Saturday, July 25, 2009
A few pictures from New Orleans
We have been in New Orleans since Wednesday. That is the reason there has not been much action on this blog lately. We have had a wonderful time. Yesterday (Friday the 24th) we started the day with a three-course breakfast at Brennan's. (Yes, the Brennan's who invented Bananas Foster, and Eggs Benedict!) The meal was fantastic, the service excellent and the stories told by the head waiter very moving. We spent the afternoon in the Interaction Center where the kids could do high ropes, karaoke, shop at Old Lutheran, inflatable games, guitar hero, talk to college reps and camp directors, read stories by teens from the area, play volleyball, elimination, and other games. This week at evening gatherings we have heard from
Today we left at 9 am for our service project: helping to run a big free health fair at a huge city park. Our specific job was to man the inflatable games for the little kids to play on . The only trouble was that very few people knew about the health fair and we saw just a handful of kids who were not helping out at the fair. Afterwards we had two choices of tours of the places hardest hit by Katrina...one set up by Denny with a professor from Tulane and the other an impromptu drive through with Mo, our bus driver. Yeah Mo!
I will be trying to post more pictures as we close out this wonderful week.
- people who have started volunteer organizations to raise money and raise buildings in depressed areas
- a young man from the Congo who was forced to kill his best friend at age 5
- a man with both legs amputated just below the pelvis who challenged us to "stand up" with him to fight discrimination against those who are different
- a woman who started in Senegal by homeschooling her 2 grandchildren and ended up helping over 3000 young girls succeed in school and in life.
Today we left at 9 am for our service project: helping to run a big free health fair at a huge city park. Our specific job was to man the inflatable games for the little kids to play on . The only trouble was that very few people knew about the health fair and we saw just a handful of kids who were not helping out at the fair. Afterwards we had two choices of tours of the places hardest hit by Katrina...one set up by Denny with a professor from Tulane and the other an impromptu drive through with Mo, our bus driver. Yeah Mo!
I will be trying to post more pictures as we close out this wonderful week.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Tuesday - It must be Memphis!
Today dawned in Kansas City, MO, with rain (again), early (again) and rushed to get packed, breakfasted, and loaded (again). After a great day at Worlds of Fun Amusement Park yesterday, we headed to St. Louis for lunch, then on to Memphis, TN. Every thing and every body is wet today. Just when you think you are starting to dry out, you have to get out into the rain for something else.
We spent from noon to 2:00 pm in St. Louis, MO. All the freshman went up in the Arch with Denny and Tammy. Katie confided that she was trying to conquer both acro- and claustrophobia by going up in one of the "eggs" that take you up to look over all of St. Louis. She was SO proud when she was finished with the trip. The rest of us found a nice little restaurant on the riverfront. Only one waitress, and slow cooks made lunch late, so after an hour and 15 minutes we had to ask for to-go boxes then ran back to the busses so we would not delay departure. After we finished eating outside the buses we still had to wait another 15 minutes for the other groups to get back to the bus. OUR GROUP WAS ON TIME, and has been "religiously".
One of our drivers, Sean, found out that the tornado which touched down outside of Denver (Arvada), knocked down trees near his house. They hit his car and blocked both the front and back entrances. He got a call from his wife on her failing cellphone that she and the children were all ok, but that rescue efforts had not yet gotten to their house to help them get out.
Our kids made efforts to actually GET TO MEET people from other churches. Supper time at ChowTown in Memphis found our freshman boys choosing to sit at a table with four pretty young ladies from Casper, WY.
Tammy has been an outstanding influence on our kids. She has modeled how to be outgoing and encouraged them to step out and get to know new people. She has been right in the middle of the action from day one with enthusiasm and non-stop energy.
I cannot say enough times how fun it is to have Denny and MaryLou Erickson on this trip. They have come to love the kids with the reverse being true also. Whenever I think about how uncomfortable I am getting on the long rides, I try to be thankful that I am not 6 foot, 5 inches.
Pastor Kuenzel's high today was the replacement of the cellphone charger that is still plugged into a motel wall in Denver!
We spent from noon to 2:00 pm in St. Louis, MO. All the freshman went up in the Arch with Denny and Tammy. Katie confided that she was trying to conquer both acro- and claustrophobia by going up in one of the "eggs" that take you up to look over all of St. Louis. She was SO proud when she was finished with the trip. The rest of us found a nice little restaurant on the riverfront. Only one waitress, and slow cooks made lunch late, so after an hour and 15 minutes we had to ask for to-go boxes then ran back to the busses so we would not delay departure. After we finished eating outside the buses we still had to wait another 15 minutes for the other groups to get back to the bus. OUR GROUP WAS ON TIME, and has been "religiously".
One of our drivers, Sean, found out that the tornado which touched down outside of Denver (Arvada), knocked down trees near his house. They hit his car and blocked both the front and back entrances. He got a call from his wife on her failing cellphone that she and the children were all ok, but that rescue efforts had not yet gotten to their house to help them get out.
Our kids made efforts to actually GET TO MEET people from other churches. Supper time at ChowTown in Memphis found our freshman boys choosing to sit at a table with four pretty young ladies from Casper, WY.
Tammy has been an outstanding influence on our kids. She has modeled how to be outgoing and encouraged them to step out and get to know new people. She has been right in the middle of the action from day one with enthusiasm and non-stop energy.
I cannot say enough times how fun it is to have Denny and MaryLou Erickson on this trip. They have come to love the kids with the reverse being true also. Whenever I think about how uncomfortable I am getting on the long rides, I try to be thankful that I am not 6 foot, 5 inches.
Pastor Kuenzel's high today was the replacement of the cellphone charger that is still plugged into a motel wall in Denver!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Made it to Denver!
Nineteen souls left Los Alamos this morning VERY close to on time. We made a stop at the railroad park in Alamosa and enjoyed the bag lunches, shade, grass and a wedding. A couple terms to remember when we get home are:
HoneyCakes - ask Zac and Tammy about that one.
"Say 'hi'to Leo the Leaf God" (a Ben-ism)
and
"You're 18 now, everything is illegal and they send to REAL jail." (Kiley)
Those are just the ones that I overheard. Stay tuned for more.
We made it to Denver about 6:40, went to supper at the Black-Eyed Pea (a couple letters were not lit so it was really the Blaced Pea.
Some of the highs for today were food, friends, laughter, getting out of LA on time, and great mountain scenery all the way up.
Some of the lows were: riding in a van for almost 7 hours, its hot here too, and leaving a camera bag on the floor at the Black-Eyed Pea. (that's why there are no pictures to post tonite)
Thank you Lisa Mietz and Barb Poston for the great Chaperone Survival Kits. I will use the first of the earplugs tomorrow. Knowing you are praying for us is awesome!
Tomorrow we meet the rest of our group at Nativity Lutheran Church in Commerce City and then headd to Kansas City. Traveling in our bus will be 23 members from the Youth Ministries in Caspar, Wyoming.
In Christ's Name,
Matt
HoneyCakes - ask Zac and Tammy about that one.
"Say 'hi'to Leo the Leaf God" (a Ben-ism)
and
"You're 18 now, everything is illegal and they send to REAL jail." (Kiley)
Those are just the ones that I overheard. Stay tuned for more.
We made it to Denver about 6:40, went to supper at the Black-Eyed Pea (a couple letters were not lit so it was really the Blaced Pea.
Some of the highs for today were food, friends, laughter, getting out of LA on time, and great mountain scenery all the way up.
Some of the lows were: riding in a van for almost 7 hours, its hot here too, and leaving a camera bag on the floor at the Black-Eyed Pea. (that's why there are no pictures to post tonite)
Thank you Lisa Mietz and Barb Poston for the great Chaperone Survival Kits. I will use the first of the earplugs tomorrow. Knowing you are praying for us is awesome!
Tomorrow we meet the rest of our group at Nativity Lutheran Church in Commerce City and then headd to Kansas City. Traveling in our bus will be 23 members from the Youth Ministries in Caspar, Wyoming.
In Christ's Name,
Matt
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Great last meeting before leaving
Thank you all who came to the meeting at Christina's. I think the meeting went well. I hope everyone who still has paperwork to turn in does so quickly so copies can be made and packets organized. Feel free to add to this blog. Tell us what you are thinking and what you are feeling right now or throughout the trip.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
All get together at Dey's House this Saturday
Don't forget, we are getting together at the Dey's house in White Rock on Saturday, July 11, at 6:30 pm. Itineraries, T-shirts, packing info, etc!
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