today was a day of many sights, sounds and emotions. we woke up early and headed into new orleans for worship at mt. zion church. the congregation welcomed us with open arms. they were so grateful to finally have a team of people give them the hope of rebuilding the sanctuary they loved and lost to katrina. the joy of worship and promise...
we walked through the once beautiful church after service with a few men from the congregation. we saw where the water level settled on the front doors of the church, walked into the sanctuary to find peeling paint, damaged plaster and mold. the sorrow of loss...
we left the church and spent the day touring the french quarter. we broke into two groups and set out for lunch. each group experienced the flavors and smells of cajun food, and pralines. one group feasted on beignets and cafe au lait at the world famous cafe du monde. we visited st. louis cathedral, watched talented street performers and heard music in the streets. the excitement of exploring new places...
after we left the city we decided to visit the lower the 9th ward where katrina ravaged the city after the levees were compromised. it's so hard to believe after five years that so many damaged homes sit empty and overgrown with grass and weeds, windows broken and roofs missing. words cannot explain what our eyes witnessed and our hearts felt. many houses were marked with an x and numbers of the dead once inside. the heaviness of lives lost and homes destroyed...
I can still feel the heaviness of the sadness that you felt as you visited the 9th ward...my heart broke that day when we visited. And I cried when I saw HELP on the roofs (as well as the X and the number dead once inside). It just reinforced in my mind, again, how life can change in a moment! It, also, reinforced in my mind how precious family and friends are!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting what you are doing each day so that we can go on the trip vicariously through you. That Christmas mission trip to New Orleans touched my life deeply!
I know the church there will be blessed with the beauty that you will restore...not only to the building...but to their hearts! My prayers are with all of you...God bless you for your mission hearts!
Looking forward to reading about your trip and the adventures you will encounter as you serve an awesome God!
Gratefully, Barb Thase
Thank you for the updates. I so proud of my daughter and son-in-law for going on this missions trip. They are making a difference and God is so proud of them. Jennie has not let her disease stop her from doing God's work. As her mother I am so moved by her selflessness and willingness to serve God no matter what!! God bless all of you!!!
ReplyDeleteDawn Lemon
Dawn, i hope to meet you sometime. Jennie was a spark of joy for all of us. i am so glad she gave it all she had. God has great things in store for her. i can see why you are so proud! -Kim
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