How It Began

How It Began

It began in 1997.  There had been a rash of arsons of black churches in the deep South.  People of faith across the U.S. began to say "something must be done--what can I do?" to help rebuild these churches and their faith communities.

I came of age in the 60's--a time of racial strife in America.  I was in college when some of the worst was occurring.  Freedom rides.  Murders of demonstrators and activists.  Voting rights marches and a firebombing of one of the local leaders.  A call for people to come to the South, to show their support for civil rights, to act in solidarity with African-Americans.  I felt called, but I didn't have the courage to follow the call.

I was living in the Philadelphia area in the 90's, member of a Quaker meeting.  One Sunday, a Friend rose and announced a group was forming to spend a week helping rebuild a burned out church in the South.  I felt called.  And this time, I answered the call.

A group eventually formed, led by Lance and Mary.  Lance is a very devout, activist Jew.  His wife, Mary, is a devout activist Roman Catholic.  They sought an ecumenical, interracial group to help rebuild a burned-out church.  Neither was experienced in construction (though Lance is an architect.)  But they assembled a group of 28 people--12 Jews, 12 Catholics, 2 Quakers, 1 Presbyterian, and 1 secular humanist--committed to spending a week together building.

Our assignment was to go to Macomb, Mississippi and assist with the rebuilding of Rocky Point Missionary Baptist Church.  The church had been burned down in 1996 on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination. Two local teen-agers (both white) were arrested, convicted and in prison for the crime.  

We arrived in Macomb in July, 1997.  The J. J. White Presbyterian church had kindly offered their building for our living and eating.  Their floor, bathrooms and kitchen provided a welcome home for us.  And every day, at the end of work, we would return to the church to find 4-5 homemade cakes or pies waiting for us.   Because workers need to have something good to eat, they said.  There was at least one pecan pie each day--the women of the church were competing.  And everything was always immediately consumed.

We worked five days in mid-July Mississippi heat and humidity (90's and 90's.)  My task quickly became painting the ceiling.  (I was the only one comfortable going up on 3-level scaffolding to roll endlessly the wood ceiling.)  The temperature up there was certainly well into the 100's.  I would go up, paint what I could reach, come down, consume a can or bottle of something, and return.  And I loved it.

Eventually, even standing on the top of the scaffolding and reaching with an extension pole, I couldn't quite reach the peak.  So a couple of guys built a little enclosure for me.  It wouldn't stop me from falling, but it gave me the psychological confidence I needed to be able to stand on tiptoes, reach with a fully extended roller and pole, and finish the peak of the ceiling.

Our evenings included visiting with the victim of the 1963 firebombing, having Bible study with a local church, attending a local revival, being interviewed on the local radio station.  Each time, the question was always "why are you here?"  And our answer was "to help you rebuild your community."

It rained our last afternoon.  We gathered under a sheltering tree, and the minister's daughter sang "Amazing Grace."  It has always been one of my favorite hymns.  But I never felt its power as much as I did with her incredible voice, singing only as an African-American woman can sing.

Within hours after our time ended, I thought "I must do this again."  And so did others.  So each year, a similar group organized for a similar project.  We decided to broaden our geography and went to El Salvador in 1999, again in 2001, and again in 2003.  But we also knew there was work to be done in Philadelphia.  So we organized similar work projects in Philadelphia in 1998, 2000 and 2002.

I discovered the Habitat for Humanity Global Village program in 2003.  I had previously done some work locally with Habitat.  I liked the work and liked their model.  And having a passion travel, and for meeting people of other cultures in their own places, I signed on.  

My first GV trip was to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.  It was there I discovered internet cafes and began e-mailing back to my family which my wife shared with others.  Since then, I've taken trips to more than a dozen places, and each time, I've shared my experiences with family and friends.

I am now going to post these e-mails.  Unedited, exactly as I wrote them over the years.  I do so in the hope that others will discover the joy of travel and service and will become as addicted to it as I am.