Post Mission Trip

All in all...

It was an AMAZING trip to New Orleans. It was bumpy at times, spirit filled, and an honest attempt to make a small dent in this broken world. I believe it was the first Diocesan Youth Trip and I think the largest ever sponsored by the Diocese of WNY... 39 people I must have been nuts...

We worked with All Souls Episcopal Church in the Lower 9th Ward, and helped work in the church and for parishioners in the community. All Souls is a church plant by the Diocese of Louisiana. In a time of decline, shrinking numbers, evaporating money, and major destruction; we, The Episcopal Church are growing, planting seeds for a generation that had never known The Episcopal Church in that area; what an accomplishment. In an old Walgreens building yet unfinished, engulfed in a sea of dry wall dust, without lights, without air conditioning, we worshiped, we worked, and we were fed. The Rev. Lonell Wright on top of being a priest to a growing congregation also was organizing volunteers and work projects for up to 60 volunteers a day. All Souls is working to become a community center and a place of hope and rebirth for the Lower 9th. They offer children’s programs that seek to address the systemic issues in that community by encouraging the arts, education, and adult literacy. If there were a model of real evangelism and hope for the Episcopal Church, All Souls in the Lower 9th would be it.

A real high point for me was on our last day; we checked in at the airport and had a lot of time to kill because of delays. So, we took a ride to Lakeview to see some of the damage there. Our ventures had not taken us to that area and I thought it important for everyone to see it was just as badly damaged by Katrina. As we rode down a street and parked a family emerged from their FEMA trailer to see who was having a party, and why three 15 passenger vans had just pulled up... The Gaffney family was thrilled to see I had returned with 4x's as many volunteers from my previous trip. They opened up their almost finished home to us, told us stories, and gave thanks for our presence even though we hadn't worked on their house at all on this trip.

The Gaffneys are a reason some of our young people were on the trip. I had recounted my mission experience to young people at Jr. High Camp, parish meetings, and in conversations. I shared the wonderment of being God's hands in the world to this family, and gave them an opportunity to share an experience that has changed my life and will continue to.

These young people continue to amaze me and have come to Be the Change I wish to See in the World. I look forward to working with them as young people and adults in this church and I truly believe we have a bright future ahead of us. I look forward to using the tools and community we've developed through our Mission Trip here in Western New York and abroad to further God's Kingdom so that all may feel is ever widening embrace.