Pure and undefiled religion…

James 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

This scripture really came alive during the past couple of days.  God divinely lead us to a lovely, amazing, and beautiful elderly widow named Ela May.  Ela May was born in New Orleans 82 years ago.  She and her husband are ordained ministers and her relationship with Chist speaks for itself.  The fruits of the Spirit are constantly on display with this awesome woman of God.  Seeing her lovely smile, the peace in her eyes and listening to the joy in singing, one would wonder how she does it.

Ela May’s living conditions are a little rough.  Her lovely home is basically crumbling down around her each and every day.  She does not have any running water (which means no restroom facilities) and only has electricity in certain areas of the house.  The exterior kitchen wall is beyond repair due to several years of water damage.  Certain areas of the ceiling reveal the rafters as the plaster continues to decay and crumble into pieces.  There is a section in the living room wall where the dry wall has rotted out and is now exposing the studs.  She covered this area with a blanket and acts as if it doesn’t exist.

A local outreach group called United Saints has teamed up with a national group called AmeriCorp.  They have taken on this project and call it “Ela May”.  Some of the many  plans are to replace the the exterior kitchen wall and jack the floor up in this room as well, install new plumbing throughout the house, rebuild both bathrooms from the ground up and replace and paint some of the exterior siding.

I could write about what we did at Ela May’s house but I’m pretty sure this has been covered by others.  What I am going to write about is Ela May’s faith and relationship with Christ.  This woman is absolutely amazing.  To see such love, peace, hope, faith and joy in this woman is so breath taking.  There are at least 15 people coming in and out of her house all day.  Pounding, sawing and basically ripping apart her house, Ela May isn’t the least bit distracted.  The frail body of this 82 year old woman keeps moving as if nothing is going on.  She joyfully sings as she folds her torn and tattered clothes, over and over again.  Other times she sits on her porch and just peacefully gazes across the street where a cemetary resides.  When she was asked why she decided to live there, she replied that she wanted to be closer to going to going heaven.  The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control.  Ela May, through the Holy Spirit, displays each of these fruits in such a graceful way.  Without her saying much, Ela May has really shown me an example of what it is to have a deep faith in our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.

The New Orleans mission soup kitchen..

Today Barbara, Hilary, Jason, Jp and me prepped the breakfast food and then we made grits, quiche with ham and a few other things plus we also made grits with shrimp, onions and peppers, then when they asked if anyone had any cooking skills, i was put in charge to run the new orleans mission soup kitchen this morning…

Five Star Experience – New Orleans Style

When you visit the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, you are treated to the highest level of customer experience. There’s attention to detail in every environment. The staff serve to anticipate and fulfill your needs, even when unexpressed. It’s a true five-star experience. This morning, our missions team brought a taste of this experience to serve the homeless in New Orleans. I loved every moment of it!

We partnered with Crescent City Cafe, an organization founded by a group of young women who  have a passion to meet the needs of the homeless in the inner-city – the New Orleans Mission provided the facility. The vision of the breakfast outreach event is to treat the homeless individuals like valued customers — during previous occasions, volunteers have dressed in button-up shirts and formal attire to serve. 

Our team rocked it! From cooking in the kitchen and seating the guests to serving food and clearing tables, the team was incredible in providing the highest level eating experience. Special care was placed in the presentation of the ham/cheese quiche – gotta place the garnish just so. Coffee and OJ cups were refilled quickly as customers finished their drinks. Team members even had an opportunity to pray for the needs of their table guests!

I enjoyed serving one of the breakfast tables — my table customers included everyone from a former Mardi Gras parade dancer to a man from Kansas who came to New Orleans to help in the post-Katrina relief efforts. Loved keeping up with their table orders and getting to know them. No matter what their circumstance, they were thankful for the food and experience.

I’m reminded of the verse in Matthew 25:35 when Jesus says ”For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…” Ultimately, we serve with excellence because we’re serving Jesus – we do it for Him and Him alone!

I’m so thankful for the privilege our team had to serve this morning and throughout the week. So amazing to connect with the New Orleans Dream Center! Also thankful to the Church of the King staff and their gracious hospitality — they have offered the team their own five-star experience.

Headed to the Saturday night service at Church of the King tonight — thanks to everyone for your prayers!

Jenny

Today was a great day where we got to serve the homeless breakfast. It was such a great feeling to fill their bellies with a wholesome meal! Some of us worked in the kitchen cooking the meals (which were very elbaorate!), waitors and waistresses, bus boys and girls and I was one of the hostesses. We worked alongside other volunteers and served about 150 people. The people that came were so thankful and were suprised that we actually served them because it was set up just like a restaruant. It was a great feeling!

After my job was done, I walked around and visited with some of the people there. One man couldnt eat any foods and asked in the beginning if he could even eat anything we offered. He was grateful  after explaining to him that we had OJ, coffee, milk and water, but whoever his server was made his grits extra soupy so he could drink them from a straw. haha It was a little moment like that where I felt Jesus was in that room. Then I spoke with another man and he was asking where our group was from and I got a chance to tell him about the church we have been teaming up with this week. I pray he will check it out and get a fresh revelation about who He is and be filled with joy and happiness! I was just extremely happy and couldnt stop smiling for the work we all were doing to serve these people. It was a great day, again! This trip has been incredible in every single moment, down to every detail! Praise God

The little things

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Man this trip has been about learning that. I have seen the things God has set up before us play out in so many ways. He has gone before us, come behind us and covered us throughout this whole trip. Each thing that we did was divinely appointed because each person on this trip played into the mission God had for us with such pure hearts seeking SO hard for Christ.

The entire trip there has been a spirit of love, of unity, and of truly being God’s hands and feet. I have loved walking alongside each person here. Getting to meet the Church of the King staff, as well as working with the ACCC kids. Even on the first day my thoughts were “Man I have never had to fight to serve harder than the ones I’m trying to serve.”  The spirit amongst us is so overwhelming of love. We have been pushed….in heat index of over 100, little sleep, and yet we have done nothing but laugh and share in the love that God has for us and look for more opportunities to love.

We have been blessed to meet SO MANY individuals who have shared perspectives and grown us. To see how God is moving here has moved me beyond words. We have seen poverty and hopelessness like I have never seen even internationally. Yet through it all the joy of the Lord has shown and restored hope in places that were so dark. There are some INCREDIBLE people on this trip. I can’t begin to explain how things we thought were going to work out one way indeed turned another, but the entire team was so ready to serve they didn’t care who or how and God used that in such a mighty way!!! 

I have to say for me the biggest thing I have seen is the true love of Jesus working perfectly amongst believers. I have been touched so much by the people here, by the team, and by the people we have served. I can see how perfect love truly drives out all fear. There has been a vibe or flow in this trip that has allowed me to watch the idea that what is in your heart outpours from your mouth and your actions come to life in a tangible, visible way.

Jonathan read a verse in a morning debrief the other day that really explains what has been going on around here it says:

Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor 3:12-17)

Thank you Lord for removing the veil that has covered much of this city, even in our own hearts and allowing us to see your glory SHINE!!!

God is Awesome!

Hello! Well, this week has been very surprising, amazing, and eventful to say the least. We have been working with the United Saints of America and Americorps on a couple of sites in the city the past couple of days. The girls have been working on a little church. It has been the most amazing experience! Being able to just serve God and His people is an awesome feeling. We got to work on the outside of this church, so when we started we scraped away old paint from the walls and sanded to make sure every surface was ready for new paint. Then we primed the walls. Then after that we painted and did the trimming and such. It was very hot outside and took a lot of endurance, but our team just kept at it like champs! God gave us all such a peace and joy as we worked. It was really cool. And I have to say we are not the only ones serving here in New Orleans. The people from the Church of the King and the School of Urban Missions are joyously serving us and taking such great care of us, it is crazy! I feel like God is just giving example after example of how to be a servant for Him and His people.

Another thing that has been going on is a lot of prayer. We have been praying and seeking God constantly this week for New Orleans, for the people here, the Dream Center, and for each other’s family, friends, and loved ones. We have been on two prayer walks which have both been really powerful. Prayer is definately effective and I know great things will be happening in New Orleans! Please continue to pray for us and our protection. Please pray that God touches more lives here through us these next few days, and that our hearts are opened to His will and His call, so we will do whatever it is that He has planned for us. Thanks!! God bless! I love you family =)

Heather

Hi from New Orleans!!

What an awesome adventure God has allowed me to take with Him and 11 fabulous friends.   This has  truly been an experience of a lifetime.  We came with the prayers of blessing others and God has truly blessed us more  in that process than we could have imagined.   The people we have met and served with have stretched  my faith and given me a deeper love for humanity. 

The Dreamcenter is fabulous and every servant of the Church of the King have been such a blessing to us.  I am so excited to have seen the building prior to the renevations and be privileged to hear the plans for reaching the community which are already underway. 

The projects we worked on were a challenge to our character and perserverence the girls with the church to sand, prime and paint in 90+ degree weather,  The men working on a home for an elderly lady with very impoverished circumstances.   The Lord revealed to each of us a  special glimpse of His power in community. 

My heart is soaring with all the Lord is revealing.

Time is up.  Talk again soon,

Barb

Today was incredible! We are finished with the days we can serve with The United Saints of America doing the service projects around the neighborhood. The girls pretty much finished the work on the church and our prayer is for the church to be a dwelling place for Him and to shed His love to anyone that comes into the church because it’s beautiful! Something that stood out to me was the passion the men have for the house they are working on. They are doing some intense, gross work that requires God’s power in them to get through! It’s awesome because they are doing the work with no complaints and great attitudes!

Our team has united to become a powerful, productive team. We are knocking out the projects put before us with overcoming  joy and peace that only Jesus can give.  It’s amazing to see the transformation in each of us through these experiences of serving in the New Orleans community, prayer walks around Canal St. and Bourbon St., worship together in our wonderful “home” and fellowshipping with each other. The Word says that when two or more people are united, God’s presence is there and let me tell you tonight during our walk and prayer, God was there!  Just to think of all the people that recieved our prayer for them in this city was awesome and fulfilling. I praise God for moments like this where we can pull together and make an impact.

New Orleans missions trip day 1 & 4…

On Tuesday June 23, Half of our missions group scraped, caulked and prepped the cinder block walls outside the church to be painted in the morning, then Pastor Mike from Church of the king took our group out to lunch to a place called Cafe Reconcile…

Cafe Reconcile was started by Craig 12yr’s ago to help the local community and to help people that are in rehab to learn a trade with on the job training and to help the teens in the area to learn a skill and/or trade. If you would like to learn more about what Cafe Reconcile dose please go to www.cafereconcile.com.

Today at Ella Mae’s house we finished demolition on both of her bathroom’s and removed the closet & bathtub shower unit from the back bathroom of her house…

Deadliest Catch

It’s the 5th day in New Orleans and my head is spinning with all that we have done and seen! I could go on and on but I want to just talk about a part that has truly opened my eyes…the French Quarter (this is where Bourbon Street is located).

I want to begin by saying that I went through a tough season in my life, beginning at the tender age of  14 where I was  living a life giving into my fleshly desires. I did the whole party scene, and actually worked @ Bourbon Street in Jax for a while! You know how sometimes you don’t see a situation’s impact and clarity until it’s in hindsight? Well, I can honestly say that I was truly devestated walking down the streets of New Orleans, in what is considered one of the biggest party areas of this country. Why was I devestated? B/c as I looked around me all I saw were people, young and old…searching for some sort of fulfillment, even if it only lasted until they put their head on their pillow. Women outside of the clubs, dressed in hardly anything, trying to catch the bypassers to come and enjoy themselves. Little do they know that they are the bait and they just got hooked, and reeled in. Consider it the deadliest catch. More so then emptiness in the eyes of these people, you see an evil, a sense that they have lost all hope.

We walked these streets, praying. And I thanked God for unhooking me, and setting me on a solid foundation…one where I was no longer the bait …living for myself and doing all the things that this evil world seduces us to do…but now I can help catch those who are about to be pulled under, and also those who have sunk to the very bottom.

I read an interesting verse in 1 Peter 4:3-4, which says, “For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood or dissipation, speaking evil of you.”  *I can totally relate to these 2 verses, b/c I was once there. I once craved the darkness of this world, but please let me tell you that when you taste the lightness….God’s love, peace and joy….your entire aspect of life and purpose awakens! 1 Peter 4:7-8 says, “But the end of all things is at hand, therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’.” 

Our purpose is to love others to the fullest, and to bring them to Christ. I was incapable of loving others with a pure heart while I was hooked…trapped in darkness. I was incapable of giving others the pure love and encouragement they needed, and thus bring them to Christ while I was living in the world….b/c I was living for myself and wanted what would benefit me.

So, I pray for all those who are hurting, lost, confused, broken, and searching. I pray that God softens their hearts so He may mold them into the figure He so wishes. I pray for other Christians to come alongside of them to dry their tears, pick them up, dust them off and show them compassionate love and encouragement in order for them to finish their race…their purpose. I pray God uses our team tonight as we go on our second prayer walk through the French Quarter. I pray God’s love and light so shines through us and upon us that it is so apparent to each person on these streets. I pray we have the opportunity to witness to the lost, to love the hurting, and give them hope. In Jesus Name. Please pray with us.

*Hilary*