2013 NOLA Mission Trip ends, or does it?

Our final day was one of travel, and pleasant surprises. We awoke at the same 5:30am as we had all week. And yes, it was painful, but not because our muscles were tired. We all knew that this was the end of our trip. We were not really ready to say goodbye to our friends and the beauty of New Orleans. 

So we crossed the bridge from the West Bank one last time to experience the French Quarter, and the tourist stops. 

We had to stop at Cafe Du Monde for beignets. This is that moment, when you are raised eating them cooked by your mother or aunt or grandmother, and you can finally say you have had the original. 

 Mmmm, so good with Cafe Au Lait!  Then we did our sight seeing, hitting the square and St. Louis Cathedral, street musicians, the Katrina museum and a little shopping. 

Yes, I do have photos, but you will need to buy stock and come to the Stockholders Banquet on August 18th to experience that!

Again, we knew this was coming to a close, and finding it bittersweet. 

CCYMer Garrett, however, reminded us early Friday morning that this is not the end of our mission. This is the beginning of our task to take up the full armor of God: Shield, breastplate, shoes, sword, helmet.  We must go out now and share the gospel--the good news of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ--knowing that we are protected by our faith. After Garrett, Bev Boehmer spoke of our return home, reminding us to be inclusive of our family and friends to those jokes and games and experiences that we shared along the way. It is for that reason I have shared this web log of our journey, so that you too may experience the faith, hope and joy that this 2013 New Orleans Mission Trip has brought to us all. Now we can all go out and shared the Good News: GOD IS GOOD!

Blessings to you all, and may God bless New Orleans. 

"Hurricane" Audra 

Post Script: To our adult leaders, Barb Kinder, Roberta Humphries, Amy Brookover, Leah Denby, and David 'Chip' Wilson--you are a blessing to these kids. Thank you so very much for your service, guidance and love. 

To my husband, the youth minister:  Dave, you are building and growing a powerful ministry that will live in these kids' hearts and minds and spirits FOR-EV-ER. (Sandlot style)

Thank you for including me. I love you.  

2013 NOLA Mission Trip Day 4

Our final day on the worksite, but several of us were moved over to a "punch list" house-a home that is nearing completion and you are simply finishing off a list of small detail items. So I'm not sure how the last day at the Marigny house went-but we will have photos from SBP for the Stockholders Banquet. BTW, we are already planning the menu! Yummy!

The alternate site was in a small town-Violet. It is the location of a Valero refinery, and near the port. There were lots of oil company influences that I noticed, having grown up around that. 

The site supervisor was Claire. She had only been in the house 2 days, and was stressed! Even Mitchell, the 8th grader noticed. Britney and Brendan hung a door and frame for the laundry room. Mitchell and Leah painted the soffit. And I ran the chop saw to finish out the corner bead on the kitchen and bath cabinets at the floor level. Lets just say that our experience paid off at this house!

The kids have just been fantastic, we always have such fun with them. But they have bonded with some new adults, and this group meshes very well. Oh, I thought you might enjoy the size of this bug:

Upon completing the workday Thursday, we returned from our sites and had lunch and showered, then headed down to St Charles Ave to ride the trolley. We saw Hannah Kinder's old apartment, and her new street! 😀 (Barb got to hang out with her later.). The kids loved the historic homes, and a group of CCYM leaders went too. It's fun to see our kids so strongly bonded with them, as they are from all over the conference. 

We then went to have dinner at the Knights of Columbus Hall. This group has been feeding volunteers every Thursday for eight years. We were their last meal guests, and they put many babies in the 'King Cake' so that we would all carry the party on with us. (Google it.) Kate and I had a selfie when we got back. 

Worship was led for a final night by Manchester UMC, and Tristan closed the themed week of the 'Full Armor of God'. 

She killed it with her witty Lord of the Rings anecdotes. 

It wasn't hard to fall asleep. We were exhausted. 

I will give you the synopsis of the trip home next time. 

Blessings! 

2013 NOLA Mission Trip Day 3

Work day 3 went well, we arrived plenty early to the Yuan house on Marigny Street. 

I will post the family story below. 

Austin pulled another shift of mowing, so again-you won't see him in photos. 

We finished up on the metal corner bead for doorways, and drywalled in the last wall. Barb Kinder came with us to the house today. Roberta Humphries, Leah Denby and Amy Brookover are working for the St Bernard Project warehouse. 

We headed out a little early from the site to go to a "Welcome Home" party for some SBP homeowners. The Lennox family had been waiting 8 years for their home to be rebuilt. They were fortunate that his father lived around the corner from them, and they all moved in together. 

The neighborhood was heavily damaged by Katrina, with 11 feet of water rushing in when the levees broke. The abandoned and damaged homes are considered "blight", with the city estimating 35-40,000 still existing. We have seen so many. 

If you look closely, you can still see the x and markings from when they checked homes for survivors, deceased, or electrical/gas issues. 

Following the party, we took the scenic route back and saw the oldest black subdivision in America-some truly amazing homes!

Lunch was delicious, ham sandwiches are the best when you've been working hard. We showered, but part of our group went to paint a house in the neighborhood. Yellow with red trim. :/ only in New Orleans! 

The girls hung out in the sleeping room, had some good bonding time and laughed a lot! Rachael and Kate modeled for us, and Maddy and I had some good quiet chat time. 

When the paint crew returned, we headed down to the ferry area, where there was a small festival. Vendors, food and a three piece band. Sax, piano and drummer. We walked the levee, and had some great photo ops. 

There was delicious food, which many said was their "high" when we shared "Hi-Lo" time. 

Church time is when we sit down as a group and talk about the day, our experiences and what we need to be thinking about. Dave and Chip both pointed to the day a their "low", because the trip is more than half over. We all love working together, and Max shared how impressed he is with the lack of conflict in this group. We have had a great time. 

Worship tonight was very touching, as the speaker was discussing the things she has survived, and in the "Full Armor of God" theme, discussed the helmet of God, and protecting your thoughts. 

I often allow negative thoughts to invade my mind, and this was a good lesson for me in terms of not allowing those thoughts to destroy my peace. 

We have a full day tomorrow, and I will keep you posted on our work!

Blessings!

Audra

2013 NOLA Mission Trip Day Two

Whew. Okay, day two was a little rough. Literally. Hanging replacement drywall is often complicated for experts, but when you add in youth and inexperience--well, you understand. So, we power-tooled through and moved on!  

We have been working shifts this week, and we are mornings. If you know Dave, you understand how hard this is, and if you know me, it's not. :) the kids are all taking it is stride. Austin has moved over to a lawn crew apart from Centenary, and feels very empowered in his experience with mowing this summer. We miss him, but mission is about growing and we are growing to appreciate him more in his absence. 

The girls worked on "mudding" drywall seams yesterday, while the boys and Anissa tackled that pesky drywall. 

I got to do a little special corner correction, where drywall was crunched and needed to be cut out and patched with 45-min mud. It suited my OCD learned behavior, thanks Pop. 

We have a great site manager, Meg. She's great with the kids, lots of positive reinforcement. We have been fortunate this year--no drama--and no tears, yet. It will come, but maybe in worship, rather than on site. 

Did I mention that we have our own port-o-potty? Yeah, God is good. 

Blessings!

2013 NOLA Mission Trip-Day 1

Today was the first day of our New Orleans Mission Trip for the Centenary United Methodist Church Youth Group. 

They are all doing fantastic! We start early, as in get up at 5am, early. But there were no complaints. As we are working for the St Bernard Project, we work split shifts, and we are 7a-1p. This is a super short workday for us, as we are accustomed to working 8-4, but we got a 2 hour nap today! Woo hoo!

The youth were very excited and enthusiastic, and got straight to work on drywall prep work for tape and float, which we will do tomorrow. 

The SBP Americorp worker said we were the best crew she has had in 10 months of service! This is such a blessing for Dave, as we know how great all these kids are, so to hear it confirmed by a stranger is a great affirmation that the work is does is truly spirit les and spirit filled. 

Thanks to all who are sponsoring us and supporting us. There is more to come!

Stay tuned!

Living in Small Town America

This morning, Trini and I went for a walk downtown. She is up for going anywhere, and so I chose to walk down toward the sun-and you can see the river over the flood wall. Seeing the renovation of the Broadway Corridor and all the little businesses give me such an appreciation for what the town is trying to do-improve an area that was forgotten. 

Downtown has a lot of broken down buildings, closed restaurants and merchants. There is a lot left to be done. Bringing in a casino was only the beginning, Cape Girardeau needs investors and people to run new restaurants and businesses. So how does that happen? I don't know the answers, but I want to see this town succeed. 

I watched the town my mother grew up in die. It was tiny, but still, when you see your church shut down, it breaks your heart. The gas station I spent summers getting a coke from, and ate burgers there in high school-it burned down a few years ago. There's no grocery store and and I found out recently that my grandmother's house is gone, as Miranda says "the house that built me". 

I digress. 

This small town still has life. And it's really not that small, there is a major university here. Well, at least I think it's major. Eleven thousand students is nothing to scoff at, and my walk this morning confirms that there is a spirit of America here. Want to see?

It's a nice place. And as for the truly American feel?  Well, here it is...

Yeah. That's a deer. Riding a bike. In a wedding gown. 

Small towns can be fun, too. 

"Keep Cape Weird"? Well, not as catchy as the original Austin phrase, but it will do. 

Prayers at 5am. Prayers for sisters.

It's 4:45am. I don't need to be awake, but I am. I spent 30 minutes in a courtroom yesterday while a man was sentenced for killing his wife. Clay Waller killed Jacque Waller in a fit of rage, but he had predug the whole to bury her. It was her sister Cheryl who made the greatest impression on me. She got up and spoke about how wonderful her sister was, and how sad they all were to have lost her. My heart was saddened for her, as she talked of raising Jacque's children. 

I woke up because my own family is out of town, and I was anticipating a text when they arrived at their destination. My head and heart are still swimming in the details of the Waller case. When I checked my phone, I decided to go ahead and read the Upperroom devotional. 

Today's scripture was:  Carry each other’s burdens and so you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2 (CEB)

The writer spoke of siblings lost to death, and how those left behind are comforted-seeing God directly through the love and support of others. It goes without saying that many have supported Jacque's family, but I couldn't help but see her sister's pain in the text.  

My prayer today is for Cheryl Brenneke. Her loss is deep and sorrowful. And I pray that she feels the love and support of her friends and family during this sad conclusion to a two year long ordeal. An ordeal that is long from over, as she raises her sister's triplets. 

 My prayer is for the Rawson sisters. Rest in peace Jacque, and live in peace Cheryl.