Middle Family and Friends,

Today was our final day of work in New Orleans. As yesterday, it was spent at ARNO. The tasks were similar, as was the heat! I want to give you a little behind the scenes look at our young people and adult volunteers that were present on the trip.

First of all, I want to let you know that Middle was well represented here in New Orleans this past week. We had a total of 8 young people this time, ages 11 - 16. Because we are considered a "young group" we are not able to do the type of "rebuilding" work that one might think you would come to do (working on houses, and do other types of similar manual labor). Through the partnerships that the Center has, we were able to find suitable work, and so this week has been filled with a variety of experiences; from gardens to lights to animals!

Each of our experiences held special lessons that have taught us that New Orleans is still on the mend.

Hello Middle Lovelies!

It is now Thursday, and we have just completed our 4th day of work. Today we went to ARNO, Animal Rescue New Orleans, which is located in the Jefferson Parish.  It was another cool 110 degrees in the shade and we are still recovering from all the vitamin D that we must have soaked in today!

ARNO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit grassroots volunteer organization founded by Jane Garrison and two of her good friends. Involved in hands-on Katrina rescue in the greater New Orleans area, Jane was one of the first out-of-town persons on the scene at rescue headquarters, located at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA. Jane worked with hundreds of volunteers to rescue thousands of animals, and then Lamar-Dixon shut down in October 2005.

Our day started with breakfast and a small devotional. I went around the table, asking a few questions:

- What was the most life-giving for you this week?
- What was most draining or life-depleting today?
- Where did you experience growth today?
- Where did you see God at work today?
- Where would you like to see God at work today?
- When did you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or undone today?
- What person or experience was most significant for you this week and why?
- How are you being stretched?
- What are you most thankful for right now?

We closed with Prayer for Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz, and off we went.

Wednesday (8/3) - Green Light New Orleans
Today we spent another day at Green Light New Orleans. We had 7 houses to go visit and by 1pm we had already been to 6 of them and done everything that needed to be done. We would have finished earlier except we had a 3pm appointment at our last house that could not be moved.  

Wednesday evening we attended a youth gathering sponsored by the National Baptists; friends from the last couple of Ecumenical Work Week Camps. We were invited by Sara Richburg from Riverside Church in NYC, and Vickie Goff, a coordinator for the American Baptist Home Mission Societies. At this worship there were about 100 young people and adults present from all over the United States. We were all blessed to have the opportunity to fellowship with other adults and youth.

Here is what our individual participants had to say about the experience.

I am John Del Cueto, Director for Children and Youth at Middle Church, and I am writing to you from the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal in New Orleans. This is the fourth year that Middle Church Youth have visited NOLA as part of our ongoing mission efforts, but the first year our team is not part of a larger group effort. Our mission team was commissioned during the service on Sunday, July 24th which can be seen here.

Middle Youth participants are; Alisha Bullard-Green (13), Brianna Bullard-Green (11), Jose PruntyRusso (13), Kerem SmithStone (16), Tes SmithStone (14), Hakima SmithStone (12), Jordon Doctor (15) and Xavier Gonzalez (14).

The adults on the trip are myself, Jennie Green, Nathan Johnson and Tina Owens. The Greens are Middle members who not too long ago moved to Minnesota. We are grateful for all who are participating.  

Visit this page for frequent updates, descriptions of our daily tasks and reflections from our participants.

I am writing you from the comfort of my apartment, after having traveled this morning from New Orleans. I wanted to bring closure to this blog so that you might hear about Friday and then Saturday, to know how things ended up.

As I mentioned in my last entry, we were scheduled to go out into the community of the Lower Ninth Ward and do surveys. Mack McClendon is the founder of The Lower Ninth Ward Village. Mr. Mack (as he is called) told us that the mission of the community center is to bring together the entire Lower Ninth Ward and to empower community members to be self-sufficient and to sustain an equitable quality of life. The Village focuses on connecting the elderly and youth, with services and providing care and guidance from the community as a whole.

Here we are on Friday. Oh my gosh, it's Friday! I can't believe the week has just flown by. It was just Sunday morning when we arrived and here we are already at Friday; and this is to be our last day of work here in NOLA.

But before I go there, let's go to yesterday: Thursday. When last we left off, Thursday was to be Drywall Day, and that it was. Actually, we traveled out to a house in the Lower Ninth Ward that morning and we split into 2 teams, one team was painting and the other team did dry-walling. It was actually a great day. The painting team went right to work; there were two rooms that they had to clean, prep, and then paint. Rollers were running, brushes were busy, paint was flying (onto the walls).

The other team was in a room in the back of the house, where there were no walls (finished, anyway). We could see the pink of the insulation, and one quarter of the ceiling had been done. I'm going to focus on the drywalling "ministry" for a moment, because that is where I spent my day. There were four young gentlemen in that area: Jose, Xavier, Tes and Chris. Our teacher for the day was Bob, and he started from the beginning. There was terminology (I don't dare try to remember it here), there were measurements, there were drill guns and T-Squares and carpenter's pencils and roto drills – oh my! You could have just painted me clueless. I had no idea what was happening or how things would come together. This stuff looked hard, and it was. We spent most of the morning running behind Bob, following his instructions. The day was hot, there was no air and minds did wander from time to time (read between the lines).

"Where are my helpers?" Bob would yell. Towards the end of the day, however, Bob put down his equipment, turned to the boys and said, "Okay, you do it." And of course, I thought to myself, "Reaaaaaaalllly? Are you sure?" But that's when the team when into action. They measured and cut drywall, they made marks in the studs, and they lifted the drywall up....oops! We had to turn the drywall around: we had it on the wrong side. Okay, now: we lifted the drywall up and then we started gunning the nails into the beams. By the end of the day, the ceiling was (almost) covered.

As I type this right now, I am getting a little emotional, and I think if you see the pictures you might catch a glimpse of what I saw: four boys who had been transformed into young men. These young men had gone into a room where there was no ceiling and, in a matter of hours, learned the skills necessary (at least, most of them) to put a roof over someone's head. I could just shout from the rooftops because I am filled with gratitude and appreciation.

We are getting ready to head out in a few moments and on the agenda today is SURVEYS! We are going into the lower ninth ward and going door-to-door taking surveys, asking people about services that they might need. We are very excited to get started and the group is buzzing with questions. "What if they don't let us in?" "Do we have to make up our own questions?" "How long will we be out there?" "What if we go to a house that has already been approached?" The answer to these and much more, soon to come!

I am so thankful that I get to be a part of this ministry - leading it, having support for it, and seeing some of the fruits of the ministry. Middle, these are your youth. Thank you, parents, for your guidance, direction, love and support. Thank you, Middle, for your prayers and love. Thank you, Jacqui, for your vision.

Checking in before breakfast to let you know that it is officially cooler here in New Orleans (whew!). The last two days have, thankfully, been very nice. The sky is overcast, and the breeze is a bit humid, but nothing like when we arrived.

Yesterday was our free day, so we spent some time taking in some of the sights and sounds of New Orleans. We started our day as usual, waking up and getting ready, but then right after breakfast we headed out to the city for the bike tour, which lasted about 3 hours. We took in some of the history of New Orleans - how it was founded, who founded it, the people that made it strong and resilient. This patch of swampy land was not that desirable at first, when the French laid their claim to it. The Spanish came in for a quick minute to turn things around, and then it was once again claimed by France. We also learned that, even though New Orleans was in the South, it was not "of" the South. Because it was colonized by France, there was mixing of both black and white peoples. Without trying to go into a history lesson, New Orleans, to some degree, was a place that seemed to be ahead of its time in race relations, at least for a little bit. We rode through various neighborhoods to admire the architecture of the houses and marvel at the fact that many have no foundation at all (oh my!). We went up to the levee wall and got some more history of how this wall is the guardian of the city (the soup bowl), keeping it safe from the Mississippi River. We learned about a people and a culture that are strong and determined. We learned about a people's spirit that is connected to this land and committed to the rebuilding of this great city.

After the bike tour, we headed over for lunch at Cafe Reconcile. Three years ago, we were introduced to this cafe through the Lower East Side Girl's Club and it’s been a "must do" on the agenda each time we come down. Cafe Reconcile's mission is to transform the lives of young adults and the community through the ministry of reconciliation. They do this by encouraging personal growth, providing workforce development and training, promoting entrepreneurship and working with businesses, nonprofits and people of faith to support this transformation. Did I also mention that their food is slammin'! Oh yeah, the food is off the chain! After all that riding around the city, it was nothing short of heaven to be comforted with some deeeelicious soul inspired creations. YUM-MY!

After Cafe Reconcile we went to do a little shopping in the French Market. And of course, you can't stop by the French Market without heading out to Cafe Du Monde. Oh my - beignets and coffee to send you over the edge for that "just right" sugar high. The breeze was so cool, and there we were, sitting together as a group, relaxing, listening to the street performers and having our beignets and coffee.

Not to get too relaxed, however, because it was time to get back to camp, shower, change and head out to the Ecumenical Worship Celebration that was taking place at a nearby church. We ate together and then headed into worship that was filled with singing, reflections, poetry, special group numbers and plenty of participation of young people. This trip has been so impactful for so many. You just can't help but feel the energy and the drive coming from each and every participant. It is extremely moving and inspirational to be among these young folk who want to make a difference, who need to make a difference.

After worship, we headed back to camp for our debriefing. This is the point in the trip where I begin to hand over even more responsibility to our youth. I asked for a volunteer to lead the debrief, and Christopher stepped up to the plate and ran the meeting. It is a great moment for our young people when they see that they can take charge and be listened to in a great way. We went through the events of the day, what worked well, what didn't work so well, and then it was off to bed (or at least off to bed for me)!

Okay, lovelies - I am going to breakfast, and then we are off on today's assignment where we will be sheet-rocking rooms in a house and doing some painting. I look forward once again to working with our youth. HOLD UP! May I say that I am looking forward to working with our youth and ADULTS on this project? Our adult volunteers have just been a God- send, and I just want to take a moment to let you know that they have absolutely made this trip possible. With the eyes, ears, hands and feet of Nathan, Tina and Gloria, this trip has run smoothly and the youth have been cared for in such a special way. There is not a moment when they are not on-task, looking after our youth and making sure that they are where they need to be or doing what they need to be doing. They are the safety net underneath this trip and I thank God for their willingness and desire to work with our youth. They mentor and teach at each moment, allowing our young people a chance to grow and learn from each experience. I could go on and on, but I'll wait till I get back really gush and brag about our amazing adult-youth workers.

Middle Family, please continue to cover us in prayer as we get ready to head out and experience all that this day in store for us.

Well, well, well, and my, my, my - here it is, the third morning here in New Orleans!

Yesterday was quite an action packed and eventful day. It started off with breakfast - with a twist. Apparently, some of the campers had left the cafeteria and social area in a state of disarray the night before, and the cook for the camp was not very pleased. There was a 10-minute lecture (quite impassioned) about how to be good campers and how to be respectful of the space that you are in. It was a special start to the morning, but it kind-of spoke to the tone of why we are here. We are here to leave New Orleans in better shape than when we got here, and we had missed the mark. Here is the other part of the "talk": I said we missed the mark. For our youth one of the major themes for this trip has been that it’s not about you, it’s about us. It’s about being proactive to get the job done. So even if the mess is not yours, should you be there to help clean it? The answer, in this case, is yes. If you finish your task before one of your teammates, do you leave them to finish by themselves, or do you lend a hand? You lend a hand. It goes contrary to the way we learn to operate in society - looking after number one (that would be me). The lesson of the day is that where something is out of place, where there is a need, we are called to fill the void. As one of the speakers put it, "We are the hands and feet of God." And my Middle Family, within these few short days, our youth are getting to hear, experience and practice all of the above.

So, what was on the agenda after the lecture? Yesterday was our day to do yard work! We had been assigned three different houses where we had to cut grass, clip hedges and edge sidewalks. I am very thankful that most of the day was overcast. Even being overcast, the humidity was high and at times it was difficult to find the energy to move forward. Can I also just share with you that our equipment was not in the best condition? I can't tell you how many trips we made back to the camp to exchange equipment to try to get something that worked on a consistent basis. At the same time, it did not discourage our youth, but actually made them more tenacious in completing the task, no matter what the odds. At the end of the second job, we were all pretty exhausted, especially me! We had actually gone to one of the houses on the list before this house and were not sure what the people wanted because the grass was not that tall, etc. Because of that, and the fact that the owner had not returned our call, we skipped on to the next house. So, just as we finished this second house, the other owner called and we were on to house number three! Honestly, I thought because it was late in the day and everyone was so tired, that perhaps the group might want to leave it for someone else, but there would be none of that! So we went to this house and made it happen.

The work day was filled with incredible teamwork: everyone working together towards a common goal. When I’d stop and look up, all I saw was our team working, and working and drinking water, and working (and sometimes resting), and working some more!

And then there was the close to the evening. We were to go to Rock and Bowl for a night of fun. WOO HOO! We all got showered and were in the process of getting ready, when I received a text message from our summer intern, Debbie Carey. "Are you guys coming?" I wasn't sure what she was talking about. We had scheduled to be with Debbie and her youth group on Thursday evening, but alas, Debbie had moved it up to Tuesday. She had her group waiting for us, and they had cooked and were ready to host us. OH MY! What to do? So I went back to the youth and told them the deal, and they chose to skip bowling so that we could fellowship with Debbie and the group. In the words of one of the youth "Debbie is good people, we have to go and support her". WOW! So we went to be with Debbie and her group.

Debbie's group had prepared red rice and beans, along with a seafood gumbo. MMMMMMM! They were both excellent, as the youth can tell you as well. We all introduced ourselves and heard about the group's mission and their covenant to make the New Orleans educational system better. There is so much more to tell you, but I will save it for when we get back. All I want to say right now is that our youth had some wonderful things to share. They shared personal experiences and struggles in their own educational process.

After a lively dance session to close out the meeting, we were off to McDonalds for a little evening treat!

Okay Middle, pray for us as we get ready to start our day. Today is a free day and we are off to explore the sights and sounds of New Orleans.

Dearest Parents and Friends, time is flying by and we are at the morning of day 2!

Yesterday's assignment was a school in the 9th Ward called "Arise Academy". Arise Academy is a charter school and this year it will house K, 1, 2 and 3. We were greeted by the Principal of the school and went right to work. We were moving chalk boards in storage as the school was getting Smart Boards to replace them. Pretty great, huh? This school is one of the efforts here to turn the education system around for the children and youth of New Orleans. Andrew Shahan is the principal and apparently he did some work in Harlem before coming to New Orleans.

But I digress. We were moving blackboards, we were unpacking classrooms and we were painting. The day started at 10am and ended around 5:30pm. It was an amazing day of team work and cooperation. Towards the end of the day, the teachers began to come into the classrooms and as the teachers passed the room that we had worked in, there was a buzz of excitement and comments. "This looks amazing!" "WOW!" "The rooms look so bright and welcoming." And then there was, "Don't forget my room. I need my room painted as well." Unfortunately, our time was up for the day, so we were not able to go into the other rooms. Not to worry, however - there will be more youth to fill the void today.

There were both ups and downs as we worked a pretty long day. It was very easy to get tired and distracted, but even so, we kept coming back to the tasks at hand. It was inspirational to be with a part of our group. Towards what we thought was the end of the day (around 4pm) the teacher whose room we were unpacking and fixing walked in and asked for our help; she had just had surgery two weeks earlier and was not able to lift anything herself. So we went into action. At first, it was a little bit slow. You know, sometimes with young people (and adults!), we can get into the "I did my share already" type of mindset. And we went there for a quick minute! However, I'm happy to report that after a little time elapsed we were all in that room making it happen for the teacher. All that kept coming to my mind was being the "hands and feet" of God. Here we were, making it possible for this teacher, Dottie, to get her room in order and set up to welcome her second grade class in another day or two. We got to be a part of that moment; we got to reach it together. WOW! Of course, I think Dottie could have had us there another couple of hours, but we had to get back to camp! We had done a lion's share of the work and she was so very grateful.

Before we left, I asked her if we might pray for her, and she agreed. So our work day ended with sharing a blessing with Dottie, this wonderful teacher that will go on to influence and instruct, inspire and lead, hold and comfort and support this new class of incoming 2nd graders. How wonderful is that?!

We are at breakfast right now and ready to get started with our work day. AND it has already had a very interesting start. I don't want to give it all away right now, however, look forward to a very interesting note tomorrow!

I am reporting live from Camp Restore in New Orleans and it is bright and early - 7 AM! I am happy to report that everyone is UP! That is the first miracle: we are all up and at the breakfast table.

The airport round-up on Sunday was amazing. We all made it, and just in time. By the time we made it to the gate, they were already pre-boarding. The flight was wonderful and before we knew it, we had landed in New Orleans. We stepped out of the airport into the wonderfully hot and muggy New Orleans air. It’s like there is a dome of humidity, and there is no escape. YUM!

We spent Sunday getting acclimated to our surroundings. We headed over to Camp Restore, chose our bunks, unpacked and then headed out to grab a bite to eat. It was a Shoney's adventure (have you heard of Shoney's?). Then it was a quick run to Wal-Mart to pick up any last minute items we might have not packed.

There was a general camp meeting and then a group debrief before we went off to bed (or, we eventually went to bed...hmm).

And so, this morning we are all at the table together, having breakfast as the Middle Family. Our lunches are packed, we have one more orientation to go and then we are ready to obtain our first assignment. I have no idea what it might be, but whatever it is, it will be the right one for us today.

Thank you again to everyone for your prayers and support and I look forward to reporting back at the end of the day.

Blessings,

John