Adult Mission Trip to Slidell, LA
Apr 24 - May 2, 2010

A team of nine from Oswego Presbyterian Church and three from Franklin Grove Presbyterian Church completed another mission trip to Louisiana with Presbyterian Community Outreach (PCO)  with the support of Blackhawk Presbytery.


  [(1st row left to right) Ken Mozingo, Deb Krase, Dick Krase, (2nd row L-R) Janet Taylor, Carol Barron, Ellie Hansen,
           (3rd row L-R) Kathy Farrell, Gene Erisman, Bob Gilchrist, Kelly Dillon, Diane Gross, Colleen Lawrence]

PCO, based in Slidell, LA, is partially funded by PC(USA) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and by the First Presbyterian Church in Slidell. Its mission is to organize and support volunteers in helping low-income families rebuild their homes in the New Orleans/Slidell area severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina. At the PCO facility, volunteers are provided overnight accommodations, a kitchen for preparing meals and tools and instructions for our work assignments.

On our recent trip, we 12 volunteers divided up to work on three different homes. Each evening after a shower and dinner, we met for a devotion and reflections time. Some of the reflections at the end of the week follow:

"I really appreciated this opportunity to dedicate myself to helping someone for an entire week. Working WITH someone who needs our help is much more satisfying than just writing a check to a charity."

"I feel humbled by the couple we worked with. They have so little but are basically contented happy people."

"I went on this mission with a desire to serve, for no other reasons than to love and honor God, and to be a reflection of Christ to my neighbor, in unconditional love. In the end it was I who saw Christ in my neighbor's face looking back at me, filling me with LOVE and PEACE. I got back so much more than I gave!"

"I was touched by the people we interacted with at the houses and at the PCO center, the 12 dirty dozen in our group, the youth minister’s send-off prayer and the prayer/song in the parking lot at Memphis."

"We often forget the power of Christian fellowship. Our fellowship was very powerful. ... It was a real joy to be a part of this mission trip, I am humbled to be a small part of it."

"The genuine care, support, and time spent in devotions with everyone in our group and with the home owners really bonded us as one in Christ."

"For me, this experience was an opportunity to live Jesus.”

"It was a great feeling to help James get the plumbing connected. He was able to flush the toilet for the first time in almost five years!"