Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. * www.ConcordiaCollege.edu

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Home Sweet Home

Well, the 19 hour bus ride brought us safely back to campus. It is good to be back home at Concordia.

What surprised me about Santa Fe?
The snow! I never thought New Mexico got as much snow as we do here in Minnesota. Despite the crazy weather, we learned to live with it. We built a house in it, walked a couple miles on it, shoveled it, and drove many miles on it. When we arrived back in Moorhead, the snow didn't seem to bother me as much. Usually I grumble and complain about it, but when I saw it I thought to myself, well they even get it in New Mexico! Now that I don't correlate it with blizzardly Minnesota, it doesn't really both me as much.

What is my favorite memory?
There are just too many to choose from. Here is one I can think of now...I love downtowns in any town or city. The architecture is beautiful and unique to each location. I especially enjoyed walking around downtown in the Plaza with everyone. There were so many shops and a huge variety of items to choose from. I love coffee and there were coffee shops galore! We also visited chocolate shops, the largest handmade boot store in the country, and so on.

What did I learn?
I learned to go with the flow. I am a planner and I like things to run as scheduled. When we arrived in Santa Fe our plans had to change a lot because of the unexpected snow. Great memories can be made even in the midst of change and the unexpected.


The theme verse for our last day was a send off and a blessing for each of us on the trip. I leave you with this verse as well.
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." -2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

-Brooke (Santa Fe, NM)

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Shout Out From Santa Fe



I caught everyone in the middle of the day while they were hard at work. Here is a little shout out from Santa Fe, NM.

-Brooke (Santa Fe, NM)

Friday, February 26, 2010

Retirement Plans Anyone?

Friday was a duplicate of Thursday except that we finished the roofing today… yeah! The weather was very cooperative so we worked really fast, got done early and spent the remaining time taking pictures with the care-a-vanners.


We were really intrigued by their dedication and decision to spend their retirement days building homes. They set the bar high for us and for most of us, this was a challenge. What a cool way to spend their retirement days… travelling around the country, and giving back in a most impressive way.We also got to meet the owner of the home that we had been working on. She was very thankful that we decided to spend our Spring break helping build her home.

This trip has added so much meaning to all of our lives. It has been a life-changing, eye-opening experience for most of us. We were challenged by the people we encountered, praised for deciding to use our Spring break to help others, got an idea of how to spend our retirement days, had fun at Disney World and ate loads of delicious food. We even learned how to hammer - holding the hammer at the end of the handle and pounding the nail as if it were the boyfriend that broke up with you :)

This is a video of one of the care-a-vanners who shared her personal story with me.


-Peace (Florida)

Yes Work, Yes Food

Where to begin? A lot has happened in the past two days so I am going to try to be as brief as possible. Half of Thursday was spent at the work site putting up roof boards, hammering, hammering and just hammering. You would probably think that I have use the word hammering too much, but there is not a good enough way to express how much we hammered. Every single thing we did, apart from loading and unloading our truck, involved hammering. At the end of our work day, we had finished putting nails every 6 inches around the house and part of the roof.

We also went on a citrus picking trip… yeah! Luther, one of the founders of Habitat for Humanity in Dade City, was really impressed with the work we had done on Monday, so he invited us to his citrus orchid to pick as many fruits as we could. We ate most of the time because they were so good, and we picked a variety for our trip back home.

The better part of our evening was spent with the care-a-vanners. They are a group of retired people who drive their RVs around the country, volunteering for a couple of months at different Habitat for Humanity camps. We had a wonderful evening filled with stories, music, words of encouragement, chili and loads of desserts. It was a fun evening I tell you, and we got to learn quite a ton from these dedicated care-a-vanners.

I also learned that the Habitat for Humanity home owners get the houses after they have volunteered 400 hrs, 200 of which goes to the building of their own houses. Kristiana, the volunteer coordinator, told me that the more hours the home owners volunteer, the faster their names move up the list. I thought that this was a very good deal, and I guess that it makes other volunteers feel better when they know that the home owners are working as hard to build their homes.

-Peace (Florida)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Experience of a lifetime!


Guess what! The snow didn't stop us today. We worked through the snow and wind, and made significant progress on our house foundation.

More importantly, tonight we had the privilege to meet the family that will receive this house in the future. A single mother and her 5 teenage daughters have been given this opportunity to start anew. They provided an amazing dinner for us called Frito Pies that was a first for our whole group.

The mother took some time after dinner to express her thanks and gratitude for our work, even though we were only in the beginning of the house building process. She said it meant SO much to her. She's never been able to get ahead in life, and she really wants this new opportunity for her daughter, "so they can have a place they can call home," she said. Talking with everyone afterwards, our whole group was deeply moved by meeting the family. It brought tears to everyone to hear their story and journey, and certainly solidified the absolutely incredible experience we have had so far. It's been difficult to see that we're providing a home, with the weather and doing only initial jobs and tasks, but tonight definitely made that a reality for everyone. We're providing a home - and hope - for a family in need. That is something that no one can put a dollar sign on or take away. We have been told over and over again just how much this means, that we would use our spring break to better a strangers' lives. We have all expressed that there is no better way to spend our break, and we have a feeling that the memories and experiences will continue to show well into the future.

Returning home soon, changed forever,
-Jeff (Taos, NM)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010


Hat? Check!
Gloves? Check!
Wool Socks? Check!
Winter Coat? Check!


This is how we greet our 19 degree cold days at our Habitat for Humanity site in Santa Fe, NM. After shoveling snow after we arrived on our first day, we have work diligently on putting up fencing, insulation, and chicken wire on to the 3 houses we are working on.

Building each of the houses has sure given us a cultural lesson on New Mexico. The fences are made out of posts called "latias." Each of the houses has to have chicken wire attached to the outside after the insulation and paper covering for the stucco to be molded to. It is an interesting process and one definitely not used back too often at home in the Midwest.


The weather may be the same as it is back home, but the work experience on the houses is something completely new.



-Brooke (Santa Fe, NM)

From the roof to the stage of American Idol

Continuing with our mission here in Dade City, we spent the whole of Tuesday putting up hurricane straps on a habitat house. It was a day filled with hammering, sweating and there was a lot of tanning going on. By the end of the day, we were able to complete the strapping of the roof. It was a job well done for us. Yeah!

Wednesday was our day off so off we went to Disney World. We had a rolling devotion, meaning that we had devotion in the car as we drove down to Disney. We had an opportunity to tell each other the strengths that they bring to the work site. From those complimented on their professionalism and caring attitude to those praised for their ability to handle the hammer, it was all encouraging that others actually notice your hard work and appreciate it. I think that recognizing and admiring strengths of members of a group is very important in motivating members and creating a better group dynamic.

Disney was all day fun for most people, but for one member, it was an awesome experience. Bekah, a sophomore in our group, got to audition for American Idol. Guess what? She passed the audition, and won the preliminary round. We were all super excited for her, and we got to support her as audience of the American Idol live recording. This goes to show that while we are here doing good and working hard on providing habitat for humanity, we can also have fun and have cool things happen to us.

-Peace (Florida)

Walkin' in a winter wonderland...in New Mexico?


Internet difficulties haven't allowed for me to post as of yet, but here we are, snuggled in Taos, NM!

In true Minnesota fashion, we brought a snowstorm with us when we arrived on Sunday. In fact, it looked quite like Moorhead around Taos. Because of the snowy conditions, we weren't allowed to work at the build site on Monday, but we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to help out at the Taos Habitat ReStore! Hours of shoveling (someone had to do it), sorting, and snowball fights! Check this out...





Speaking of shoveling, Tuesday meant a lot of...you guess it! Shoveling!! Our build site only has a basic outline of a foundation, which of course, was covered in several feet of snow. Tuesday was filled with more snowball fights (go figure) and plenty of snow removal. It was an incredible experience, though. It was our first time at the site, and it was easy to see that everyone was excited to be there, despite the fact that we weren't actually building.

So...today is Wednesday. We're halfway through this spring break journey in the mountains of New Mexico. Today was our "day off," so of course, we spent it at a mineral hot springs not far away. Even though we weren't extremely tired and sore, the 100+ degree hot springs were much welcomed! We're plenty relaxed and ready to tackle the next two days! (And a 26 hour drive home...)

This journey has been incredible so far. Some of those on this trip haven't ever worked with Habitat before, and it's so cool to see them loving every minute of it. It's been a great bonding experience for all of us - plenty of guitar jam sessions, ridiculous music, and laughter all the while.

The rest of the week is up in the air. Supposedly, another snowstorm is coming in tomorrow. So we're sitting tight, not knowing what the next two days brings. Either way, it'll be an adventure, that will continue to shape us, like this week has so far. Stay tuned!

-Jeff (Taos, NM)

Monday, February 22, 2010

Snowfall in Santa Fe?!?!


You would think traveling 1,305.26 miles (to be exact) south would get you away for the blizzards of the Midwest. Well, today we learned that it does in fact SNOW in Santa Fe, New Mexico!

We greeted the great outdoors to find a few New Mexican citizens removing the snow from the sidewalks by using leaf blowers. We had our first snowball fight in Santa Fe and then headed off to Bandelier National Park...just in time for the park to close due to weather.

Needless to say, we treated the snow as if we never have it back home. We had a snowball fight, took some exciting snowfall pictures, and enjoyed the picturesque landscape of a the snow-covered Santa Fe terrain.

We could have grumbled about the snow...but seriously, how often do you get to experience snow from Santa Fe?! As we shopped downtown at the plaza later in the afternoon this is how most conversations went...

Store Owner: Oh, so where is your group from?!
Group: We are from Moorhead, Minnesota...it's right next to Fargo, North Dakota.
Store Owner: (with a smile) So you are used to this weather then right?

It happened every time :)


-Brooke (Santa Fe, NM)

Leaving a Mark

There is nothing much to talk about our 36 hrs bus ride down to Florida because most people just slept the whole way, including professors showing that mid-semester exams got the best of most of us. It was however a good thing that we got this rest because we needed all this energy for our first day on the habitat work site in Dade City.


Today started out promising after we had devotion titled “leaving a mark”. I say promising because what we exactly did today at the Habitat ground was leave an 18 inches deep, 7 inches wide mark around a 2 acres garden. As we left our camp, we had no idea about what we will be asked to do.

Once we got there we were immediately split into 3 groups, showing the need for volunteers. One group went to an off-site to help finish the roof of a house, another group was asked to paint the interior of a house on-site while my group was asked to dig a trench around a habitat community garden.


At the end of the afternoon, our site directors were very pleased with what we had accomplished because we did twice the work they expected from girls (my group had about 10 girls). For most of us, we didn’t think that we could do this kind of job, but with the determination and passion that we had we definitely left a mark today.


The message today is not about girl power, it is more about recognizing that as we go about our normal business every day, we encounter people and we leave our mark with them. It can be either a positive one or a negative one. It can be life changing if we live with this awareness.

-Peace (Florida)

Keeping Homes Warm

We spent our first day on the work site putting insulation up on three houses and....WE FINISHED IT ALL! Mondays are usually the day off for Habitat workers in Birmingham, but two workers generously showed us the ropes. It was a very productive day. The weather could not, however, decide if it was going to be warm or cold. I spent a number of times putting on and taking off my sweathshirt, but as long as there isn't snow on the ground, I'm happy.

They weren't anticipating Cobbers to be such hard workers, so we left the work site a little early and headed out to check out downtown. My group went to the Civil Rights Museum in town. It was honestly one of the best museums that I have every been to! There were testimonials at every turn and detailed information about one of the most defining time periods in Alabama history. We were famished after exercising our brains, so we headed down to Pete's Famous hot dogs. Never in my life have I had a hot dog with so many onions, but it was worth it!

-Kalli (Alabama)

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Not Your Average Spring Break

Believe it or not, a 19 hour bus ride isn't all that bad! It gives you time to just slow down and forget about tests, paper deadlines, and so now. Don't get me wrong, I love school, but we all need a break every once and a while from the daily routine of life.

On a normal day I am a Concordia College Cobber, enjoying my third year towards a Organizational Communications major and a minor in Psychology. At school I enjoy being a part of the Campus Service Commission staff, an Alto 1 in Chapel Choir, a consultant at the Oral Communications Center, and a Student Worker in the Web Services Office.

I also enjoy Swing Dancing at the Avalon, my daily can of Diet Coke, and an occasional coffee at Starbucks (a white chocolate mocha with skim milk and no whip to be exact). I enjoy reading anything by Jodi Picoult. I am the biggest Disney fan you will ever meet.

This week isn't quite normal. That 19 hour bus ride brought myself and 18 other students to Santa Fe, New Mexico on a Habitat for Humanity Spring Break Adventure.

I can't wait to see what this adventure has in store for each of us...

This isn't your average Spring Break...it's even better!

-Brooke (Santa Fe, NM)

Casablanca Cuddle

After 26 1/2 hours of traveling, we have finally arrived in Birmingham, Alabama! My back is a little sore from sleeping on the ground last night, but after a few cups of coffee this morning in Mississippi, I am ready to go.

To start things off on the bus, we had a little activity called the Casablanca cuddle. A member from the Birmingham trip had to go sit by a member from the Tupelo Mississippi trip. We sat next to each other, exchanged stories and broke the ice a little with our bus buddies. We dropped them off at a church this morning and then continued on our way.

Right now we are sitting in our new home for the next week and trying to clean the grime off from the bus ride. We are also deciding what to do during our first night in Alabama: the choices are a scavenger hunt in Walmart or a pointless talent show. Let the fun begin!

-Kalli (Alabama)

Friday, February 19, 2010

School is Out! (Well at least for a week)

My tests are finished. My room is finally clean. My bags are packed so full that they are close to bursting. In other words, I'm almost ready to leave for Birmingham, Alabama.

My name is Kalli and I am a junior this year at Concordia. I am studying Elementary Education with emphasizes in Social Studies and French. I call Scandia, MN my home and love to visit whenever I can. For the past two spring breaks, however, I have had the fabulous opportunity to go on Habitat for Humanity trips.

Last year I left during a snow storm to travel to Albany, Georgia. I met some amazing homeowners, dedicated employees and spirited students that encouraged me to go on another trip this years. When I returned, my friend Lara (who happens to be my trip leader this year) convinced me to apply for the Habitat Board on campus. Needless to say, I was accepted and have been planning a trip to Guatemala for this May. Habitat keeps finding ways for me to stay involved!

A LONG bus ride is ahead of me, but with some movies, a few good books and lots of friends, I'm sure that it will go by a lot faster than I think!

-Kalli (Alabama)

The Bestest Thing in Life!

I'm Peace and I am from Nigeria. I am a pre-med third year student (Biology major, chemistry minor) and I hope to one day be a cardio-thoracic surgeon. I know, it sounds though and you're right it is will be a really long road, but I try to convince myself that the more years the better. Who wants to be done with school anyways? I will probable be in school till I grow old.
Life away from home has been challenging, exciting and surprisingly interesting. In my three years abroad I have come to meet amazing people who have shown me that there is more to life than just satisfying one's personal needs. The best thing in life is to look back and see that because of you, some other person's life is better.
I hope that by the end of this Habitat trip, that at least one family will be better because we decided to go down to Florida and have a good time.
I've never being to Florida, so it should be fun driving down there, with about 39 other students in a bus for about 36 hrs.... yeah!!
I'll tell you how the bus ride went, ok?

Peace out!
-Peace (Florida)

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Circle of My Life

I'm Jeff Brown, from the middle-of-nowhere of Montana (Cut Bank, for those of you who do actually know where that is). I'm a sophomore at Concordia, part of the Pre-Seminary program, double majoring in Religion and Classics. Basically, I nitpick into ancient texts and try to figure out what this or that person was trying to convey, attempting to make that relatable in the 21st century, and also discuss ideas like ethics, human development, variety within religious traditions, and the like.

I'm a part of The Concordia Chapel Choir (a devo leader also), Concordia's Habitat for Humanity board (Tri-College Co-Coordinator), and I am on a traveling Outreach team. I like to stay busy, but in my down time I like to jam on the piano or guitar, hang out with friends, read a good book, maybe catch a movie every now and then, or just chill - which is all too possible out here in the Minnesota tundra...

So, I'll be in the mountains of northern New Mexico during spring break. It'll be nice for this Montana native to be back in mountainous territory. Taos, NM is an artsy city, so it should be pretty fun time when we're away from the build site, too. I'll be posting every couple days about this experience, complete with photos and videos, so you all can enjoy the experience right along with me!

On the road soon!
-Jeff (Tao, N.M.)