Pebbles in the Lake

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

Humbling. Revival. Loved. Life-changing.

These are words that describe the experience of the women’s NOLA mission team that went to serve the people at the Church of the Annunciation. Members of the team felt guilty for coming away with so much, when the intention was to serve the needs of others.

As Christina said, “The hardest thing about the trip was the vastness of the need, compared with our smallness to meet it.” She described our presence there as a pebble in a pond, “The pebble seems so small compared to the surface of the water, but it generates ripples that spread out to effect change…” As Lianne said, “God used us to touch souls who will touch others.”

Many Bible verses empowered the women during the retreat. Jeremiah 29:11-13, Ephesians 6:10, Hebrews 13:20-21, Psalm 32, Psalm 41:1-3, Psalm 72:12-14, Psalm 100, 1Kings 19-1-9.

Laura encouraged the women as they returned, facing the love and humility of the journey along with a return to daily cares, by telling the team of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, and his experiences with God after a great victory.

Leslie reminded the women that “Part of the reason [Elijah grew weary] is that he thought he was the last man standing…he thought he was all alone in the fight.” She said that, ”God always has resources we don’t even know about…Elijah wasn’t alone in the fight and I think the women in New Orleans received the same encouragement from us.”

Gaye provided us with a wonderful poem to sum up our experience, "I have been truly blessed by your company and "touching shoulders" with you. Thank you for being a part of my journey ~Love, Gaye :)"

TOUCHING SHOULDERS

There’s a comforting thought at the close of the day,
When I’m weary and lonely and sad,
That sort of grips hold of my crusty old heart
And bids it be merry and glad.
It gets in my soul and it drives out the blues,
And finally thrills through and through,.
It is just a sweet memory that chants the refrain:
“I’m glad I touch shoulders with you!”

Did you know you were brave, did you know you were strong?
Did you know there was one leaning hard?
Did you know that I waited and listened and prayed,
And was cheered by your simplest word?
Did you know that I longed for that smile on your face,
For the sound of your voice ringing true?
Did you know I grew stronger and better because
I had merely touched shoulders with you?

I am glad that I live, that I battle and strive
For the place that I know I must fill;
I am thankful for sorrows, I’ll meet with a grin
What fortune may send, good or ill.
I may not have wealth, I may not be great,
But I know I shall always be true,
For I have in my life that courage you gave
When once I rubbed shoulders with you.

Unknown

NOLA Mission Trip, A Memory in Verse

Light floods in Annunciation windows

as Miss Lilly receives her River Jordan necklace

and a blessing.

Souls refreshed, hearts healed, pitchers filled up

Sights refocused on the goal,

On Christ and calling.

Little but mighty team of eleven

Served, prayed, taught, hugged, sang, laughed, ate, forgave, and freed

Such an awesome privilege,

To embrace and be embraced by our New Orleans sisters.

Just the right number the Spirit brought

Wrapped in golden and red scarves,

Crocheted with prayer by Laura,

whose presence was felt by all.

The Lord had prepared a banquet of loving proportions

And along the way, did more than we could ask or imagine.

--Cheri Fuller

Pure Worship, Powerful Prayer

What a powerful day we had going into this retreat! The afternoon began with a tour of New Orleans by Father Kramer,

and ended with the message Cheri Fuller left us with that prayer outlives us in influencing lives and circumstances. The music led by Christina "was pure worship" one of the New Orleans young women, April, said. And, of course, the fun and games and prizes, led by Gaye, was pretty wild - especially for those with 3 or 4 Bingo cards who still couldn't manage to get a Bingo!

Women of all ages are attending the retreat, from young teenagers to grandmothers, all sharing together their lives and experiences with family, work, and our amazing God. It was great to have most of the visitors staying over night, so we could have a last word and prayer before lights out, and meet each other in the morning in the bathroom vying for space at the sink and showers, talking about the night, and the incredible sunrise.

Those on the retreat team are even more aware that God's purpose in this mission trip is for the women of Christ Church as much as for the women of the Church of the Annunciation. Except for our leader, Debi Newman, all of the women that came from Christ Church have not been on a previous mission trip to New Orleans since the flooding. Touring the city, especially Broadmoor and the lower 9th district, seeing the work on the pumps and levees, understanding the devastation and the enormous hurdles - political, emotional, and especially economic, with lack of jobs, housing costs and values upside down - was an eye opener, and truly gave us a picture of what the Church of the Annunciation is facing in working for turning around Broadmoor. Father Jerry and his wife Stacy Kramer's ability to pull in the community and empower the people by involving them in working toward their own renewal - physically, educationally, economically, and especially spiritually - is remarkable. It takes incredible faith and perseverance.

Again, thank you for your continued prayer. After church tomorrow, we will head home for the long drive, with many things to talk about. Keep this final day of the retreat and our travels in your prayers.

Arrival in NOLA - Update from Father Jerry Kramer

Thanks to all of our prayer partners for your vigilance in prayer for this journey and mission. After a 12-hour drive, with stops for photos, gas, bathrooms and meals, and much time to bond and learn about each other while Debi Newman drove, we were met in the Church of the Annunciation parking lot in the Broadmoor District of New Orleans at 9 pm Thusday night. Everyone quickly settled into the upstairs dormitory after prayer and thanksgiving for the journey and for the committed servants that are currently working at the church.

We woke this morning to the smell of coffee, sausage, eggs, and heavenly biscuits!

After a great breakfast, this morning we have had an opportunity to get video of the extensive changes and progress on the property, and also to participate in a moving prayer service, reading from the Benedictine Daily Prayer book, led by Father Jerry Kramer. Now we are all busy preparing for the retreat this afternoon. We are excited and believe the timing couldn't be better - the women of this church and neighborhood especially have the need for this retreat to lift their spirits.

Following the prayer service, Father Kramer gave us time to ask questions and give us a review of the current needs and progress of the church. The parish - and the community - are in a slump right now, with the soldiers weary from the two year battle, enormous medical and mental health needs in the community, and critical lack of adequate living space. Many working people are scrambling at night to find shelter and showers before going to work in the mornings. He said that women are especially vulnerable, without housing and being out on the streets.

Nearly everyone in New Orleans is encountering some level of post traumatic stress disorder, which peaks from 2-5 years after the crisis. Father Kramer said that the easiest time was right after the flood, when everyone was equal, and everyone had nothing. Now that groups are going in different directions, and it is clear there is considerable work and suffering still to go through, it is easy to get a feeling of hopelessness.

Despite the huge needs, human suffering and exhaustion, Father Kramer said that he and his wife Stacy have come to the conclusion that because of Katrina, and because of the church, New Orleans has a chance of renewal, survival and growth that it didn't have before. He told of their work with and studies by the Harvard Kennedy School, where people from the school had convinced him two years ago that the only way to overcome this disaster was an entrepreneurial spirit - "you have to do it yourself" because no money or services would filter down to this level. The result of this research can be downloaded as The Broadmoor Project.

The women of our mission team can see that, largely because of Father Kramer's missionary experience and entrepreneurial leadership, his church responded to the needs of the community, rather than waiting for rescue by the government, or simply trying to restore the church to it's previous condition. The Church of the Annunciation is recognized for leading Broadmoor to be "the comeback neighborhood." Father Kramer emphasized the perspective that we "shouldn't make plans and then ask God to bless them, but instead look around and see what God is doing in our midst and then get on His program."

Broadmoor is now a viable neighborhood because of the church. Father Kramer said that, because of the Church of the Annunciation's work, the Harvard Kennedy School recognizes in their manual on disaster recovery that the church, not government intervention, is the core for community survival. He also provided stories that showed that not just any church can bring recovery. He said the churches in the community that simply restored their buildings are dying. Those that tried to just pull back together, or even consolidate resources to get back to their previous direction are not growing.

Father Kramer said, "Don't sell what the church needs to the neighborhood, find what the neighborhood needs. . . We are now relevant to the community." He said that the church had to, "risk talking to the community, and giving them stakeholder positions."

The Church of the Annunciation has proven that having a missional perspective - that "God's heart is for people in need" - that we must "be available to God" - is not only the way to survival for a church and a community in disaster, but for the church to grow and serve the commission God gave us in the world.

We will be going into the retreat this afternoon about 4 pm through the late night, with women from the community expected to be staying over night here with our women's mission team.

Thank you all for your support and continued prayers for this mission team.