Days 1 & 2:
Hey guys, our New Orleans trip has been really great thus far, and the time has seemed to fly by like crazy. It's been such a blessing so far for all of us. Here's a quick summary of the last few days.

Day 1 started bright and early. We all met at SWC at 6:30 AM and headed off to the airport. Once we got there and unloaded all of our gear, we were pretty much ready for anything. We had about a 40 minute layover in Houston, TX, then we arrived in New Orleans roughly an hour later. One of the immediate realizations we had was the 70% humidity. Our first stop was at The Celebration Church, which is where we are staying. What we didn't know was that we would be with 160 other people from churches that were there for similar purposes. We also weren't exactly prepared to be sleeping on cots in a gymnasium. We're not ones to complain, and we did know going in that this is a missions trip, and we weren't expecting to be pampered, so it's been a blessing to get to fellowship with others. That night, we also got to spend time down on Bourbon Street. None us had any idea exactly how corrupt that particular part of town was. Amongst the various bars and music clubs, there were also many voodoo shops and even cabarets, most of which were barely concealed. Once we got back to The Celebration Church, we got cleaned up and ready for the 10:30 PM lights out policy.

Day 2 also started bright and early. Wake up time is 6:30 AM (4:30 Arizona time). Someone forgot to turn the air conditioning off the night before, so we woke up freezing cold! After breakfast, we left the Celebration Church at about 9AM to go to the Kingsley House, an assisted living home which was pre-dominantly African-American. We got to spend time in fellowship with them, make crafts with them, and minister to them through hymns, skits and even puppets. One of the workers told us that we were the best group that they ever had. Not only did we get to join two generations together, but we also got to break down a racial wall, which a lot of those people were used to experiencing. After that, we went to the house that we're starting to rebuild. We took 100 sheets of drywall off the back of a truck and loaded them inside the house. It was really eye opening to look around the neighborhood and see the effects that the hurricane had. We headed down to Bourbon Stret again later that night, but this time with a different purpose. Some of us had the option to gather together and partake in communion together. It was a strengthening time for all of us. We want to thank all of you for praying for us and keeping us on your minds. We feel the power of your prayers.

Love, Pastor Justin, Jeff, Rob, Tim, Kelly, Josh, Mik, Vanessa, Megan, Casey, Jon, Sarah, David, Elijah, Buddy, Jasmine, Justin, Abi, Krista, Andrew, Ben, Matt, Josh, & Justin