Nikki remembers...

Excitedly, we all loaded into our vans and headed for the lower 9th Ward. This was our first day of gutting homes, and excitement was high as we anticipated tackling the work for which we had come. There was light, cheerful banter in the vans, and we were all pretty pumped.

Two teams (including mine) were sent to gut this cute little blue house. The other team was sent inside to begin gutting, while our team was told to begin clean-up outside. I was completely unprepared.

As my new friend, Ali, and I began cleaning up trash around this house and the neighboring houses, we soon found deteriorated pages from a cherished photo album. This struck me particularly hard, as these homes now had a personal face. They weren't just abandoned, empty homes...they were homes where real people like you and me lived and did life. We came across old cupboard doors. Lots of what we found was simply trash. You can imagine all that was floating around in the flood water. We were working outside a home which had spray-painted markings on the outside indicating that a dead cat had been found inside. It smelled as though it was still there. As Ali and I worked outside the home, the stench was overwhelming even through our masks. We frequently had to walk a few steps away, gather our composure, take a deep breath, and return to our task.

Before long, our team was called in to join the team in the house. They wanted us to work in the garage which appeared to have served as an extra bedroom. This, too, surprised me. I guess I'd assumed that while we'd be gutting homes, the homeowner's contents would have been long since removed. But this was not the case. This house had not been touched in nearly 2 years. All of the homeowner's earthly possessions laid in a jumbled mess throughout the house. The garage in which we worked was covered in a thick coat of sludge. We sifted through clothes and Christmas decorations and bedding. For once, I was thankful that my contacts had clouded over...it made me oblivious to the cockroaches that were often seen scurrying across the floor. Though the work was hard...both physically and emotionally...our whole team persevered. Of course, when someone yelled, "Rat!" all the girls (including me) screamed and ran like wild women outside. But before long, we re-entered...energized and renewed for the task at hand. It was nothing of our own strength. I was regularly reminded that friends and family all across the country were praying for our humility and servant's hearts.

Once the garage was mostly done, I went to the main bedroom of the house. It had pink walls. I discovered a bulletin board in the rubble. Tacked to it was a letter with the homeowner's name and address. Once again, this project took on a more personal feel. And then I wondered...had Shirley survived the flooding? Was she still around? I was relieved to learn that she was actually the person to request our help in gutting her home.

Outside the house, we were instructed to make 5 piles: one for overall trash (the largest pile), one for appliances, one for flammables, one for salvagable items, and I can't remember the final pile's function. As you might figure, the smallest pile was the salvagable items. I removed a small knick-knack shelf from the wall with its untouched knick-knacks. I was also overjoyed to find a cameo. I wondered if this might be a family heirloom...something special the homeowner might find great joy in being returned to her. A framed picture of a toddler boy with a bright smile...a grandson perhaps...was also among the saved items. That was about it.

When we left that day, my heart was filled with much to ponder. God was teaching me about humility and servanthood and perseverance and compassion. But perhaps most of all, God impressed on me the life of a woman named Shirley. Though we've never met, I've found myself thinking about and praying for her...her life and her eternity. How I'm praying that God will use the devastation she's experienced to draw her into a rich, vibrant, living relationship with Him. Won't you join me?

~ Nikki

New Orleans Si

One of the highlights of the trip for me was playing with the kids and doing Challenge Circle with them. It was really a neat experience, because for some of them, you were the best part of their day. The first night we went and played with the kids, I was a little hesitant that it would be a good time, since I am a shy person around others. But after awhile of having little kids hanging on my neck and passing a football back and forth with some older kids, I got over being quiet and shy and had an amazing time being a circle coach (even though it was chaos the first night). I had not originally planned to be a circle coach, but someone forgot that they volunteered for it, so I got to do it. J. At first I was really nervous, but after awhile it was a lot of fun and I’m glad I got to do it. The experience impacted me because God helped me when I was out of my comfort zone and helped me realize that He can take a shy kid like me and get other kids hype for Jesus. He also gave me a lot of patience in dealing with all the kids as well.

Another highlight of the trip for me was helping move some very heavy bricks into someone’s front lawn, for one of our projects. A man that went to Castle Rock Church had a problem of people parking in his lawn since there was a club across the street from his house. He had tried to put some big rocks in his lawn to try and stop them from parking, but they just picked them up and moved them out of the way. So he had a group of four from the team I was in and we went and we got some VERY BIG pieces of brick and we put them in his lawn. It was amazing, because they couldn’t be sitting on the sidewalk, but they fit around the sidewalk like they were supposed to be there. It was really cool to move the big pieces of brick, but to see his big smile when we were finished moving them was encouraging to me. It was neat that I got a part in sharing in the man’s happiness. This experience impacted me because God can use you in little things that mean so much to someone else.

I don’t know if this is really a spiritual gift and I don’t really know how to explain it, but I’ll try my best: I found that I not only noticed when other people needed something, but also found I wanted to give them what they needed even though I could have used it myself. I found that I have a heart to help meet other people’s needs.

I learned that God is the same God here and there. I also learned that having a relationship with God is very important to get through the day and through life. Without Him, it is extremely hard to do anything on my own.

I also learned that even though I was tired, even though my neck was killing me, even though I was crabby, even though I didn’t want to get peed on, even though I was annoyed, God wanted me to show the kids there His love. I saw a little bit of how God views His people. Yeah.

~ Silas

Steph writes...

New Orleans. It's hard to describe the trip with one main thing that happened or one emotion that seemed the strongest. The thing was the whole trip was pretty much amazing and way different than what I thought it was going to be. Now I knew that we weren't supposed to assume anything because no one really knew what was going to happen. I was trying, but I think every one of us had an idea of what was going to happen. It's hard for me to describe what happened personally within my heart, but I will try.

I realized how selfish I can be. Going through a smelly, roach infested house and thinking to myself "this was someones living space, the place they called home" was hard for me. Knowing that my house is perfectly dry, the right temperature, and yet I still come up with things to complain about is dumb. My perspective on life could use some changing....but I guess at any given point in life people can look at things and complain. It's our human nature.

Anyways, getting back to what I learned and such. One of the things that I got the most out of was the afternoon sessions. It seemed like everyday I was reminded or I learned something that had to do with me personally. One of the first days I remember the speaker speaking about being bold, which I knew I needed to hear before going out and working with the different kinds of people we met throughout the week. In past experiences I would always look to stand behind someone who was older than me to do the talking/communicating, but now finding myself in the position of the oldest it was "my turn" to do the speaking up, not hiding behind. I didn't run into too many people that I had deep conversations with, but the couple of people that I did happen to talk to I found myself not being afraid to just start talking. God gave me the boldness that I was looking for in myself :)

I think a lot of us throughout the week had a hard time dealing with how God wanted to do things with us or through us. By that I mean the weather. I know in my own heart I was having a hard time missing events because of rain. Throughout the week I was reminded constantly that God was in control. I think it was Dingo who one night was praying about good weather, but instead of saying, "Lord please don't let it rain," he said, "Lord you made the rain so if you want it to rain, please let it rain." That struck me, and I've decided from now on to try to not complain about the weather.....because really, what do I have to complain about? If God wants something to happen, HE AND ONLY HE will make it happen.

That's about all of what happened with me that I can put into words, but one last thing to those of you reading this who went on the trip---I had a blast getting to know you all deeper. :)

~Steph

Elijah speaks

While in New Orleans there were thousands of great and memorable moments but one of them really stood out. During the week there was this boy that came with us to Challenge Circle the two days, and tagged along in some of the stuff we did. His name was Devonte and he was really excited to go. The first time I met him he was extremely friendly and had an attitude of gratefulness in everything he did. I thought it was amazing that a kid who had known me for not more than an hour had already become friends with me. This struck me as the attitude that Christ would want me to have everyday, in every enviornment that I am in.

One gift that was definitely shown to me when we were at Challenge Circle was that I love working with kids younger than me, and just showing them God's love.

The biggest thing I learned those five days was there are people that are waiting for us to love and help them, and we should do our very very very best to get out there and provide them this affection.

~Elijah

Mr. Erik's Neighborhood

For me the highlight of the trip was Challenge Circle because I could connect with the kids by just playing football or circle games. God showed me that I can praise Him with my kind nature with kids. God used this to impact me in how I should treat everybody. I learned that it doesn't matter who you are and where you're from. You should always love your neighbor as yourself.

~ Erik

Braden's Memories...

The highlight of my trip would be the couple hours a night when we would go to the Projects and play with the kids. While tearing down walls and having cockroaches crawl out all over was fun, the kids were amazing. One boy who stands out in my mind would be Cheddrick. From day one he was on my shoulders and also was on my team for Challenge Circle each night. This boy was amazing. On the last day that we were there, he shared with me how it was for him during Katrina. You don't normally hear a kid's perspective on the disaster. He also shared with me how he did in school and why he wasn't doing summer school when he should have been. He told me of his home life and who he thought Christ was. He told me that I was his best bud and he was never going to forget me. The last day we were going around stealing hats off of interns and at one point he took one and put it on my head saying that I should wear it because I was his best friend. It broke my heart when I had to say good-bye and how he wouldn't want me to go. Playing with these kids taught me that I have a heart for kids, so I went from New Orleans to a bible camp and counseled there.

One other part of the trip that stood out to me would be when we took the 9th Ward tour. I was able to walk around in what used to be an elementary school and see the destruction there. There were computers inside other computers and desks in windows and ceilings caved in. There was one part of the building that was completely caved in and pipes hanging down from the walkways. This just brought the realization that God can destroy anything he wants and this is his Kingdom and he can do with it what he wants or sees fit for it.I took away from this experience that I have a heart for kids and so I plan on working with them more in the next few summers.

~ Braden

Rachel's thoughts...

This trip was such an amazing experience! One of my favorite things we did in New Orleans was the Challenge Circle. As soon as our big vans pulled up, excited kids with huge smiles came running. It was so much fun playing games with them. And even though we usually came home with sore backs and without voices, it was worth it to hear those kids laugh and see their smiles. I met some really sweet kids that I will never forget.

Another thing that really impacted me was the prayer walk. Even though it has been two years since the hurricane, there were still sheds flipped upside-down, toys lying on the ground, and empty lots where homes once stood. Keke, one of the interns, was in New Orleans during Katrina, and she shared her story with us while we were walking and looking at all the damage that was caused by the hurricane. It was such an incredible experience to hear from someone who was actually there and to hear what it was really like during this tragedy.

Through this trip, God has brought me so much closer to Him. I can't even imagine going through something like Hurricane Katrina without Him. To have everything you've ever worked for destroyed from one storm, everything you own ruined, and to lose so many loved ones would be absolutely devastating. If that had happened to me and I didn't have the Lord as my Savior, I don't know how I could carry on. I would feel so hopeless. You can always buy new things, but people are irreplaceable, and so many people lost their lives to Hurricane Katrina, not to mention I'm sure many of them weren't saved either. It's very sad to think about, but that's one of the reasons why it is so important to get out there and share the gospel with others. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to help the people of New Orleans and serve my Savior, and this experience is something that I will never forget.

~ Rachel

Impressions on Briana's Heart

As I think about all the things that happened on the trip, two moments stick out in my mind.

One morning, we drove to the 9th ward, one of the more damaged areas. Each team took a different street and prayed as they walked. While we were walking, it started to sprinkle. For me, the rain drops symbolized God's sadness because of the death, destruction, and poverty as a result of the storm. A few moments later, a loud thunder clap reminded me of God's anger towards the violence, political corruption, and ignorance, as well. When it began to pour, we took shelter in a nearby abandoned home. As the tears streamed down my face, Lori said, "Imagine that...we are taking shelter in a home that this family can never come back to." Those words, the little girl's dolls laying on the porch, and the empty, gutted home are images that I will never forget.

The other unforgetable memory was Challenge Circle. Those kids were so trusting and needed so much love it still makes my heartache. The girls always wanted to go on our backs, hang on our arms or sit in our laps. And many of the girls I played wtih were 12 or 13. One girl, named Ronnishar, told me I was her best friend-I only saw her for two nights and I was her best friend. These kids taught and loved me more than I could ever have done for them.

So, thinking back, when I was asked, "Did the trip meet your expectations?", I said "No, my expectations did not meet the trip!" Isn't God amazing?!

~ Briana

Eric's insights...

The highlight of my trip was playing with all the little kids. When we pulled up to the projects and got out, within five to ten minutes the kids would come running from everywhere. All ages from 1 & 2 - 12 & 15. For these kids this was the best 2 hours of their days. It just touched me when they came to play with us. They had a smile on their faces even through all the stuff they have to go through. It was such a blast throwing a football and doing Challenge Circle. It is indescribable what it meant to some of these kids. It was worth every second of it.

Another experience that really impacted me was when we went on to the streets and cleaned up. We talked to people about what we were doing. It impacted me by showing me how New Orleans is like one big family and that if you're there helping they love you and respect you. It was great that they would listen to what we had to say about our Savior and how awesome He is.

I learned that God has put a burden on my heart to help people. If possible I would love to go down there again or go somewhere else to help others in need. I also learned how to have patience and that it's all in God's time. We shouldn't worry about how or when it's going to be done.

I really learned to love God and appreciate all that He has done for us. He is almighty and wonderful. New Orleans has really taught me that. God showed me He has blessed me with more than others and that I need to share my love and my passion for Christ.

~ Eric P.

Joe's cuppa thoughts

One of the highlights of the trip for me would be the time spent working with and getting to know the other people from the other churches. It was awesome how well our churches intermingled so quickly. It reminded me that we all serve a great God and that we are a family.

It's hard to pick just one or two highlights from such a week, but another thing that I won't soon be forgetting is the sentence "lemme on yo neck." While I like little kids and such, going into the trip I wasn't really looking forward to hanging out with them as much as some others. But through the Challenge Circle and just playing random games with them, I grew to love them and looked forward to playing with them. Most of the kids we were in contact with were very poor, so simply playing with them made them very happy.

I think of the quote that says something to the effect of: "God does not call the equipped. He equips the called." I learned that I sure am NOT "equipped." I learned this when I was thrown into a position as the "hype coach" of had to create a rap/cheer. I had nothing except 15 kids staring at me, waiting to hear what I had. All the while having only 2 minutes to make something good. I decided to let them handle it by asking if they had any sweet beats or things of that nature. While I may not be equipped to make a sweet rap, or have the arms the size of Nick's waist, or know how to form letters with my hands (G-O-O-D M-O-R-N-I-N-G.....it's hard to do that in lowercase letters)....a willingness and a good a good attitude are all that God needs to do something special. Someone once told me that God doesn't look for our ablilities -- He looks for our availabilities.

~ Joe

Lori's impressions...

My "face of New Orleans" is actually two faces that are connected in my mind. Russell and LaJohn were two boys who came out for Challenge Circle at the Melph project. There was a noticeable difference in their ages and size, but I got the definite impression that they aren't easily separated. They both engineered it to be on the yellow team the first night and stood beside each other, even though the kids were supposed to be arranged from shortest to tallest. Whenever the ball came to Russell he gave it to LaJohn and whenever LaJohn got to the ball first, he passed it to Russell.

On the second night we were there, Russell ran out without LaJohn. Before the game started, Russell asked if he had time to run and get LaJohn. We waited a few minutes and the two friends returned together. They behaved in exactly the same way they had the first night, showing the utmost consideration for each other and cheering each other on in the games.

On our last night at the Melph, the boys were riding around together on one bicycle, LaJohn pedaling and Russell riding behind him. I watched them, drawing a blessing from their obvious love for each other. Their care for each other and the way they looked out for one another reminded me of the friendship of David and Jonathan. I don't know if these boys know Jesus, but they definitely grasp the beauty of unselfish love and friendship. I pray that the Lord, through the ongoing ministry of Castle Rock/Urban Impact, will one day bring these two memorable young men to Himself.

~ Lori

Ellen's ponderings...

Hey folks...New Orleans was an amazing week for me. I had two things that God really put on my heart that week. While we were at New Orleans, one of the statements that was key was, "Blessed are the flexible, for they won't be bent out of shape." We didn't really know exactly what we were going to do. We were just supposed to go down there and do whatever they wanted us to do. If you don't know me that well, I'm not really flexible. At all. I have a structured plan every day during school. If I'm not in the bathroom getting ready for school at a certain time, my whole day is out of whack. And that's only the beginning. I was a little nervous going down there without a lot of information...I wondered if I could do it at all. But miraculously, God helped me through it. He was the only One I could rely on to help get me through the week. Amazingly enough, I didn't even have a problem. I just said, "What do you want me to do?" And I went with an open and willing heart. Now I know that I can be flexible, but I'll never be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of girl.

As many of you already know, I've felt called to be a missionary in China since I was little. Because you can't go into China as a missionary, I've decided to become a nurse. One thing that I learned as I was down in N'Awlins (as the New Orleans people would say), is that I love helping with disaster relief (especially taking down walls). If I become a nurse missionary in China, and God doesn't lead me somewhere else, I felt as though God was telling me to go to areas where disasters happened and help clean up. First, I'd help people and care for their wounds. Then, I would help gut houses. Again, this will happen only if God doesn't change His plans for my life. But I'm flexible now, I'll do whatever God wants me to do. I pray for the strength and courage, but I know with God, I can do it!

~Ellen

Nick writes...

For me this trip was not a spiritual high or anything. I went because God gave me some amount of muscle and I figured I could use it. I was not particularly looking forward to playing with the kids either but when we went to the projects my heart broke for them. For some of them the best part of their day was challenge circle and it was an honor to be a part of that.

I have been pretty busy after the trip and I haven't really had time to think about what God has taught me but I do know this: God will use you whether you are athletic or geeky, small or large. One of my favorite memories of the trip is watching my team find their little niches, seeing their individual strengths come out. Whether its using your muscle (we had a rather strong young man named Brent, his arms were as big as my waist) to gut houses or your soft heart to love on some little kids with no bladder control. I guess being on the trip and seeing young adults like me serve God together helped me understand a little more about my own heart and my own passion for serving.

~ Nick

Josh says...

The best part of this trip was all the people that we met, the eye-opening experiences like the walk of prayer, and the chance to know everyone better. For all the parents reading this, it was more then just a social event. It was a chance to really see what happened during the hurricane. The more and more we looked at this tragedy, the more I could feel something telling me to look at it with a spiritual view...and I did. It looked like everything may just be better off the way they are now. If you are not following me, let me explain. Some of the things that I heard were so bad, such as the poor schools and the high crime rate. God must have been with the people that left N.O. and started new lives. This trip helped me with so much it can’t be put into words. It helped with my selfishness and greed...well, I guess I can put it into words. When we met the little kids it was fun, but their choice of words wasn't the best and when we talked about it later they told us it is what they hear all time and it is the way they live. I don’t know about everyone else, but I needed God's help to forgive them and He did help me, but it was still hard to hear.

Some of my favorite things that happened was hanging out with the interns and listening to there testimonies. Another fun thing that happened is when we went to the French Quarter. I got some hot sauce. This was real hot sauce. I had to sign a waiver to get it. It was a fun time and I met a lot of people. We supposedly drove through Oklahoma. Thanks to everyone that made this trip possible.

~ Joshua

From Carolyn...

Boy, as I sit here and reflect on our week in New Orleans..........what first comes to my mind is how neat our young people are, what an awesome experience it was for me and my family, and what a cool ministry we were able to be a part of.............(there are so many highlights so picking one or two is really a challenge!) thanks for allowing Bryan and I to be a part of it!

A major thought that I've had over and over concerns he spirit of the woman Margarite, whose garage we gutted and whose home interior we de-nailed and cleaned up. Margarite was soooooooooooooo thankful that we would come and help her. Years before the flood her husband passed away and her daughter lives far away; Yet Margarite remains strong and hopeful of putting her home back together again even though she is quite alone in New Orleans. She recognized and spoke openly about God's hand in her life, especially the day we came upon her out on a neighborhood porch. She shared with us that just that morning she had been telephoning trying to find help in getting her garage gutted even though she had no money to pay for help. We were able to meet her need and get to work the next day. Margarite was moved to tears when we showed her an antique chair, a pretty iron bed, and a Gumbo pot that we found in the rafters of her home............her husband used the pot to make his special gumbo. Although her home sits as walls and rafters and the contents of her husbands garage were on the street being rummaged through by passers by, she did not seem bitter or angry but thankful that we would come and help. She joined us in a circle prayer in her driveway like an excited little kid...........thrilled to be a part of our prayer time and our group. She even joined us for a peanut butter sandwich. To me, Margarite is a face of New Orleans and the people there that I will always remember.

What further touched my heart is the "stuff" of life and a different perspective on my material possessions. The posessions we were calling debris and throwing on the curb were memories and tangible links to the past for Margarite and the people whose homes were destroyed in the flood. While much of our stuff brings us joy, accomplishes some task, and may remind us of people places or events that are dear to us, it is all just stuff. New Orleans and the destroyed homes and piles of debris so vividly made that point. But I wonder, if all of my "stuff" was destroyed or taken away.................would I have a thankful heart? If I couldn't go home again, would I be hopeful that the Lord would provide for my future? I hope and pray that I will work on the perspective that we were to follow at Urban Impact: People first, projects second and keep the stuff of my life in the proper perspective and focus on that which is eternal................

~ Carolyn

Kirsten's heart...

For me, the highlight of the trip was our visit Monday to the 9th Ward. We were divided into four teams, and each team was assigned to a particular street to walk down- surveying the destruction and praying over the lives that each home (or now empty lot) represented. Before we took off, my (Red) team huddled up and prayed that God would touch our hearts and fill us with compassion.

We began walking in silence… for the devastation of the empty and abandoned lots was extremely humbling. The sun was peeking out through some clouds, and the air was hot and humid. Suddenly an enormous CRACK of thunder broke the silence (and caused me to jump a foot in the air and grab the arm of the girl walking beside me!!!) Then one of the other girls on my team turned around and said to me “I think that’s God saying, ‘I hear you!’” Soon it started to drizzle, and the sky turned gray… to me this made it seem as though God was saying “Hey, this makes me sad too.” Not long after the drizzling started, the winds began to blow and black clouds were quickly approaching- torrential downpour!! After only a few seconds of standing in the rain, we were completely soaked. The church truck appeared to whisk us back to shelter in the vans, but the ride through the rain as we stood in the back of the truck was truly unforgettable. The strong wind tugged away at the umbrella that I shared with others, and fat raindrops drenched my back and sloshed into my sneakers. I remember thinking “Wow, thank you Lord”, for I know he was giving me a sense of His power as well as a slight example of what it was like during Katrina.

Wet and cold, we sat quietly and continued to pray once we were safe in the seats of the van. As we prayed, I stared out the window and watched the winds blow the tall unkempt grass that now took over an area of land that was once called “home” to someone. Someone whom my God loves dearly.

The rains stopped, and the sun came back out. Still quite soggy, we went back to where we left off, and my thoughts were filled with the lyrics of the Casting Crowns song,

“As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, "I'm with you". And as Your mercy falls, I raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away. I'll praise you in this storm, I will lift my hands! For You are who You are, no matter where I am. And every tear I've cried, You hold in your hand. You’ve never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm!”

I don’t know where each of those families are today. Deserted toys were scattered across the street… where are the owners? Are those children safe? Fed? Do they still have parents? They are God’s beloved children. What I gained from that morning in the 9th Ward was a heart that breaks for God's people, especially those affected by disaster. They are not some headline in the newspapers, they are humans who are in desperate need for love when they have nothing else. Do they know the God whom they can praise in the storm?

~ Kirsten

Lessons for Andrew

My highlight of the trip was playing with all of the little kids. They would all appreciate you putting them on your own necks and running around playing with the other kids.

Also another highlight was meeting a whole bunch of new guys. They were so much fun to hang out with working for our King. They were of much encouragement and were all loving toward each other.

I learned that I have a heart for little kids and can get to know them and help them to be kind and considerate of each other. Also I learned that I have a voice that can hype up the little children and help them have an awesome time playing Challenge Circle games.

I also learned that to get along with one another you need to love everyone. You cannot love one person and not their friend. God loves each one of us and he calls us to love everyone. Loving God will help us love each other.

~ Andrew

John shares...

We've asked all those who participated in the trip to New Orleans to share their thoughts about the week...lessons God taught them, highlights, memories, and struggles. Our first entry is from John W. Thanks, John, for sharing your heart...
My highlight of the trip would be spending time with the little kids. It was a gift from God seeing the smiles on the kids' faces despite all the devastation. During this time with the kids, there were 4 of them who I allowed to get on my shoulders. That was fine, but it did get a little tiring. One of the kids who got on my shoulders was a 6 year old kid named Kalvin. He was a very nice kid...really. But when I told him it's time to get off now, he sqeezed his legs so I couldn't get him off. I'm like, "but I'm tired." He said, "You need to exercise more!" Then he made me run. I know I didn't have to run, but I was doing it for him.

When I really looked at what just happened with him saying I need to exercise, I studied it and took it in to deeper thinking. I put it in the way of God saying: "You need to exercise a little more, to be flexible for where I (God) want you. I know you're going to get tired, but you will learn something."

And that's what happened. I learned that I need to exercise my faith, yes, but I also learned that if I would have given up, I would have never seen what God was trying to tell me. "Lemme on yo shoulders!! It's not about you." It's about HIS people, and what we have to give.

I learned that loving God is loving others. -God, -people ( neighbors), then -yourself. Sometimes it seems too hard to love a person more than yourself. But through Christ all things are possible. Being in New Orleans, I personally learned that I need to give ALL I have to God, and give WHAT I have to the people. You know what I have? I have a voice; with that voice I am able to tell people that I love them, Agape...and tell them God loves them.

God is coming and I don't want to be sitting around not saying anything. I want to show the world that God is love and with Christ all things are possible. GOD has given use a voice...let's use it.

~ John W.

The Guys Got Hype!!

Hello this is Erik! Last night at Challenge Circle was a very fun time of circle games (like Awana) and playing games with the kids before. One of the most fun things I did was run around with these kids on our shoulders. When running you have 1 of 2 things to worry about. The first thing is falling face first into the wet slippery grass and have the kid smash head first into the ground. (this didn't happen but was a possibility) The 2nd thing that could happen would be if you had a real young kid and he had drank a lot of water before he came and he goes to the bathroom all over your new I Love N.O. shirt. Your shirt is now covered in a mixture of sweat, water, and child wee wee. These are just the few bad things. Playing with the children was very much fun and filled with adventure!

Hey everyone this is the other Eric! I would just like to thank everyone for your prayers for all the injured. I was one of them and the one that went to the ER. I was hit in the head with a 4x4 and was a little out of it. But through your prayers and everyone elses prayers, with a little rest everything is going good. Thanks once again for praying and we will see you soon!

Braden says: Little kids are cool, but some here have language and people issues. Last night I was wet with sweat, water, and I don't know what else. It was a blast. Oh well, they're still cute.

Let me on your neck...

Oh the joy of little people....tonight we went to Challenge Circle for the second time this week! It was fun, hot, and filled with too many hyped up kids! From my (Steph) experience of last night where the kids were almost all perfectly well-behaved to tonight where they all ran a muck, my head was spinning....but it was a good type of spinning that only happens a few times in your life :) For John's (my co-writer this evening) experience today was way better than last night (speaking of the Challenge Circle) when the kids weren't really having fun because of the heat. Today, however, was spectacular!! The kids were hyped, hydrated, and filled with a lot of love for us. I thank God for this wonderful experience that I/everyone in our group had being able to minister in this type of way where all you need is a smile and open arms.

Jumping to this morning, since we kinda skipped ahead....We took a tour of New Orleans...some of us found this more exciting than others...mostly because we were feeling a bit car sick from the crazy car ride. I (John) found this trip to be a bit emotional (though I wasn't crying cuz "I'm a man") from all the destruction that I saw and the realization that people can't go back to their homes. I (Steph) sort of missed this part of the day cuz I was one of the ones that felt very much under the weather...(though for real, mom if you're reading this, it wasn't my fault it was the driver's fault...plus the roads in N.O are wonderful I'm finding.)

This afternoon was fun as well. We went to the French Quarter again to go to the market. We bought some interesting things but mostly we just had fun enjoying one another's company AND goofing off like normal teens do do....HOWEVER just for everyone reading this to know the adults in our group were completely mature the WHOLE time!!! ;)

Okay...to end this nonchronological view of our day...I'll end it in a quote by the famous Stephanie Baalke " smell is a 3 way thing...you can smell rank, clean, and of Christ"...I'd take the 3rd one over all.

Okay, okay...we need a quote from John too to really close out this co-written blog: "If you're exhausted having a kid on your shoulders then you need to exercize cuz apparently you're not in shape." That's actually what John was told by a 6 year old kid.

We love ya all...thanks for your prayers. :)

-Steph and John and of course everyone else that wasn't here when we blogged

Katrina Disbelief

Howdy,

This is Nick. I don't ever blog, but bear with me. Gutting houses is a smelly job. The particular house that I helped to gut was putrid. Upon entering, we found parts of the kitchen in the family room. The family that had lived there had a lot of glasses and dangerous things lying around. The kitchen sink had become home to a rather large rat, approximately one foot long (including tail). Now my first mistake was letting everybody know there was a rat... When I flushed it out of the sink it made a b-line toward a herd of girls who were gutting the garage. The screams I heard were piercing. But soon the rat was hidden in the tall grass outside.

Back to the smells. I could devote a whole paragraph to the smells. As a matter of fact I just might right now! In the bedroom, there was a pile of socks about a foot high that I don't think had ever dried out since the flood. Now these socks weren't just wet, they were oily! Now to give you a good sense of what I mean by oily, if you could imagine ten rotten bananas in a gallon of olive oil blended together, soak socks in that and you have the sensation we experienced.

In the kitchen there were bowls and containers full of rotten... ocean, for lack of a better word. Normally ocean smells sweet and salty and happy, like an ocean, but this ocean had been fermenting for two years. Needless to say, two years ago was not a very good year.

The apparel we had consisted of masks and gloves. Now, I had been having a runny nose problem since a week prior to this trip, so my nose was running so much in that mask it was hard to distinguish the sweat from the snot. I swallowed an awful lot. Speaking of sweat, the house didn't get very good air flow, so man and woman alike were sweating like pigs. But as my buddy Brent reminds me, pigs don't even sweat. So I don't know where that leaves us. But we did sweat an awful lot.

In conclusion, it was hot, sweaty, stinky (I purposefully avoided sitting near any girls after work) and uncomfortable... but on the emotional side of things, to be honest with you I really wasn't in a happy mood, so I had this "break down the walls" mentality. Nothing ever really hit me as I was cleaning the house, but I was conscious of the fact that this was someone's home, and we were gutting a lot of memories in addition to junk.

These are my thoughts brought to a loving close.

Love, Nick.

Medic!

We have encountered a few physical hurdles along the way this week. I won't use names, but all parents have been notified. Plus, the picture gives some things away, but one pulled muscle, one nail stepped upon and one trip to the ER with concussive symtoms (again, if you have not been contacted then your student is not involved in these incidents).

Please keep our health in your prayers.

We love you guys!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

We don't pretend to know God's plans for us or the city of N.O. So when our plans (Challenge Circle, Work Projects) are interrupted by His plans (rain), we wait. It has been raining off and on in New Orleans for the last couple weeks.

Today was no different. We toured the Lower 9th Ward, one of the parts of New Orleans most impacted by Hurricane Katrina (check out the pictures on the slide show above, left). Other than that, our outside plans have been put on hold. We had to cancel today's "Challenge Circle" (this is the children's evangelism part of the trip). What do we do?

Our continued attitude has been that we would do what ministry is about this week--loving God and loving others. If it can't be the kids of various New Orleans' neighborhoods today, maybe it should just be to focus on godly relationships with each other.

God has given us precious minutes today in His Word and prayer. He is knitting our hearts together with His and with one another.

Pray for patience and creativity as we redeem the time. Pray for fruit. Please pray for good weather.

But more than good weather, pray that the will of God be done. If it rains, it rains. The whole earth belongs to the LORD!

It may continue to rain, it may not. But whether we accomplish our own plans or find that God has different plans, blessed be the name of the LORD!

Happy? Father's Day

Is it happy this year? (Pastor Jon blogging here.) Here's why I ask. Our three kids performed two amazing Praise Express performances (they told me) while I was here. I have single-handedly separated 14 families from their fathers. Wow. One of my core values is family.

And then I think about sacrifice and what it looks like for families to serve the King. I think about Daniel, Joseph and others who experienced times when they were separated from their families. It's hard.

But done in the right context for the right reasons (pre-requisites I can only hope we meet), sometimes it is good and even right to embrace a separation for our heavenly Father.

This Father's Day I embrace the fact that earthly fathers (and mothers) may be called to separation from their kids sometimes. And it may be healthy for both parent and child. When your kids see the priority you place on serving your heavenly Father, my prayer is that they understand that you live and die not just for your earthly children, but for your heavenly Father.

With God as our help, this is a very Happy Father's Day!

Prayer Requests for Sunday

• Our voices are already hoarse as we learned about the "Challenge Circle." This is basically outdoor AWANA circle games for the kids on New Orleans. Pray for stamina, enthusiasm and mostly, boldness to sieze opportunities to share Christ in deed and in word.



• For all of us to remain physically healthy.



• For safety on the work projects.



• For humilty for the Red Team (Pastor Jon, Kirsten, Josh, Elijah and Ellen, amongst others). Our team won the team spirit award tonight. We're pretty good.

Happy Father's Day!

To all of our dads ~ Happy Father's Day!

We love you!

We have arrived!

We've arrived safe and sound!

We didn't smell too good. We ate crackers, cookies and Pop Rocks until we felt sick. But, we had amazing weather, happy campers, perfect mechanicals and alert drivers (Bryan drove his van the WHOLE way!). God has been good to us.

Interesting and random facts:

• Two van refuels= $300.
• Josh forgot a sleeping bag. So, mom, we made him pick one up at WalMart.
• Nick is holding a flashlight for me right now (and proof-reading) so that I can watch my fingers on the keyboard.
• We came all the way to New Orleans. Our first meal? A Wendy's ACROSS THE STREET From Emeril's. Bam.
• After over two days, when given free time some people elected NOT to take a shower.

So we are one of four other churches here, 2 from Minnesota, and one from Nebraska. We are all staying in one big yellow submarine (house)--girls on one side, boys on the other.

Okay. That's our first day update. I hear someone snoring . . .

Almost There...

We just crossed into Louisiana ~ we’re almost there! We’ve had a fantastic trip…smooth travel, little traffic, and lots of laughs. We were warmly greeted by members of Grace E-Free in Memphis, TN last night. They graciously hosted us in their church and showed us warm hospitality. We thank God for these new friends.

As we reflect upon the past 30 hours, we smile fondly at some of these highlights (or lowlights, as the case may be)…

“Sleeping on a pew is not as much fun as I thought it would be. Sleeping in someone else’s pue is worse.” ~ Steph

“Sleeping on a floor may sound cool, but it’s actually painful and gets you two hours of sleep.” ~ John

“My Ozark Trails air mattress is the best $13 I ever spent.” ~ Lori

“I’m wearing the same socks I wore yesterday!” ~ Nick

“I can spell Mississippi backwards: IPPISSISSIM” ~ Kirsten

Extremely large bugs are now splattered across our windshield and our hearts.

Asteck thinks we drove through Oklahoma last night.

Josh breaks the sound barrier when he sleeps.

“Are we there yet?” ~ Emily

“Mr. Lewis is small but he can still wrestle.” ~ Josh

Elijah speaks in tongues while he sleeps.

Eric sounds like the air breaks of a Mack truck when he sleeps.

Judging, Sleeping, & the Kingdom of God

Mission New Orleans07. Day One: Friday 10:30 p.m.

Elvis does not love Kasten. Elvis is dead.

We have headed south and our journey is nearing its’ end for Day One. Destination? Memphis, TN. Home of the dead king of Pop Music.

We arrive on unfamiliar streets to the tune of impatient Memphis-dwellers greeting us in their own way as we try to understand their roads. We manage this task in the loud darkness.

As we approach our destination, eyebrows are raised. Did we take a wrong turn? The neighborhoods get darker, the streets get narrower and the walls around people’s properties get higher. The property next to our final destination is woven with sharp razor-stripping, a more aggressive version of barbed wire that looks like it was left over after a local prison completed their yard.

Welcome home.

So we pulled up to Grace Evangelical Free Church and were greeted by Rogers and an adolescent friend. They were gracious and welcoming. As we settled in just before bed our team ends the day in a prayer of thanksgiving, only occasionally interrupted by muffled shouts from somewhere outside our chain-link safety zone. And we were never so safe.

We were welcomed by friends with whom we had an immediate connection. They provided snacks and juice to replenish our strength (though we had not stopped eating for more than a couple minutes through the course of the whole day). They provided a place to stay behind locked doors and a fence-protected parking lot. We slept soundly (for the most part) on their hard and safe floors.

The next morning we met their Pastor Mark and he extended their love for us and the Savior. He spoke of the way that the church is poised to minister to their community. I am excited for them, and feel connected to them. We have new friends in that safe place in Memphis.

The ironies abound. We are most welcome in the strangest of places. We were safest in a place that may be more dangerous than we ever knew. And in a place called “Graceland,” home of the dead king, we experienced real grace from the servants of the living King of kings.

New Orleans or bust.

We're off! Our team is excited and prayerful about all that God has in store for us this week! Please keep us in your prayers!

Thanks, prayer warriors!

Mission New Orleans : Days 1 & 2

As we set out on a long journey, we know that the families and parents will be praying for us. Our plan is to travel for 12 hours straight south and pull off at Grace Evangelical Free Church just south of Memphis . For those of you at home, here are some of the hurdles you can help us clear:

We will hit tons of traffic in Chicago at around 12:30 p.m. on a Friday. It’s an adventure! What we are praying for is that we do not hit “stand still” traffic as it has the potential to put us far behind our plans.

We plan to stop to eat sometime AFTER the rigors of Chicago . We will be heading south out of Chicago on I-57. Think Tinley Park or Olympia Fields area.

We have many hours to go before we sleep. Whose woods these are I do not know . . . .

Plan for a smooth connection with our contact in Memphis . We call him about an hour prior to arriving in Memphis . Then he will meet us right at the church.

We will have to quickly set-up sleeping bags (air mattresses) in the church facility and get to sleep. It would be wonderful to be able to get a good night’s sleep!

In the morning we will pack up rather quickly, find a bite to eat and get back on the road. New Orleans is 6 more hours down the road.

In the midst of a HUGE city, we need to find our way to Urban Impact. We have good instructions/directions, but . . . it’s a hurdle nonetheless.

Contacting your student during this travel time is encouraged because they will be sitting in a van. Feel free to call!

We begin meeting the rest of our team on Saturday at 5:00 ish. We will get supper somewhere and then begin training/orientation.

Thanks for praying for us!

Jon

Just 3 more days!

After all these many months of planning and praying, the morning of our departure is close at hand! If you're anything like me this week, you're running around doing errands, picking up all kinds of last minute items. Soap? Check. Deodorant? Check. Febreze? Check, Check. If these items weren't initially on your list, let my list serve as a reminder. :)

I guess I don't feel all together prepared. There's a lot of unknowns which will only be known once we arrive in New Orleans. Yet at the same time, I've been so grateful for the many people who have assured us of their continued prayers on our behalf. I feel such love and support from our families and our church family alike, and I know that there are many prayer warriors who will be faithfully praying us through.

I once read that prayer is an attitude of our hearts toward God...an attitude of helplessness meant to drive us to Him. I think we all recognize that we are so needy as we approach this trip. We need God to calm our fears...to use us to proclaim His name...to give us the heart of a servant. We need to see people as He does...to love when it's difficult...to forgive when even when we feel justified. And so with just 3 days till our departure, I'm crying out to God, asking Him to show us just how much we need Him.

I discovered an astonishing truth: God is attracted to
weaknesses. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need Him. ~ Jim Cymbala

~ Nikki