Demo then Dancin'

A 45 minute trip north of NOLA, as the common acronym goes, is the small town of Slidell, LA. We arrived there on bus around 9:15 this morning, along with 190 other Kansans to help a small restore their sanctuary and grounds. Some volunteered for drywall duty; others pulled carpet, fixed small engines, trimmed trees, or prayed over us all. Our group was aces when it came to volunteering, working hard, and using teamwork. The church ladies made us great sandwiches for lunch and the pastor brought us all ice cream…I’ve never seen it melt in 2 minutes before! Despite the heat, we labored until about 2:30pm and got on the bus to head home. We were given a unique surprise on the way home as we took a detour and drove through the 9th Ward. There we observed the residue of Katrina and the continual efforts of restoration. We all agreed that the steps forward that we helped the church in Slidell make, strengthened our belief in what we can do as the body of believers serving our fellow man. But the 9th Ward shows us how much more there is to do.
After an hour of cooling off and cleaning up in our hotel, we had our debriefing meeting and set out on the town to experience the night life of New Orleans. We headed to Michaul’s, and as the sign states, it Cajun food and Cajun Fun. A great buffet of Jambalaya, spiced beans, and garlic butter bread (and mac ‘n’ cheese if you needed it) was mixed with live music, lots of energy, and a huge dance floor. Everybody who helped with the service project was there, so it was nice to see them again. All the girls danced, and some of the boys…typical. I told the guys that I’ll have to commit and SNL night to teach them all to dance. They were pretty receptive : ).
Day two was great ya’ll…ahem…sorry…you all. Tomorrow we go on a swamp tour on airboats. Pray for our safety and our continued growth. The bonding through similar experiences is irreplaceable. This group is going to return as a solid core and with your help, an influential one. God bless.
PS: Your question to ask the Youth: Which was harder, the 20 hour bus ride to New Orleans or the 2 hour bus ride back from the service project?