Day One - DONE!

Well, I know you've all been waiting fervently for a post...so here it is. The ride down yesterday was uneventful...long, but the kids did great. We managed to go 2 hours without stopping for a potty break. Believe me, this is no small feat with 10 women and 14 children!

Today we got started with ministry. We started the day at 7:00 at breakfast. Then we packed up and went to the City Park where we boarded the Street Cars for our Prayer Ride. We really saw alot to pray about...there has been so much done, but there's still so much to be done. Some things that stick out in my mind are the literally hundreds of tents under the bridge in downtown. We rode through a very poor part of NO, and a very affluent part of NO with huge homes. Just personally, I was able to strike up a conversation with a lady named Dawanna, who has lived in NO all her life. She left after Katrina and went to KY, and returned about a year and a half ago. She is a believer, but you could tell she was still struggling with getting her life back together. Her home was totally destroyed. I asked her if there was anything I could pray with her about and she is struggling with health issues. She rides an hour each way on the trolley each day to her cafeteria job in a catholic school where she is only given about 16 hours a week of work. She has been frustrated with lack of jobs available here, and the fact that homes that rented for $600 a month before Katrina are now $1200 a month. Please join me in praying for Dawanna and another gentleman named Tyrone that I met on the street car today.

After we ate lunch at the City Park...this is a neat park...got a great pic of all the kids on these huge, ginormous trees there...we went to the house where we did yard work. This house belongs to a lady who had to leave and has not been able to afford to have her house fixed. The yard has grown up so much she is in danger of the city taking her house. We mowed, weed eated, clipped hedges, raked, etc. It was hard but felt soooooo good to be literally changing someone's life. I wish we had been able to meet her, but she is still living in another town. All the kids did great, and they are tired tonight.

After yard work, we went to dinner and then went to a worship service at John Aaron's home church here in NO. The church overlooks an old cemetery with all the graves above ground, so that led to interesting questions. We debriefed down by Lake Ponchartrain (sp?) and had prayer. We are (read "I am") ready to go to bed and get a good night's sleep. We're scheduled to paint all day tomorrow...just sheetrock, so we don't run the risk of making anyone cry from our paint job.

Pray that the kids continue to have great attitudes. They haven't had much free time to run and be kids, but they're learning new things. Pray for patience for the moms for our own kids...and others' kids :)

Also...just another little note that threw us off a little this morning...Bailey Summit was sick all night last night...threw up several times soiling 3 sleeping bags and a couple of blankets. Sarah and he missed everything today, but was able to go to worship with us tonight. Sarah and April even ended up in the same twin bed because that was the last sleeping bag and clean bed available. Pray that he feels 100% better tomorrow and that Sarah and April have a much better night of sleep! Pray everyone else stays well!

We miss you all and of course, thought many times today about Judi. Our thoughts and prayers were with all of you there giving Jay, Jared and the other family members support and love. Thanks for standing in the gap for us!

Here are a few pics...have lots more we'll share with you when we return home!

We love you,
Gina & the rest of the FIT FOAM gang!