Last week I had another great reunion with Linda Macdonald. I served with Linda in Namibia through Africa Inland Mission at FHS. Linda was there a total of four years, so when I arrived, she was already halfway through her time in Africa. We both ended up returning to the States around the same time at the end of last year.

Linda has heard me talk about New Orleans many times. When I told her I was planning to visit New Orleans this summer, she mentioned she would love to come along. I try to visit New Orleans as much as I can, especially during the weeks of MissionLab. I worked for MissionLab from 2006-2008 and both the city of New Orleans and the ministry of MissionLab will always be close to my heart. It has been awesome watching that ministry rebuild and grow since my first summer there, the summer after Hurricane Katrina. During the summer, MissionLab has 8 or 9 weeks of summer camps for youth groups. In 2006, our biggest week was barely over 100. Now, they easily book 400-500! It's incredible! And the work that is done throughout the city through these groups is amazing.

Linda had never been to New Orleans before, and I knew we would have a great time as I showed her around the city and gave her the opportunity to see what MissionLab is all about. We stayed off-campus with Bob and Linda Jackson and their sweet dog Boudreaux. We really felt at home and enjoyed visiting with Bob and Linda who I first met during my first time in New Orleans in April 2006 and then worked with when I joined the team at MissionLab.

On Monday morning, we hooked up with First Baptist Austin, TX to help out at a children's ministry site. This was one of the first sites Linda chose from the list because she loves children! Linda was head of the Enrichment Program at FHS and was always coming up with creative crafts, games, and ideas for the kids there to enjoy. Our time with these kids in New Orleans was a lot of fun. On three different mornings we hung out with them and helped with the craft. Linda was in her element!

The forecast was calling for rain most of the week, so the first dry moment we had, we headed down to the French Quarter to ensure that she would get a chance to see it. We browsed the shops, saw the St. Louis Cathedral, and walked along the Mississippi River.

We also visited a nearby cemetery. Cemeteries in New Orleans are unique in that they are above ground cemeteries since half of the city is below sea level. It's an interesting and somewhat haunting experience walking around the old tombs. I found a good article about the cemeteries in New Orleans here.

I drove Linda through the Lower 9th Ward, one of the most talked about areas where Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc. Brad Pitt started an organization called Make It Right to help residents of the Lower 9th return to their neighborhood. Nearly 50 homes like the ones below have been built so far.

On Tuesday afternoon, we went with a group to Colonial Oaks Living Center to play Bingo with the residents. Linda also excitedly picked this option from the list of sites because she loves hanging out with her mom and her mom's friends at the nursing home back in Kentucky. We enjoyed playing several rounds of Bingo. I was happy because the two sweet ladies I sat beside each won a game. The lady pictured below said she ran a real Bingo hall for 18 years!

I was blessed to bump into Myra Dunn, the Activities Coordinator for Colonial Oaks. Myra and I got to be friends back when I worked for MissionLab. I hadn't seen her since 2008. It was a joyous reunion!! She's a hoot!

We made a pitstop at Target so I could show Linda the shopping cart escalator! That's always an incredible sight if you haven't seen such a thing before! :)

On Wednesday, we spent the morning at Bethel Colony South. I've written about Bethel several times before. It is a 9-month rehabilitation program for men and women struggling with addiction. Two of the adult ladies from MissionLab led a Bible study for the women and then we all had lunch together. Bob and Linda Jackson made some delicious jambalaya. The women LOVED it! So did we!!

Linda helped make the banana pudding... which is huge because Linda HATES bananas. She doesn't even like to touch them! HA! I snapped a photo as proof for her friends and family back home. :)

On Thursday we helped out with a couple MissionLab groups working in City Park. City Park is 1,300 acres and is one of the largest urban parks in the country. It went underwater during Katrina, like most of the city, and MissionLab has been a significant source of volunteers. On this day, we helped replant some of the wetland plants. Wetlands are important because in many cases, every 2.7 miles of wetlands can reduce the storm surge by 1 foot. So the issue of decreasing wetlands contributes to the problems cities like New Orleans face when hurricanes strike. City Park is trying to do its part to help maintain a stable and healthy environment. We enjoyed assisting their efforts... that is, until we stumbled upon a bunch of fire ants! Ouch!

While we were on the seminary campus, we bumped into some old friends of mine at LifeSongs. LifeSongs in the local Christian radio station in New Orleans and broadcasts from the same building on campus where the MissionLab office is. Each fall, LifeSongs promotes Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse to pack and deliver shoe boxes filled with goodies to underprivileged children worldwide. When Linda was in Namibia, the organization she served with prior to FHS was on the receiving end of those shoe boxes. When Tom at LifeSongs learned about this, he organized a radio interview with Linda to tell of that experience. Portions of that interview will air with the promotions they will do in the fall. So cool!

On Saturday, we decided to try something new... something I'd never even done before. My dear friend Stacy joined us, and we headed downtown to catch the free ferry to Algiers Point. Algiers Point is a historic town across the river from the French Quarter. It is only one year younger than the French Quarter and had very little damage from Hurricane Katrina compared to the surrounding areas. Walking around the streets here was a great contrast to walking around the streets downtown. It's a very quiet place with beautiful and quaint homes, small cafes, and even a cupcake bakery! I'll definitely go back for another visit next time I'm in the area!

To sum it all up... we had a wonderful week! It was great to reconnect with my friends in New Orleans, and Linda enjoyed staying busy both in ministry and sightseeing. MissionLab has a worship service three times a week that we attended. I always love hearing Rob Wilton speak. And Sunday, we wrapped up the week with a church service with the men and women of Bethel Colony and another service at the church where Rob pastors, Vintage Church.

On the way home, Linda wanted to drive through Tuscaloosa to see the devastation left by the tornadoes in April. Even though she had seen the photos I posted online, she experienced the shocking reality of actually seeing such a disaster in person. She had me stop at one point so she could pray for the families affected by the storm.

There are so many needs throughout this country. I think the first step to making a difference in this world is to open yourself up to seeing the needs. They are all around us. Be willing, and God will provide you with endless opportunities to serve Him by loving others!