They will know we are Christians by our Love…

We began the day hearing Steve’s testimony how God got a hold of his heart at 18 and then his and Bronwen’s journey with “YWAM for the past 25 years. We followed that with watching a Katrina Devastation video to prepare us for visiting the 9^th Ward! It’s interesting that 8 years later there are still houses with the large X’s and the markings that the National Guard used as they went from home to home checking to find people or animals, etc. We saw the many homes that Brad Pitt’s organization helped build. There are now others coming in and helping families to rebuild or repair the few homes that survived the levy breaking.

There are still homes that no one has moved back in and they are just crumbling but it was wonderful to see how many businesses have rebuilt or new ones are coming back in to the 7^th and 9^th Wards! Steve told us there are probably 20,000+ homes still vacant. Not to mention the businesses that no one came back to or just walked away from because the devastation was so great! He also told us that the people they were able to help gut their houses and helped to begin to repair their damaged homes (over 500 homes) those people told YWAM that ‘the church’ did more for them than the government. It brought healing. It changed hearts of people of different cultures and races and allowed all the people to see each other as just that… people … people that God loved, people that God cares about, people that needed Him!

After the tour, we went back to the French Quarters to the Gazebo for lunch, listening to an outdoor R&B band while we ate. Some of the team was brave enough to try some alligator sausage Po Boys, some Jambalaya, some Rice n Beans, some Louisiana fried Catfish the rest had hamburgers and chicken strips…. Seriously? LOL

Then it was time for some serious shopping and a ride back across the Mississippi on the ferry to the home base near Algiers Point.

Debrief:

2 things I want to share that a couple of the students did today… pretty jazzed about it.

1. Brittany noticed a lady (while we were shopping)  with a leg brace one like she had to wear after she tore her ACL… she asked the woman if she could pray for her.  The lady had been in a motorcycle accident and allowed Brittany to pray for her…  So excited for the courage to step out and show God’s love to someone she didn’t know!
2. While the girls van was coming back to the base,  they saw a couple of guys on the side of the road intensely arguing with each other… Kendall suggested the van pray for them and that situation… they did.

I was so blessed to hear how they were allowing the Holy Spirit to guide them to touch the lives of others. One personally experienced their obedience… the other… never knew … but God works in both instances.

Allow their courage to challenge you… Be aware … Ask God to show you – who needs prayer today? And then whether you will feel the urge to personally speak to someone or if you will feel led to pray for someone knowing they will never know … follow the urging. For sure, it will bless you … and whether you ever know the outcome or not … it will bless them!

Yesterday morning each one of us took a name and had 2 days to observe that person so we could speak encourage them and bless them. This is a powerful time each year. As we are being challenged to present our bodies as a living sacrifice – Romans 12:1-21 – it also talks about honoring one another and to prefer one another. We were to write down our thoughts and the scripture and give it to the person. I love this time because it teaches us to give and receive. Watching each student when they nervously say, “I have _____’s name” and the recipient then has this look of anxiety and hopefulness. Then as the words are spoken to and about them it wonderful to see them receive that encouragement.

This has the potential of drawing the class closer together AND truly helps them see each other in a different light. Sometimes it brings healing!

We then talked about their love for the Lord and his Word!

Now, all the Science, History, Math, English and other specials classes – don’t stress – We challenged the students with their thoughts and attitudes about God’s Word and studying it and how the knowledge gained from it is the most important that can ever learn. It is the foundation on which everything else is built.

We have had a wonderful time! A few pictures have been posted on Summit Academy Facebook page!

A BIG Thank you to my leaders and their families! What a blessing they have been to me and to the students!

We’ll be trying to leave between 7 and 8 in the morning. We have to clean each building and we are just now winding down. My drivers need 7 hours of sleep. I will either get an email out to you in the morning or I’ll call the school and have them send one to let you know we are starting home! We’ll check in somewhere along the way and then when we get to Elgin we’ll start calling! I hope to be at the school around 6pm. The highways coming home sometimes have construction and only has one lane open that can add time to the trip.

Thanks for your prayers… for safe traveling home… for health… for God to be glorified in ALL WE DO!

Mrs G

Be blessed and highly ‘flavored’ you are the salt of the earth!

Mission with a Mission!

A Mission with a Mission –

New Orleans Mission – it was our morning ministry time! Kendria gave us a tour and explained the programs available to the homeless needing an overnight respite to those who really wanted to change their lives and get a new start! It was quite amazing! Kendria has one more month in her year program and she graduates – cap and gown!

Giving us her testimony she shared her many trials and the decisions that got her on the streets to the decisions that made her want to get off the streets!

After the tour we were divided into work teams for lunch: filling the plates with food, filling glasses with water, walking around with water pitchers to refill their glasses, handing out the desert, and cleaning up! As the people walked by you, you couldn’t help but wonder, “What got you to this place?” Each person has their own story. I was so proud of our students serving the people, looking them in the eye, acknowledging that they are ‘there’ a person, with a deep need!

Afterward we finished cleaning the lunch room, making it ready for the dinner crowd, we headed to the park for some chill time and a sandwich/chip/cookie lunch!

Returning to the base we got ready for the afternoon ministry Kids Club for the kids at the projects. Our kids did SO WONDERFUL!   This is really a hard ministry time as most of the kids do not respect those coming to serve them, and it’s hard to keep them corralled when it’s time for the song, skit and lesson time! However, I believe through prayer and God’s grace it was one of the BEST ministry times Summit has had in a long while!

Jesus is your friend – there is no other like him – he is a forever friend

Song Team – Brittany, Hannah F, Alana, and Cameron

Skit Team – Gabe (Big Red), Yasmin, Abby, Katy, Aston, Hannah G, Kendall, Joey, Jane

Testimonies – Kendall and Joey

Wrap it up – Coach Hoffman

We ended with the students in small groups with the children – sharing scriptures that they had written down and praying with them.

Great Debrief time! Highlight points!

• Kendria’s testimony – it’s never too late for God to rescue you and change your life
• You are responsible for your own choices you have made
• The children were so hungry for attention!
• Some of the kids were so mean to each other – they were only mimicking what they see at home!
• The kids loved the scripture verses we gave them – they were memorizing them and wanting to share them with others – standing up and saying, “Listen everybody, here’s my scripture!”
• The kids loved the attention given them – wanted to know when we were coming back
• The gentleman Michael – was just visiting in the neighborhood – stayed for the whole ministry time – He told Chad he had never seen anything like this before. He asked, “Does this happen all the time? My neighborhood needs something like this!”

 

We Ended the debrief with a precious time of prayer –

It’s time now to clean up a great dinner – enchiladas and Mexican rice and beans.. yummy!

Showers – to bed –

Tomorrow we will take the 9^th Ward Devastation Tour (Katrina) then it’s shopping in the French Market – back to have our final devotional and prayer time – clean up – getting ready to head home on Thursday.

 

Mrs. G

Power in Prayer –

Power in Prayer –  The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective!  James 5:16  (NIV)

We started the morning devotions talking about different aspects of Romans 12:1-21

Presenting your body as a living sacrifice – what does this mean –  what does it mean to me?

Renewing our mind –  how can we do that?

Honoring one another

We ended our small group time by spending time in discussion and prayer about verses 1&2… read them, and allow God to challenge you AND pray for us as we allow God to challenge and change us!

We headed to the property in town where they are building the new Planned Parenthood building . We didn’t protest we just stood in the shade on the property next door and asked God to intervene! God gave us the opportunity to talk to 2 of the workers… They didn’t like what they were having to do because they were hired to help build a medical clinic but had no idea what kind of medical clinic it at first. It wasn’t until days later when a sign had been put up next door that they understood what they had been helping to build!

Please pray for Louis’ and Leo! They both work for different companies! Leo is done with his work and relieved to be leaving, however Louis’ work is just beginning! He would like to find somewhere else to work as his wife is expecting. He asked us to pray for his co-workers that were sitting in their cars because they were embarrassed to let us see that they are working there. It was a powerful and sweet time of prayer!  Louis was also given the contact info to get help for him and his wife for medical care and things they will need bringing a baby into the world.  Chad was able to connect with Leo which allowed the Holy Spirit to break down walls! Contractor to contractor. Isn’t God amazing how he knows ahead of time, who will be needed on the team to have a specific part in the ministry time!

We then headed to YWAM’s Crisis Pregnancy Center. Bronwen shared their history and a few of the beautiful stories of how God has saved children!

We headed to New Orleans Burger and Seafood and had a GREAT lunch!

Afterward we put together 120 hotdogs – heated – wrapped in foil – in 4min29sec! No Joke! Amazing teamwork. We headed downtown to where the homeless hang out and many of them live and sleep! Each leader had a team and they handed out hotdogs and visited and prayed with many of the people!

The ministry time ‘Under the Bridge’

• How protective one man was over his wife – she was sleeping – he wanted to be sure she was safe – how little they had – how much we have
• One guy has a job at the superdome – yet he lives on the streets
• How they would continue to come back and get another hotdog – telling us they needed hotdogs for their families – yet they would walk back to their spot and eat what they just got from us –  the need to lie, yet there wasn’t a need
• The man that needed a job and was waiting for a call to be able to work
• How ungrateful we are – we fuss because of homework, we want certain things, they have nothing  –  we have so much!

 

Returning back to the base we began working on our Kids Club outreach for tomorrow afternoon!

We are doing a skit about being a friend – and needing a friend – Jesus is our forever friend!

Playing, coloring, chicken in a bucket, sidewalk chalk – then songs, a skit, a Bible lesson, and prayer.

 

In the morning we will be heading to the New Orleans Mission! It’s where the homeless go to sleep and get a meal. We will be doing work projects for the mission – and helping prepare lunch!

The homeless won’t be in the mission while we are doing the projects! They haven’t given us the list but generally it is things like sweeping, mopping, cleaning, and helping in the kitchen, etc.!

Thank you for your prayers!

 

Mrs. G

 

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Drove my Chevy to the levy….

We MADE IT! About 4:30pm  A LONG but safe drive – beautiful weather – clear roads!

Plenty of drivers! Kids were great!

We are staying in different base houses right next door to each other! The girls have a house and the guys have a house. We’re all excited – more showers for the girls! J The accommodations are great!

The ferry has changed it’s program so to speak. It now cost to ride it so we’re saving that till Wednesday. We had dinner then loaded up and headed back downtown straight to Café’ Dumond! After we sugared up we took our walking tour and Steve Niles shared brief history pieces of New Orleans at different landmarks. We stopped and prayed on the sidewalk beside the Supreme Court of New Orleans! I’ve been coming to New Orleans YWAM for 11 years –Steve and Bronwen’s passion for the city is  what I love for our students to see! Steve and Bronwen have been here for 25+ years and God has given them favor in the city! For our students to be able to connect with that can be life changing!

We will be heading to the Crisis Pregnancy Center where we will learn about their ministry of saving lives and families. We’ll spend time prayer walking and then we will come back to base and prepare 150+ hotdogs for feeding the homeless under the bridge near the New Orleans Mission this afternoon!

 

Thank you for your prayers for safe travel!

We will be starting our devotionals on Romans 12:1-21  Monday morning! – serving God with our whole body! Follow along with us and allow God to speak to you and pray for us as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us!

Mrs. G