For weekly updates on the Emerge Community, copies of "Conversation Guides," and links to young adult ministries:
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Today we arrived at Ms. Jackson's house for a day of scraping and painting, a welcome change from the work in previous days. While getting set up in the morning the neighbors came to sit on the porch where they stayed for most the day. Really it was the introduction to Dro, the gentlemen's dog, that initially caught our attention. Named after the hydroponic gardening that the men supported themselves with, this was a big mean loud pit bull. To top it off his owners had full rows of gold teeth across the front of their mouths and had nuerous conversations about shootings and other crime. So it seemed as if we were working next to some men who found their living in alternative economies. Interesting in its own regard. But then came a moment when we realized that we had a serious lack of ladders for this job. Soon Anna asked our friends next door if they had a ladder to borrow, and they did. We spent the day with a group of guys who many of us had not come into contact with in our lives. They represented a number of life choices that we had serious questions about. They had a dog that, when not sunning itself humorously on the driveway, could probably rip our faces off. Yet, even with all these differences, we were still able to work together to get Ms. Jackson's house painted. Its moments like this that make me certain heaven will be a very interesting place! »
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New Orleans
The 5:30 am wake up on Friday prompted a few of us to pull an all-nighter; Our first mistake. Attempting in one day what was unpleasant in two, the drive promised to be gruelling. Nevertheless, we set out from New Orleans for Birmingham.
Things went smoothly, though drudingly, until our 8pm dinner in Louisville. Ominously, we all bought Dairy Queen Blizzards. Maybe upset at the mockery, Mother Nature whipped up her own blizzard and dumped 10-15 inches of snow in our path. Wearing flip flops was my second mistake. Continuing on towards Cincinati, our speed and visability were absurdly reduced. Not long thereafter, Carl made the wise decision to order a retreat. Rerouted for Indianapolis, the drive was only slightly less treacherous. We pulled up to St. Lukes Methodist Church at about 2:30 am. As if the 21 hour day wasn't punishment enought, Carl lost his phone in transit.
It's odd that in a week of mission work, I witnessed the truest form of Christianity on the drive home. From the Israelites to the Nativity, the Bible is a story of travellers. In some sort of modern-day epic, we played the role of the helpless travellers; Argonauts waylaid on our quest. Ironically, after a week of assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the return trip gave us lesson in helplessness. I only hope that our week of service embodied the Christian lifestyle in the same way as the efforts of the people of St. Lukes.