Santa Rosa Fire Respond Work

I had the privilege of volunteering with Samaritan's Purse (SP) to help homeowners in Santa Rosa who wanted help sifting through ashes of their burned home for valuables and mementoes that are precious to them.  Ever since the hurricane in Texas and fires in CA, I have been looking for opportunities to help people who are affected.  I just couldn't find any opportunities in my time frame.  But recently, my boss had approved my reduced work schedule, and at the same time, a mentor at a church told me about the opportunity, so off I went after making provisions for my family.

I am so humble to have the opportunity to serve a retired Novato police officer and a military family and witnessed a miracle. After checking in and listening to the safety orientation with SP, a team of 8 to 10 are sent out to work on two sites a day, spending a little over 3 hrs at a site with a short lunch and potty break in between.  The area we went to was totally destroyed and two stories houses were flattened.  Everything was burned with mostly ashes remaining.  The first site was the home of the retired officer.  He told us he would like to find his old police badges, other officers badges that he collected, and collectable coins.  Since these things are metal, we were able to find quite a bit of them.  Every time we found something, we would cheer and yell.  Finding them was a blessing from God, because there was so much ashes that we were only able to sift through half of it with the time given to us.  We had to be strategic as to where to dig and sift.

The second site required more physical labor because of the afternoon sun and it is located on a steep

hill where the two stories home collapsed into the basement.  Since the house was more vertical and foundation was smaller, debris were stacked on top of each other.   The homeowner wanted to find some jewelry, class ring, and a figurine of Don Quixote.  This figurine is important to him because it was something precious between him and his deceased mother.  We have no idea what the figurine looks like.  We were told that it was white with a man sitting on top of some kind of animal.  The site had so many metal things that we had to first moved them away.  I found a pile of coins which meant that the jewelry was close by because the homeowner said that she had a jar of coins on her dresser where her jewelry was.  We dug for two hours and didn't find anything.  We were discouraged because we found so many things at the first site.  So I stood there silently and prayed because I know God can direct our path.  "God, please lead us to finding something valuable for these people to put a smile on their faces."  Immediately afterwards, my teammate who was next to me prayed the same prayer out loud.  After my break, I began to dig at a place where a desk used to be because I can still see the metal part of the chair.  My teammate Suzan found a piece of something black and grey that vaguely resemble half an animal and it was just sitting on top of the debris.  We showed it to the homeowner and he started crying, saying that it's Don Quixote!  That one piece was worth all the work.  Then I started digging in that similar area but a little to the side.  I found something round with a cap like hat in the same color and texture as the first piece.  Then to the side was a tiny piece that fits perfectly to form a round hat for Don.  Then Suzan found another piece with the same color and texture.  It turned out that we did find the head of Don Quixote and the saddle he sat on.  Some would say that this is a coincident, but I say it's a miracle because as Hebron likes to say, "When we pray, coincidences happen."  I have seem too many miracles like this to attribute them all to coincident.  I see it as Jesus' gentle way of telling them that He cares about their pain and that He will walk with them every step of the way if they choose Him.  Isaiah 41:10 says, "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

The volunteers are all amazing people.  They all truly live by the verse found in John 13:34, "a new commandment I give you: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another."  In a group of 40 people, there are people from North Carolina, Indiana, Arizona, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and California.  They all came on their own dime to give of their time.  Some are staying the entire time SP is there.  You know what?  Most of them are retirees.  Suzan rode in my car for two days.  I am not sure how old she is since I am not suppose to ask.  But she told me that her son is going to retire in a few years.  Assuming her son is retiring early, the youngest she can be is in her 70's... most likely older.  She also had a minor heart attack not too long ago.  She is out there shoveling, dumping things out of a wheel barrow, and pushing them.  Every time we set up and clean up, she is there doing the work.  At the hilly site, she pushed the wheel barrow up 80% of the hill.  I kept asking her if I can do it because I didn't want her to injure herself.  She finally let me and I could not push the remaining distant because it was too steep.  Then her husband who is older than her and also had a minor heart attack not long ago and still on medication, pushed it the remaining way.  Needless to say, I feel sooo embarrassed that a young person like me can't beat her.  I have to seriously hit the gym.  I am inspired to be like them when I grow up.  :)

This is how Jesus called Christians to live: to love God and love people, not only with words, but in action and in truth.  SP's goal is not to just provide labor, but to meet people's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  SP brings in chaplains to talk to each homeowner and to help them process their grief and give them hope.  Volunteers are strongly encouraged to first listen to homeowners' stories because every time they talk about it, it helps them process the tragedy.  Homeowners are very touched and surprised that volunteers come so far to help.  Sometimes loving people means inconveniencing ourselves or sacrificing our own want or comfort for the sake of others.  What a privilege it is to show love to those who are hurting.

Family Mission Trip to Whiteriver

I've always felt that our vacation budget is more wisely spent if we took our children on a mission trip.  I've been on mission trips to third world countries before where I've seen tough living conditions and also had the privilege to see how Jesus offered love and hope to those who seek.  So I really desire for my children to experience God, learn to serve others without complaining, and also see first hand that not everyone lives in the same living condition as we do.

Cleaning the church

We flew into Phoenix to meet with groups from other churches, pick up supplies, and cars.  It was 116F when we landed Friday, so we prayed that it wouldn't be so hot at the reservation.  The next day, we drove about 3 1/2 hours to a church in Whiteriver, AZ, which is on the Apache reservation.  When we got there, we immediately got to work cleaning the church to get it ready for Vacation Bible School (VBS).  We scrubbed everything: the sanctuary, windows with tons of spiders, the kitchen, refrigerators, multi-purpose room, second floor classrooms, bathrooms, all chairs and tables, and the barn where the team installed basketball hoops.  Everyone, maybe except K, worked really hard and didn't stop until all the work was done.  At Sunday's church service the next day, we witnessed five Native Americans get baptized and shared how Jesus has changed their lives.  Some shared about how the love of Jesus and people at the church helped them sober up and gave them hope.  Then, we went door-to-door to pass out flyers and tell people about our upcoming basketball camp and VBS.  In the evening, we got right to decorating the church and preparing lesson plans for Vacation Bible School on Monday.

Installing four basketball hoops.

Cooking class - making green onion pancake.

For the next four days, we hosted basketball camp for children 1st - 12th grade from 9-11 am.  For the parents, we had Chinese cooking classes.  I had the privilege of sharing my testimony at the cooking class, telling them how I came to know Jesus Christ and how, despite my troublesome teen years, Jesus pursued me and showered me with His unconditional love.   I also had the privilege of sharing my passion in cooking.  I taught them how to make green onion pancakes, fried rice, potstickers, and egg flower soup with corn.  After lunch, we helped with construction projects to fix up the church like painting, more cleaning, digging ditches, clearing out weeds, and organizing.  We got to rest a tiny bit before getting ready to teach VBS each night from 6-8 pm.  After a long day of work, everyone is hot and sweaty.  At the end of the night, our team of 40 had to take turns to shower in TWO single person bathrooms.  Everyone only got 5 mins or else other people won't get a chance to shower.

What's harder than physical labor is experiencing heart break when I hear of trials facing Native Americans.  Almost everyone we met had experienced the sting of death in one form or another.  And to my estimate, about 80% of deaths I've heard were alcohol related.  A majority of people drink.  People die young due to overdosing, driving while drunk, or other negligence while drunk.  One child told us that his dad froze to death when he tried to walk home from a bar, because he was drunk and fainted along the way.  Children as young as 2nd grade knows what drinking is and that it ruins families.  When I ask kids how I can pray for them, some would say they wish their mom/dad would stop drinking or that they would come home sober.

People there are very friendly and open.  When we went house-to-house to pass out flyers about our activities, they welcomed our visits and openly shared with us how they are hurting and asked if we could pray for them.  At the first house I visited, a group of five people were just chilling outside their porch.  When I told them that we are from the church, a guy told us that his mom died a few months ago and that he has a hard time dealing with the lost.  He showed us his bottle of Vodka and said that this is how he is dealing with it.  A few others said that they lost a child.  They asked what Bible verse can we offer them as comfort.  I was shock that they are so open to learning about Christianity.  People here at home are not so open because they want you to keep your beliefs to yourself.  What a difference!  I was not prepared at all and quickly scan through my brain and phone for verses.  Then God led me to share Psalm 34:18 with them, which says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  Then I prayed with them and asked Jesus to comfort, heal, and turn their lives around.  During my prayers, a few of them cried because they felt the comfort of God's word and that someone cared.

I had the privilege of hanging out with middle and high school kids during VBS time.  Let me tell you about a girl in my class.  Let's call her Jane.  On Monday, the first day of VBS, Jane came with a few friends.  She had never been to church before, so she was not so interested in Bible study.  She was there just to be with her friends.  She didn't pay attention and giggled a lot.  When we separated into small group discussions, she didn't want to answer questions because she didn't know what to say.  But when I asked how I can pray for her, she said that she wanted her dad to be safe.  I asked her what kind of safety?  Is it from sickness or car accident?  She said accident and didn't want to talk further.  The next day, Jane returned and is a bit more relaxed and happy.  I told her I prayed for her dad and asked her if there is anything she is thankful for today.  She said she is thankful that she has food to eat today.  My heart sank and thought, does that mean she doesn't have food on a daily basis?  On the third day (Wednesday), the cooks on our team made extra food, so I saved her a plate.  She came to VBS late and she looked disturbed.  She retreated back to her non-communicative self, but she did say that she is happy that she is able to come to VBS.  During singing time, I saw a few drops of tears on her face.  I knew something happened to her today.  I asked but she didn't want to talk, so instead I said, "Since you came late, did you have a chance to eat dinner?"  She said no.  "Would you like some dinner?"  She said yes and gladly ate it.  She went home with a friend to spend a night there.  The next day is our team's last day at the church and she knew it.  She came to spend the entire day with us.  Another team member had a one-on-one chat with her and found out that on Wednesday morning, she wanted to come to basketball camp so she asked her aunt to drive her.  But just as they were about to leave, her mom came home drunk with a group of friends.  Her aunt told her mom that she shouldn't drink so early in the morning and that she should take care of her own kid.  Her mom then hit her pregnant aunt.  Through the chaos, she ran out of the house to a neighbor's house to borrow a phone to call grandma and other people to come get her, but she couldn't reach anyone.  So she walked to another friend's house hoping that she can reach someone after a few hours.  She still couldn't.  She walked further and further trying to get herself to church.  Somehow, she found a ride to church.  That's why she was late and so happy she was there.  That night, she slept over at a friend's house instead of her own home, so she can make sure she would be able to come back to see us on the last day.  The fact that she liked us and wanted to be with us showed that she experienced a taste of the love of God.  I've told her that in Jesus, there is unconditional love, acceptance, and hope. It is no coincident that I got to meet her.  It is providence and divine appointment orchestrated by God.  He brought us to AZ and later brought her there.  

This is our sleeping room and also classroom.  Every night we lay out our sleeping mat and every morning we had to roll it up and pack it away.  With a blow-up mattress, that's a lot of blowing.

On this trip, our intension was to serve and give, but in reality, I learned so much and was so blessed that I think I made a profit (to use accounting terms).  For the most part, people here at home are more private and don't want to hear about my faith.  I am so used to it that I have learned to give people their space when they close themselves off or reject my faith.  When Jane came to spend the whole day with us on the last day, I didn't try to pry and didn't ask her about why she cried the night before.  That day, she was constantly around me, happily prancing around and telling me the different things she was doing.  I could have had a heart-to-heart talk with her, but I didn't.  But thankfully, another team member talked to her and she openly shared about the day before which is how I learned about her story.  This was the same girl that didn't want to tell people about her family.  I've learned that whatever God wants to do, he will accomplish it regardless of whether I want to help or not.  If I had listened to God's prompting and pry a little with her, I would have gotten the blessing of building a closer relationship.  I didn't obey God's calling in that incident.  However, God's purpose was done.  She was able to connect with someone else and my teammate connected her with a few adults at the local church so they can drive her to church.  At the end, she was cared for and no harm was done.  But I had missed out on the joy and blessing of doing the work of my Father.  So I encourage you to listen and obey when you feel that God is prompting you to do something, even though that something is not in your comfort zone.  Otherwise, you will not experience the blessing of doing God's will and miss the opportunity of knowing the Creator and connecting with His heart.

Many of us create our own path and do what we want because we know what is best for us.  In reality, we may have completely mistaken what we should be doing.  The Creator who made us has a purpose of each of us.  Until we know Him and what that purpose is, our lives have no direction and we are constantly searching for something to fill us.  In the mean time, we have missed out on the peace, joy, and blessing of doing and being what we were created for.  If you are searching for that purpose, I would be glad to introduce you to the Creator.

Our Summer Trip

Dear family and friends,

This year, the Mak family has the opportunity to participate in the Youth Summer Missions Project (YSMP) at Chinese Independent Baptist Church (CIBC). We will be partnering with a number of churches from around the country to minister to Native American youths and churches on reservations in Arizona.

The community on the reservation we are going to is a broken community.  Domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, substance abuse, poverty is a norm in the neighborhood. Because of the chaotic family dynamic and deprived environment, young people there are not hopeful for the future.  We hope to spend time with the community there to show them that there are people who care and that there is hope.  We want to show them that a loving God loves them and that they are worthy of His blessing.

When we are there, we will be hosting youth basketball camp in the morning while we have cooking classes for the adults.   In the afternoon, we will help with construction projects and perhaps visit a few families.  Then in the evening, we will host Vacation Bible School for children of all ages.  These kinds of free kids’ activities are very well received by the community because kids don’t have anything to do in the summer.

Since the whole family is going, we can foresee a lot of challenges. Hopefully this will be the first of many of our family's trip where we stretch ourselves and serve those who are in need.  There are many reasons why we choose to bring the entire family on this trip. 

1.     We want to model for our kids how we need to love people.  And love is more than making a donation to a worthy cause from the comfort of our home, although it is a great first step.  Love requires action and sacrifice. 

2.     We want to teach our children that they can make a difference at any age and that they are not too young to change the world.

3.     We want the kids to know that not everyone live the way we do and hopefully to realize how blessed they are.

We will be leaving in a few days.  We definitely covet your prayers as we prepare, embark, and serve on this trip.  Would you partner with us and commit to praying for us?  If so, please let us know. 

Please pray for the following:

1.     Be prepared and bring all the necessary supplies.  We have to literally bring everything we need, from musically instruments, to craft supplies, to coloring pages.

2.     Be filled with God’s love as we interact with each and every person.

3.     Our kids to be bold and take the initiative to reach out to children there.  The boys are more introverted.

4.     Be ready to share Biblical truths when given the opportunity.

5.     For our team to have health and safety on the trip (we will be going with a team of 17)

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6.     For our team to work well together and also be ready to serve each other.