I just wanted to post a quick update of the past week. With the 4th of July and all, everything seemed a bit different. It went by quickly, but all of the groups accomplished a tremendous amount in terms of ministry projects. We had groups refinishing wood flooring in a public school, cleaning up yards, gutting homes, organizing Vacation Bible Schools, and witnessing on the streets. I worked with Parkwood Baptist Church from Jacksonville, FL. They were a lively crew and blessed my heart with their enthusiasm, spunk, and incredible work ethic. It's always great to work alongside people who know how to have a good time and laugh, and yet have no problem settling down to get the job done while still making hardwork seem fun!

We started out the week working at Hope Haven. I was there the first week in June. It was the home for young people with behavioral problems. It was great to see some of the friends I'd made there. They all remembered me and were excited to visit with me once again. I came away this week with some new penpals. So I hope God continues to bless my relationship with those special girls. It's been a rainy week and on Wednesday we were sent to work on cleaning up around a house of a retired local Sherriff who himself is constantly pouring his life into helping others. Eventually we were all soaked to the bone as we hauled out junk to the dump pile in the street. I can mark that day down as the first day I've been cold while outside in New Orleans! Thursday we did a similar job of clearing out around some homes. Much like the gutting out I did last week, it was pretty gross and stinky digging through things that had just been sitting around to rot and mold since last August. The boys disconnect and hauled a hot tub from the back yard to the front. We also dug up and broke down several dead trees and bushes. That was a challenge, yet an incredible release of aggression or whatever you want to call it!

This summer has just been amazing. How awesome it is to get to serve God in so many different ways!! And He's filled me with a joy through all of it! Through putting babies to sleep, to talking to a teen about her intense life, to digging up roots, scraping paint off ceilings, tearing down walls, and building relationships with AIDS patients. The list could go on and on. What an amazing experience. But more than an experience, I want to take away from this summer that the greatest experience of all was seeing God at work through everything here and drawing closer to Him amidst it all.