We're back!

We have returned! Safely and inspired. Tired but ready to continue living with servant hearts. Thank you for following along with our journey and keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We look forward to sharing more about this mission trip in worship services during the weekend of July 18-19.

Returning home...

We have arrived safely in Memphis. Students watched the daily duck walk at the Peabody Hotel, enjoyed some pizza for dinner, and some time for games. We also had a student-led closing worship celebration in which we all shared those things that we are "leaving behind," as well as those things that we are "taking with us" as this trip draws to a close.

Many thanks for your prayers, well wishes, and support as we embarked on a really amazing trip.

Swamp Tour and French Quarter

We started the day with a Swamp Tour and encountered some really wild wildlife (not the youth kind this time). Following that, we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed for the French Quarter. We ate some beignets, pralines, gator, oysters, gumbolayas, and more po'boys. We listened to music and encountered some history. And lastly, we enjoyed some amazing fireworks along the river.

Work Day Four

We began a yard clean-up project at a house that has been abandoned since Katrina.  The home owner has been assessed several thousand dollars in fines due to ordinance violations stemming from the condition of the property. We were able to remove an overgrown tree at the front of the property, remove vines growing through the chain link fence in preparation for painting and clean up the overgrown back portion of the property by removing additional trees, brush and vines. The highlight of the day was meeting the potential future home owner, who is the daughter of the current home owner. She hopes to someday have the house repaired to the point that they will be able to move in and was grateful for the assistance we were able to provide. There is an enormous amount of work that still needs to be done, but we feel blessed that we had a hand in the beginning of the process and hope to be able to follow the future progress of this home.

- Heidi Orth

Today my group served our mission day at the KIP School in New Orleans. This school was completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. They had to rebuild and now the school is beautiful. When I first arrived, I was struggling to understand how our help was really serving the mission I thought I would be providing on this trip. However, throughout the day, I came to realize that the help we were providing the teachers was immeasurable.  We organized and set up 5 classroom libraries, separating by fiction and non fiction and the level of reader they were meant for. We covered 5 rooms bulletin boards to prepare them for the teacher’s own style upon their return. We had a fun time working together. In all, this doesn’t sound like much. However, to break it down, we saved the teachers 63 man hours affecting about 150 children and 5 teachers. Thank you for letting me be a part of this awe inspiring trip!

- Angela Flowers

After missing out on snowballs and ice-cream the last few days, Mrs. Flowers finally got one!

Work Day Three

Well today our group, for the first time this week were all together working on a site. We worked at The Victory Gardens operated and funded by the group ARC which raises funds for the mentally disabled. I personally worked on uprooting a bunch of adolescent trees. The largest tree was a medium sized one some of them were 7 1/2 - 8 feet tall. We took down 224 trees in all. And my favorite part of the day had to have been speeding around Louisiana looking for a bathroom for Jacob and I while the rest of the group ate Sno-balls.

- Ben

Today, The group and I went to a garden to work. The garden is part of the foundation of ARC. The ARC foundation helps the mentally and physically disabled. We were separated into many different groups and many of the groups did gardening. My group weeded and it took FOREVER. We got to work side by side with many of the people from the foundation. What I thought was very sweet was how they pick their workers. All of their members are either mentally or physically disabled and it was really fun working with them. So, that was my day. Bye. 

- Dylan

Today, we all went to the same place for the first time this whole trip. When we arrived at  Victory Gardens, I had know idea that the garden was run by ARC. The workers were all mentally or physically disabled, which I thought was really cool. When we finally started working I had the same job as Ben, uprooting a ton of trees. In all we uprooted 224 trees. By the end of the job sweat was literally sliding of my face. It was probably the sweatiest I’ve ever been in my life. My favorite part of the day would probably have been uprooting the trees because it was easy to goof off and work at the same time. Plus we found some really cool stuff: a huge spider, geckos, a hornet, giant grass hoppers, and a big flying beetle.

-Nolan

This was the first time I worked outside on this trip.  We helped The ARC Foundation’s farm, by helping the other workers pull weeds in-between crops. A couple of days before we helped the ARC Foundation sort Mardi Gras beads, and now we moved to their farm. Most of the workers had a intellectual disability, and worked there to get them ready to find jobs elsewhere. While the work day went on, the sun stayed behind the clouds and the temperature stayed relatively cool. The work was tedious, and tiresome and I really respect people who do that day after day. 

-Reid

Work Day Two

Dear Parents,

Today, we went to “Rescue Ranch” and helped an amazing woman named Lori fix up her farm. We did everything from turning up a garden to grooming the horses. While some others in the group fixed up a fence and painted Fourth of July signs. At the end of day Lori told us the story about why this was the way she served others and how it was what she chose to do in life. Working together through the mud and rain was hard work, but being surrounded by people who want to help and serve others. The farm was created for children with disabilities, animals that have been injured, veterans with PTSD and students that have been through obstacles and want to regain hope for a better future. Today was a very inspiring day for all of us. We will continue to serve and love others.

- Kalyn and Kaitlin

Today’s work was helping repair a school. I helped move tables and stuff around to ready the room for the children and teachers. Others did things such as moving boxes and furniture between rooms, and helping the teachers with whatever they wanted. I’m glad I went there because I enjoyed helping the teachers, they were very grateful, and I liked how I was indirectly helping the students to get a good education. Going to help the school was fun and I would do it again because I like to help.

-Jacob

Today, we helped out a school get ready for the new 2015-2016 school year. We moved boxes, tables, and helped set up rooms. It was a very neat experience to help teachers and therefore helping students K-8. I’m very happy that I chose to visit the school to help them out with preparation. We helped the school for the children of New Orleans. 

-Tyler

Work Day One

Mardi Gras Bead Recycling Group:

Today was our first work day, and we divided into two groups to accomplish some very unique jobs. Some students worked with an Organization known as ARC. This organization works with folks who would not normally be able to hold jobs in society through cooking, cleaning, recycling, and farming. Their major source of revenue is recycling Mardi Gras beads, keeping them out of landfills and reselling them each year. Sorting these beads was our work for the day, as we filtered through 1500 pounds of beads while doing various other tasks to help the organization. Only in N'awlins!

 —Aaron

Today we divided into older and younger groups. The older group visited the ARC Mardi Gras beed facility. The main goal was to help the organization organize their beads by size and texture. Many of the workers happened to have various developmental needs, but we were so happy to realize that they have been provided with jobs and had their own responsibilities. Also the workers taught us the ways of their job and how to do them. We all had a great experience meeting new people and creating new friendships. 

—Tom

Food Pantry Group: 

Dear Parents of Us,

We know you miss us a lot, and in case your children haven’t filled you in, the “funyon” group (15 and under) went to The New Orleans Hope Food Pantry. Boys and girls were separated, and while the boys worked in the warehouse lifting and packing, the girls scooped and plopped bread rolls, pineapple tidbits, rice, and greens into a tray, that was packed and given out later in the day. (I have never scooped so much rice in my life.) 

After lunch Cassie spent time at the front desk helping the visitors receive their food for the month. She met Miss Ella and Miss Catherine and they talked about life in New Orleans. They always ended their thoughts with “I’m very blessed”. At the end of the day, we all had a group hug, and it was very special, and will always have a place in my heart.

After lunch Erica was assigned the task of alphabetizing the large amount of registration sheets people had filled out from earlier days. It was really eye opening to see the names of people that had been to the food pantry. It also helped me appreciate what I have and I am glad I had the opportunity to help out at the food pantry.

Much love, 

Cassie and Erica