a.m. Worked with Crossroads Missions
Construction/Yardwork
lunch in the van
afternoon Worked with other Mariners team installing new computers, tvs, tables, desks... lots of cardboard to break down!
Monday, March 31, 2008
Aftermath
Hello friends & family,
First of all I apologize for not posting after day 2... We didn't have much down time and most days I was too wiped physically/emotionally to try to recap. But, now that I am home and have had time to process things, I will write up each day for your viewing pleasure.
The trip was amazing. It still doesn't feel real. And I can't believe we are home.
Yesterday was interesting. It took us almost 12 hours to get home. But, like everyone kept saying... it could have been worse. We all arrived home safely on the same day we were supposed to AND with our luggage in tow!
Thanks again so much for all of your support. You made it possible for me to go to New Orleans.
Love to all,
Christina
First of all I apologize for not posting after day 2... We didn't have much down time and most days I was too wiped physically/emotionally to try to recap. But, now that I am home and have had time to process things, I will write up each day for your viewing pleasure.
The trip was amazing. It still doesn't feel real. And I can't believe we are home.
Yesterday was interesting. It took us almost 12 hours to get home. But, like everyone kept saying... it could have been worse. We all arrived home safely on the same day we were supposed to AND with our luggage in tow!
Thanks again so much for all of your support. You made it possible for me to go to New Orleans.
Love to all,
Christina
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Just a couple of pictures...
Can't believe that I forgot to mention the street cars! Celebration has a street car evangelism ministry. So, we hopped on the St. Charles St. street cars and rode the line twice. It gave us time to talk to people, share the gospel and pray for the area and the people who live there. An additional perk was being able to see the beautful homes and quaint restaurants. We met some really nice people. Everyone is so friendly here and so willing to talk about their lives and experiences.
Day 2 - March 25th
Wow...again.
It was a rough night on the cot. I tossed and turned all night and I had no voice really when I woke up, but I wasn't feeling too bad, but I knew I would have to power through the day to make it.
Good Morning New Orleans:
We woke up early and had breakfast with the other teams staying here. They start the day every morning with a devotional at 7:30, this morning Darren led it with worship and a reading out of "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
The Bridge House:
The teams split up and 10 went to the New Orleans Mission, and 7 of us went to the Bridge House. The Bridge House is a long term drug/alcohol addiction recovery house. They house about 70 men, who agree to live/receive treatment for a minimum of 1 year. We got to meet and work along side a lot of the men. And let me tell you, it is clear that this faith based organization is doing BIG things in the lives of these men. We worked mainly with Bruce, who had been in the program for 10 months and is currently running the kitchen and storage facilities. We spent a few hours cleaning out an area they call the "cage", which is a big room that they house all their surplus food donations. They donate this food to local churches. It was hard, dirty work as most of it was canned goods. But, we worked as a team and got it done. The place looked SOO good compared to when we walked in.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they serve a hot lunch to homeless men. We got to opportunity to set up and serve lunch to 106 men that day! Instead of having them walk down the food line, we sat them down and brought the food to them. It was such a blessing to be able to give them a hot/large/good meal. They were all so polite, always being sure to say please and thank you. And as they would leave they would repeatedly thank us. The men in the program at the Bridge House are normally the ones that serve this mean, so we got to work along side them. It was amazing to spend time with them and hear their stories. Stories of great loss. Over and over their stories would start with... "...and I lost everything". It was heartbreaking but inspiring at the same time. The Bridge House is empowering these men, giving them a clean, safe environment where they are fed well and taught a skill.
Needless to say, I didn't want to leave. But we had to.
Chozen:
So, we headed home, got cleaned up, ate dinner and headed to Celebration church. We attend their 20's group Chozen. They meet on the last Tuesday of each month, and the meeting is appropriately called "Last Tuesday". It was so great to see a service that is different from Fuel. This also gave us our first opportunity to connect with the members of Chozen. They seemed really receptive to the leadership training and were so gracious and welcoming. Their worship was amazing. They sang a few songs I didn't know. It's always fun to have a change of pace and get to hear non-Mariners music.
By the end of the service, my voice had gotten even worse and I had a headache and was sick to my stomach, so I was a party pooper and had to go sleep in the car while the rest of the gang hung out with the Chozen folks.
Learnings from the day:
As were were leaving the Bridge House, I got really upset. Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with the scope of the problems in the world. I feel really small and totally helpless. Like nothing I do will ever begin to make a dent in things. Yes, it was amazing that we were able to serve those 106 men a hot lunch, but all I could think about was the fact that they probably wouldn't eat again until Thursday. Tears flowed and I was lost on how to process the day. Later, when we were at church one of the speakers Allen said something that hit home HARD. Actually, he was speaking straight to us, he said that he thought it was great we were here, but wanted to be sure that we didn't forget who we were working for. WOW. Sometimes I think God wants us to feel small. It's His way of showing us how big He is. Yes, sometimes the problems will seem overwhelming, but I am just a piece of the puzzle... one person in the body of Christ. I am completely and hopelessly reliant on Him. And, only through Him will I ever be able to begin to chip away at the sometimes overwhelmingly huge problems we face here on this earth. So, today I choose to feel small, but I feel safe. Because, I know my Father is BIG and he's got my back.
Tomorrow: Construction time! We will be working with the Crossroads Missions organization. They are building affordable homes for low income families in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the area. Ironically this area is just a few blocks down from St. Charles St., the richest neighborhood in New Orleans.
Prayer Requests: Continued recovery for me. I am writing this on Day 3 and seem to have gotten a lot better, but I need to continue in that direction. Please pray for Becky, she has been very restless and is running on empty from lack of sleep. Our time is going so fast, please pray that we don't rush it and are simply able to savor our time here with the beautiful and hospitable people of New Orleans and Celbration church.
Love to all,
Christina
It was a rough night on the cot. I tossed and turned all night and I had no voice really when I woke up, but I wasn't feeling too bad, but I knew I would have to power through the day to make it.
Good Morning New Orleans:
We woke up early and had breakfast with the other teams staying here. They start the day every morning with a devotional at 7:30, this morning Darren led it with worship and a reading out of "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers.
The Bridge House:
The teams split up and 10 went to the New Orleans Mission, and 7 of us went to the Bridge House. The Bridge House is a long term drug/alcohol addiction recovery house. They house about 70 men, who agree to live/receive treatment for a minimum of 1 year. We got to meet and work along side a lot of the men. And let me tell you, it is clear that this faith based organization is doing BIG things in the lives of these men. We worked mainly with Bruce, who had been in the program for 10 months and is currently running the kitchen and storage facilities. We spent a few hours cleaning out an area they call the "cage", which is a big room that they house all their surplus food donations. They donate this food to local churches. It was hard, dirty work as most of it was canned goods. But, we worked as a team and got it done. The place looked SOO good compared to when we walked in.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays they serve a hot lunch to homeless men. We got to opportunity to set up and serve lunch to 106 men that day! Instead of having them walk down the food line, we sat them down and brought the food to them. It was such a blessing to be able to give them a hot/large/good meal. They were all so polite, always being sure to say please and thank you. And as they would leave they would repeatedly thank us. The men in the program at the Bridge House are normally the ones that serve this mean, so we got to work along side them. It was amazing to spend time with them and hear their stories. Stories of great loss. Over and over their stories would start with... "...and I lost everything". It was heartbreaking but inspiring at the same time. The Bridge House is empowering these men, giving them a clean, safe environment where they are fed well and taught a skill.
Needless to say, I didn't want to leave. But we had to.
Chozen:
So, we headed home, got cleaned up, ate dinner and headed to Celebration church. We attend their 20's group Chozen. They meet on the last Tuesday of each month, and the meeting is appropriately called "Last Tuesday". It was so great to see a service that is different from Fuel. This also gave us our first opportunity to connect with the members of Chozen. They seemed really receptive to the leadership training and were so gracious and welcoming. Their worship was amazing. They sang a few songs I didn't know. It's always fun to have a change of pace and get to hear non-Mariners music.
By the end of the service, my voice had gotten even worse and I had a headache and was sick to my stomach, so I was a party pooper and had to go sleep in the car while the rest of the gang hung out with the Chozen folks.
Learnings from the day:
As were were leaving the Bridge House, I got really upset. Sometimes I get really overwhelmed with the scope of the problems in the world. I feel really small and totally helpless. Like nothing I do will ever begin to make a dent in things. Yes, it was amazing that we were able to serve those 106 men a hot lunch, but all I could think about was the fact that they probably wouldn't eat again until Thursday. Tears flowed and I was lost on how to process the day. Later, when we were at church one of the speakers Allen said something that hit home HARD. Actually, he was speaking straight to us, he said that he thought it was great we were here, but wanted to be sure that we didn't forget who we were working for. WOW. Sometimes I think God wants us to feel small. It's His way of showing us how big He is. Yes, sometimes the problems will seem overwhelming, but I am just a piece of the puzzle... one person in the body of Christ. I am completely and hopelessly reliant on Him. And, only through Him will I ever be able to begin to chip away at the sometimes overwhelmingly huge problems we face here on this earth. So, today I choose to feel small, but I feel safe. Because, I know my Father is BIG and he's got my back.
Tomorrow: Construction time! We will be working with the Crossroads Missions organization. They are building affordable homes for low income families in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the area. Ironically this area is just a few blocks down from St. Charles St., the richest neighborhood in New Orleans.
Prayer Requests: Continued recovery for me. I am writing this on Day 3 and seem to have gotten a lot better, but I need to continue in that direction. Please pray for Becky, she has been very restless and is running on empty from lack of sleep. Our time is going so fast, please pray that we don't rush it and are simply able to savor our time here with the beautiful and hospitable people of New Orleans and Celbration church.
Love to all,
Christina
Monday, March 24, 2008
Day 1 - March 24th
Good Evening....I'm tired so this will be quick and might not make sense!
Gettin' There:
The day started early. We had to be at the airport by 6:45. I met an older couple headed home to Dallas in line and had a chance to talk to the lady for a bit. The subject of our trip came up and she was so sweet and encouraging. We all collected at the gate and prayed together. Our flights were pretty uneventful. We arrived in Nola sometime around 4:00. So, it was a long day of travel.
Celebration Volunteer Center:
We headed straight to the Celebration Volunteer Center and had a yummy dinner. There are only three teams here this week. So, it's pretty quiet. Our team of 17, another Mariners team of about 8 and a team of about 6-7 college studets from Tennessee (sp?). That means that we are all in rooms. The rooms are quite large and are filled with about 15 military style cots. But, it's great to have a warm place to sleep, food on the table and showers!
Sights & Sounds:
After dinner we headed out to see what we could see. We drove around the 9th ward, St. Bernard Parish and downtown New Orleans. WOW. Compared to the pictures that my Aunt & Uncle brought back from their trip a year ago, not much has changed. Whole neighborhoods empty, shopping centers sitting quiet, ghost towns. And then, neighborhoods that are sad and broken down. Houses that are look unlivable. And yet, people are still living in them. It's so hard to see the conditions these people are living in. You feel kinda helpless and at times a little intimidated.
Learnings from the day:
I'm looking forward to getting started. And just getting to spend time with people. One thing I kept seeing in my mind over and over. "Instant Gratification". We are blessed with the ability to fix our car when it breaks down... or upgrade our cell phone... or get new socks when our get holey. But, imagine living in a world where you couldn't do that easily. Where you were forced to live in a house that was falling apart, growing mold, etc. and you couldn't fix it... And that was your only option... or you risk losing your house. At the end of day one, i'm just grateful.
Tomorrow: We will be working at the Bridge house (homeless shelter) and spending a couple hours riding the street cars talking to people/offering to pray. At night we will be headed to Chozen, Celebration's 20's singles ministry.
Side note: Dee, the house with the "Shame on you tourists" is still there. I felt like I was standing where you stood...
Prayer Requests: My voice is almost gone, the cold is back and kicking... please pray for a speedy recovery. Please pray for our adventures tomorrow. Group dynamics.
Love to all,
Christina
Gettin' There:
The day started early. We had to be at the airport by 6:45. I met an older couple headed home to Dallas in line and had a chance to talk to the lady for a bit. The subject of our trip came up and she was so sweet and encouraging. We all collected at the gate and prayed together. Our flights were pretty uneventful. We arrived in Nola sometime around 4:00. So, it was a long day of travel.
Celebration Volunteer Center:
We headed straight to the Celebration Volunteer Center and had a yummy dinner. There are only three teams here this week. So, it's pretty quiet. Our team of 17, another Mariners team of about 8 and a team of about 6-7 college studets from Tennessee (sp?). That means that we are all in rooms. The rooms are quite large and are filled with about 15 military style cots. But, it's great to have a warm place to sleep, food on the table and showers!
Sights & Sounds:
After dinner we headed out to see what we could see. We drove around the 9th ward, St. Bernard Parish and downtown New Orleans. WOW. Compared to the pictures that my Aunt & Uncle brought back from their trip a year ago, not much has changed. Whole neighborhoods empty, shopping centers sitting quiet, ghost towns. And then, neighborhoods that are sad and broken down. Houses that are look unlivable. And yet, people are still living in them. It's so hard to see the conditions these people are living in. You feel kinda helpless and at times a little intimidated.
Learnings from the day:
I'm looking forward to getting started. And just getting to spend time with people. One thing I kept seeing in my mind over and over. "Instant Gratification". We are blessed with the ability to fix our car when it breaks down... or upgrade our cell phone... or get new socks when our get holey. But, imagine living in a world where you couldn't do that easily. Where you were forced to live in a house that was falling apart, growing mold, etc. and you couldn't fix it... And that was your only option... or you risk losing your house. At the end of day one, i'm just grateful.
Tomorrow: We will be working at the Bridge house (homeless shelter) and spending a couple hours riding the street cars talking to people/offering to pray. At night we will be headed to Chozen, Celebration's 20's singles ministry.
Side note: Dee, the house with the "Shame on you tourists" is still there. I felt like I was standing where you stood...
Prayer Requests: My voice is almost gone, the cold is back and kicking... please pray for a speedy recovery. Please pray for our adventures tomorrow. Group dynamics.
Love to all,
Christina
Thursday, March 20, 2008
3 Days til' launch...
Just wanted to post a quick update before we leave:
Well, we are about 3 1/2 days out from our trip. And, I have come down with a head cold. Sore throat, congestion, and that "fun" loopy feeling that comes along with it... can't talk or think very well right now. Please pray for my health. It's not fun to be sick, especially away from home. Actually, please pray for the health of our entire team while you're at it!! :)
There is so much prep to do before I leave... @ Home/Work/School. And, so I really think that this is God's way of telling me to slow down.
THANK YOU sooo much to everyone who has supported me! Prayers/Financially/Emotionally... including "attagirls" I want you to know that you are going on this trip with me and without your support I wouldn't be going.
Be sure to check back for updates. I am going to try my best to post words/pictures daily.
Love to all,
Christina
Well, we are about 3 1/2 days out from our trip. And, I have come down with a head cold. Sore throat, congestion, and that "fun" loopy feeling that comes along with it... can't talk or think very well right now. Please pray for my health. It's not fun to be sick, especially away from home. Actually, please pray for the health of our entire team while you're at it!! :)
There is so much prep to do before I leave... @ Home/Work/School. And, so I really think that this is God's way of telling me to slow down.
THANK YOU sooo much to everyone who has supported me! Prayers/Financially/Emotionally... including "attagirls" I want you to know that you are going on this trip with me and without your support I wouldn't be going.
Be sure to check back for updates. I am going to try my best to post words/pictures daily.
Love to all,
Christina
Monday, February 25, 2008
Team Picture
FUEL - New Orleans - 2008 - Leadership Team
Justin Sogoian, Holli Linley, Phil Casalegno, Jeff Scott, Becky Giligan (not pictured), Liz Thomson, Adam Nichols, Kirsten Chapman, Christina Grant, Beth Beyer, Scott Bering, Dani Linthicum, Geena Heck, Kara Jeppeson, Kenny Landmon, PJ Kerr, Charlene Geddes
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