Youth Mission Trip...

Hi guys - My appologies for not posting anything this week. We have been spending our evenings at Fred's place in Delacroix and it does not have internet access. SO... I have been writing in a word document that I will now post as several posts - just do ya'll don't have one super long post to read through...

Well I'll start at the beginning... Here's the post from Sunday night!

Enjoy!

Sunday April 20, 2008

Wow, what an amazing day! So many things have happened in the last 24 hours that I can only hope that I can remember it all! Well we all met behind the church at 7:30AM. Jamie was there to see us off. We took a quick group photo and was off to the airport. We had a slight delay flying through Chicago and landed in New Orleans just before 5PM. After collecting our luggage we got our 3 minivans and we headed over to Carolyn’s house to drop off our luggage before heading into the French Quarter! Upon arriving in the French Quarter we parked in a parking lot behind Jackson Square. We headed over the railroad tracks and looked at the Mississippi. What an amazing view. We wandered in and out of shops along Decator St and ended up at Café Du Monde where we had some beignets! I was so happy cause I didn’t get any when I was down here in back in February! We then headed back to Carolyn’s stopping at Wendy’s for dinner. Unfortunately the dining room was closed. Fortunately the drive thru was open so we all went through the drive thru and at in the cars in the parking lot!

When we got back to Carolyn’s the boys went next door to stay with one of her neighbors. The girls stayed at Carolyn’s. After the kids were settled, I was able to sit and chat with Carolyn out of her back patio. It was nice to be able to have a somewhat quiet conversation with her without a million people around.

This morning we all woke up and got to church (Good Shepherd) around 8:30AM. At church we met Shantia and her group. We all shared breakfast together while we waited for Pastor Gary to finish with the first service and come and talk with us. Before service Gary has us all go over to the sanctuary where he talked to us about what happened to Good Shepherd during and after the storm.
When I was down here in February I worked with a group that did a writing project with 5 different elementary schools. We worked with primarily 5th grade students on writing a story that started unfortunately and finished fortunately. The kids used a story map to help them write their story and some of them were able to start a first draft. We also took the kids on a field trip to Laura Plantation – a sugar cane plantation about an hour west of Good Shepherd. When we got home a book was created for each school that we worked with. Cathy Gray and I worked on the book for the Lincoln Elementary school. When we had the books printed we had one printed for Good Shepherd, which I brought with me. A week before I left for this trip I went to a pot luck dinner at the Federated Church of Norfolk – my friend Carol’s church who also traveled to New Orleans with me. While I was there I was asked to bring a check from their church. The check was a result of a Lenten fundraising effort. They raised $263 which they decided to go to the Lincoln Elementary School – the same school that Cathy and I did our book on! So, just before church today I mentioned to Gary that I had these items. He asked if I would present them during worship to the congregation. So I presented the book and the check to the congregation. After Gary talked to us, I went back to Parish Hall and ran in to Karen. It was so wonderful to see her again! I showed her our book and she was so excited to see it! She can’t wait to see the book from the Airline Park day (a package will be sent to each school with their books).

On one of the bulliten boards outside of the sanctuary was the front page article from the Bedford Minuteman and the pictures that I had sent Karen from our Fais Do Do back in March! I asked her about the pictures and she said that when she got them in the mail she asked Gary if she could put them up at the church. She said that she wanted the people down here to see what we were doing up here for them! It was so wonderful to see that.

Hi this is Julie B. your guest BLOGGER. What a wonderous daY! I think the things that meant the most to me today would include the contanance of Rev. Gary when he spoke of the HOLY SPIRIT in the world around us. That when the worse of circumstances surround us, that is when God is at his best working throught the Holy Spirit in people’s hearts.
His sermon was about frogs and this is a funny thing since tonight, I don’t hear sirens or cars, or the t.v.—I hear the sound of frogs croaking in the Bayou. It was a curious sound and peaceful too. I think back to the sermon…do I want to be a frog in a small muddy pond or on the bayou, moving along with the current. I’ll take the latter!
The site of the decomposing houses (for lack of a better word) was such a sad site. BUT, It was encouraging to see people not giving up. We passed one man who was sweeping up a bunch of trash in front of a huge pile of broken down house. He is doing what he can and making a difference a bit at a time. And that is all any of us can do.
Now I am thinking of every cupcake bought at a bake sale. Every penny dropped in a offering plate. On it’s own, not much, but all together—wow! Great things can happen! Can’t wait to go to bed tonight so I can get up early tomrrow and see what’s gonna happen next!
One last thing to mention. What an amazing group of people I am with . These young people are truly up to the task. They jump right in and help out. Tonight they cooked a delishous dinner and then cleaned up the dishes. They even planned a very healthy meal which they planned out and shopped for earlier in the day.
P.s. Believe it or don’t…this is my first time blogging….ribbit!