St. Thomas in NOLA by Molly
Open our eyes, Lord. The heat in New Orleans this week should be no problem for our fearless team from St Thomas Episcopal in Florida. They arrived safely and have hit the ground running. It is our hope that the entire week will be filled with eye-opening experiences. Our home for the week is called The Center for Jesus the Lord. This retreat center is housed in an old Carmelite Monastery on the edge of the French Quarter. There is something kind of soothing about sleeping within the walls of a place where the prayers of the faithful have been lifted up for almost 200 years.
Our pilgrims spent their first full day in service to the New Orleans Mission. Sorting, cleaning, cooking, hauling, smiling, and sweating were the order of the day. Every moment of service helped out the small staff of this incredibly busy and needed place. We journeyed over to the Lower 9th Ward in the late afternoon to see the path of the flood, and to see what has been accomplished and how much is still left to be done post Katrina. Probably the biggest eye opener of the day was just looking at vacant lots and green space where there used to be hundreds of homes. Every act of service or kindness this week will contribute to the hopeful recovery of this amazing town. May God bless us with joy and tons of energy, as well as the eyes to see what He wants us to see.