Penultimate Experience

Well, we're over half way through the week. The rain has not subsided, and fatigue is starting to set in. We took it easy this morning, and spent the afternoon working at the summer camp at Christ Church Cathedral in New Orleans. Many of our youth had already spent a day or two there this week, but we all got to go together this afternoon. It was a fantastic experience. Each of the youth had one, if not four, kids hanging on them at all times. They played games, spent time reading stories, taught karate, and sang songs. It was great fun!

Tonight we went back to St. Anna's Episcopal Church for their mid-week Eucharist. It was just as much fun as Sunday morning, and this time we got to share our experiences with our friends from Connecticut. Following the service, we were served dinner - delicious Nah'wlins red beans & rice - by the St. Anna's parish family. We also got to enjoy traditional New Orleans jazz by Doc Otis and the Junker Jazz Allstars. They were fantastic!

The emotional toll of a trip with such great intensity is starting to pile up. The youth are asking hard questions, not finding easy answers, and struggling with issues - personal and communal. None of this is bad - in fact, it's exactly what should be happening. But that doesn't mean it's not overwhelming. Each of us will come back changed. And we can't wait to share those experiences with you!

In the midst of tearful revelations, downpours, and challenging work - we've still laughed so hard we've cried every single day. It's ben an unforgettable week.

Tomorrow is our last full day of work. Then we're off to a final Cajun dinner, Zydaco dancing, and closing Eucharist. In the midst of packing, and trying to get things wrapped up, I won't have time to blog tomorrow night. But please know that we've had a wonderful trip. All is well. And we couldn't be more grateful for your love and support. Thank you, St. David's.

Goodnight, New Orleans!

Troubled Waters

Today we did hurricane clean-up work in the midst of rain from a tropical storm in the Gulf. It was WET - all day. During one particular downpour, we asked the youth to gather under the shelter. After a total of three and a half minutes they began asking why they couldn't work in the rain. Realizing there were no doors for us to lock, they just ran back into the rain and continued working to clear the lots. One youth boldly proclaimed, "This is nothing compared to Katrina! Of course we can handle this."

Reginald is a resident in the lower 9th ward. This morning he shared with me his story of the storm. After the levees had broken, he took a boat that he found stuck in a tree and went from house to house rescuing his elderly neighbors.

James is the caretaker at Annunciation, where we are staying. He gathered seven of his friends the day after the storm to rescue residents in his neighborhood. By the end of the day, only two of his friends were still alive. Tonight during compline, he took time to share his story with us. Let me just preface his story by sharing that James is no wilting flower - think Michael Duncan as John Coffey in The Green Mile. The man oozes wisdom. I've never met a grown adult who openly shares emotions when they are particularly tough. James began by telling us that after the storm, he cried himself to sleep 365 days a year for 3 straight years. Did you know that a Pampers diaper will allow a baby to float for up to an hour and a half? James found that out on August 30, 2005 as he was swimming the streets in the Broadmoor district trying to revive baby after baby that was floating on the surface of the water that flooded the neighborhood - not from a broken levee, but from a flooded sewage system. James spent the next few weeks in the New Orleans convention center. He described vivid scenes and shared images that I'll never be able to get out of my head. But most startling was his proclamation that, "Racism and classism will exist until the end of time. There ain't nothing you can do about that. But for those few days, God leveled the playing field. It didn't matter what you had, because you didn't have it anymore. We was all one." Each night from approximately 6PM until 1AM, a large group of residents in the Convention Center gathered for Bible Study. James also commented on the diversity of denominations and backgrounds of the participants. Once again, it didn't matter where people had come from, they were all praying to the same God. One of the most startling moments for the youth came when James reminded them what happened to peers their age. In the wake of the storm, many schools were shut down and children and families were shipped to various states. All students had to take entry exams. Those who were previously in 11th grade, may have been pushed back to 9th grade if they didn't perform well enough on tests. There was no advocating to be done. That was their new life.

Jean makes breakfast for us every morning. In the aftermath of the storm, she rescued 17 people from her neighborhood in the lower 9th ward and piled them into her four door sedan and drove them to Baton Rouge. One of the gentlemen was mentally handicapped. Upon arriving in Baton Rouge, he complained to the authorities that he had been kidnapped. Jean and her husband were punished and not allowed to sleep in the shelter that they had shuttled everyone to.

James, Reginald, and Jean have first hand experience in the business of saving people. Yet, in the telling of their stories, in the coming alive of the truths they have lived, they told about how they had been saved by Hurricane Katrina. Without exception, they had positive things to say - lessons learned from the storm, bridges built, and the power of an incarnational God.

Christianity is an incarnational religion. Jesus Christ came to be incarnate among the people. We are called to spread the Good News of God's love through relationships. It doesn't matter the depth of your knowledge of Christian scripture or theology if it remains in a vacuum. It is when the power of Christian love becomes incarnate through relationships that we are changed.

Despite obvious frustration and anger towards the city and the government, James preached (although I'm not sure that's what he would call it,) a message of reconciliation tonight. He ended with this proclamation, "It is because of you - volunteers - that our city is back. You all are the president. You all are the governors. You all are our government." The city is being transformed by the people who show up, who are present, and who spread the love of God.

Today one of the adults caught three of our youth gathered in an area with heavy brush holding hands and praying. Yeah, that really happened. The power of God in these people and this place is undeniable. And we are being changed because of it.

Good night, New Orleans!

Lower 9th Ward

I have to start tonight's blog by sharing with you a quote from last night's baseball game that I forgot to include in yesterday's post. So when I told you there were varying degrees of interest in the actual game, the most apparent indicator of that was one of our youth asking, "How many teams are playing?" at the beginning of the game.

Not once - during total indifference to a baseball game, working in 90 degree heat with 100% humidity, or while waiting in line for showers with 40 of their closest friends have the youth complained. Most (if not all) of the time, we haven't fully known what we were getting ourselves into. But the attitudes with which the youth have approached every task has been nothing short of Holy.

Today was our first day of work. Some of us went to a summer camp that is being run by Christ Church Cathedral. The youth who went to that site spent time working and playing with younger kids, which they loved. One of the challenging aspects of the camp for our group to confront was the lack of structure and resources that were being poured into the kids. It did NOT look anything like Vacation Bible School at St. David's. As one of our adult volunteers pointed out, "I'm certain that the people running this thing have not been 'Safeguarded'." Over and over again, we are confronting our own expectations and how that informs our ideas of "success." This is such important work.

The other members of our group headed to the Lower 9th Ward for a full day of work. We have made a new best friend, Ms. Jackson. (And yes, we have also found our theme song for the trip!) We have been paired with the Homeowners Association of the Lower 9th Ward, of which Ms. Jackson is the president. She introduced us to her neighbors and showed us around the neighborhood. Ms. Jackson lives three blocks from one of the levees that broke and flooded this area of town. Driving around was absolutely surreal. A neighborhood that used to be bustling and dynamic is still actively struggling to recover. There was a sign on the main road that proudly proclaimed, "Rebuilding our neighborhood," with the signatures of major city officials. Just below the main message was a graffiti response that read, "Five years too late!" In more concrete terms - there used to be 18,000 residents in the lower 9th ward. There are currently 2,000 residents. We were also able to drive around the streets on which Brad Pitt has been the catalyst for building environmentally sustainable, affordable homes for working class families. The dignity and beauty that has been brought to the community by this project is breathtaking! They have only just begun.

Our task for the day was to help clear overgrown lots where homes used to be. Families who used to live in the neighborhood and still own property, many of whom have not yet moved back to the city, are being fined $100 a day by the city for not maintaining their property. I don't spend $100 a day on anything. I can't imagine losing $100 a day on something that I am not physically present to control. Many of the residents are elderly and are not physically capable of maintaining their property. Others are simply not back yet - for a whole host of reasons. Our youth dove head first into the deep end. We were given weed wackers that didn't work, scythes that wouldn't stay attached to the handles, and saws that were rusted through. Not once did they complain. As we parked the vans and climbed out, there was nothing but overgrown brush, weeds, and a "massive sea of green." Block by block - they wacked, cut, snipped, raked, and hand-cleared everything in sight. By mid-afternoon we could see sidewalk, porches, and shrubbery that wasn't there a few hours earlier. As unglamorous as the job was, it was gratifying to be able to point and see how much progress we were making. The power of working with a group was also magnified as the old adage, "conquer and divide," came through in a big way.

This evening we had a presentation from Pete Nunnally, the director of Episcopal Community Services of Louisiana. He gave us an eye-opening volunteer orientation. Pete began by getting the youth to share their various assumptions and biases that had been picked up along the way about the city, Hurricane Katrina, and volunteer work in general. With maps of waterways, diagrams of the socioeconomic make-up of the city, and strategic points of city-rebuild programs, we systematically had our assumptions debunked. Pete held their attention for an hour and a half. And then they TALKED about it afterwords!!! Good things are happening here.

Our group looks forward to Compline at the end of the day and the time when everyone receives letters from their prayer partners. Please know that as the youth are serving others, learning about themselves, and glorifying God, St. David's is with us on every step of the journey. The youth are asking questions and getting to know each of our prayer partners through letters and stories from the adults hundreds of miles away. The youth are more engrained in their home parish and the world than when we left three days ago.

Two of the youth hijacked the computer momentarily and had this to offer about their Mondays. Emily Hodge said, "I am learning a great deal about community, peace, and loving your neighbor. I have met some great people from all over America, and I love them already. Bryant Bowyer added this, "I have learned about the unfortunate cards that truly amazing people have been dealt, and I am learning everyday that although the circumstances may look extremely grim, there is alway a way that I can help."

Thanks be to God! Good night New Orleans.

Zealous for Zephyrs

After a much needed night's rest, our day began at Lil Dizzy's Cafe in the Treme district. It's a greasy spoon of the best sort, where the youth indulged in "New Orleans style French toast," omelettes, and Soul Food. The food was exceptional! We have yet to enter an establishment - food, worship, or otherwise - where people do not bend over backwards to share gratuitous hospitality. Lil Dizzy's, named after the owner's grandson who plays saxophone, was no exception.

After sharing a leisurely Sunday brunch, we walked the two blocks to St. Anna's Episcopal Church. Greeting us on the walls of the garden outside of the church were laundry lists with the names of people in the immediate neighborhood who had died a violent death, listed by year. The list for 2010 is already taller than we are, and it's only June. I think it's fair to say that the youth entered with a bit of caution, not knowing what to expect. We enjoyed every minute we spent with the St. Anna's community. It is certainly more, "smells, bells, and whistles" than we're used to. But the youth were respectfully observant and quick to voice the practices they thought St. David's should adopt in our debrief following the service. Father Terry preached a fantastic sermon about the Cost of Discipleship. To say that his message came through loud and clear would be an understatement. The youth had lots to say about the ways in which his message applied to our purpose this week. It was the welcome after the peace that did me in. Father Terry took the time to greet us and thank us for being in New Orleans, "90% of the challenge of discipleship is showing up. And that is exactly what you've done for us. You have honored the city and people of New Orleans simply by being here. Thank you." We look forward to returning to St. Anna's on Wednesday evening for their Mission to Musicians program - dinner and New Orleans Jazz!

Our next stop was the French Quarter. For many of us, it was our first time in the quarter. The stories are too varied and exciting to relay here now, but be sure to ask us when we get home! We broke into small groups and went exploring with an adult and a few other youth. Beignets, jambalaya, gumbo, masks, and bead were all a part of this exciting afternoon!

Later in the afternoon we drove through some of the most devastated neighborhoods in the city after Katrina hit. In particular, we laid eyes on the spots where some of the levees broke and completely cleared entire areas of town. We've also been marveling at the Superdome and surrounding highways - where we know folks were camped out for days. When we got back to Annunciation, Lee Parker (one of our adult sponsors whose parents were living in New Orleans during Katrina,) shared a slideshow of his pictures from the same neighborhoods we drove through today the Christmas after Katrina. There has certainly been progress. But it's remarkable how much there is yet to be done.

We ended our day with a New Orleans Zephyrs baseball game (minor league, AAA). While there was a variety of levels of enthusiasm, all were proud of our 8th inning rally. Though the Zephyrs were losing 2-8 at this point, we managed to get into cheering/dancing match with another large group of youth in a different section on the next level up in the stadium. Yes, we made the jumbotron - MORE THAN ONCE. Although the Zephyrs lost, it was an epic evening for team St. David's!

Our youth have been stunningly quick to jump on board with my challenge of never complaining about the heat. We are convinced that being from Texas, we can handle the weather much more gracefully than the groups from Virginia, Connecticut, and Missouri. So whenever, someone makes a comment about the heat, our youth are quick to respond with, "It's just bright out here." Or, "This...this is like October in Austin." I'll let you know how that goes tomorrow, once the work begins.

Good night from New Orleans!

ROAD Trip

Well, today we barreled through most of the Eastern portion of Texas and through Louisiana to arrive in New Orleans around 5PM. Traffic was easy, the passengers were entertaining, and the company was unbeatable! We've begun our quest for the most tacky souvenir. In two so far are a bad 80's karaoke CD and some kickin rock-star sunglasses.

We are staying at Annunciation Mission in the Broadmoor district of New Orleans. We dined at Ms. Hyster's Bar-be-que. Talk about some SOUL FOOD! The restaurant was closed for the evening for a catering event. Ms. Hyster opened for us after some sweet-talking from my friend Josh, the group leader from New Caanan, Connecticut. 40 in tow from Texas and Connecticut filled the restaurant to the brim. What followed was, according to Bryant, "The best ribs I've ever had." We were smothered in baked beans, green beans, potato salad, "baked macaronis," chicken, and ribs. Family style comfort food was exactly what the doctor ordered. Upon receiving amply praise from the youth, Ms. Hyster discovered we were from Texas. She promptly responded with, "So wait! You're telling me we've beaten you in BBQ? That means we've now beaten you in football and BBQ!" Hilarity ensued. If you're ever in NOLA, you MUST visit Ms. Hyster.

Ms. Hyster also educated us about her neighborhood during and after Katrina. As you can see from this map, the Broadmoor district was in the area of town that was under 6-8 feet of water. That's taller than me, and most of the stoplights on the street.

Well satisfied, we headed back to Annunciation for some epic card games and tours around the swing set. Around 9Pm, we gathered with the full mission team of 61 from Virginia, Missouri, Connecticut, and Texas. Ice-breaker games helped us get to know our new found friends and mission partners. The evening ended with a lovely compline service led by the Rev. Justin McIntosh from Virginia. It's 11PM and we're exhausted - even if we don't know it!

Good night from New Orleans!