bus, while a few met up with us at the hotel after driving equipment or other cars to help them navigate their varying schedules. One of our group even brought a bobcat to help us make quick work of at least some of our projects!

Our group consists of young and old, men and women, several faith backgrounds, and those of diverse mission experiences. Some of our group have worked with missions before, helping others in need in places recovering from storms such as Katrina or Sandy. Though Washington doesn't have a storm name associated with it, the destruction is every bit as tragic and real to those who lived through it.

Our crew of 47, ready for the compulsory photo by our motor coach.

Tomorrow, Thursday, is a busy day. We will enjoy breakfast at the hotel at our own pace, then board the bus promptly at 7:30 to head out for our work sites. It looks like we'll be cleaning some of the community parks, so kids can once again be kids, playing games and living life a little more like before the tornado changed their lives.

Thanks for following along, and please keep us in your prayers as we venture out as an interfaith community called to help our neighbors in need.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord's face shine on you with grace and mercy. The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Preparations and Prayers for our small part of a very long journey for Washington.

Welcome back to our story at hand! There is much to share, and also much to ask of you.

Our band of volunteers is now 47 people strong, representing five congregations from the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council. Hope Lutheran Church, Kingswood United Methodist Church, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Temple Chai and White Stone Church.

Some things to watch as you follow our story are how we bring together diverse ages, experiences and faith backgrounds to help our neighbors. We also bring an assortment of people.Some have experienced several mission / service trips, others have never seen the need for help such as this up close. Follow along with open eyes and hearts. Try to see yourself in the shoes of both our workers, and those who were affected by the destruction.

We have been in contact with several representatives of the people of Washington, Illinois, and have narrowed our work projects a bit, though the plans will be fluid until just before we leave. It looks like we will be (1) clearing a farm field so crops can be planted, (2) removing or replacing fence posts, and (3) building playground equipment or sheds to help people in the area start living their lives more normally again. As you can see from the photos, below, there is MUCH work yet to do, and some residents have even given up, leaving the area in an even worse economic position.

Please pray for the people of Washington, and enjoy following our journey as we try to help. Even just a little bit.

What are we doing in Washington, Illinois?!

The people of Washington, Illinois and the surrounding area were devastated by a deadly tornado outbreak on November 17, 2013. Over 500 homes and businesses were destroyed by winds which reached 190mph! This was the deadliest and most destructive tornado on record for the month of November. By coordinating thousands of volunteers, Bethany Community Church has been working since that time to provide relief to the community. Bethany is serving by hosting work teams and clean-up crews, and arranging housing for the displaced.
 
Please join us in this interfaith opportunity, where we come together in community to help those who are in need.

A portion of the tornado track, visible on Google Maps.

We seek those who have gifts of painting, carpentry, electrical, roofing, photography, discussion leader or an interest in helping others with their presence.

We are leaving on Wednesday evening, July 16th, and returning Saturday evening, July 19th. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we travel and serve.