College Mission Trip - New Orleans

I was so very proud of our college students when they approached me earlier this year about doing another mission trip to New Orleans. Several of them went on a mission trip in 2006 which was the summer after Hurricane Katrina devastated that area and they wanted to go back. We weren't able to work around everyone's schedule so not everyone was able to go with us but we also had some join us for their very first mission trip. It's never too late to catch the mission "bug."

We spent the night at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock, on the way down and had a fun time going out for Mexican food and watching a movie in their elaborate youth building.

Our first night in New Orleans we attended a Zephyr's baseball game. Ironically, it was too chilly for everyone but me that we left early. Mission work in New Orleans in May is definitely a better choice!
We reported for duty at Musician's Village. "Musicians' Village is a new neighborhood built around a music center where musicians can teach and perform. Musicians Harry Connick Jr. and Branford Marsalis teamed up with Habitat for Humanity International and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to create the village for New Orleans musicians who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina."

We were assigned to work with site supervisors, Eric & Andrew on a home for our new friend, DD. We were given challenging jobs but Eric and Andrew were excellent supervisors. They were available if anyone needed help or to show us how to do things correctly but then they let us do the job. We hung soffett and siding, built the front porch, hung door frames and baseboards and more.

By the end of the week, we all felt like we had made a difference! We made several friends along the way which made the journey even richer.

On the way home from work, we stopped at a hole in the wall for a sno-ball. It must be the southern version of a sno-cone but it's basically the same thing with sweetened condensed milk poured over the top. yum!!

We did manage to get in a little play time. We spent an evening down at the French Quarter - and even walked down Bourbon Street. We had a contest to see who could collect the most beads and I beat them all by a long shot. However, we decided what happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans.

It was a fabulous week with an amazing group of semi-young people!!