RE: New Orleans

There were two questions people would ask me this summer. "Are you excited for university? Are you excited to go to New Orleans?" For the first, I will not worry about it until I’m there. For the second, I did not think too much about it until the day before we left.

I was getting my hair cut so that I would not be as warm working in the sun (although it was too hot for that to make much of a difference). I was talking to the student cutting my hair about this trip; I was not expecting the result. She said that it was cool to actually go down and serve; her church generally focuses on donating money. I mentioned that there are always many ways to serve people here in Canada, here in Newmarket. Afterwards, I realized that her perspective brought forth excitement simply because I had an opportunity to serve God.

The city of New Orleans has great contrast. With tourism as a major industry, there was a casino across the street from where we were staying, in addition to places such as Bourbon St. that have about three strip clubs on each block - and bars in between. Is shocking how many gift shops - which contain Voodoo souvenirs and perverted items related to Bourbon St. - can each generate so much revenue when they all sell the same junk. Such places were spiritually dark to the extent that some people described it as smelling evil. Yet only a few blocks away you can see a massive white-stoned church.

This leads to our rebuilding mission. There is much needed work among the ruins left by Hurricane Katrina, that lie beyond the tourist attractions. To build houses for people in the city; to build temples in people for the Holy Spirit.

The necessity of help in New Orleans, both physically and spiritually, is enough to make one feel that they have the frail strength of a slaughtered bull. But, as in the stories of Eleazar and Shammah in 2 Samuel 23:9-12, it is our Redeemer who brings about great victories.

And we are all part of the Body. Some of us are the hands that build; others are like the blood that provides the hands with nutrients. I thank everyone in Canada who was with us through prayer while we were down in New Orleans.