Saturday was our day for culture and learning. We planned for a day of sightseeing, touring, and just exploring New Orleans. Most of us went to the French Quarter and explored the sights there. Our kids are, let's face it, small town kids with small town experiences, and seeing their eyes light up at all the things that makes New Orleans the town it is was a real trip for me. For some, it was their first experience away from home or at least Illinois. Many had never seen the amount of "life" that is there to meet in a city like New Orleans. But what I found so amazing was how the city opened it's arms to the 38,000 Lutheran kids that had decended like a swarm upon their city. Everyone was so friendly, helpful, and kind. They knew we were there to help rebuild and renew their town, but we were also there to erase the bad memories of a horrible event that had beaten and bruised their beloved home. We spent our money there, we ate there, we ran and played, and we laughed and loved there. As Bishop Hanson said in his on Sunday, we came into the Superdome, a place that only hold bad memories for the people of New Orleans, and with our celebrating, our music, our dancing, our praising and worship, we chased those memories out of the Superdome and restored it, and many parts of the city to a happy place once again.
While out and about on Saturday, we took trolley rides, carriage ride tours, toured museums, ate some fantastic local cuisine, and we just got to know and get comfortable with New Orlean. I think that many, if not all of the LYO fell in love with the city.
My thoughts on the week came to me when talking and watching the kids from our LYO. Throughout the 5 days, they laid down their walls and let the emotion, excitement, and spirit of the conference wash over them. Some of them who you might describe as having shells around them, left those shells and blossomed. They talked with probably hundreds of other Lutheran youths and adults, spoke with people they would never normally even look in the eye, and made deeper and stronger connections with each other as a group.
All of them benefitted from the conference. I think each of them has a deeper and better understand of what it means to serve and what affect it can have on others. What we did as a group of 22 was the equivalent of doing 2 weeks worth of work in 6 hours for an organization that was incapable of doing what we did in that one short day. And with the 37,000 other students working around the town for 3 days, it was the same as if one person working 4 hours a day, for 7 days a week, 365 days a year for 96.8 years to be able to do the same amount of work. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, said in a speach to the gathering on Saturday night that there has never been a group that has come to New Orleans that has done as much for his town as the 37,000 Lutheran youths did those 5 days of the conference. Our efforts even reached the ears of the White House, with a letter from President Obama thanking us for the work we have done for the city of New Orleans. I can only hope that this experience stays with our kids and they bring that excitement back with them to Paxton.
Personally, I benifitted from the experience. Never in my life did I ever see myself participating in a event like this. I do not wear my religion on my sleeve, and am not a overly zealous celebrator in religious services. I learned something this week. I felt something this week, and I think I grew this week. I hope that I can bring something out of this experience and strengthen my family, my LYO organization, my church, and my community.
It was a fantastic experience and one I hope to repeat many times over. I grew stronger in my faith and my fellowship with those who went with me, and you know what, I grew closer with all those other thousands of people who attended the conference with me.
It was a fabulous time and I thank you all for making it possible for us to go and a huge thank you too all the LYO kids. I felt like a teenager again being with you, and think you guys are the best!
There is so much more that I could tell you, but I learned something there in New Orleans... why don't you come to me and ask me what I did or saw. Come talk to me like we talked to others in New Orleans. When we talk with each other we learn about others and we begin to understand them better and get closer with them.
Thanks!
Deane
Deane
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Service Day
Today was our Servant Event day and we were told we were going to be reading to underprivildged kids, but boy were we wrong! Instead we ended up at a YMCA that caters to a number of older people and very young kids. Instead of reading we were weeding, raking, mulching, cutting, trimming, chopping, busting rocks, hauling trash, washing windows, sanitizing and just about anything else that was needed. There is only one person that worked there as the groundskeeper and custodian and it was evident that he was getting way behind on his work. Well, never fear, FLC-LYO was there! There was great group from Chicago too that we worked with us and it was great fun. Kaleigh gives her impression of today's event. And there will be lots of photos for the next couple of blogs.
Well, we had planned to read books to little kids but we ended up at the YMCA doing yard work. We washed window, trimmed trees, bushes and pulled weeds. We also mulched and beautified the area. We also had a group from Chicago with us! We all fought the nasty fire ants and the heat along with the wasps. But we had fun meeting new people from Chicago. I felt good about what I did today. I thought that maybe the work we did would have been in a place more devastated by the hurricane, but I was more than happy to work and help here. We did make the place look much better and after realizing that the grounds and building keeper was the only one who did work, we helped him get about one week’s worth of work done in one day. I would definitely do it again. I am very excited to go to the worship service tonight and touring the French Quarter. Kaleigh Frichtl
Well, we had planned to read books to little kids but we ended up at the YMCA doing yard work. We washed window, trimmed trees, bushes and pulled weeds. We also mulched and beautified the area. We also had a group from Chicago with us! We all fought the nasty fire ants and the heat along with the wasps. But we had fun meeting new people from Chicago. I felt good about what I did today. I thought that maybe the work we did would have been in a place more devastated by the hurricane, but I was more than happy to work and help here. We did make the place look much better and after realizing that the grounds and building keeper was the only one who did work, we helped him get about one week’s worth of work done in one day. I would definitely do it again. I am very excited to go to the worship service tonight and touring the French Quarter. Kaleigh Frichtl
Thursday, July 23, 2009
A view from the kids...
This entry is composed completely written by some of the kids. It is their trip afterall...
Today was our turn to go to the interactive center which was huge with all kinds of things to do and learn about. One of the goals that we had was to get our shirts signed by as many people as we could so that we could meet new people. We got almost the entire open space on our group t-shirts signed by people from all over the country. We even got Bishop Hanson to sign it! We met a lot of people by handing out our LYO wristbands which was really cool. The speakers at the service were awesome, especially Mrs. Vaughn from Senegal who was pretty inspiring. The one thing that really hit home for us was that she said to not spend time with the “walking dead” as they are only a waste of time. The last band called Group 1 Crew was excellent. They were kind of a mix between rap and metal and hard rock. It was really cool to be part of a gathering with 37,000 other LYO kids in this city. It is really great to walk the city streets and meet people all the other people who are here for the same thing as we are. One cool thing that happened to us was that a security guard from the SuperDome saw our shirts that said, “Life is Fragile: Handle with Prayer”. It touched him because he just lost his wife in May and she used to say the same thing. We gave him one of our shirts and he was wearing it today when we saw him. We also met a Chinese man who was 87 years old and was a D-Day veteran who landed on Utah beach. He told us stories and told us that we should visit the veteran cemeteries around the country to show respect. He also told us that he never got an education and we should try to be in the top 10 percent of our classes! It was a great day! New Orleans is a great city to visit! Walking around this city is very cool! Thanks for sending us.
Julian Geiken and Esten Watson
Today was our turn to go to the interactive center which was huge with all kinds of things to do and learn about. One of the goals that we had was to get our shirts signed by as many people as we could so that we could meet new people. We got almost the entire open space on our group t-shirts signed by people from all over the country. We even got Bishop Hanson to sign it! We met a lot of people by handing out our LYO wristbands which was really cool. The speakers at the service were awesome, especially Mrs. Vaughn from Senegal who was pretty inspiring. The one thing that really hit home for us was that she said to not spend time with the “walking dead” as they are only a waste of time. The last band called Group 1 Crew was excellent. They were kind of a mix between rap and metal and hard rock. It was really cool to be part of a gathering with 37,000 other LYO kids in this city. It is really great to walk the city streets and meet people all the other people who are here for the same thing as we are. One cool thing that happened to us was that a security guard from the SuperDome saw our shirts that said, “Life is Fragile: Handle with Prayer”. It touched him because he just lost his wife in May and she used to say the same thing. We gave him one of our shirts and he was wearing it today when we saw him. We also met a Chinese man who was 87 years old and was a D-Day veteran who landed on Utah beach. He told us stories and told us that we should visit the veteran cemeteries around the country to show respect. He also told us that he never got an education and we should try to be in the top 10 percent of our classes! It was a great day! New Orleans is a great city to visit! Walking around this city is very cool! Thanks for sending us.
Julian Geiken and Esten Watson
Day two of the conference.
Ok folks... I am crunched for time. I will load photos and a bit of a summary. More will come later. Check back. I even added more to last nights post.
Today was the Interactive Center where we learned more about how we can be problem solvers and not problem makers, or more importantly, problem ignorers. There was alot of things for the kids to work on, play on, and learn about. After a full morning there, we headed over to Mulate's, the original Cajun restaurant and had a group meal. My plan was to expose the students to food that they can't get at home. Frog Legs, Oysters, Crawfish, and Cajun Jambalya and Catfish! Ga-Ron-teeed it good food! We also got to embarass Casey by making the entire restaurant sing Happy Birthday to her. We are getting ready for the worship service tonight which promises to be another spirit lifing experience. So far, the two days have been fantastic! More later!
Deane
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
New Orleans Day and Night One...
Okay. Wow! What a Day! We were one of the first groups to check into the hotel and register for the conference. And a good thing too! We took some time to swim, shower, and generally relax. I found that if you hang your swimming trunks out on the balcony rail, they have a tendency to fly away. I now have no swimming trunks. Neither does Esten. Anyway, we had a great time since nothing was planned for this afternoon until 5pm worship services. So a small group of us headed out to the French Quarter to eat some benieges and cafe au latte at Cafe du Monde. We also went to the cathedral at Jackson square and other sites before heading to the Super Dome for the worship service. And wow... what a service it was. It was high energy, heart pounding, up beat time with great speakers and bands. The pictures do not do justice to what it felt like to be in there. Let it just be said that the theme for the week is Service, Service, and Service. Give of yourselves for the greater good of the church, community, nation and world. But you don't want to hear me talk about it, but instead I will let some of the LYO kids give their take on it. Here a couple of students take on the service last night.
Wow we made it after putting the past year into fundraising, fundraising, and more fundraising. We are in New Orleans! For some of us like myself this is my second ELCA Youth Gathering Conference but for others it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This trip will be a part of us and how we were made into the great people you all know and love. You will see that the Lord has changed us for the better when we come back home. One really cool factor about this trip is we are being part of the solution not the problem. We came to New Orleans to make a difference along with thirty-eight thousand other ELCA Youth Gatherers from around the United States. We are here to change New Orleans, here to change Paxton and here to change the world! Corrinne Watson
The first day of the ELCA Youth Gathering was amazing. I was very excited about going to New Orleans. This was the first time EVER that I have been out of the "Corn Belt." The bus drive was very interesting, but fun and enjoyable. We watch movies, played card games, and exchanged stories. Finally about 1 o'clock, the bus was silent. A lot of us slept for a long time. Finally about 9 o'clock we arrived minutes away from New Orleans. We traveled over the huge lakes/rivers near New Orleans. It was so surreal to see the ports and the houses damaged just near the water. Finally, we made it to the Big Easy. All of us settled into our rooms and then took a dip in the pool. After gettin our wrist band we all went site seeing. We all have seen some really neat things so far. I honestly can't wait for tomorrow, so see the new friends we made and just to see what God has planned for us!
Love,
Kirsten Blackford!!
Wow we made it after putting the past year into fundraising, fundraising, and more fundraising. We are in New Orleans! For some of us like myself this is my second ELCA Youth Gathering Conference but for others it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This trip will be a part of us and how we were made into the great people you all know and love. You will see that the Lord has changed us for the better when we come back home. One really cool factor about this trip is we are being part of the solution not the problem. We came to New Orleans to make a difference along with thirty-eight thousand other ELCA Youth Gatherers from around the United States. We are here to change New Orleans, here to change Paxton and here to change the world! Corrinne Watson
The first day of the ELCA Youth Gathering was amazing. I was very excited about going to New Orleans. This was the first time EVER that I have been out of the "Corn Belt." The bus drive was very interesting, but fun and enjoyable. We watch movies, played card games, and exchanged stories. Finally about 1 o'clock, the bus was silent. A lot of us slept for a long time. Finally about 9 o'clock we arrived minutes away from New Orleans. We traveled over the huge lakes/rivers near New Orleans. It was so surreal to see the ports and the houses damaged just near the water. Finally, we made it to the Big Easy. All of us settled into our rooms and then took a dip in the pool. After gettin our wrist band we all went site seeing. We all have seen some really neat things so far. I honestly can't wait for tomorrow, so see the new friends we made and just to see what God has planned for us!
Love,
Kirsten Blackford!!
We are here! 14 hours later.... part two
Here are a few more photos of sleepy heads and one of the landscape as we came into Louisiana.
One more to follow after this!
One more to follow after this!
We are here! 14 hours later....
He have finally arrived in New Orleans. It was a long, long ride. It rained on us for most of the trip. We stopped in Macomb, Mississippi for breakfast around 7:30 this morning and we got to the hotel by 9:30. We are now checked in and will be registering for the conference. So we have a free day right now until 4:30. While riding we watched a couple of movies, played some euchre and talked... ALOT! But pretty much by 1am we were all asleep. When we finally pulled in to Louisiana we did see some damage done by Hurricane Katrina, but that was limited to the lake shore areas of the lakes here. Lake Ponchitrain being the most famous of those lakes.
I am including some photos for this blog entry and the next one of our ride down and arrival!
I am including some photos for this blog entry and the next one of our ride down and arrival!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Weather in New Orleans
One of my collegues is a meterologist at WILL TV AM FM and here is his educated guess at weather for New Orleans.
Temps still look like Highs 90...lows 75...daily chances for pop-up t-storms...not all day rains, but dew points in the mid 70s so if the rain don't make you wet, the sweat will.
Sunscreen and water are a must!
Temps still look like Highs 90...lows 75...daily chances for pop-up t-storms...not all day rains, but dew points in the mid 70s so if the rain don't make you wet, the sweat will.
Sunscreen and water are a must!
Here We GO!!!
By 8pm tomorrow night, 18 high school students, myself and three other adults will be making the 14 hour drive to New Orleans for the Jesus, Justice and Jazz Youth Gathering. At church on Sunday, I could tell that the excitement was building and the various Facebook posts of the youths were geared toward the trip.
This will be my first experience with this sort of thing and I don't really know what to expect, but I am sure it will be a fun, rewarding, and hopefully, spiritually fulfilling experience for everyone attending.
We will try to post to this blog as much as we can, when we can, so that everyone can keep up to date with what we are doing. Sometimes, it might just be photos, other times, we will be able to describe what we are doing, seeing, feeling, and experiencing.
We want to thank everyone who has supported us in this endeavor to go to New Orleans. We could not have done it without your help!
Wish us luck, safety, fun and fellowship!
L8r!
Deane
This will be my first experience with this sort of thing and I don't really know what to expect, but I am sure it will be a fun, rewarding, and hopefully, spiritually fulfilling experience for everyone attending.
We will try to post to this blog as much as we can, when we can, so that everyone can keep up to date with what we are doing. Sometimes, it might just be photos, other times, we will be able to describe what we are doing, seeing, feeling, and experiencing.
We want to thank everyone who has supported us in this endeavor to go to New Orleans. We could not have done it without your help!
Wish us luck, safety, fun and fellowship!
L8r!
Deane
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