November 20 Trip to New Orleans

November 20 – Trip to New Orleans
The New Orleans Trip team is a team of 10 brave but willing souls. This trip consists of Dan Valentine (Team Leader), David Mahan, Earl Stine, Paul Cobb, John Ficken, John, Sorensen, Alex Ball, Beth Bailey, Claire Dunaway and Dan Roberts. Jane Cofer has graciously agreed to be the teams Home Based team member to coordinate and assist with our needs back home. We will be commissioned at the 8:30 service on Nov. 20 and leave immediately after that.

So far, we are off to a great start under Dan Valentine’s leadership and guidance. We are also fortunate to have the expertise of Paul Cobb and David Mahan who have been on previous missions. They have already giving the rookie team members some invaluable advice on what to wear, what tools we need and what to buy.

Earl Stine and John Ficken have volunteered to be our Van drivers for the 8 hour drive to New Orleans. The week of November 13 started with a meeting to meet and plan. The week has been full of emails, suggestions and preparations.

We are making room for 15 donated Build a Bears (donated by Clint Davenport) to travel with us. We will make sure they make it safely to their new home (more to come on this topic later).

John Calvin Presbyterian in Metairie – where we are staying

Our Mission / Our Goals / Our Plans:

• Four days stabilizing and/or rehabilitating the Nursery School property and Church property at Eastminster and Peace Presbyterian Churches in New Orleans


• Arrangements have been made to stay at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Metairie (Transcontinental Drive).


• We will spend all day Monday and Tuesday morning at Eastminster Nursery School (Read Blvd. New Orleans) working and trying to make the building usable again.


• We plan to take a short tour of New Orleans in the early afternoon on Tuesday to get a better understanding of what the community is facing.


• On Wednesday and Thursday, we will be at Peace Presbyterian (Morrison Road) cleaning out church property, disposing of debris from the interior of the building.


• On Thursday at 3:00 p.m., work will stop for the celebration of Thanksgiving. Then on Friday morning, we will depart for Home sweet Home

Plans are to update this posting every evening as long as we can get reliable internet service (and we are not too tired!).
We also hope to include pictures of our progress, where we are working, and people we befriend.

Please keep us in your daily prayers:

• for us to make a difference in the lives of these families in New Orleans
• for our safety and
• that we will have the energy each day to do God’s Will.
  

Next post should be Sunday November 20th / Monday November 21st