Hi, my name is Paul...

...and I will be a junior in high school this year. I am not a big fan of writing what I'm thinking but here goes…

Before the trip I had the mindset of “Well, I have never been to New Orleans before, I might as well go on a trip down there!” Since I have come back home I realized I was going on the mission trip for all the wrong reasons.

While on the mission trip, God really opened my eyes and showed me that is not all about me. I was put on a team that was doing more of the work projects then serving with the kids. I was unable to go to the zoo or help out with the carnival. I learned that it doesn’t matter if people see you working or not. Mowing lawns all around the city is just as important as going to the zoo with the kids!

On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, Josh, Drew and I were able to talk with Cordell. He is a 55-year-old man, and the first day we just listened to him and he told us his life story and all about the hurricane. He told how he helped his entire family get back on their feet after the storm. Then on the second day we were able to ask more questions about salvation: “Do you believe in the Bible? Is there a heaven and a hell? Where do you think your spirit goes after death?”

I know these questions really made him think hard. I think between the three of us we helped straighten out some ideas of his. As we were leaving on Wednesday evening, we told him about the Castle Rock Church, and suggested he should check it out sometime. He said he knew where it was and maybe he would check it out on Sunday.

Both nights we held hands with Cordell and prayed for him. I think praying out loud and in a group really was a good thing. Talking with Cordell was the highlight of my trip for sure. I will never forget Cordell’s accent and the conversations that happened those nights.

I hope I have a chance to share my faith like I did in New Orleans in the near future here in Sheboygan. You never have to travel far to talk with someone about Christ. I hope this trip changed the way I look at “mission trips”. I have left a piece of my heart in New Orleans on the porch at Cordell’s house. –Paul B.

Nikki's realizations & prayer...

New Orleans.
Down there, we're so intentional.
We are, it seems, always "on."
Always looking for opportunities:
opportunities to love those rejected by others;
opportunities to give and serve without considering personal risk or cost;
opportunities to speak truth and hope and life into the heart of one who so desperately needs it;
opportunities to let Jesus use us in whatever way He chooses.

I'm convicted.  Deeply.
Here, in my small midwestern town,
day to day life finds me
comfortable.
lazy.
apathetic.
Shamefully, I'm not looking for those same opportunities when I leave my home.
I want my personal time.
I don't want the needs of others to infringe on my own life.
In my heart, I'll "cross on the other side" when seeing one who is different from me.
I don't want to give till it hurts; don't want to risk anything.
I often waste God-given opportunities to speak Jesus' words of life into the hearts of those who are without hope.
The contrast is stark.
And the realization hurts.

I long for my heart to reflect Jesus in the ways I love and give and serve everyday, not just for a week every couple of years.
I don't want to have to go somewhere else for God to move my heart with compassion for the lost;
I want to be tender and sensitive to their needs when I go to the grocery store, the baseball bleachers, or my own front yard.
It's not a matter of simply trying harder or doing better.
It's all about Jesus:
His extravagant love poured out on me.
And me, learning to love Him more and more
and being a willing, available vessel through which He can do His thing.
That's my longing and my prayer.

Kelsey's reflections...

Wow! This trip was so much more than I expected. I knew that God was going to do amazing work in my life, but I wasn’t sure how. To give a little background, my dad volunteered to drive down there with us after our initial travel plans went haywire. Pre-trip I was worried that it would be weird having my dad there and didn’t really want him to go, not that I told anyone that. Now, after having him along, I know that our travel arrangements were completely an act of God. Sharing this amazing experience with my dad was such a blessing! We grew so much closer and really got to re-connect.

Another experience God blessed me with was the prayer walk. On this amazing journey, we went to St. Monica’s, the church and school that Castle Rock is renovating, and got to pray for it. This amazing time of prayer not only included Castle Rock’s plans, but also prayers for the former congregation. This got very emotional for me when we were in the classrooms. The date on the chalkboards was August 26, 2005; just 3 days before Hurricane Katrina. We were also able to read the kids’ journals, kids who are my age, and see their comments about the sunny, pretty weather just a few days before disaster. Praying for these kids, who I will never meet, really impacted me. The whole trip to St. Monica’s showed me the awesome power of prayer, something I’d never really thought much about before.

This whole trip really just reminded me how much I have to thank God for. I grew up with loving Christian parents, a nice home, great schooling, a safe neighborhood. The kids down there don’t have these things, yet they are so content with what they have. An hour of my time is enough to make their whole day brighter, yet when I’m at home often I can’t find 15 minutes to help those in need. God really just laid it on my heart that I need to be content with what I have, and use what I have to help others.

I am so thankful that I was able to go down to New Orleans. The experiences I had, the people I’ve met, and the things I’ve learned will stick with me for life. Thank you for all your prayers and support!  ~ Kelsey T.

Cary considers...

I’m a bit introverted so even writing about my experiences in a blog is a little out of my comfort zone but then again the last ten days of July were a lot out of my comfort zone. I was not even thinking about being on this trip and didn’t find out I was going until less that twenty-four hours before we left. Needless to say, I was not prepared.

About three hours into the very rainy start of our trip, warning lights went on in the lead van and something visible was hanging from below. After exiting the freeway, we searched for any sign of civilization and finally came across a small town which fortunately housed an auto service center. As we all emptied out of the vans and into the waiting area, something special was waiting. The wait area was decorated in Bible verses and various pictures and plaques distinctly putting the Christian owner’s faith on display. After a short time on the hoist, we were ready to get back on the road – at no cost. God made His statement that He would be very active in our trip.

We arrived safely and spent the weekend training for what was to come. On Monday morning I prayed a prayer that I don’t think I ever had prayed before. I asked God to make any opportunities He placed in front of me to be made very clear to me. He knows that I sometimes have a hard time listening. On Monday evening in one of the projects called Melph, a six year walked over to me and befriended me. Soon after he grabbed my hand and was walking me to his home to get a drink of water. After he went into the house, I was “greeted” first by his mother and then his father. Neither seemed too delighted to have me there but at that moment I knew that God had given me an opportunity. The next morning, a youth pastor from Michigan was having severe back problems so I drove him to the emergency room at the hospital in downtown New Orleans.  Time seemed to stand still as I waited four hours before he would return. Many of the others in the waiting room seemed to be just as tired. As I began conversations with several of my new “roomies”, I knew that God had given me opportunities. Even on the way home filling the gas tank and talking to a lone motorcyclist on his way back to Georgia, I knew God had given me an opportunity.

As we completed our drive home and I was reflecting on all that had taken place, I couldn’t shake a question that Josh had been asking all week long – what about Monday?  Although it was out of my comfort zone to approach strangers about the Gospel, what would I do when the trip was over? Then, I would be with my co-workers, my neighbors, acquaintances and family. Talking to them would be a lot more uncomfortable.

But what God reinforced to me over the course of this trip was that all I needed to do was to be faithful and that He would do the heavy lifting. So, Monday morning came and I prayed that prayer and my mini missions trip continues.  ~ Cary T.

From Amanda's heart...

It's hard to sum up the incredible things I learned on this trip in a blog entry, but I'll do my best. One of the main things I think God was teaching me this week was that His timing and will were perfect. At the beginning of the week, I was slightly disappointed to find out that my group was going to be doing two work projects, which meant I would spend some less time with the kids. That was a bit of a disappointment because going into the trip, I had assumed that all my time would be spent with the kids. However, the demolition work that we did ended up being one of the highlights of the trip. I think God was telling me that He knew what He was doing, and that if I would just be flexible and be open to what He was trying to teach me, I'd hear from Him.

Another thing that I learned was from one of our speakers. One of the leaders at the church was giving us chapel one day, and he was talking about struggles with sin. Something he said really stuck with me. He said that if you say that you're “struggling” with a sin, are you truly fighting that sin and working to repent from it with God's help, or have you given up the fight and accepted the sin? That kind of hit me because I'm constantly over-worrying about things in my life, things that don't need extra worry, but I had given up and accepted it. I now realize that it's important to be constantly seeking after the Lord and working to overcome the anxiety and be at peace in the Lord.

Another thing God was teaching me was that I didn't necessarily have to be amazing with words or make incredible connections with the kids in order to make a difference. I was a little disappointed towards the end of the week because it seemed like I hadn't made any big difference in any child's life. However, God reminded me in a way that just playing with the kids, loving them, and being there for them could make just as much of an impact. He also reminded me that it wasn't all about ME coming and teaching the kids, He wanted me to learn something from the trip as well, which I did. I learned how lucky I am to have grown up in a wonderful Christian household, I learned that His timing and will are perfect, and I learned that I need to love any kids in my own life not just the kids I meet while I'm on a trip.

It was an incredible week, and I am so glad I was able to go. In the words of Castle Rock Church, what I'm taking from this trip is to “love God with all ya got, and love people 'til ya drop!” ~ Amanda M.