back home!

It is hard to sit here and try to figure out how to do a final summary of the trip. We had such an amazing experience together. Especially when participating in an event with 37,000 other people, you expect that there are going to be some glitches in the way things work, but we really can’t complain about anything. Our hotel was awesome, our service day was more than any of us expected, the air boat tour of the swamp was fantastic, the gathering events were exceptional, but above all it is the group of people from our congregation that have surrounded one another that have made the trip amazing. What a group of people! To sit back and watch (wait a minute…there was much more walking than sitting…) as the group of people that came together from Zumbro as individuals become a group of people travelling as one body of Christ together is always such a joy. Mollie said it best one tired evening when she exclaimed, “Holy Spirit…PRESENT!” Indeed the Spirit was alive in this group. As we return home it is my prayer that the Spirit that this group carries with them will be contagious to all of those around them. Watch out – the Spirit is on the loose!

service day photos

Here's a few more pictures from the trip. I don't think we've posted many yet from our service site on Saturday. We were at a place called Sebastopol Plantation. It was located in the middle of St. Bernard's Parish. The plantation property was very large but in need of much fixing up. The house was beautiful and filled with tons of antiques. The owner of the property, Miss Alberta, is turning it into a non-profit space to become a community center, with hopes of holding community meetings and hosting school groups for educational purposes. It is a beautiful place and Miss Alberta has a wonderful dream for the property. It was fun to be at this true southern plantation and take part in meaningful work.

This front porch is where we gathered for lunch and to take shelter from the storm (see pictures below).

Here's Miss Alberta with Diane.

Jackie and Katie doing a little yard clean up!

Kellen, Cooper, Sam and Graham made up one of the teams that was tearing down some of the chain linked fence.

a note from Shandi B.

Many people thought the New Orleans trip would change us, and that came to be true. We all changed in one way or another. We changed by lessons we learned, making new friends, and growing in faith. Who knew that 37,000 people together could help make a difference? Who knew that one person could make a difference?

A huge thank you goes to Lisa for all her hard work. This trip would have not been possible without her. We all thank her for everything. Whether it is to talking about poop, to forgetting the alphabet, to laughing out loud. We all enjoyed everything Lisa :)

To all the chaperones, thank you so much for your help. This trip also wouldn’t have been possible without you also. You all were amazing. I personally thank you all.

To my fellow participants, this week has been amazing. Friendships started, grew, and became better. I was glad to share this whole experience with this group.

All in all, this trip changed my life personally. I was so happy to have gone on this trip. I can’t wait to go out and make a difference in the community.

the 9th ward and the people in orange

You’d think that by now I would remember that the trip is going to “happen” to me, too. Yet every school year I work on planning out the details of the trip, we do the fundraisers, I collect forms and forms and forms…and all the while I never remember that I am going to be a participant on the trip, too. And every year something happens that hits me like a ton of bricks when I least expect it. This year is no exception. Truly, many of the experiences were more meaningful to me personally than I would have ever expected. (I’m certain that I had even more fun on this gathering as an adult leader than I did as a high school student.) But the experience that completely took my breath away was on Saturday afternoon when our bus stopped in the 9^th Ward of New Orleans. We stopped at this memorial that was created for the victims of Katrina and Rita and I found myself speechless. (Yes, every once in awhile I don’t have something to say.) It was so difficult to stand in a place where we know so many people lost their lives. As I looked at the memorial and looked down the neighborhood streets, the only words that could come out of my mouth were to gather those around me to uplift the people of the 9^th Ward in prayer. What a powerful moment as we stood on this sacred ground and joined hands in prayer.

You may have noticed that on the day that gathering participants did service work we all wore matching orange t-shirts. This means that on any given day of the gathering you could spot 12,000 people wearing orange t-shirts and serving around New Orleans. It didn’t take long for the people of New Orleans to know who the people in orange were (the Lutherans) and what they were doing (God’s Work, Our Hands). As we stood outside at the memorial in the 9^th Ward, cars and cars and cars of people honked their horns and waved as they drove past us. They were saying thank you to the people in orange and acknowledging what we were doing. Pretty powerful.

Miss Alberta, the woman that owned the plantation that we did our service work on, told a story of those people in orange. She told us of how she was out in the city and some people asked her, “Who are those people in orange?” Miss Alberta’s response was, “Oh, I know who those people in orange are. They are our angels.”

"Live, Be, and Share Christ"

We are approaching Iowa and I am feeling WRECKED yet a bit reflective. Wrecked only in a physical way, emotionally I am overflowing with a rejuvenated, hopeful, and joyful spirit. This blog has been a fantastic way to put into writing some of what has happened on our journey this week to seek Justice, learn Jazz and feel Jesus.

Hearing from a man who has no legs call to 37000 youth to stand up for change and service in their community as he leaped from his wheel chair to his hands was one of the strongest calls for Justice I have ever experienced.

Jazz, the improvisation of music taught all of us what Jazz meant in our lives and the lives of residents in New Orleans. Improvisation in faith; to meet and love people where they are at; to add the talents, service and passion of others together to be the change of our world is the only way to address the challenges of poverty, disease, disaster, and despair that is in our world. This week was a true call to the world starting with our 37000 teens for a MINGA; a coming together to do work and service for the common good.

I feel so lucky this week to have experienced feeling Jesus. Sitting in the Super Dome to worship this morning I couldn’t help but to think of the images during Katrina of the place we were worshiping; the numbers of people, the panic, the hurt, the pain, the loss, the feeling of hopelessness. Yet all this week the dome was filled with joyous songs, powerful stories of service, magical moments of the spirit working in that place that brought hope and love, it brought to the dome what this week did for my heart and spirit; it brought a reconciliation, a reason to rejoice, an overflowing sense of rejuvenation and joy.

If you were a youth, had a youth or were an adult on this trip you know just how lucky our community is to have such fantastic youth leading our congregation in service. If you are reading just to keep up with someone you know I can assure you from this experience our future in the hands of these youth could not be better.

Thanks you Lisa Kipp for allowing me to be on this journey, your leadership and love for our youth is an inspiration, thank you. To all you youth remember the call of our Bishop to “Live, Be and Share Christ”.

Worship Pics

Pastor Wayne Counting our Ducks...