- With Mid-City Ministries, I am tutoring 3rd and 4th graders on Tuesdays and Thursdays and co-leading a teen bible study on Wednesday nights. We are currently working through the first chapter of 1 John. Oh the stories I could share about my kids...Next week, we will be hosting a Hispanic Week in honor of National Hispanic Heritage month. (We'll be celebrating a little late, but that's alright.)
- At First Presbyterian, I am volunteering with the Program of Hope homeless outreach ministry on Wednesdays, which provides bus tokens, Salvation Army vouchers, lunches, toiletries, and transportation to medical appointments. I'm making friends with some of our guests, which has been a true blessing and treat. One of my main projects that I am working on is creating a manual for incoming volunteers to learn about how to run the ministry. Also, I am hosting a book study for the young adults at a local coffee shop on Rob Bell's latest book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God. I am thrilled to lead this study because of the enticing questions that come to mind while diligently preparing for its fruition.
- Sunday nights are held sacred here in the Zimpel house. It's our one time to guarantee to cook and eat together. Sundays here are still my favorite day of the week.
- There was a warning for New Orleans to witness the effects of Hurricane Karen that ended up amounting to about an hour of rain total spread throughout the day two weeks ago. Concerts were cancelled, grocery stores were packed, and some parts of LA within an hour evacuated. Not New Orleans. The worst we were anticipating were heavy rains and the possibility of the power going out. Yet there were none of the above. We got very lucky. The last hurricane I witnessed was Hurricane Sandy, just about one year ago. My family and I were very lucky to only lose power during the storm. Therefore, thankfully, I have very little experience with severe storms. Because of this lack of experience, when I talk with everyone who survived Hurricane Katrina, all I can offer is sympathy. I cannot even begin to fathom their experience. This is easily the most difficult challenge I have come across. As a house, the YAV's have been watching Spike Lee's documentary on Katrina called When The Levees Broke. Here is a clip from the film that will certainly give you the chills. The depth and complexity of the wounds left here create a backdrop for every living thing here. The rehabilitating city and its thread-bare citizens have grown humbly strong. They are the walking wounded. Katrina left wounds on everyone and everything. Continued prayers for healing for this exquisite place and its remarkable people.
- According to my mentor from Presbytery, there are palm trees here that are not native to New Orleans. In fact, there were very few in the city before Katrina hit. Yet when the city was starting to rebuild, the government chose to plant them everywhere. I have yet to speak with someone who knows why. It's interesting how something as simple as a tree can be seen as a peeling band-aid for a city that lost so much blood, literally and figuratively.
- Homesickness comes in waves, usually unexpectedly. A stranger at the Rite Aid might look like a close friend, or a song on the radio might trigger a memory from the summer. Sometimes these moments nip at my heart and swiftly leave; other times, the pain feels like a genuine and deep omission. Yet my housemates have been the best cure. Their humor, compassion, understanding, empathy, and authenticity have been my remedies for these aches.
- Adjusting to the climate of South Louisiana has been a challenge. Despite loving the spring-like weather in January two years ago on a mission trip to this beautiful city, I am truly grieving the cold weather. I find so much joy in the changing of the seasons, more than I was aware. However, today was the first day I could legitimately wear a sweater because of the wind! The little things...
- I am pumping my own gas with confidence, I might add. I am a Jersey girl to my marrow, so before moving to New Orleans, I had only pumped gas literally twice by myself. Ever. I've pumped my own gas a whopping five times since moving here. Again, that's literally over double my previous experience in about one month. I find this simple "accomplishment" quite satisfying. Again, the little things...
- A handful of weekend highlights: watching roller derby, free tickets to the WWII museum, listening to incredible local music for cheap, thrift shops, square dancing twice a month at First Presbyterian, amazing food everywhere, outdoor evening art markets, visiting the library that's only 3 blocks from my house, and cooking with my housemates.
- Last weekend, we YAV's went to the Feliciana Retreat Center for the Presbytery meeting for the Presbytery of South Louisiana. As an amateur treehugger and PC(USA) nerd, I was thrilled for this opportunity. We had a blast getting to know our Presbytery and cheering on our own site coordinator, Layne, for the Presbytery's approval of her ordination!
- Tomorrow, I am actually headed back to Feliciana for a Presbytery-wide youth group retreat! My housemate, Alex, and I are leaving in the morning and coming back Sunday night, just in time to have dinner with Layne and our other housemates!
- And finally, this evening I took a solo trip to the French Quarter around dinner time to hear Kristin Diable, a local musician I've known for quite some time. I got to meet and chat with her for a bit, finding to her to be a great dancer, an old soul, and as playful and passionate as a kid.
Thank you for reading!
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