Many Changes in the City of Brookport

Storms, especially tornadoes, can change a landscape, as well as the people who live in the path of destruction. In the case of Brookport, that landscape includes historical buildings central to the history, and even identity of the town.

One structure which had to be removed was a water tower, known affectionately as the "Tin Man", which kept watch over the community for 107 years, and is the centerpiece of the town logo. After the tornado came through, it was left too damaged to repair, and too small to rebuild.

Another building, the Pellonia Place gym, was also damaged beyond repair during the storm. This building was pivotal to the integration of white and black youths in an era when they had few places to associate with one another. This piece of history is also key to the founding of the town when Enoch Fleece entered his claim to this property in 1821, shortly after Illinois became a free state.

These pieces of history, in addition to the personal loss in property and life, will leave Brookport a new community. It is true that new opportunities may follow, but until that time, they are still in dire need of financial and physical aid.

As a mission team, we are anticipating playing a small part in the changing of Brookport. We can see how our work will help them move forward and grow as a town, recovering from near devastation, and looking to the future. We are getting the word out through flyers, talks, social media and most importantly personal contact. So, if you're reading this, come join us!

If you would still like to help, the deadline for signing up is June 7th, but we will accept financial support at any time.  We are also still looking for people interested in helping make lunches for the work crew, so anyone of any ability level is welcome!

Thank you for your support and prayers!
The Interfaith Mission Team

Getting Personal!

Getting Personal!

Many of us were glued to our news outlets on April 9th, 2015 when another series of tornadoes struck Illinois, this time just an hour from our homes. These storms came during our evening news, and closer to where many of us have our own personal connections to the communities.

Aerial photo of Fairdale, IL.

We were riveted by incoming storm warnings, and announcements of observed storm activity. Our pulses increased as funnel clouds were expected, and then observed. Our hearts sank as reports came back of damage, injuries, and sadly, deaths.

Welcome to Fairdale!

These storms, especially for those of us who either have lived through destruction in the past, or even simply came to help others, were particularly moving. The images of fallen homes, and destroyed lives, were haunting!

All too common view after the storm.

This brings us to why we are visiting Brookport this July. We have constant, and close reminders of the power of wind, and the destructive qualities of these storms. It is news stories such as these which help us better understand the depth of need for rebuilding and healing faced by our neighbors. It is the life stories which no longer cover the front pages which touch us in the relationships we build as we help these communities recover after the media, and our awareness, have long gone home.

Please come to help the people of Brookport, who are facing continued recovery with 14 homes currently under some stage of construction, and have plans to build at least another 30 homes on previously destroyed properties. There is also plenty of work needed on homes damaged by the storms. No matter your skill level, your heart and mind are still needed!

An Invitation for You!

You are invited!

You are invited to join us as we journey to Brookport, Illinois! We will join the Massac & Pope County Recovery Committee (MPCRC) as they tirelessly work to continue recovering from the deadly November 17th, 2013 tornadoes.

The Brookport tornadoes destroyed both property and lives.

How can you join us, you may ask?

There are two ways to be part of the exciting way to serve our neighbors to the south by the side of our Interfaith neighbors here at home.

The first is to sign up and be part of the team. The experience of working with others to help people clean, build and heal can be life changing! We have had a number of presentations where team members shared their touching stories, smiles and even some tears. Feel free to seek out participants from last year, and let them share why you should be part of this year's trip.

You don't need to have specific skills to join us. There is a large variety of work needed, so if you know plumbing and electrical, that's great! If you can wield a rake or camera, or even just watch that our team is getting enough water, that would be wonderful. Even some cooking / menu planning skills would fine a fine home on the trip this year!

A house rebuild in Brookport gets started. Follow along and watch
this house become a home, as a previous group helped the town recover.

The second way to participate is to offer financial or organizational help. Do you have water or supplies to offer our work team? Perhaps you or your organization has earmarked funds to help others in need, which we can use to buy materials or otherwise support the needs of those still recovering. Do you have tools or building materials for light construction, which you can send along with our work groups? Of course, please keep both our team and our hosts in your prayers as they work to rebuild Brookport and peoples' lives.

A Brookport house starts to take shape. We will be
doing similar work on our trip this summer.

Please sign up for the trip through the following link:
Application Form

Also, Eric Enskat will be speaking at Temple Chai on May 1st at 6:30 pm to share a little of what was done in Washington and what to expect in Brookport. He will also be on hand to answer questions regarding this trip, both before and after the service. Please come by to celebrate Kabbalat Shabbat ("Welcoming Shabbat") with the community and learn more!
Temple Chai

If you have questions, please contact on of the member churches or synagogues, and be sure to get signed up by June 7th, when we finalize our plans and reservations.

Hope Lutheran Church

Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

Temple Chai

St Mary Parish

Congregation Beth Judea

Thank you again from the NSIC Mission Planning Team, and everyone who is helping our neighbors in their time of need.

A new mission to Brookport, Illinois!

Welcome back to the Mission site of the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council!

Our next trip is now scheduled! Please join us, in person or in prayer, as we plan to serve another community affected by the deadly tornadoes of November 17th, 2013. This community is in Brookport, Illinois, which is just across the Ohio river from Paducah, Kentucky. Three people were killed in this town alone.

We will journey to Brookport July 15th through 19th this year, and will be working with a group called Massac & Pope County Recovery Committee (MPCRC). They have made a lot of progress in cleaning up from the deadly storms, with over 50 work groups from 17 states offering skills and manpower. The people of Brookport have shared that these work groups have come as a blessing to their community. There is still a lot of work to be done, and a call is out for volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, to continue helping with the reconstruction.

There is a great article regarding the status of recovery efforts in town:
WSILTV News Article 

Please follow along our journey, or consider joining our team! There are four congregations committed, and others ready to join! You can contact the following congregations to help, or encourage your own if it is part of the Northwest Suburban Interfaith Council:

• Hope Lutheran Church
• Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd
• Temple Chai
• White Stone Church 

We look forward to another trip, offering help to those in need, and coming back changed in our own faith lives. Please follow along, and consider supporting us with your talents and passions.

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.