Hello friends! My intention has been to keep this blog updated weekly, but as you can see, I'm slipping already :)
You'll be happy to know that my second week in New Orleans was a bit more relaxing than my first, but still, time seems to fly by at an alarming rate in this house! For my second week I had the pleasure of feeding two returning teams - a team of college students from Vancouver,Canada, and one of my favorites from last year, a lovely bunch from Plainview, Minnesota. In addition to returning teams, I also had the help of one of the staff members from our Galveston team, Emily (another Minnesotan) who I worked with for a week last year, so it was great to reconnect and work alongside her.
Last Saturday I finally got to visit the famous French Market (I could never seem to get there last year) and I enjoyed browsing all the stands like a good tourist. For lunch we ate at one of my favorite restaurants in the French Quarter called Cafe Maspero, and I enjoyed a gigantic muffaletta :) (if you don't know what that is, look it up :)) On Sunday, Katie (my ex-roomie/hosting sidekick) ran her first Marathon here in the city so her mom Beverly and I spent most of the day tracking her down, and I had my first visit to City Park where the marathon ended. City Park is kind of like the Central Park of New Orleans (on a much smaller scale) but it is absolutely beautiful!
Sunday afternoon brought a brand new gang of volunteers from Pennsylvania (Duncannon, yeah!!), New Jersey (probably my VERY favorite team from last year) and Minnesota. Sidenote: The Minnesota guys spent the week repainting the yellow house which went from a creamish yellow to a full-on French's mustard inspired hue. I'll have to update my homepage picture so it properly reflects the new makeover!
Looking back over the week I have to tell you that Thursday sticks out in my mind because I think that I actually had a sign on my head that said "sucker", like my Dad always accuses me of :) When I got home from the block party a man walking down the street came up to me and introduced himself as Isaac. Isaac said that his mother had just died in a car accident and that he needed some prayer. (I could smell alcohol on his breath but he was crying, so it seemed legitimate) The Minnesota guys happened to walk up just at that time, so together we prepared to pray with him. However, instead of letting us pray Isaac used the situation as more of a platform to tell us that he was a Christian, and that he believed in God, and that he was so thankful for us (white brothers and sisters), but that he just needed ten dollars to get into the shelter for the night. Some of his story seemed believable, so after his "prayer",the guys and I decided we would drive him to the Salvation Army and pay the money to get him a bed.
When we told him our plan to take him to the shelter instead of just handing him the money, his whole demeanor started to change, and suddenly it was too late for him to get in (which we knew wasn't true). I told him that we would take him anyway just in case we could still make it and continued to get angry, and finally he stormed away. After he left I didn't know what to feel. I felt angry at the fact that I had fallen for it, and betrayed because my honest desire to help someone in need had been abused, but at the same time I knew that he couldn't help it. The story that he had clearly rehearsed and used a thousand times was simply a tool that he uses to get to a drug that he believes will help him cope with his life.
Later that night downtown I ran into two more men with stories who were asking for money (let me assure you by the third guy I caught on after his first plea and walked away) but each time I had that same feeling of anger at being used, mixed with compassion because I know that they are prisoners in their own stories and addictions.
Earlier in the day, I had had a much different experience. I was returning a key to a facility that we use a few blocks away when a man in a wheelchair approached me and asked me if there was any way I could help him get something to eat. He said he understood if I didn't trust him enough to give him money, but that he was a diabetic and really needed some food. Interestingly enough I had noticed him a few days earlier in the neighborhood and had been saddened at the sight of him struggling to use a wheelchair that was much too small for him (it didn't have a foot rest and he was too tall for it which meant he had to struggle to hold his feet up so that they wouldn't hit the ground) -- needless to say I was excited to have the opportunity to help him.
I told him I would go get him something to eat and bring it back, but he said he knew where the Yellow House was and would meet me there. When I got back to the house some of the Duncannon team was there too, so they turned their truck's tailgate into a table and our new friend Mr. Thomas dined on penne primavera right there on the street :) Before he left we were able to pray for him and I packed him up a little goodie bag just so he would have something on hand the next time his blood sugar got low. He didn't ask for anything more from us, and he went on his way a little while later thanking us for our kindness.
In retrospect it's interesting, and certainly not coincidental, that I had these two very different experiences in the same day. In this city, for every Mr. Thomas who humbly asks for help, there are at least three Isaacs who are hoping to scam some trusting individual out of ten bucks. In my experience, the most difficult thing about living in a place like this is finding that balance in your own heart between having the compassion of Christ and the boundaries needed to effectively minister to broken, untrustworthy people. For me personally, I think I somehow expect that people will recognize my good intentions and then not have the nerve to use me. . . but that unfortunately is just not true.
So then, it's up to me to go to the Lord and pray for enough grace and compassion to love the Isaacs of the world, regardless of what they want from me. When you think about it, I don't really have any reason to be angry. If I do my job, which is simply to love people, then what people do with that act of love is not my responsibility. The compassion in my heart when I gave Mr. Thomas a meal was the same compassion I had in my heart when I offered to help Isaac get a bed for the night - the fact that Mr. Thomas appreciated the help and Isaac was scamming us cannot affect that. The bottom line is this, Jesus didn't command us to love people who were easy to love, he simply said love people. I'll be the first to admit, that in this place especially, it can be very very hard. Getting up at the crack of dawn, prepping food all day, and shopping for groceries is the easy part of this gig - seeing people the way Jesus sees them, and loving them no matter what the circumstances. . . that's the real work here :)
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of Goad and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Back in the Big Easy
Hello friends and family members! I can't believe that I have been here in New Orleans for one full week already! I came into town safely last Saturday night after a two day, 21 hour drive, to land right in the middle of Mardi Gras madness!
When I arrived Saturday evening (February 13th) I was greeted by our team for the week, a group of 54 youth and adults from Black Rock Church in Fairfield, Connecticut. This just so happens to be the last team I served last year, so it was really cool to start up with them again this year. Having 54 volunteers the first week (which is pretty much full capacity here in the city) definitely forced me to "hit the ground running" and the general chaos and traffic of Mardi Gras added to the challenge.
Sunday morning I had the privilege of rejoining my New Orleans "church family" at Castle Rock for a great Valentine's Day service. Afterwards Katie and I had lunch with a group of young adults from the church (who have been so welcoming to me) and later we walked down to St. Charles St. to catch the Thoth parade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a parade (65 and sunny) . . . I couldn't believe that just two days earlier I had been shoveling snow in chilly Pennsylvania!
Monday morning started in full swing as Katie and I made our way to Sam's Club to do the shopping for the week. This is probably my least favorite aspect about what I do here in New Orleans, and the Lord was kind enough to provide a very easy and stress free shopping trip. Monday night after dinner we caught the Orpheus parade with some of the Connecticut Team. Reggie Bush was throwing signed footballs, much to everyone's delight, and a guy right next to me caught one. This was the first day that the temperature dipped down low enough to remind me that it's still February :)
After the Mardi Gras parades rolled through on Tuesday the teams were able to really buckle down and get some work done, and I was able to get more sleep :) Tuesday evening my little neighborhood friend Shemore (see my post from last year) and two of his buddies stopped by for a late dinner, but I was disappointed to see that he had become much louder and more badly behaved than last year. Someone from the church told me that there hasn't really been anyone who has been able to consistently mentor he and his friends, and that their behavior had been quickly declining. I was saddened to see such a change in him, but at the same time can understand that without an adult to walk alongside him and help him make the right choices, he's just another ten year old lost in this city, with no real guidance or direction.
On Thursday morning, two of the volunteers from the team offered to make breakfast (one is a caterer who has his own business at home) which gave me an extra hour of sleep and a little less work on Wednesday, not to mention a delicious breakfast that I didn't have to make with my own two hands :)
Thursday night a quick trip to Wal Mart with two of the senior high youth turned into an unexpected "God appointment" where I had the amazing opportunity to help one of the youth share the gospel with his close friend who has not yet made a decision for the Lord. Being able to talk with him and help answer his questions was such an honor . . . and I thought I was just going to the store to buy eggs! It amazes me every day how much God is using this city and the opportunities here to further His Kingdom on every level!
Thursday night was also our Block Party night, which I absolutely love!. We set up grills somewhere in Central City (usually a worksite) and just hang out and give free hot dogs out to the neighborhood. This week we set up on an empty lot so the kids could have a football game while we fed any one else passing by. Probably the thing I love most about this city is it's community. Unlike home, (where I have only spoken to my own neighbors half a dozen times in FIVE years), everyone just hangs out and talks to everyone else in the neighborhood. . ..it's such an awesome thing!
Last night (Friday) Katie and I were invited to go with the Connecticut team to dinner at the Crescent City Brewing Co. in the French Quarter. The Black Rock Church is located in a very wealthy section of Connecticut and it just so happens that one of the team member's mother's works for the owner of Pepsi Co. This gentleman decided to treat the entire team (56 people) to a dinner of crab stuffed shrimp and chicken on his tab, because of the work they were doing to help New Orleans. It truly is humbling how supportive people are of this mission!
This morning my beloved team left at 3:30 a.m., and as I write this, they are all probably back in their homes in Connecticut. They have definitely been one of my favorite teams ever , with so many great kids, and servant-hearted people - I will definitely miss them, and hope to see them again this year.
Now that I have about 20 hours of peace and quiet, I'm going to begin planning and preparing for the next group, a team from Canada, and a team from Minnesota, who come in tomorrow morning.
I really can't put into words how happy and privileged I feel to be here in this place, and I am so incredibly grateful for each of you who have helped me get here.
In his Valentine's Day sermon this week, Pastor John referenced 1 Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
He went on to explain that it is possible to do many great things, things that even require a great sacrifice, without actually having great love. My prayer over the next five weeks is that I will not just be a "do-gooder" who is serving and sacrificing out of duty, but someone who is operating out of love. As Pastor John said, we should have the attitude not of "I GOT to" but of "I GET to". Thank you for helping me to "GET to" . . . .I pray that I would serve Him well.
Love and Blessings to each of you,
Julie
When I arrived Saturday evening (February 13th) I was greeted by our team for the week, a group of 54 youth and adults from Black Rock Church in Fairfield, Connecticut. This just so happens to be the last team I served last year, so it was really cool to start up with them again this year. Having 54 volunteers the first week (which is pretty much full capacity here in the city) definitely forced me to "hit the ground running" and the general chaos and traffic of Mardi Gras added to the challenge.
Sunday morning I had the privilege of rejoining my New Orleans "church family" at Castle Rock for a great Valentine's Day service. Afterwards Katie and I had lunch with a group of young adults from the church (who have been so welcoming to me) and later we walked down to St. Charles St. to catch the Thoth parade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a parade (65 and sunny) . . . I couldn't believe that just two days earlier I had been shoveling snow in chilly Pennsylvania!
Monday morning started in full swing as Katie and I made our way to Sam's Club to do the shopping for the week. This is probably my least favorite aspect about what I do here in New Orleans, and the Lord was kind enough to provide a very easy and stress free shopping trip. Monday night after dinner we caught the Orpheus parade with some of the Connecticut Team. Reggie Bush was throwing signed footballs, much to everyone's delight, and a guy right next to me caught one. This was the first day that the temperature dipped down low enough to remind me that it's still February :)
After the Mardi Gras parades rolled through on Tuesday the teams were able to really buckle down and get some work done, and I was able to get more sleep :) Tuesday evening my little neighborhood friend Shemore (see my post from last year) and two of his buddies stopped by for a late dinner, but I was disappointed to see that he had become much louder and more badly behaved than last year. Someone from the church told me that there hasn't really been anyone who has been able to consistently mentor he and his friends, and that their behavior had been quickly declining. I was saddened to see such a change in him, but at the same time can understand that without an adult to walk alongside him and help him make the right choices, he's just another ten year old lost in this city, with no real guidance or direction.
On Thursday morning, two of the volunteers from the team offered to make breakfast (one is a caterer who has his own business at home) which gave me an extra hour of sleep and a little less work on Wednesday, not to mention a delicious breakfast that I didn't have to make with my own two hands :)
Thursday night a quick trip to Wal Mart with two of the senior high youth turned into an unexpected "God appointment" where I had the amazing opportunity to help one of the youth share the gospel with his close friend who has not yet made a decision for the Lord. Being able to talk with him and help answer his questions was such an honor . . . and I thought I was just going to the store to buy eggs! It amazes me every day how much God is using this city and the opportunities here to further His Kingdom on every level!
Thursday night was also our Block Party night, which I absolutely love!. We set up grills somewhere in Central City (usually a worksite) and just hang out and give free hot dogs out to the neighborhood. This week we set up on an empty lot so the kids could have a football game while we fed any one else passing by. Probably the thing I love most about this city is it's community. Unlike home, (where I have only spoken to my own neighbors half a dozen times in FIVE years), everyone just hangs out and talks to everyone else in the neighborhood. . ..it's such an awesome thing!
Last night (Friday) Katie and I were invited to go with the Connecticut team to dinner at the Crescent City Brewing Co. in the French Quarter. The Black Rock Church is located in a very wealthy section of Connecticut and it just so happens that one of the team member's mother's works for the owner of Pepsi Co. This gentleman decided to treat the entire team (56 people) to a dinner of crab stuffed shrimp and chicken on his tab, because of the work they were doing to help New Orleans. It truly is humbling how supportive people are of this mission!
This morning my beloved team left at 3:30 a.m., and as I write this, they are all probably back in their homes in Connecticut. They have definitely been one of my favorite teams ever , with so many great kids, and servant-hearted people - I will definitely miss them, and hope to see them again this year.
Now that I have about 20 hours of peace and quiet, I'm going to begin planning and preparing for the next group, a team from Canada, and a team from Minnesota, who come in tomorrow morning.
I really can't put into words how happy and privileged I feel to be here in this place, and I am so incredibly grateful for each of you who have helped me get here.
In his Valentine's Day sermon this week, Pastor John referenced 1 Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
He went on to explain that it is possible to do many great things, things that even require a great sacrifice, without actually having great love. My prayer over the next five weeks is that I will not just be a "do-gooder" who is serving and sacrificing out of duty, but someone who is operating out of love. As Pastor John said, we should have the attitude not of "I GOT to" but of "I GET to". Thank you for helping me to "GET to" . . . .I pray that I would serve Him well.
Love and Blessings to each of you,
Julie
'
Hello friends and family members! I can't believe that I have been here in New Orleans for one full week already! I came into town safely last Saturday night after a two day, 21 hour drive, to land right in the middle of Mardi Gras madness!
When I arrived Saturday evening (February 13th) I was greeted by our team for the week, a group of 54 youth and adults from Black Rock Church in Fairfield, Connecticut. This just so happens to be the last team I served last year, so it was really cool to start up with them again this year. Having 54 volunteers the first week (which is pretty much full capacity here in the city) definitely forced me to "hit the ground running" and the general chaos and traffic of Mardi Gras added to the challenge.
Sunday morning I had the privilege of rejoining my New Orleans "church family" at Castle Rock for a great Valentine's Day service. Afterwards Katie and I had lunch with a group of young adults from the church (who have been so welcoming to me) and later we walked down to St. Charles St. to catch the Thoth parade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a parade (65 and sunny) . . . I couldn't believe that just two days earlier I had been shoveling snow in chilly Pennsylvania!
Monday morning started in full swing as Katie and I made our way to Sam's Club to do the shopping for the week. This is probably my least favorite aspect about what I do here in New Orleans, and the Lord was kind enough to provide a very easy and stress free shopping trip. Monday night after dinner we caught the Orpheus parade with some of the Connecticut Team. Reggie Bush was throwing signed footballs, much to everyone's delight, and a guy right next to me caught one. This was the first day that the temperature dipped down low enough to remind me that it's still February :)
After the Mardi Gras parades rolled through on Tuesday the teams were able to really buckle down and get some work done, and I was able to get more sleep :) Tuesday evening my little neighborhood friend Shemore (see my post from last year) and two of his buddies stopped by for a late dinner, but I was disappointed to see that he had become much louder and more badly behaved than last year. Someone from the church told me that there hasn't really been anyone who has been able to consistently mentor he and his friends, and that their behavior had been quickly declining. I was saddened to see such a change in him, but at the same time can understand that without an adult to walk alongside him and help him make the right choices, he's just another ten year old lost in this city, with no real guidance or direction.
On Thursday morning, two of the volunteers from the team offered to make breakfast (one is a caterer who has his own business at home) which gave me an extra hour of sleep and a little less work on Wednesday, not to mention a delicious breakfast that I didn't have to make with my own two hands :)
Thursday night a quick trip to Wal Mart with two of the senior high youth turned into an unexpected "God appointment" where I had the amazing opportunity to help one of the youth share the gospel with his close friend who has not yet made a decision for the Lord. Being able to talk with him and help answer his questions was such an honor . . . and I thought I was just going to the store to buy eggs! It amazes me every day how much God is using this city and the opportunities here to further His Kingdom on every level!
Thursday night was also our Block Party night, which I absolutely love!. We set up grills somewhere in Central City (usually a worksite) and just hang out and give free hot dogs out to the neighborhood. This week we set up on an empty lot so the kids could have a football game while we fed any one else passing by. Probably the thing I love most about this city is it's community. Unlike home, (where I have only spoken to my own neighbors half a dozen times in FIVE years), everyone just hangs out and talks to everyone else in the neighborhood. . ..it's such an awesome thing!
Last night (Friday) Katie and I were invited to go with the Connecticut team to dinner at the Crescent City Brewing Co. in the French Quarter. The Black Rock Church is located in a very wealthy section of Connecticut and it just so happens that one of the team member's mother's works for the owner of Pepsi Co. This gentleman decided to treat the entire team (56 people) to a dinner of crab stuffed shrimp and chicken on his tab, because of the work they were doing to help New Orleans. It truly is humbling how supportive people are of this mission!
This morning my beloved team left at 3:30 a.m., and as I write this, they are all probably back in their homes in Connecticut. They have definitely been one of my favorite teams ever , with so many great kids, and servant-hearted people - I will definitely miss them, and hope to see them again this year.
Now that I have about 20 hours of peace and quiet, I'm going to begin planning and preparing for the next group, a team from Canada, and a team from Minnesota, who come in tomorrow morning.
I really can't put into words how happy and privileged I feel to be here in this place, and I am so incredibly grateful for each of you who have helped me get here.
In his Valentine's Day sermon this week, Pastor John referenced 1 Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
He went on to explain that it is possible to do many great things, things that even require a great sacrifice, without actually having great love. My prayer over the next five weeks is that I will not just be a "do-gooder" who is serving and sacrificing out of duty, but someone who is operating out of love. As Pastor John said, we should have the attitude not of "I GOT to" but of "I GET to". Thank you for helping me to "GET to" . . . .I pray that I would serve Him well.
Love and Blessings to each of you,
Julie
When I arrived Saturday evening (February 13th) I was greeted by our team for the week, a group of 54 youth and adults from Black Rock Church in Fairfield, Connecticut. This just so happens to be the last team I served last year, so it was really cool to start up with them again this year. Having 54 volunteers the first week (which is pretty much full capacity here in the city) definitely forced me to "hit the ground running" and the general chaos and traffic of Mardi Gras added to the challenge.
Sunday morning I had the privilege of rejoining my New Orleans "church family" at Castle Rock for a great Valentine's Day service. Afterwards Katie and I had lunch with a group of young adults from the church (who have been so welcoming to me) and later we walked down to St. Charles St. to catch the Thoth parade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day for a parade (65 and sunny) . . . I couldn't believe that just two days earlier I had been shoveling snow in chilly Pennsylvania!
Monday morning started in full swing as Katie and I made our way to Sam's Club to do the shopping for the week. This is probably my least favorite aspect about what I do here in New Orleans, and the Lord was kind enough to provide a very easy and stress free shopping trip. Monday night after dinner we caught the Orpheus parade with some of the Connecticut Team. Reggie Bush was throwing signed footballs, much to everyone's delight, and a guy right next to me caught one. This was the first day that the temperature dipped down low enough to remind me that it's still February :)
After the Mardi Gras parades rolled through on Tuesday the teams were able to really buckle down and get some work done, and I was able to get more sleep :) Tuesday evening my little neighborhood friend Shemore (see my post from last year) and two of his buddies stopped by for a late dinner, but I was disappointed to see that he had become much louder and more badly behaved than last year. Someone from the church told me that there hasn't really been anyone who has been able to consistently mentor he and his friends, and that their behavior had been quickly declining. I was saddened to see such a change in him, but at the same time can understand that without an adult to walk alongside him and help him make the right choices, he's just another ten year old lost in this city, with no real guidance or direction.
On Thursday morning, two of the volunteers from the team offered to make breakfast (one is a caterer who has his own business at home) which gave me an extra hour of sleep and a little less work on Wednesday, not to mention a delicious breakfast that I didn't have to make with my own two hands :)
Thursday night a quick trip to Wal Mart with two of the senior high youth turned into an unexpected "God appointment" where I had the amazing opportunity to help one of the youth share the gospel with his close friend who has not yet made a decision for the Lord. Being able to talk with him and help answer his questions was such an honor . . . and I thought I was just going to the store to buy eggs! It amazes me every day how much God is using this city and the opportunities here to further His Kingdom on every level!
Thursday night was also our Block Party night, which I absolutely love!. We set up grills somewhere in Central City (usually a worksite) and just hang out and give free hot dogs out to the neighborhood. This week we set up on an empty lot so the kids could have a football game while we fed any one else passing by. Probably the thing I love most about this city is it's community. Unlike home, (where I have only spoken to my own neighbors half a dozen times in FIVE years), everyone just hangs out and talks to everyone else in the neighborhood. . ..it's such an awesome thing!
Last night (Friday) Katie and I were invited to go with the Connecticut team to dinner at the Crescent City Brewing Co. in the French Quarter. The Black Rock Church is located in a very wealthy section of Connecticut and it just so happens that one of the team member's mother's works for the owner of Pepsi Co. This gentleman decided to treat the entire team (56 people) to a dinner of crab stuffed shrimp and chicken on his tab, because of the work they were doing to help New Orleans. It truly is humbling how supportive people are of this mission!
This morning my beloved team left at 3:30 a.m., and as I write this, they are all probably back in their homes in Connecticut. They have definitely been one of my favorite teams ever , with so many great kids, and servant-hearted people - I will definitely miss them, and hope to see them again this year.
Now that I have about 20 hours of peace and quiet, I'm going to begin planning and preparing for the next group, a team from Canada, and a team from Minnesota, who come in tomorrow morning.
I really can't put into words how happy and privileged I feel to be here in this place, and I am so incredibly grateful for each of you who have helped me get here.
In his Valentine's Day sermon this week, Pastor John referenced 1 Corinthians 13, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong, or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
He went on to explain that it is possible to do many great things, things that even require a great sacrifice, without actually having great love. My prayer over the next five weeks is that I will not just be a "do-gooder" who is serving and sacrificing out of duty, but someone who is operating out of love. As Pastor John said, we should have the attitude not of "I GOT to" but of "I GET to". Thank you for helping me to "GET to" . . . .I pray that I would serve Him well.
Love and Blessings to each of you,
Julie
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