Return to New Orleans

One of the missionairies, Kerry, who lives in New Orleans part of the year, recently had to return to attend to his partner who was suffering from a life-threatening illness. It became an ordeal when he discovered that the services one takes for granted in most places, were not readily available in the city. He ended up driving his partner to Hammond, 70 miles north west of the city for the treatment and care he needed.

This, my friends, is another reason we are planning to return to New Orleans. On October 27 we are planning another trip. At least one week, maybe two. Maybe doing the same, maybe something different. What will be interesting will be to see how much progress has been made since we were there in January.

The sad thing is, we do not expect much will have progressed--at least not enough.

Even Now

Sometimes, when I am alone in the quiet of the early morning, I can hear New Orleans calling to me. Her soft whisper and perfume come to me on a wayward breeze. She is still sad.. pining for her lost ones that lay forgotten in the rubble. Yes, she is sad but she is a powerful lady and her grief has made her stronger... stronger than hate, stronger than ignorance, stronger than beaurocracy. She promises me she will rise better and more beautiful. Here in the morning mists, I tell her she is already more beautiful with her scars and lines of worry. She is majestic and calm... waiting and listening to the sound of the night birds and the rushing waters of the Mississipppi. She also listens for your prayer... for your benediction and your hope. She listens for your arrival and longs for the touch of your heart and your hands. You are the answer to her prayers and to her hopes for her people. See her for yourself, let her in... give yourself to the journey... pray for her, hope for her, never forget... I can't... even now.

Reunion

Yesterday, most of us who were on the Mission Trip, were reunited to participate in an open forum on our experience in New Orleans. We viewed a Powerpoint presentation of the sights and sounds we experienced while there. We had a lunch together with the forty or so people who came to hear about the trip. And we conducted a panel Q&A.

It was, I believe for all of us, like we had just left Feliciana Avenue, just closed up the house on Galaxy Way, just toured the devastation of the 7th ward or St. Bernard's Parish. We all know for sure we will never be the same people we were before we went.

The group of people who were in N.O. the week before us from the Redlands UCC came to hear us. It was validation of our feelings, our reactions, our sense of what went on because they said, yes, that is just what they experienced.

It was a very satisfying, yet disturbing session. The tears are still just below the service. We have all gone back to our day to day lives, but things have changed. Priorities, paradigms and dreams have shifted.

And we all agree, we need to go back.

Rob

Press Enterprise Covers the Mission in N.O.

Hit this linke for local coverage of our mission.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_katrina23.1c61e4e.html

We Speak Out

On Sunday, February 24 at our church home we will tell our stories of our mission trip to New Orleans. I think we all ready to talk yet we are all wondering what it will be like. How will we be able to communitcate the sights, the sounds, the smells? Can anyone truly understand who has not been there? Will we ourselves ever truly understand all we saw and experienced?
We will know, Sunday at noon. We have invited the folks from our sister church in Redlands who went on a similar mission trip just a week before us. We are comrades in arms. We share a similar experience. And we all feel this need to share it because we cannot just forget and move on. Our neighbors are in need. And someday, we may be in need ourselves.
Rob
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Silence Broken...a Bit on NBC

Tonight on NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams and the crew did an update on what the status of New Orleans is at this point. Click here and check out the stories. Interestting how accurate our impressions were. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/

Silence

We have all become silent. We can't really write, we don't want to talk... What does that mean? Well... for me it means that I am moving through the process. It means that I now know words are nothing in the face of what I know I need to do. Talking about what I saw and how I felt can't convey what it has done to my soul. Not damage, just change. It is something that you feel deep within.. a change in your sensibilities. Its almost as if, because I drank the water, New Orleans is in my blood. I am dismayed at human ignorance and the willingness to have emotional ADHD. There are so many people who are willing to persecute blacks and gays and Hispanics etc.(add your own minority here) using the Bible as ammunition but so few are willing to use the Bible as an impetus to get off their high horses and do something meaningful for another human being. Its weird to me. When you point your finger at someone else, you have three of your own fingers pointing back at you. I wonder sometimes if these people have heard the expression "weed your own backyard before you worry about mine.". What would happen to the world if everyone just did what Christ charged us to do when he said " Do unto others". What do you think would happen if we stopped committing the "Sin of Sodom" which, incidentally was inhospitality, not the wider spread rumor. (Look it up in Matthew). I am trying not to become jaded as I see the depths of ignorance in the world but it ain't easy. Love each other people. Even the ones that hate you. Love the ones you don't know and be especially good to the ones you love and the ones who love you. If there is peace in the home, there will be peace in the world. So before you judge, before you point your finger, be silent, think of what we are supposed to be doing here. As for me, I will think of New Orleans.