I have just finished saying all my goodbyes and am sitting at the airport waiting for my flight home with mixed feelings. I am ready to be back in California and excited about my January classes, but have made many good friends during my time here, and it is hard to leave them behind. I have already arranged to return for a week in March, so I know it is more of a “see ya later” than “goodbye” which has certainly made the farewells easier!
The last couple of weeks have been full of fun, laughter, and friends. A team arrived from South Africa in the middle of the night after delays, lost luggage, and a quick trip through snowy airports. The team had five teenage girls with them, and about half the team was under 25. Their energy and enthusiasm was amazing. They bounced out of bed each day ready to work, struggling through their jet lag without complaint, and they still had the energy to play when the day was done. The only drawback was that they liked to shop……and, to make matters worse, their favorite store was WalMart. We made the trip at least four times during their two week stay, until, finally, they decided they didn’t like WalMart any more…….. on their last day!
The team was 22 strong, and in the first week they ripped through three and a half houses. I have rarely seen a team work with such
persistence and energy. The weather was cool,
which helps a lot, but they still were like a bunch
of locusts ripping through a field of corn! The first
house we worked on belonged to Jose Fracois, a local musician, who worked side by side with us despite having a torn rotary cup in his shoulder. He blessed the team with his spirit and gave everyone a CD of his music to take home. The second and third houses belonged to an older lady who is confined to a wheelchair. She is staying in Mississippi at the moment, but her brother and nephew came down to meet us. The team was so excited about gutting that they asked for another house for their second week, which they had to work around trips to Mississippi and working at St. Mark’s.
As well as gutting homes the team spent time with the Awesome Girls program, especially the teenagers. They soon formed a bond that stretched beyond race, class, color, and ethnicity, and the girls were sharing their lives and dancing together. Four of them stayed behind one day to paint one of the Awesome Girls rooms, which is being renovated as the office for the new social worker who will be beginning in the New Year. They even stayed up until midnight to put the finishing touches to the trim.
I was gone most of the second week of their stay on a much needed break in
I returned just in time for the Awesome Girls ‘Tree Lighting Ceremony.’ This is an annual event where the girls perform for their parents and friends, a celebration of their growth and a time for them to give back to the community. They invited the South African girls to be a part of it, and it was a blessed evening of dance, song, drumming, and prayer. One highlight was when one of the new Awesome Girls sang Silent Night, and, even after her voice cracked with fear, continued with a heart felt rendition of the song. The Lord’s Prayer was spoken in Soto, a South African language, and their national anthem was sung in several different languages. A small tree was lit as a symbol that no matter how you or others view you, it is important to shine your light into the world. It was a beautiful return to the city.
Since Friday it has been round after round of goodbyes, with some tears, lots of laughter and many sharing of blessings. I have learnt during my time in NOLA that I really am more extroverted than I knew, I have loved working with the many teams that have come through, and I can ask for help! The rest still remains to be discovered as I continue to process.
Thank you ALL for your prayers, letters, e-mails, and phone calls. I would not have been able to do the work I did without my angels from God supporting me. Have a blessed Christmas, and a great 2007!
With love in Christ,
Alison.
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