Thursday morning arrived and by 6:45 am, most of us were in the cafeteria for our daily coffee, diet coke and/or runny eggs and a shout out from the lady whom we had lovingly named The Breakfast Nazi. Each morning she would give us a gentle shout that we had only 3 minutes left, although some of us had only been there for 2, before we had to get out of there. I have never seen biscuits and gravy stabbed whole by a fork and scarfed down in one bite by so many wet headed boys, in an effort to avoid the 30 second call, in my life! Following breakfast each morning we had morning devos. It was good to begin the day in the Word and with a fresh falling of the Holy Spirit for a day of service and submission.
The Excite camp BYBC ended on Thursday and so we made the decision just to pull out the stops and do everything we could to finish the week in three days. The dramas were an excellent way to relate the Word without having to do a traditional Bible story. The students really stepped up and made their characters come alive to effectively get the point across. They worked with last minute run throughs and very simple costumes and props. I kept reminding them that it wasn't "Broadway". We did a couple of crafts, played a couple of games, sang a couple of songs and finished with the dramas. To close the day, we used the "blooming flowers" to wow the children and left them with the message that God is love. The Excite campers and leaders gave us a certificate of appreciation as our time together came to a close.
Because I wasn't at the other BYBC, I don't have a play by play of what they did. I do know this, however - they were consistent and loved on the children every day. They could have easily just decided to go somewhere else or do something else, but they had made a commitment to these neighborhood children and their parents and they were determined to see it through. They endured the heat and humidity, the rough vacant lot they had to use as a playground, and the inconsistency of the children as they came and went freely. They were a great example of stability in a very unstable environment.
Thursday afternoon, some of the boys, Emily and Kayla and Greg decided to go to the 9th Ward to finish the yard which we had started on Wednesday. They had a mower and weed-eater available to them that day. They used shovels and rakes and removed stumps and weeds once again. They cleared the yard of metal and trash and in the end, they had made an incredible difference. Everyone worked hard. Everyone went away with a sense of satisfaction of a job well done.
Those who opted out of the yard work were sent to the food bank. We went with the expectation of making up boxes of food to be given out to individuals or sacking up beans and rice for individual distribution or something of that nature. We expected to be working in a clean air conditioned warehouse and didn't think about other people being there, too. Wow, did we get a surprise! We were shown a quick video of the jobs that are done at the food bank and given a brief overview of what to expect. On the video when they mentioned "ruined food" and "gnawed on boxes" that was when I realized that we weren't in Kansas any more. We were ushered out to a loading dock and introduced to our supervisor. I can't remember her name, but I wouldn't want to play a contact sport with her. We were told to join a table and just had to find a place to stand between seasoned volunteers and with others who were new to the work, as well. There was a group of senior citizens who volunteered on a regular basis at the food bank who were there in full force that day. They pulled, lifted, slung things, and barked orders. Some of them were gruff and I actually think may have growled. We were brought banana boxes filled with every imaginable kind of food and non-food items to be sorted. We would look them over and decide if they were keepers or if they needed to be tossed. We were told to use our judgement, deciding if we would want to take the product home with us to use. Scarlett and I agreed that we would not have taken any of it home with us. We saw crushed cereal boxes, out-dated products, slimy bottles of water, and even a box of food full of maggots - yuck! When we found something that was too old or had peanuts or tree nuts in it, we had to toss it out. All of the discarded food went into a huge dumpster bind that was on the lower deck behind us. At one point the supervisor began going through the dumpster, questioning our decision making and taking some things back out to be re-boxed. Finally everyone left except our group and we finished up the job and cleaned up the loading dock. I must say, this was my least favorite job of the week! I wanted to go back to the dorm and just stand in the shower! I was reminded, however, that when you are hungry, you will eat what is offered you. God is great, God is good - Let us thank Him, for our food! Amen.
Thursday night we enjoyed a time of worship again. We were awed that the Father planned for the MLab pastor to speak on Paul as a captive in his own house, under house arrest - the very lesson that our own Paul and Brutus drama had depicted to the children that week. This was not planned. Mission Lab did not give us the material and didn't know what we were using. I love the way God orchestrates the lessons He wants us to learn - giving them to us over and over in different ways and forms and through the words of different people.
The girls had a "To dye for" party on Thursday night. Their favorite guinea pig was Mickey. I honestly think they could talk him into anything. He is a sucker for the teenage girls in our youth, remembering days of old with his own girls. They had purple hair dye and were itching to use it in his lovely silver hair. They like to give just a streak or "high-light" of color to their victims, and so the process began. Amberly donned the gloves and the quirt bottle came out. There, surrounded by the experts, Mickey received his first streak of permanent purple dye. He will be having job interviews in the next week or two, hopefully...wonder how that will do? These girls have left their mark on him, but not only with a bottle of dye. He loves their drive, commitment and desire to serve their God. What a privilege to live and work among them!
Friday was our last day. Both groups worked together at the 7th Ward BYBC. There were way too many of us and so we made the decision for some of us to prayer walk the neighborhood. This was my favorite day. We split up into three groups, each having an adult and three to five students. The group that I was with were privileged to pray as we walked, stopping on occasion to speak to a passer-by or someone sitting on their porch and then to pray for their specific needs. No one was hostel, and in fact, not even negative. Everyone that we asked was ready to give us their requests and very glad we were praying for them. That day we, and the other prayer walkers, learned so much about the people of the 7th Ward. We learned that they, too, once had a life. They once had cars and jobs and family around. We learned that they live in fear of the crime surrounding them and that they don't want the crime to continue. We learned that Katrina had not only devastated lives but had also changed lives for Christ's sake. We learned that some people were happy and doing just fine and that others had illnesses and family problems. We discovered that community and family was important and that the people of New Orleans desired both. I was compelled, as were some others, to reach out and touch the people as we prayed for them. We prayed that through God's answers men would be drawn to Jesus. We returned to the street and the small vacant lot where the BYBC was still going on and joined the rest of the group there. It was a delight to watch the children leaving with their treasures in hand - hoola hoops, balls, and jump ropes - as they also took away the knowledge of a Savior who loves them as they were embraced by students who had been His hands and His feet that week.
Finally Friday afternoon arrived. This was the day designated for a trip to the French Quarter where the gift of the Worship Project would be given to the tourists, artists and shop keepers who passed by Washington Artillery Park. It turned out to be a rough beginning. We couldn't find the park and drove around and around. Finally, we found the park and realized that we would have to park a distance and walk with instruments and other items needed for the set up. Lacey got permission to park in front of the steps leading to the park where the Worship Project would be presented. That was a blessing. The instruments were pulled together and Renda and I "babysat" them until we realized that they could be moved to a location which would not require us to sit in the beating down hot sun. Finally, we found the electrical outlets that we had been told we would find and set up began. Mickey's "well oiled machine" went to work. Right on time, at 3:00 pm, the Worship Project began. We didn't really have a captive audience and only a few stayed to hear the complete message, but that is when we realized how powerful the words are and how critical that the message could be delivered in such a manner. The songs are full of single messages that are repeated and shouted out which can stand alone without explanation - "I can't image life without You", "Our God reigns", "You are stronger" "Chains are broken, lives are changed". Anyone hearing just a few words - maybe just one line - could be effectively ministered to, just by walking by. Jesus name literally hung in the air in the French Quarter. When the students had torn down all the equipment and it had been stored away, we all split up and became tourists ourselves. I think everyone had a beniet at Cafe Du Monde before we loaded up to go. We were so tired, but happy and felt blessed to have been a part of a week of missions and worship in New Orleans.
Saturday morning we loaded up early and headed back to Arkansas. As we dragged our suit cases into the camp dorm where we were staying on Saturday night, hardly a word was spoken. Everyone claimed a bed and some fell into it without even changing clothes. We needed sleep and to get prepared for the long day ahead. Sunday the Worship Project would be given to two small churches, Sunday morning and Sunday night, with many parents and friends in attendance. It was a great way to end a wonderful week, praising the Father and giving glory to His name.
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