Where our feet have taken us.
Reflections on a Mission Work Week in NOLA.
Bobby
Anderson
What a trip! We were blessed with the perfect weather for
a week on a construction site. Our kids
greeted each task with energy and a smile, from shoveling a tone of “cee-ment”
to swinging pick axes. The hospitality
from St. Charles Pres. was overwhelming and we were lucky to be paired up with
an uplifting team from First Pres. Sarasota.
It was rewarding to meet and work beside future homeowners, Latourt,
Danna. Thank you everyone for becoming
family!
Lexi
Boutsikoudis
I could not have asked for a better
week. The experience by far exceeded my
hopes for this week. The work we did for
others was not just fulfilling, it was more.
Seeing and meeting someone whose life you’re directly help change is
much more, it is an unparalleled feeling.
Fulfillment was not the only amazing thing about his trip. The people we met while working on site were
so kind. The gratitude and friendliness
that strangers on the street exuded towards us is something I have never
experienced. This trip has surely been a
privilege to go on. I could not have
asked for better company to join us on a journey like this. It has really helped me learn about what I
want to do in the future. Peace &
Blessin’s. Go Saints.
Matt
Crohan
After an amazing week of hard work and
great fun, there are only two words that can sum everything up. Those two words are hope and grace. We spent this week with the grace of God in
our hearts and through that we helped build hope in a torn city. There is no greater feeling than helping
build a person’s future home with such a group of people. I cannot wait to go back to New Orleans
someday. Till then I will just keep the
city in my heart. God NOLA 13 and
remember. . . Who Dat?!
Harrison
Davis
I came to New Orleans in order to
accomplish two things: I wanted to work for the sake of others and to try to
tap into the unique current that runs through New Orleans. In retrospect, I am confident that I was successful
in my goals and I ended up having a fantastic week.
But more importantly, I leave this trip
with a profound sense of reality. Of all
the virtues I’ve experienced over the week, this is the one I treasure the
most. I came in thinking that there was
a problem, but I never knew the problem was this big, nor did I know the
problem extended beyond Katrina. There
was no hiding on this trip. I saw the
results of class inequality, negligence, and along with the kind hearts I met a
lot of broken souls in the streets of New Orleans. I know now that the scope of my influence, my
ability to heal, is so small, so insubstantial, compared to the sheer quantity
of hardship in the world. However, the
help that is so vital is slowly trickling away, and every helping hand is
direly needed.
I think it is unspeakably important not
to shirk away from this dynamic. There
is so much despair left forgotten, far too much for any one person to nurture
back to health. But there is still
hope. There is always hope. In the face of such tremendous hardship and
responsibility, it is comforting to think that, in the end, what little we do
is all we can do. Isn’t that
enough? It’s certainly enough to keep
the lantern lit, even if with just a spark.
Jenny
Davis
I have one word to describe this week –
cohesion. What a beautiful thing it is
to see our group working together, willing to do any job assigned, perfectly OK
with anyone assigned to work with them.
How grateful I am to be part of a church
that makes these kind of things happen!
It has been a life-changing experience for me. Thank You.
Hannah
Dougherty
Life works in funny ways. Everyone assumes that adversity only reaps
pain and heartache. While this is
undeniably true, adversity can prompt positive energy, too. Although Katrina destroyed the lives of many,
she also brought about the goodness of humanity that continues to linger. As a result of the storm, our group has
bonded together to rebuild hope in a still broken city. We have exerted a tremendous amount of energy
for the good of a cause, and we expected nothing in return. We have felt the reverberations of this work
through the smiles and thanks that we’ve received from the people of New
Orleans. Although this week was
established as a response to painful adversity, it has acted as a refresher for
us all. We leave this vibrant city with
new lessons – the importance of grace, the power of love and the recognition of
everyone’s innate ability to help their neighbor. I’d like to thank this amazing group of
people for the best week of my life.
You’ve made it unforgettable.
Jackie
Forde
I feel extremely blessed to have been
able to come and spend the week in New Orleans.
Not only was it enriching and fun, but it made me take a step outside
myself and realize that there is a much bigger picture that I have to
acknowledge. Although junior year can be
tough and figuring out what I want to do with my life after high school can be
stressful, I came to find that I should take on a new perspective and be
thankful for those stressors. They mean
that I have endless possibility and opportunity. My life is an open book and I have to appreciate
everything I have and seize every moment, after all, nothing is permanent.
I said it in my blog post with Ali last
night, but there really is nothing like the feeling of doing something for
someone who can never repay you.
Although this was merely a week of my time, the work I left behind will
benefit someone for the rest of their life and that is an indescribable
feeling. So, if it holds true that where
my feet take me is a reflection of who I am, I could only be so fortunate that
they guide me to experiences like this for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t trade this trip for the world.
Jim
Forde
What a wonderful week! There is no better feeling than helping
others. The only thing that amplifies
the joy is watching gifted and caring teens grow before your very eyes; as they
do the same.
It was great to step off the treadmill
for a week and become more “human” as we did God’s work.
Emma
Gargiulo
Hope.
Who are we without it?
Hope is what keeps us grounded and
same. We hope for a better life, a
better future, and a loving support group to help us through it all. Nothing is permanent. In a split second you could go from having
everything to absolutely nothing. Those
affected by hurricane Katrina lost it all.
Their security, lives, and identity all swept away in just 24
hours. However, in their time of need
and misfortune they all banded together and had hope that they would get
through the hard times. Coming on this
trip has helped me put into perspective all that is around me and what truly
matters. As humans in society we are
compelled to build a false advertisement of ourselves because we think we
aren’t good enough. When in reality, who
we really are can have such an impact that the outcomes are infinite. Just by building one house we are able to
change one person’s life forever. But,
at the same time, touch the hearts of the whole community. This group came together and bonded in ways I
did not imagine. We threw all the small
stuff away in order to see the big picture.
We are often so blinded by materialism and judgment that we forget that
we are all in the same boat. This trip
will forever be in my memories and thoughts as I grow and mature. There is no place like the present and right
now it feels amazing!
Ali
Margarone
Coming to New Orleans was one of the best
decisions I’ve ever made. This week has
been great and I couldn’t have asked to spend my break any other way. I’m sad that it’s ending but am very grateful
of all the things I’ve learned and the people I’ve met while on this trip. Nothing feels better than helping others and
making a difference in other people’s lives.
Although the work was hard and tiring at times, it was worth it; being
able to meet the homeowners and see the smiles on their faces when they saw
their future homes made me work even harder.
This week has made me realize that I want to go on more trips like this
and help others in any way I can. I
would love to come to New Orleans again and thank everyone for making this trip
so special and unforgettable.
Connor
Methany
By far the best February break I’ve
had. I feel like this group is now my
famiy. It wasn’t just the bonding that
made the trip great. The work was
fulfilling and made me appreciate what I have.
And even though I don’t necessarily have a “traditional” belief system,
the group made me feel safe and really welcomed me with open arms. I loved every second of it. NOLA.
Shout out to the Baes.
Cassie
Miolene
I learned more this week than I
expected. I learned what it meant to
give to others, and how important it was to my life and to everyone around
me. Each day I met a new face, learned a
new skill, and experienced moments that I will never forget. I intend to carry what I learned with me
everyday and share it as much as I can.
The stories I heard will remain with me, and this trip gave me the gift
of knowing how it feels to make a difference.
I’ll never forget it. I will
carry this experience as I look forward to next year. Peace y’all.
Claire
Miolene
This week was amazing for me. I wish I had time to write more, but it turns
out I only have about 2 minutes. I
couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend February break, with amazing
people and the wonderful experience. The
feeling of knowing you’re doing the right thing for no reward is amazing and is
just one of the things I received this week.
This trip was a positive refresher of what really matters and how what
we deal with as teenagers, especially doesn’t really matter. Life is about the bigger picture and becoming
a better person by creating a better world.
I realized the power of community and how it induced grace upon
others. Thanks so much.
Colin
Morgan
I can’t help it. I fell in love with New Orleans – for a
second time. The people, the food, the culture,
the love.
It is true that the things such as houses
can be taken away. They may not always
be there. But what I did learn on this
trip is that family and friends and loved ones around you can’t be washed
away. They will be with you in some form,
forever. Shout out to the Baes.
Geralyn
Plomitallo
A beautiful week rebuilding hope in New
Orleans with a fabulous group. I
witnessed growth, development, kindness, love, friendship, compassion,
teamwork, caring and sharing. Together
we impacted lives both in NOLA and in Stamford.
Thank you FPC for your love and support.
Rodney
Reynolds
Helping
to rebuild a home in New Orleans was a tremendous experience. I was invigorated
by the opportunity to make a difference in someone else’s life in such a
tangible way. And I’m glad I got to
spend some quality time with the whole FPC squad. Because the energy of the FPC
youth was palpable for the duration of the trip, my fatigue was often met with
resilient enthusiasm for the tasks at hand, which for me varied greatly. I went from painting storm shutters to
reconstructing storage shelves, using everything from a paintbrush to a
circular saw. I admit that I didn’t
realize how much of post-Katrina New Orleans still hasn't been repaired. And while seeing some of the houses in the
area, I couldn't help but to think of the houses that look similar in nearby
cities like Bridgeport, Hartford, the Bronx and even my hometown Mt.
Vernon. I left New Orleans with a sense
of gratitude for the opportunity to serve in the way I did. But I also left with the question of how I
can affect change in a comparable way without necessarily having to get on a
plane to do so. Oh, and tangentially
related - there's nothing like New Orleans food. Crawfish. BBQ Shrimp po’boys.
Catfish. King cake. Yes.
Osbyn
Sandoval
This experience that I went through his
week is one of the best of my life. This
is the one time that I feel that have gotten a reward for putting in hard
work. I love everyone in the group. We weren’t all strangers in the begging, but
even though we were friends before the trip I feel that I have gotten closer to
everyone. We grew into a big family that
always looks out for each other. We made
a great team while we helped people finally gain the feeling of home
ownership. The gratitude I received from
all those people will always stay in my heart.
I will never forget the smile of the man that saw us helping to build
his house. I loved New Orleans and the
people that live there and I hope I will be able to come back next year.
Margaret
Simpson
This past week has been one of the most
memorable and inspiring weeks of my entire life. I became close with so many different people
and learned how to work will with them in tricky situations. My favorite part of this trip was seeing the
outcome and the reactions from our hard work.
There isn’t a better satisfaction than the one where you know you are
not getting anything in return. When all
you need is the genuine look on someone’s face to know you changed their life. This NOLA trip has been absolutely
amazing. It really opened my eyes and
changed my perspective on how people live.
I am blessed to have been able to go on this trip and will remember it
for the rest of my life.
Christian
Sottosanti
I had a fantastic time spending my
February break in New Orleans. I love
the food, the people and the beautiful city and the positive vibe that it
emitted. Most importantly, I had an
excellent experience on the worksite.
Like the rest of the group, I worked very hard and seeing the future
homeowner gave me an indescribable feeling inside. And it taught me never to take what I have
for granted. I had an awesome experience
spreading positive energy in the city and making new friends in and out of the
group. There’s nothing I would’ve rather
done during my break.
