God was good in New Orleans! As always, God was faithful to answer prayers and to lead us to those that needed ministering to. In turn the team members received back more than they could have possibly imagined. Lives were changed. As we drove back from New Orleans, each person was asked to reflect and write about their experiences, especially those experiences that they were most impressed by. Here’s what they wrote:

Our mission trip to New Orleans was truly an adventure filled with new friendships, compassion, and life lessons. The new friendships came in many different forms, growing closer to people in our group who I’d already known, meeting people from the other church who worked with us, and serving people through VBS, going to Tent City, or working on someone’s house. I feel as though I learned more from the VBS children, than I could ever teach them. Their ability to care for one another after such great hardships and strife during their short life was awe inspiring. Compassion was a major theme throughout our trip. After our ATL (which was the time of the trip where we sit down and ask Jesus what he would like us to do that day), we decided that our group should divide into 3 groups. One group went to Gentile, where they went to prayer walk. Gentile is a neighborhood that has had little rebuilt. Earlier in the week we went on a prayer walk in Gentile where we met a man who’d saved 400+ people in his boat. I felt this was one of the most amazing stories of compassion I’d ever heard. While one group went to Gentile, another stayed at the Knight of Columbus (often referred to as KOC) to clean, and another went to Wal-Mart to buy necessities for the homeless at Tent City. I went with that group and the amount of compassion and friendship some of the homeless had for one another was a symptom of strength that accompanied the amazing will power of some of the individuals living there. From this trip I have learned many life lessons but a prominent lesson is to live life with compassion, hold on to true friends, and always trust in God. He is everywhere.  - Charlotte

The mission trip to New Orleans was AMAZING! After being there for only a day I was already having a great time. Through the whole week, the best part for me was VBS. I met so many sweet kids and had so much fun with them. Also, Linda helped out Juliette, the mother of four kids in VBS who were homeless. I thought that was so amazing that she could help her. When we did our ATL what I felt God was telling me to do changed about 4 times. First I felt strong about going to Gentile, then helping Juliette, then going to Tent City, but I ended up staying at the KOC to help do chores. I just thought it was neat that God ended up changing what I needed to do that many times. After doing the chores, I felt good and I’m glad God allowed me to do that. This trip also allowed me to meet a lot more people and make new friends. Overall I had a great time and encourage people to go because you will have a wonderful time and come closer to God and other people. - Beth Ann

My trip to New Orleans this past week was amazing. It really helped me realize all that I have to be thankful for. When we went to Tent City, everyone was homeless, there was stealing, drinking, and a lot of drugs. But in the midst of all that some men were Christians, and they were sharing the little they had. We gave them trash bags. To me a trash bag is something in which you throw trash away. But to these people, it was like gold. They were so happy to get them because they could be used for bedding, rain ponchos, and more. That made me feel so thankful. Also, we helped out a church in doing Vacation Bible School. Hearing some of the kids’ stories about how their dad left their mom, about how they were homeless, or how all their family had died, it broke my heart. For me, when I gave to these people, it seemed I got more from it because it really made me feel great. This trip was a great thing, and I definitely want to do another mission trip. - Eliza

After going to New Orleans and seeing the homeless people, the Katrina damage after three years, and experiencing God more than ever, I got a better understanding of how truly lucky I am and how much I need to appreciate what I have. It was an experience of a lifetime and I encourage others to go. - Mary Kate

My trip to New Orleans this year was amazing! It was my first mission trip. My favorite part was going to VBS! I met all of these kids and learned a lot of different things about them. There was one boy who had a really sad story. He lived with his grandma cause his parents were dead. I built a strong relationship with everyone and I’ll miss them all sooooooo much! This mission trip will definitely change me a lot! Thanks Joel, Linda, Tina, Scott, and Daddy! - Abby

I thought this mission trip was going to be the same as last year’s New Orleans mission trip. Oh boy was I wrong. This year the VBS kids were calmer. I got injured and experienced pain (but that was only one difference). I still had as much fun as I had last year. My favorite part of the trip was on Wednesday. We were at VBS and just about to do our skit. All the kids sat down and were quiet. They paid full attention to what was going on. Afterwards we asked them questions about what just happened in the skit and they answered all the questions correctly without help from us. I feel that we made a BIG difference in their spiritual “career”. May I add that the kids are 3-11 and never heard about God before. On Thursday afternoon we did an ATL and no ATL doesn’t stand for “all the lemurs”. It stands for “ask the Lord”. We sat down and asked the Lord what he wanted us to do. We decided to split up into 3 groups. One group went to Gentile to do a prayer walk/play with kids, another group stayed back to clean the Knights of Columbus and the last group went to Tent City. I went to Tent City. Tent City is a group of tents under the highway where homeless people live. We picked up some supplies at Wal-Mart and we gave it to them. It was really sad there. At VBS there were these kids from the same family and they were all homeless. Haley, Jeremiah, Herbert, and Julian were the kids ranging from ages 2 to about 10. I would have never guessed that they were homeless if their mom, Juliette, wouldn’t have let Linda drive her around and tell her. If I were any of their ages put in that position I probably wouldn’t be as content as them. I would be wanting more and be complaining. They were all really nice. This week was really fun and we really helped people there. We had VBS every morning (Monday – Thursday). In the afternoon we did something different everyday like work on a house, sports, evangelism, paint, and ATL. It was really fun and I want to go again next year! - Gar

Teamwork was the key of our ATL in New Orleans. We had stopped by Wal-Mart to get supplies to make care packages. After that we were going to drive to a place called Tent City which is a place where homeless people live under a bridge in lots of tents. While we were on the way there, we put together the care packages. Hands racing and toothpaste flying through the air we rushed to get it done before we reached our destination. When we got there, we unloaded the van of people with all of our care packages. From talking to people or just observing their actions, I realized the struggle they go through each day. Not only do they have to worry about getting food, but they have to wonder how the night will go. Through this trip I learned not only about myself but also my faith and the world around me. - Kathleen

Our last full day in New Orleans was the most beneficial day to me. It was our last day of VBS and possibly the hardest moment of the trip. To the kids who were leaving that afternoon we gave them a hug and the usual Veggie Tale quote, “God made you special and He loves you very much, goodbye!” Knowing that we would never see the kids again and knowing that this was the last time that I could impact their life, I felt as though I could never let go of them. Eventually we tore ourselves away from VBS and went home to the KOC (Knights of Columbus) for lunch.

That afternoon we had our ATL (ask the Lord). This is a session where we pray and ask the Lord what He wants you to do for the next few hours. I, and a few other girls, felt that we should stay and do all the chores and clean the KOC. For the few hours that we cleaned I felt content with where I was and what I was doing. There was not crazy pandemonium in those few hours. I know it sounds crazy that I should say I felt that feeling of God when I was cleaning but it is so true. I only hope my mom doesn’t figure out cause she will have me doing the dishes every night. Just kidding. I would have to say that in those hours I felt selfless, content, at peace, joyful, and every other good feeling.

We left our ATL and began to prepare for the cookout in Central City, which is similar to the Sterling Community in Greenville. We passed out flyers throughout the community. It was such an odd assortment of people. You have the old, sick, and poor. You also have the young and energetic who where full of potential sitting with construction workers and men covered with tattoos and piercings. The easiest way to explain it would be to say that the mixing pot made the most delicious soup. Everyone was joined in harmony and it made joy bubble in my heart.

Throughout the entire mission trip there were moments of joy, sadness, understanding, and dumbfoundedness. All in all I felt as though the entire week would impact the rest of my life. - Margaret

During the week we did a lot of fun things like VBS, sports evangelism, and a lot more. What I liked best was when we went to Tent City. Tent City is where the people that do no have homes stay. I liked it because we got to help them out. Before we went there we stopped at Wal-Mart and got socks, deodorant, chap stick, water bottles, wash clothes, fruit and some more things they might need. When we gave them the bags of stuff I felt really good. It felt like nothing ever before. One of the guys there that we talked to spoke French. He was born there. He went to LSU and got his masters at Oxford. Then he went to France on business. After Katrina he came back for his family but they were all dead and he got stuck here. It turned out he was engaged. That’s how even really smart people can be living in those conditions. That is what I liked best about the trip. - Bradley

After last year’s trip to Costa Rica, I felt a strong calling to New Orleans and God offered a rewarding trip. The climax of the trip was speaking with Bryan, a former social worker, who became homeless after returning to New Orleans from France to help his family following Katrina. Putting a face and name to a homeless person who lost everything that society values to help his family, personalized those whom we were attempting to help. However, the most rewarding aspect of the trip was watching God work among the kids that went. I watched them follow God’s call instead of staying with the security of their friends and give up what ministry they wanted to do to respond to God’s will. It was a blessing to know that God’s voice has the power to break what we hold dearest. - Scott, leader

The mission trip to New Orleans was the first one I’ve taken since high school. My favorite thing was watching God work through our kids and those they served. The 7 middle schoolers and 3 high schoolers who went were fun, well behaved and hard working. When the time came to work, teach, sing, worship or play, they did it with no complaining. (Well, okay, cleaning toilets was not a favorite among some – but they did it!) On our last afternoon, we had prayer together to ask God how he would have us spend our time for His purpose. After discussion and more prayer, God decided to split us up into 3 groups. Linda, Mary Kate, Margaret and Beth Ann stayed at the Knights of Columbus (where we slept, ate and worshiped, and thoroughly cleaned in preparation for the next group to come. Al Geiger and Brandon went to a park in Gentile, a part of New Orleans that is just now starting to rebuild, to minister to the neighborhood kids through sports evangelism. Scott, myself and Jill, our AIM project coordinator, took Bradley, Gar, Kathleen, Abby, Eliza and Charlotte to a group of homeless people camping under an overpass. The place is known as “Tent City.” We went to Walmart and bought toiletry supplies that we divided into Care Packages. We thought we would have plenty of bags of supplies for them, but soon realized that there were twice as many people as we thought there would be. - Tina, leader