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Day 1
• After departing from La Roche's parking lot outside Bold Hall, we finally made it to our destination after 22 hours and many miles on our bus; our traveling was safe and enjoyable and we all kept each other company.
• Upon our arrival to Louisiana, we stopped near the state border and decided to relax and enjoy the scenery.
• We arrived at our location, which is located in the second ward of New Orleans near the heart of the city, at 1:30 p.m..
• We settled in and played a few ice breakers to get a chance to know one another.
• After we played our games, we had a good old fashioned cook out.
• We were graced with the presence of our guest speaker, Kevin Brown, executive director of the Trinity Christian Community, who gave us insight on the post-Katrina devastation. He also shared the importance of service and how it affects others.
• We gathered in our first devotional of the week, where we sang songs and spoke to each other on the purpose of our service.
• We then got cleaned up and headed to bed to prepare the busy week we had before us.
Day 2
• We got up bright and early for breakfast at
7 a.m.
• We hosted our morning devotional, where we were graced with the presence of students from Geneva College and Yale University.
• We then set out to do our jobs and serve one another.
• We all collaborated on the work, which was in home construction, interior refinishing and landscaping.
• When all the workers came back, we all helped prepare lunch and dinner for one another.
• Every day, a group of students conducts the cleaning and maintenance of the Urban Mission Base camp where we are staying this week.
On behalf of our group and host Sister Elena Almendarez,
Henry Pinnix
Ashley Hairston
Emileigh Geibel
Jibran Mushtaq
Dalila Scott |
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Day 3 (Tuesday, March 10)
• Evelyn Turner, an Americorps coordinator, led devotion in the morning, sharing with us her story and why she feels God led her to New Orleans. She had an amazing story of overcoming loss and fear in the midst of Hurricane Katrina and its recovery.
• We went to our work sites, which varied from working on the shed at the church, surveying homes still needing repaired, to scraping and painting various houses.
• In the evening we went to Mother's Restaurant, a favorite in New Orleans, which offered authentic New Orleans food, such as fabulous “Po' Boy Sandwiches.” Afterwards we went to the Riverwalk complex where we had access to various novelty shops, cafes and jazz music.
-- Josh Litvik
Day 4 (Wednesday, March 11)
• Kevin Brown, the executive director of Trinity Christian Community, led devotion in the morning. He shared with us the trials and tribulations the children and teens are faced with in the neighborhood. His story was very moving and touching in the way he accepted these troubled children and teens, who just wanted so badly to fit in.
• After we finished devotion, we went to our work sites. I was a team member who worked on the shed. We worked very hard on the shed that was not able to be finished by the prior work crew. The best part about working on the shed was I learned how to lay a roof.
• In the evening we had fellowship and we listened to different individuals tells us their story that has impacted their life. The stories these individuals tell us have shaped them into who they are today. Afterward we had a mini celebration for TR, whose birthday was today.
--Margaret Blank
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Day 5 (Thursday, March 12, 2009) • After starting the day off with morning devotion and an impromptu singing session of “Oh Happy Day”, we were blessed to hear the story of Lori, one of the staff members at TCC. She talked about God calling her to New Orleans , even though she never would have pictured herself here and how God has led her through life and continues to do so.
• Our team was the designated ‘clean-up' crew for the day; cleaning the bathrooms, preparing all of the meals, and spending time really building the relationships within our team. Although today didn't seem like much work, it was truly a blessing to have a more laid back day to rest after spending the week working very hard on various projects.
--Amanda Trocki
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Day 6 and 7
(Thursday, March 12 & Friday March 13) • Today was the final day to clean up, pack and head out. We spent most of the day touring the French Quarter in New Orleans . But before we could do that, we took a few more photos, prayed for a safe trip home and for all the people, still in so much need, that we were leaving behind, and did that last bit of cleaning so the AmeriCorps Volunteers—four guys who were taking a year off to help the folks of Hollygrove, in the Second Ward of New Orleans—would have a clean place to keep living and a little extra food. We were done before we knew it and on the road.
• New Orleans ' French Quarter was full of color, music and happy people. There were hundreds of shops, parks, and cafés and we seemed to hit on all of them. La Roche students and other members of our group were everywhere, taking ferry rides, eating beignets , watching street performers, and touring places of interest like the Cathedral. The day was sunny and not too hot—a perfect day to be a tourist.
• We boarded our bus around four in the afternoon. We drove all night to arrive back at LRC by noon. In between we stopped at rest stops and enjoyed one last breakfast together at Bob Evans . Our good-byes upon returning were both welcome and sad. We were happy to be home but a trip like this, made up of service, fellowship, and faith can never be duplicated and we will all be changed by it forever. La Roche and North Park Church have much to be proud of in the students and adults who attended this trip—they brought hope and friendship to people burned out by hard times. I feel very blessed to have been a part of it.
--Sister Elena Almendarez,
Associate Campus Minister for Service and Justice
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