Where He leads...

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.

It's been a couple weeks now since my arrival in New Orleans on the 7th. I've had the chance to get settled in and now it's time to update you guys on what the transition has been like and what I've been involved in so far.

A marvelous praise to report… My apartment is 95% furnished and completed! Within ONE week, God provided in some amazing ways for me to furnish the space. #1 - I found some incredible deals and furnished it for less than half of what anyone (myself included) would have expected. #2 – on top of the great deals… I received a large and unexpected financial gift to help cover over half of the total cost! GOD IS GOOD!! He is faithful… AND (I've learned) He has great design-sense! :) Well, that's my own opinion I suppose. "Hannah-ology" as Pastor Mark would say.

Some may think, why is this even important? And the answer is all about God's provision. Do I need the comforts of a cute apartment all to myself? No. Is it nice to have? Of course. Would I have settled for less? Of course. And there will probably come times in my life when I will have to settle for much less (…I'm imaging a small hut in Africa, or the bare minimum in Latin America… who knows!?) The lesson I will always remember from this is that God knows my needs (and my desires). In fact, He knows them even more intimately than I know them myself! And that fact absolutely blows me away! Before coming here, I thought… just give me a dorm room. It's simple. No extra furniture required. No hassle. But God knew my true needs and my true desires. He knew how refreshing it would be to give me my own space to come home to each day… How great it would be for me to have the freedom of that space to use my gift of hospitality for others who want to come visit or to have people over for dinner or fellowship. I was settling for bare minimum, trusting Him in the basics. And He blessed my trust and obedience and gave me even more. How cool is that?! :)

I love my job! Getting paid to work for an organization that is all about missions… what could be better? Work is slow for now, but once groups start arriving in upcoming weeks, things will pick up as we address the unique needs of each group. Meanwhile, the phones keep ringing with people who want more information about bringing their own groups down.

Even though the job is what I came here for, the reason behind all of it is because I have the desire to minister to this hurting and damaged city. I look forward to each opportunity I have personally to get my own hands dirty with rebuilding, ministering to individuals, and more. This past Friday was my first opportunity to do that. I managed to get my 40-hours in before lunchtime Friday so I could meet up with a group that was in the last stage of house-gutting. I worked the rest of the afternoon in a FEMA suit, full nose/mouth mask (think pest exterminator), goggles and a hammer in hand. I felt like a miniature version of the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. I pounded out sheetrock from walls, ceilings, and places of houses I honestly don't even know what to call them! And of course… I LOVED IT! (…My hands were sore for two days…) I'll be painting again with this group on Saturday at the home of Alberto Rivera. He, his wife, and two sons are living in a FEMA trailer in front of their home. With the help of teams like I'll be with this weekend, hopefully they will get moved back into their home soon… after all, it's been over 16 months since it was destroyed!

I've also been to Rachel Sims Baptist Mission (the oldest of its kind in the U.S.) for a Youth Game Night. I interacted with the youth some, but mostly I just conversed with one of the directors to get more information about what goes on there, the type of programs they have, etc. I am still praying about where God wants me to get plugged into ministry during my own time. That is one option and there are many others. There is one opportunity I explored today that I feel has great potential for me as a ministry and even a church to attend. It's called First Spanish-American Baptist Church. I talked with the pastor today and he and I are very excited about the possibility of me plugging in there with Bible studies, services, English classes, and Hispanic outreach throughout the city. Mexico in New Orleans! I love it!! And that's not intended to be a politically incorrect statement… most of you know of the time I spent living in Mexico… and my heart has been forever opened to that culture and ministry. If I can't be in Mexico, at least I can be a part of what is going on here in terms of Hispanic ministry. I will keep you informed!

This weekend was great. I spent a lot of time with a group involved in a local church plant here called Sojourn. (Check them out here: http://www.whatissojourn.com or check out http://www.crestwoodbaptist.org) Basically, it's a church geared towards reaching those of the post-modernist generation. As one pastor put it, "If you have to ask what that means, you ain't in it." :) I mention all this to say first how thankful I am to have found a group to minister with and just hang out with. Also, I'm thankful for what this group is trying to do for the city and for how on fire they are for Christ. It's a wonderful encouragement for me, and I believe God will use them to teach me to become bolder in my own faith. Sunday I spent the day watching like 8 hours of football with them! (I didn't know I could even do that!) Unfortunately, the Saints lost (I'm being converted, well, I never truly had a professional football loyalty, so it was an easy conversion). The city has been very excited for the remarkable season, and I believe that no matter where loyalties lie--for a city that is hurting and has lost so much--I think it's wonderful that they have been able to rally behind a team in this way and had their spirits lifted. So, Go Saints! Or as they say here… "Who Dat?!" J (At least Peyton won his game that night…)

Classes start for me tomorrow. I will be taking two, so I'm hoping my load with work and everything will remain manageable. You can certainly always pray for my time managing skills, although I'd like to say I'm improving in that area.

Also pray that I will be God-led in all that I do, from the steps I take, to the conversations I have, to the ministries I am involved in and everything else in between.

And… sorry if I did not reply to your email. I got behind during the first week, but I read them all and will do my best to always send personal replies! And I appreciate them and the wonderful reports I received from FBC Friendsville's end gathering!

Blessings to you all and thanks as always for your prayers and support! I will send pictures as I begin taking them throughout the next months.

All for Christ,

Hannah

I was journaling last night and I wanted to post some thoughts and observations I have of my new place here. I've included some of my personal prayer requests for those of you who are so graciously praying along with me during my journey.

1.8.2007
I am sitting now in my bed (AKA: borrowed air mattress) as one of the newest residents in the city of New Orleans! I will say that my arrival here is such an exciting one! I have been looking forward to returning since I left this place last July. As I drove in, I was semi-astounded that not much had changed. So far, it looks exactly like it did when I left last summer. Dead trees lined my drive into the city. Six Flags of New Orleans remains completely desolate. Piles of debris are seen on the streets and in front of houses and buildings (or what's left of them). As I was driving around the neighborhood near Edgewater Baptist Church, it was night time and the darkness was enhanced because there were not many houses lit up from within or without. I peered straight through several houses that remained empty from interior demolition. I sat in on a grief recovery session at the church and heard one woman mention her 80-something neighbor who is currently living in Portland, Oregon. Her house remains un-gutted, awaiting demolition some 16 months post-Katrina! (And people have been asking me if New Orleans is back on its feet. CERTAINLY NOT!!) This is why I am here. That lady is why I'm here. Those piles of debris, the dead trees, and most importantly… the dead hearts and souls of this city are all reasons I believe God has brought me back to this place. This place of beauty and also much the opposite. I learned today there have been 12 murders here since the beginning of the year. It is January the 8th!! Such contrast to the comforts of Maryville I've taken for granted all these years. It is okay to be in a place where I don't sit so comfortably as both a person and a Christian. A place where I am forced to get out of my lazy-boy. To be conscious of the battle around me, both a worldly one, and certainly a spiritual one. I pray that God equips me thoroughly for my purpose here. I pray that if there are any areas that I am lacking, He will reveal them to me and together we can work through that area and experience tremendous growth. I am so thankful for this opportunity, and yet, I feel sometimes unprepared for the full extent of my duties here. God has brought me so far, but I've still got so far to go. My desire is to be like Christ. I pray that I fully surrender so that I may truly walk in the light as He restores my soul, purifies my heart, and renews my mind.

Peace and blessings to you on your own journey,

Hannah

This is the first of my ministry updates since my recent move back to New Orleans. Below is what I sent out to my mass email list. If you want to receive these by email and you know my personal email address, just send me a message and I'll add you to the list. Otherwise, check my blogs from time to time to read my latest update.

I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday season! I had a great time with my friends and family, but it was quite rushed trying to pack and get everything ready for the move. I left Maryville on Thursday and headed to Atlanta with my brother for a fabulous Cirque du Soleil performance. I spent the rest of the weekend in Chattanooga for a wedding of one of my best college buds.

Finally, I safely arrived in New Orleans yesterday afternoon. One minor bump in the road (besides the hard rains on the Interstate)... I found out 10 minutes before leaving Maryville Thursday that I would not be moving into a furnished dorm... instead, I would be moving into an unfurnished apartment. Good news = I'd have the whole place to myself... bedroom, kitchen, living room, bathroom, etc... Bad news = I had no time, room in my car, or proper financial preparation to move into an unfurnished apartment. Nevertheless, I accepted the offer telling myself it will all work out for the best in the end. After giving it some thought, I am super excited to have a place to myself. It's a really cute apartment, strings were definitely pulled for me to get a place like this, and I am blessed to have received it. Meanwhile, all my stuff is on the floor waiting for shelves, etc... but luckily I do have an air mattress (on loan). I will probably start the furniture search this weekend. Hopefully I can find some good deals. If any of you know people who live around the area that are looking to get rid of ANYTHING... let me know! I have a truck I can use. Around here, however, most people are re-furnishing their own homes... but hopefully that means there are some good deals to be found.

Oh, and for those of you who I haven't been in contact with lately, here's a quick update about this whole situation. (Everyone else can skip to the last paragraph.) After returning from New Orleans last July, I spent the Fall semester working at a private Christian school in Seymour, TN. I worked there full-time as a Bible teacher, ESL teacher, and I lived in a dorm with 31 girls and 3 other dorm staff. I also coordinated the Middle School chapel services and helped coach the girls' soccer team. It was an intense, challenging, and wonderful experience. But all the while, I anticipated returning to New Orleans, and indeed, that's how God worked it all out... so here I am!! I am working again for the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in their missions outreach department. I'm labeled as a Missions Associate... basically, I am a missions coordinator that handles the logistics, etc of groups who wish to come to New Orleans for mission trips. I'm in contact with them about organization and ministries they want to be involved with while they are here, as well as organizing the details of where they will stay, devotion and worship times while they are here, etc. Specifically, we are already heavily preparing for the 9-weeks of intense youth camps for this summer. We're hoping to have around 400 youth and staff each week, compared to the 80-150 a week we had last year. So it's going to be awesome!!

Thanks again to all of you for your support, prayers, friendship, and love. It's all so much appreciated!! Once I start getting my hands dirty again, I will send out more updates, pictures, etc. Meanwhile, keep me updated with what's going on where you're at, prayer requests, and the like.

All for Him,
Hannah

If your church or someone you know might be interested in coming down to minister to the needs of New Orleans, we've got groups coming through here of all ages year-round. Check out www.missionlab.com or call 877.TRY.MLAB.

For many people, the most difficult part of following Christ is dying to self. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus tells His disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." In other words, Jesus is telling His followers to give up their rights to themselves. The Bible says that we have been bought with a price--the blood Jesus shed for each of us on the cross. When something is bought, it belongs to the one who purchased it. The point: we no longer belong to ourselves. WE ARE NOT OUR OWN! Now in a society where we are taught to be confident, independent, and in control of anything we want to be in control of, many find this to be quite an opposing--and possibly frightening--concept. But Jesus goes on to say that although we may die to ourselves while on Earth, we gain an eternal life that is worth the cost. ("…and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.")

My journey has led me to this place on several occasions. When I spent time as a missionary in Mexico I had to give up many rights of comfort including my living conditions and social environment. I have had the wonderful opportunity this semester to work at The King's Academy. God opened a door for me to teach Bible, ESL, organize many chapel services, help out with the soccer team, and even live and work in the girls' dorm. I gave up certain rights as part of this job--my normal routine and social life, family time, and even attending my own church regularly. But the biggest right that I've surrendered is choosing when and where I am to serve God. It has only been one semester, and although I would love to stay and plant my roots even deeper, God has called me back to New Orleans. It's not even the devastating state of New Orleans that requires this move, it's simply God's call for this time in my life. I could try to fight it, try to rationalize not going by thinking of how much I'll miss my students, friends and family here and how much they'll miss me. But I've experienced too much from verses like Matthew 16:24, where in many versions it even says that this death to self should be a daily decision. I believe this is true.

Each morning we have the choice to rise from bed and either give the day, our mind, body, heart, and our service completely to God, or try to hoard it all for ourselves and attempt to tackle it on our own. Even though I may die many deaths to my own desires throughout my years, God exchanges it all for a peace unlike any other--a peace in knowing that I am living a life of true surrender with Him guiding my every step.

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