Where He leads...: February 2007

Cleaning up after the storm

As you all know from both the news and my last update, a tornado ripped through this already broken city last Tuesday morning, taking the life of one woman, and stealing hope from countless others.

Saturday morning was my first time to survey the damage. The images were all too familiar, as I remembered my tours last summer of the 9th Ward post-Katrina. The tornado's path was mapped out by complete destruction. On either side of the path, roofs were ripped off houses, windows had been blown out, and debris was everywhere. A thing to remember here in this city, this "debris" was once a part of someone's home, a part of his or her life and history. Imagine losing all of your precious photographs, your great-grandmother's dining table, the china given to you on your wedding day by your parents who have since passed away. Granted, life is not about storing up treasures while on Earth, but there is a sadness involved in losing what is familiar to us and having to start over. And that is what so many families have had to do in this city. And what many are having to do once again after last Tuesday's wretched storm.

More than just seeing the damage, I had the opportunity to help clean up. A team of us went out from the seminary to the neighborhood of Ponchatrain Park (within a mile of the seminary). We were joined by teams from LSU, the Arkansas Baptist Association, and various journalists from local and national agencies who volunteer for clean-up when they get the chance. The house we were assigned to belongs to Melvin and his wife Mary. Mary suffers from arthritis and is confined to a wheelchair. They are living out of their FEMA trailer while their house is slowly being worked on. It is still completely gutted and lacks a roof. Luckily, the storm didn't damage the house, but the backyard (which has remained a wreck since Katrina), received further damage and needed desperately to be dealt with. That was our task. We worked for several hours and were able to clean it up completely. It was a massive undertaking, and we were all proud to have accomplished it! God truly gave us the strength because I heard many comment on the impossibility of the project. I am a firm believer of remembering how God has worked in the past. Last summer, I saw Him assist His laborers in some amazing undertakings, and I expected no less from Him on Saturday. With His strength, we finished the task and I pray we were a special blessing to Melvin, his wife, and also to the neighbors and FEMA workers who observed our efforts. May God receive all the glory.

Mardi Gras

In stark contrast to last Tuesday, this Tuesday marks a big, fat celebration, Mardi Gras. My main complaint about this holiday that is celebrated here for approximately two months… traffic is horrendous! Although I'm not big on crowds, I did feel it my responsibility to do this city the honor of attending at least one parade. Saturday I went to Endymion (the name of the parade) with a few girlfriends and our friend Edmund. We were on the family-friendlier side of the parade. Most of the "craziness" occurs miles down the road in the French Quarter. It started off slow, but we ended up having a fun time. Taylor Hicks was the Grand Marshal. My friend Emily caught a string of beads from his hand.

The band Journey was the Co-Grand Marshal, and Styx was on a float as well. (Both of those a bit before my time, but I'll include pictures in case any of you are fans!) We didn't stay for the entire parade… our pounds of beads around our neck got the best of us. Edmund called us Mardi Gras divas.

So I can now say I have been to a Mardi Gras parade. I get invited to one about every day, but I don't have the energy to keep up with all of that! And… I have homework to catch up on.

I know I mentioned the Mardi Gras festivities in my last update, but I neglected to ask you to pray on behalf of all those out there in that colorful mess. I saw at least three young girls before even 6pm who couldn't even hold themselves up to walk because they were so drunk. It is saddening to me that so many people think that moments like these are the highlights of life. There is so much more to life… so much more to life outside of the "what's in it for me?" and "how much fun can I have?" attitude.

I am praying for wisdom for myself this week... lots of scheduling and coordinating. As I've said before, it's a giant undertaking. Please continue to pray for me as this is what God has called me here to do, and I want to do it well… not to mention the upcoming groups and the ministries/organizations throughout the city are depending on me for it.

Happy early Fat Tuesday to each of you! One good thing about Mardi Gras for me… it's a paid holiday.

Blessings,
Hannah

Busy in Preparation
Things are definitely starting to pick up here in New Orleans as we are gearing up for hundreds of volunteers to flood our campus during March (Spring Break month). I have the enormous task of coordinating the weekly agendas for each volunteer group. I enjoy the challenge, but it can be overwhelming, like when you have a group of 62 and the places they want to go only have room for 10-20 volunteers at a time. I also get to ride around the city to make contact with new ministry sites. That is an exciting part of my week, meeting new people, assessing the work that needs to be done, etc. I've included a picture of one daycare we are planning to send many volunteers to help care for the kids (relieve the staff) and also do some exterior work to renovate the facility. Please pray for me and the rest of the staff that God will give us wisdom in all decisions and the strength and energy to complete every task. Also pray for the teams that will be coming here in the upcoming months. Pray that God will prepare their hearts, bodies, and minds for the work, His work, that they will be involved with when they arrive.

I want to introduce you to two people this morning...

Eurie
In previous emails, I have mentioned the rehabilitation ministry across the street, Bethel Men's Ministry. During the day, those men work at various places around the neighborhood. Several of them come across the street and work on the seminary's campus. I see one man, Randy, every day. I always say hi to him, ask how he's doing, and offer encouragement when I can. He asked me one if I had ever heard the song, "I Can Only Imagine". He said he'd been dying to hear it lately. By the end of that week, I made him a CD with that song on it, and also selected several other songs that I thought would be uplifting to him on his journey against addiction. He was thrilled and came back the next day saying that another man at Bethel wanted to have one. I happily agreed and made one for Eurie as well. A couple days later, Randy dropped a note on my desk. I opened it up to read a beautiful thank you letter from Eurie. Tears came to my eyes as I read the words of a grown man who has been through so much pain and so many struggles during his life. I went on to read about how he found new life in Christ and was truly a new creation, a changed man for all eternity. Praise the Lord! Later that day, I got to meet Eurie in person. He told me how he was a mere 115 pounds when he arrived at Bethel months ago. Now he is a healthy man, very strong build even. How wonderful to witness such a remarkable transformation, not only on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside. I encouraged him to share his testimony with others. I believe it's so important that we use our life circumstances, good and bad, to encourage others who may face similar situations.

Jimmy
Finally I want to recount a story my professor shared with us yesterday morning. As you all know, there was a tornado early Tuesday morning that ripped through several neighborhoods, killing one elderly woman. The damage was extensive. Some houses were totally demolished. FEMA trailers were flipped over, windows, roofs, and walls were broken out. I can't imagine living somewhere right now with broken windows. Last night the low was 31 degrees! Not so cold compared to Tennessee, but with broken windows and damaged roofs, the cold will creep in fast! Dr. Taylor went out with his Urban Missions students to help clean up and deliver hot meals to some of the families. He met a man named Jimmy. Jimmy asked Dr. Taylor if this second disaster in less than two years meant that the end of the world was coming. They talked for several minutes. Dr. Taylor shared with him things you can know for sure about God and His gift of salvation to all of us. Jimmy was curious but would often change the subject. Finally Dr. Taylor asked flat out, "Jimmy, if you died today, would you go to Heaven or Hell?" Jimmy's eyes widened and then he said, "Well, I try to help people, and I try not to hurt anyone." But then Jimmy added something Dr. Taylor had never heard as a common response to that question, "But I guess that doesn't really answer your question, does it?" Indeed, it did not, and Dr. Taylor went on to explain how it is not by works that anyone is saved. They continued in conversation about Jimmy, his now destroyed trailer, his wife with cancer, and his concerns about this broken city. Then Jimmy asked, "So how DOES a person get to Heaven?" Once more, Dr. Taylor shared with him the plan of salvation. Dr. Taylor prayed with Jimmy and when he finished, he asked Jimmy if he wanted to pray and receive Christ as his Savior. Jimmy said yes, and on Tuesday afternoon, Jimmy became a new believer. Hallelujah! God is good! :)

So keep Eurie and Jimmy in your prayers as they begin this new walk with the Lord. It's not an easy road, but it's the best road. And it's the ONLY road that will lead to a life eternally in Heaven with the One who died so that we might live. Thank you, Jesus, for the cross, for saving me and giving new life to everyone who calls upon your name and believes that You, indeed, are Lord.

It is my prayer that everyone who reads this can also be thankful to God for His love and salvation.

Thanks, as always, for your support, encouragement, and prayers!

In His name,

Hannah

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved… for, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:9,10,13)

I got a call at 6:30am this morning from my former boss, Ellen. My first thought was, "Oh, no... something has happened to one of the girls!" Thankfully, she reassured me that nothing was wrong on her end, but that she was calling to check on me. I had no idea what she was talking about.

She informed me of the tornadoes that came through New Orleans early this morning. And indeed, as many of you have seen on the news, the storms were severe last night with much damage as a result. I watched the news this morning to see footage of neighborhoods that are still recovering from Katrina, and now this. One woman who has damage on her home mentioned that she doesn't know if she has the strength this time to start over. And that is probably going to be the story of many here.

The seminary received no damage from the storm, but within one mile of here, one elderly lady was killed as a result of the destruction in this neighborhood. The hardest hit area was Westwego (~20 minutes from here). And jump over a few blocks across the Mississippi River to Uptown, an area where several of my friends live, I spend a lot of time, etc. I don't think they would have been directly affected by the damage, but maybe by power outages, traffic problems, etc. I'm sure I'll be hearing from them about it soon. In total, several were injured and the devastation is extensive. (So you know, the seminary is located in Gentilly, in case you're curious as you hear reports from New Orleans.)

Please join me in praying for the people affected by this storm, especially for the families who have suffered loss of life or injuries. Pray for us who are working here, that we may have wisdom on how to best serve this city in the name of Jesus.

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Spanish Church

Last Sunday marked my first time visiting the 1st Baptist Spanish-American Church. I had a wonderful time! Even though God has blessed me with an independent spirit, it was still a bit intimidating to walk into a church where English is rarely spoken and you are the only Caucasian in sight! I received many friendly greetings and noticed smiles on every face I saw. I felt at home there. I was reminded of my time in Mexico and almost let my mind drift into believing that I was truly back in Matamoros. The only time I felt uncomfortable was when the Pastor was asking who the visitors were. About 6 individuals or families stood up and introduced themselves to the congregation. The ladies I was sitting around were smiling at me, encouraging me to do the same. Finally, I mustered up the courage, stood up, and introduced myself and told a little about why I was here, where I worked, etc. (All of this in Spanish, mind you!) The service was great... Lots of upbeat praise music. And by God's grace, I was able to follow along with the sermon nearly 100%. Afterwards, they had lunch and then prepared for their two Sunday afternoon ministries. 1 - English classes. 2 - Going out into the neighborhood to minister to the Hispanic community. Last Sunday, I didn't have a coat so I stayed inside to sit in on an English class. Yesterday was my second visit to this church and after they fed us red beans and rice, a group of us rode over to an apartment complex that, since Katrina, houses hundreds of Hispanic residents. We introduced ourselves, invited them to English class, and spoke with them some about the church, God, and other things as they were interested. I plan to continue to be involved with FBSAC, especially on Sundays. There are many great friendships to be made, like with Elva, a beautiful, petite, 40-something lady who told me today of her childhood in Guatemala... How her mother was an alcoholic, spent some time in jail, during which Elva had to live in an orphanage at 8 years old. When her mother was released from prison, she forgot to ever pick up Elva from the orphanage. Adoption papers had already been started for a family to take Elva out of the orphanage when finally her older sisters intervened and arrived to take her home. Elva reminded me as I was leaving today how everyone, every person, has a story to tell about their life. We have all been on a unique journey, and it is exciting for me to meet new people on my own journey and listen to them share with me where they've been, the place they are at now, and what they see for themselves in the future. Elva's story encouraged me to continue praying for Manuel, and the other children in the orphanage I spent many days in during my time in Matamoros... that God would provide for them in a special way when everything and everyone else in life may abandon them.

Work and Radio Interviews

This week I have been busy with my job, organizing the mission trips for groups coming as early as this month and especially for the many "Spring Breakers" who will arrive in March. There is one group coming nearly 24 hours from Amherst, Massachussetts! For those of you who are near a computer on Fridays, it will be a common thing for me to be on Lifesongs Radio at 9 & 4 CST. You can listen through an internet broadcast by going to www.lifesongs.com. On the right you will see a picture of a speaker. Click it or click the link that says "Listen Live". It will take you to a page that shows a Windows Media Play button. Click it to open the live broadcast. MissionLab has a 3-minute segment each Friday morning and afternoon, and often that duty will fall on me. I was quite nervous this past Friday morning, but I should be more comfortable with it from now on!

Up on the Rooftop

No reindeer paws or Santa Claus, but at 9am on Saturday there were 8 freezing bodies roofing what was once a nursing home and is now being re-built as a drug/alcohol rehabilitation center. The 8 bodies included myself, Travis (co-pastor of the church plant "Sojourn"), Hoot (the Head of the Campus Police for NOBTS), Jeff (recently moved down here to work where work is needed after Katrina) and Eddy, Jose, Heraldo, and Warren (four men from Bethel Men's Ministry -- a drug/alcohol rehab facility for men struggling with addiction which attempts to get them on a right path with society, with themselves, and with God). Typically Sojourn has a greater turnout of volunteers, but apparently everyone wanted to sleep in that morning. It's a good thing we weren't scheduled to gut a house that morning, or Travis and I would have been in a mess by ourselves! But God is awesome, and He had everything under control as this was a unique morning of partnering with Hoot and the men from Bethel. We had a great time getting to know the men as we stayed on that roof for hours, and hours, and hours. In fact, we typically close shop at 3:30, but because of delays in supplies (and also a late lunch that didn't arrive until after 3!), we worked well past 5:30 and arrived back to campus around 7pm. Did I mention it was FREEZING?! :) But I am not complaining... I had a wonderful day and hopefully I will get a chance again to help with the reconstruction of this facility, and I look forward to what God will do through this ministry. Please join me in praying for Eddy, Jose, Heraldo, Warren and the other men of Bethel. They have a tough journey ahead of them. For some of them, success is right around the corner, while others will find themselves once again trapped by their addiction and back on the streets. Let us not be quick to judge, but instead, quick to intercede for people like them who have few others who will take the time to encourage and pray for them.

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