GCA newspaper - Issue 1 - Fall 2017

Hurricane Irma Mission Trip – A Firsthand Account
By Becky James
Day 1
14 hours. 33 students. 506.7 miles. Five days. We entered the bus with high hopes and pillows in hand,
preparing ourselves for the long drive ahead. As the sun rose and we entered into Florida, reality hit with the
rising temperatures. It was painful for a while, but after several long, uncomfortable hours on the mini bus, we
finally piled out into the fort Myers Seventh-day Adventist Church gym. Exhausted from the trip, we quickly
set up our sleeping bags, air mattresses and pads, and settled down to get our rest before our first day.
Day 2
After a fitful slumber, we all stumbled lethargically
to an 8 a.m. breakfast of bread, grapes, cereal and apples.
We packed our lunches during breakfast. Due to the hurricane,
the stores were pretty empty, so I packed a hearty
sandwich of mustard, pickles, and tomato. After breakfast,
we had a quick meeting and headed out to our work site.
Our first house belonged to a couple with six children
ranging from ages 1 to 9. We got strait to work clearing
out a large tree in the back yard, clearing a large pile of
drywall from the front yard and cleaning out drywall and
debris from the house. Then we moved to other houses in
the neighborhood, completing jobs ranging from moving trucks, to removing wet carpet and furniture before
heading back at 6 p.m. When we arrived at the church, faced with the dilemma of only one shower, a lady we
had helped earlier that day let us use her gym to shower in. After eating a delicious meal provided by Loma
Linda, and getting clean and refreshed, we headed to the gym to get some shut eye before the early morning
ahead.
Day 3
Our day started at 6 a.m. as we headed to breakfast before leaving for Immokalee, Florida. We volunteered
with a church there that operated a foodbank-type distribution of necessities for the families who needed
some supplies. There were about 11 stations, including water, laundry detergent, food, cleaning supplies,
diapers and clothes. The whole process lasted about four hours, and we served more than 800 people. After
helping at the distribution center, we went to a small, run-down neighborhood to pass out food and water to
the people at their houses. We stayed for about an hour before heading back to eat and shower.
Day 4
We got up at 7 a.m. for our last day of work and completed our usual morning routine of getting ready,
eating breakfast, and having a morning devotional thought before leaving on our routes. For the first two
hours of our seven-hour work day, we were at a loss for assignments. The owners were not home at two of the
houses we had visited, so we took a break to get gas and figure out what to do next. Eventually we split up and
my group took care of a house that had fallen trees in the driveway, making it difficult to get inside the house.
Then we moved on to several other houses, pulling out dead trees, raking leaves, and clearing out sheds before
we went back to the church to eat and get ready to leave the next day.
Day 5
Our day started at 7 a.m. again as we began the scramble to get everything into the buses and trailers,
so we would be ready to leave after morning worship. After eating breakfast and having a quick worship, we
started the long 506-mile drive back home.
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