Wandering Mouse

A VLOG, what what?

2010-07-28T01:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried Blogger video yet, so if it's struggling to load for you, you can also see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCwqUvvqShA

At least we've only been in exile 40 days, not 40 years

2010-06-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile. Believe me when I say, with absolute certainty, there is a very good reason for it.

Basically--Monty Python started directing my life, so things don't make too much sense anymore.

FOR EXAMPLE: Do you know what I have been thinking about a lot lately? FIRE MARSHALLS.

The subject of a Fire Marshall is so random it could be a Family Guy joke. Usually, in the past, when I have thought of Fire Marshalls, I've thought of them as people who were loveably zealous about safety. At their most noble, they truly care about Saving Lives and Protect People from Dangerous Situations.

Of course, I wasn't completely idealistic. I figured there were a few lazy people who just signed papers and stayed in the buracracy. Or, you know, Fire Marshall Bill.

LET ME SHOW YA SOMETHIN!

But alas, those days of careless bliss could not last forever.

A little over a month ago, I suddenly got a call from Jennie, our community liason.

Jennie: Hey, Amanda. Listen, the Fire Marshall just came in and said that we can't stay in the church. We have to be out by tonight.

Me: Um...buhWHU?

The rest of the day was spent in a hazy blur of panic, trying to find somewhere to live, and blinding rage.

APPARENTLY, the plan that was sent off to the state and gotten approved by the State Fire Marshall and worked on was NOT OK with the Local Fire Marshall. No, now for people to live in the church, we have to have Fire Doors and Special Handrails and Sprinklers Everywhere and asdlaf;wlgihawet#$YW$E%U#@%&@45y

(BTW, the building is like solid concrete. In case anyone was wondering.)

SO! Eight people who work at a church and a HOME FOR WOMEN have now been displaced from their homes. Oh irony. Please. You slay me with your great ironicness.

I'm tired as hell and cranky and frustrated and have been living in a suspended sort-of reality for like a month. And my mental image of a fire marshal has gone from this:

I will save kittens!

To this:

I think it's time to say goodbye to Prince A-Boo-Boo...

So THAT, good people, is why I have been non communicative. Or, if we have been communicating, why I've been a jerk to you--I've been sleeping on a mattress set up on a floor in a giant room with seven other people. It does not. make. me. happy.

Lots of wonderful things have happened as well! But for now, this definitely makes the best blog post.

Also, I deeply hope "Prince Ali" is now stuck in your head. You're welcome.

BAAAAABBBBBYYYYY!!!!!!11!!!!!1!!!!1!!!

2010-05-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

MEET THE NEWEST RESIDENT OF HAGAR'S HOUSE!!!!!!

He and his mommy are doing just fine! Hopefully they'll be coming home in the next few days. After a very scary pregnancy, birth went pretty well! He's a month premature and probably the tiniest baby I've ever seen. (Don't be nervous about that, my exposure to babies has been...um...zero.)

So now we get to find out what it's like to live in a house with a newborn--but I think sheer adorableness makes up for any crying in the future:

Math

2010-05-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Homesickness
+ Month-Long Cough that makes singing impossible
+ Non-working trumpet
+ Gulf Coast Oil Spill
+ disgusting hot sticky weather
+ dead car battery
= One Sad Freaking Amanda

So what happens next?

2010-04-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Monday morning (Marathon Meeting Mondays, remember?) I was sitting in devotion when the reality of my life struck me.

Oh my God. I live in New Orleans. I'm sitting in a group of incredible people I completely love. I live in a church and work at the most fantastically dynamic home I've ever been in. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

I've gotten a lot of questions about what I want to do after I finish this. I can answer this with total honesty: I don't know.

Life in community is so beautiful, I don't know if I can leave it. There is an undercurrent of "truth" that once you get a little older, it's time to settle down, get an apartment/house, get a real job, and move on.

But that isn't the only way we can live. Sure, it's the dominant narrative in our country right now, but that doesn't make it right. It's not really natural to live so isolated--in an apartment or house with only kids and a partner. There are options.

And you know what? It's not really hard. Some things about it suck (the shower is the first thing that leaps to mind,) but the benefits far outweigh the annoyance. So as far as I can tell right now--I want to live in some sort of true community, if it's possible.

The other parts: where do I want to go, where do I want to live? Well...I'm torn.

I love New Orleans. I want to throw myself into life here completely, put down my anchor, and be a part of this unique and rebuilding city. I love the music, I love the feel, I love the people. I love the community. And I love First Grace--it's an incredible church community that is really based on love. I adore the residents at Hagar's House and have gotten back to where I look forward to coming to work.

But.

There is a mountain-shaped hole in my heart, a hole that longs for forests and waterfalls and mossy rocks. There is an ache where my family lives that I can't replace here. There is a surety and certainty in the love of Konnoak, my home church, that I miss. There are so many people I miss every day--friends and church family I just don't see anymore.

New Orleans is carving its place in my heart right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway--PoBoys beside Boone Drug, First Grace beside Konnoak, brass band beside orchestra. And I feel this holding back that I feel like is interrupting life here, this knowledge that I could be gone come October 2011.

So many people are transient residents here--tons of young, progressive white kids come down with AmeriCorps or Catholic Worker or US-2, do their job, and leave. And yes, that's great and wonderful.

But I don't want to be another fleeting face here. And I honestly don't know if I can leave.

Probably the longest "I don't know" you've read in awhile. Sorry for the rambling...I'm still trying to sort it out.

If any US-2s or Mission Interns (or anyone else, really,) has any similar thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

I don't think you're ready for this jelly

2010-04-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

I picked a really good week to give you an honest play by play. ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE READY???

Wednesday, 8am: Headed over to Hagar's for my morning shift. A pretty quiet morning--most residents were gone, so there wasn't much happening in the house. Still some outside/garden time with the kids who were here--we are loving this beautiful weather!

1pm: Got off my shift, so I headed home. I did all kinds of things I was supposed to (like LAUNDRY! Woo!)

5:00pm: Headed back to Hagar's for a capacity building meeting. Capacity building meetings are a one on one meeting with a resident partner to help hook her up with resources and check on how things are going for her in the house. We had a wonderful meeting, and I left feeling great.

6:15pm: Got in my Miraculously Revived Honda (and by "Miraculously Revived" I mean "Paid-Way-Too-Much-To-Fix") and drove to the Westbank for rehearsal for my Easter gig. Sightread almost perfectly and felt like a real trumpet player. :)

9:30pm: Tried and failed to get Chick-fil-et. It's been months. There's no Chick-fil-et on the east bank. I am going into Pickle Bread Withdrawls. Settled for Taco Bell. Came back, chatted with people for awhile.

12:00amish: Bed, but didn't fall asleep for another hour.

3:00am: In a shallow part of my brain, I hear this EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE shrieking sound. I think, the alarm has gone off at Hagar's House! I didn't realize I could hear it at the church! I'm glad I'm not on call.

Since my room is right next to the common room, I can hear when people come in or out. Hearing voices in the room finally stirred me to awakeness, only to realize, wait...this is OUR alarm.

I opened the door to the common room to an ear-spliting alarm. Eric and Jennie were already in there. The whole room was full of horrible-smelling smoke. My first words were--actually, let's not share my first words. They were not missionary words, let's say that.

Me: What's going on?

Jennie: Someone left something on the stove. Angela just ran out for a Hagar's House emergency.

Eric: Someone has to go down and talk to the fire department.

Me: Um...what? (As you can see, just-woke-up Amanda is not winning any comprehension awards.)

So we went through the church opening windows and running fans, trying to get the smoke out. Eric went down and told the fire department everything was under control. Smoke got EVERYWHERE--in the hallways, in my room, everywhere. Jacinto made the alarm stop shrieking at us.

Of course, after all this running around, we're all wide awake.

3:45am: Angela back from Hagar's--a resident headed for the hospital in an ambulance, but was getting taken care of. We decide to at least attempt some sleep--Angela and I were on shift at 8 AM Thursday morning.

My room was still full of smoke, but at least it didn't stink as bad. I burned some incense to get rid of the smell. (For the record, if you can't find your incense holder, shoving the stick in a slightly-squishy-apple does the trick.)

Still, the smoke made my eyes burn and I couldn't sleep. I left my window opened and grabbed my blankets and an extra matress and crashed on Jennie's floor. Of course, IN HINDSIGHT, it was useless. (Did you see what I did there? Did you like that foreshadowing???)

4:30am: I was drifting right on the edge of Asleep and Awake where Tinkerbell said Peter Pan would always find her when Mo'Isa, who had also taken refuge in Jennie's room, started barking. I jerked awake and shouted some more non-missionary words.

Mo'Isa was barking at Angela, who was out in the hallway. She'd just recieved a call from Carolyn (who was overnight at Hagar's,) saying that the resident who went to the hospital was discharged and didn't have a bed and needed a ride home. Angela wasn't comfortable wtih driving so late at night when she was so sleepy, so I volunteered to go. And since I was wide awake, I figured it would be easier for me to just stay up and go to my Hagar's shift, Angela could sleep until like ten, and then I could go crash. PLAN.

5:15am: Drove to Metairie to pick up the resident. She was fine, yay! She seemed tired but OK and much less scared. We got her back home, and I proceeded to go to McDonalds.

6:00am: Sat out in the courtyard with my breakfast, journaling, thinking, you know, dawn is a great time to be ENDING the day. This is way easier than waking up at 7.

7:00am: Went into Hagar's house early so Carolyn could go get some sleep (she'd had a crazy night too! And I'm the freakish night owl so it worked out.)

8:00am: Wondered if it was at all possible for me to make it until 10. Went down to play with the kids, which woke me up. They were screaming and carrying on, but in a fun way, not in a "I'm-getting-my-tubes-tied-tomorrow-to-avoid-this" way.

10:00am: Angela came to the house. I went home and slept the sleep of the dead.

4:00pm: Woke up to go to music rehearsal for Good Friday. Was extraordinarly cranky. Went and got Mexican food. Felt better.

6:00pm: Back at Hagar's! A really nice evening--the kids dyed Easter eggs, then we had knitting in the living room after that.

So I'm here now for the overnight--everyone is asleep (or at least in their rooms with the lights off.) The Green Futon of Sleep is calling to me, so I'm going to answer. I just wanted to post this before my stories go ridiculously longer. Good night, all!

I KNOW, I KNOW

2010-03-30T15:11:00.001-07:00

Yes, I have failed spectacularly on keeping up my blog. I'M SORRY I LOVE YOU ALL AND I'LL DO BETTER I ALMOST PROMISE.

So! Things are still going marvolously in New Orleans. Our bitterly cold winter is over! (Don't roll your eyes at me, Boone People: New Orleans is not built for cold, so very few places have insulation or functioning heat.) The warm sunny weather has been calling us outside more and more.

My times at Hagar's House now include planting in the community garden with kids and playing outside. I watched a kid learn to ride a bike in (this is no exaggeration,) FIFTEEN MINUTES. It was awesome.

I've still gotten a few people asking me, "So...what exactly IS your job?" I thought the best way to explain that would be to go over a week of what my schedule looks like.

Yesterday, Monday: 9:30: Meetings! These meetings take place with all the staff. We talk about things going on on the house that have to do with policy--should we change curfew? What's our policy on nights out? Things like that. These meetings happen every week and last until about noon.

1pm: A fellow staff member was sick (ah, the joys of spending 50+ hours a week in a house with seven children!) so I covered his shift from 1 to 6. Through a lot of the day, there was almost no one home, so I:

*Battled computer viruses/spyware on the resident comupter (and won! Roar!)

*Struggled to get a laptop hooked up to the wireless internet (and failed. Alas.)

*Ran to the grocery store to get some food (and the super-important Easter egg dye :)

5pm: People started coming home. This is the best part of the day, because I got to sit in the kitchen and chat with them for awhile. (That's my favorite part of work/life in the house.)

At about 6:20 (because I lost track of time and didn't realize the other staff members had gotten there,) I headed back to the church for a quick dinner.

(I'm becoming a gourmet chef, too. I made GRILLED CHEESE. This morning I fixed myself Toad in a Hole. WATCH OUT, EMERIL.)

Every Monday, there is a meeting with all residents in the house. This is a resident facilitated meeting where they can bring up problems in the house, sign up for programing, offer suggestions, and generally work out the details of living on community. Unfortunately, having kids running around in the living room doesn't help that process. So...

7:00: Carolyn gathered up the kids to go play with them elsewhere, and I volunteered to help. We also had another volunteer there (yay, Frank!)

Seriously, six to three SEEMS like pretty good odds. That's one adult to every two kids! How hard could it be?

Anyone who's ever tried to corall kids age 2-8 with no structured activity knows the answer to this question. It worked out pretty well, but if Frank hadn't been there, life would have been more than a little difficult.

Also, here's a question. You're in a playground area with kids. There are A) swings and B) those little animal things on springs. (What in the world ARE those things?) What's the most popular toy? If you guessed C) the picnic table they're not supposed to climb on, congratulations, you know children!

But the kids seemed to have fun and the adults could have their meeting, so mission accomplished! I headed home.

8:30: Amanda collapses on the sofa and tells Jennie how she's really going to get up and do laundry in a couple minutes, really, she is, just watch her, it's going to happen.

10:00: Amanda goes to her room and plays video games, promising herself that really, tomorrow she'll do laundry, really.

Tuesday: My day off! I woke up at 11, fixed breakfast and came to a coffee shop. I've been here since. So...that's been my day!

I'll try to post every couple days this week so you can get an idea of life in the house, (but you know how I am about promising to post, and I know you still love me, don't you my wonderful people? Please?)

Lessons from my first Mardi Gras

2010-02-16T16:14:00.000-08:00

1) When feeling ill, "Maybe going to a bar to watch the Superbowl will settle my stomach" is NOT a sound logic sequence.

2) No one in New Orleans will EVER get tired of the "Who Dat?" song.

3) Turning a bicycle into a fish is not QUITE as difficult as it seems.

4) Said Fishbike does not appreciate being left out in the rain.

5) You should always keep costume items on hand. Face paint and body glitter are a good decision, too. And hair dye.

6) Not all Mardi Gras "throws" (what people chuck off the floats) are created equal. Behold, the coveted Muses shoe:

And lastly...

7) You do NOT, I repeat, DO NOT, have to flash any body part to get beads.

OK, serious post coming tomorrow!

Haiti

2010-01-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

The disaster in Haiti is on the list of things I can't really comprehend. For there to be so much destruction in a place where there is already so much poverty...it doesn't make sense, and it hurts my heart to think about it.

Please give to the UMCOR. Really, give to any accredited and highly-rated relief work. I suggest UMCOR (the United Methodist Council on Relief) because I know it's a wonderful organizaion. They know how to work to best serve communities, wherever they are. (Actually, the head of UMCOR was just rescued from the rubble, hallelujah! So they have an idea what's going on in Haiti and how to help.)

And of course, continue to support the people of Haiti with your thoughts and prayers.

Celebrate!

2010-01-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was Epiphany, the 12th day of Christmas. For many places, this means it's time to take down the tree and change the decorations in the sanctuary.

We took down the Hagar's House Christmas tree, which was way more of a struggle than it had to be. Do you have any idea how many pine needles fall off a tree in three weeks? A couple residents and I un-adorned it, finding stray ornaments all over the living room (seriously, the tree did not suffer THAT much abuse. How did that many ornaments fall off?)

We managed to corrall it enough to get it out the door and onto the curb. I covered my brand-new jeans in tree sap (sorry, Granny...Barrett told me it comes out, though!) Someone swept up all the pine needles, and in most places, Epiphany leads to the holiday lull between New Year's and Easter (Valentine's Day is totally contrived and therefore does not count.)

HOWEVER! Epiphany also means it's the beginning of CARNIVAL SEASON!!! After going to see Invictus (note: that movie entirely about rugby, NOT Nelson Mandela. He's in there too, of course, but...yeah. It's about rugby,) Nichol, Angela and I went on a quest to find the year's first King Cake!

King Cake is a cinnimon-roll style cake, covered in sprinkles. Picture courtesy of Wikipedia:

It also comes with a baby! The baby is not actually cooked in the cake anymore--something about "choking hazards," and "lawsuits," I don't even know.

THE RULES as I, a non-local, understand them:

1) It is bad luck to eat a king cake before Epiphany.

2) The person who buys the king cake puts the baby in, so they remember where they put it.

3) Whoever gets the baby has to buy the next king cake.

I am so excited about this! I've had the conversation with Mom and Shirley numerous times that we need more festivals in life. I think there's a degree of joy and celebration of life that we lose without it.

Even if you're not in New Orleans, may this festival season be joyous for you! We live in a beautiful, incredible, fun world filled with beautiful and incredible people. Yes there's ugliness, there are terrible things happening, and we can't ever forget that and strive to change things. But we're doing a disservice to this amazing life God has given us if we don't take time to celebrate, and be happy.

So go eat king cake! And hope you don't get the baby. :)

Christmas and a visit home!

2009-12-29T12:53:00.000-08:00

Since my car spent her Christmas in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, my brother came down from Birmingham to pick me up to go home! Yay! We had a wondeful ride back up, (which almost never happens...usually after the sixth hour or so we end up fighting about immigration of socialized medicine or something...) and stayed on pretty good terms through the whole trip.

Going home was fantastic. I haven't been pining or desperately missing home or anything, but it was amazing to remember how many people I love and love me. Even though I felt like I was catching back up with people non-stop, there were still a ton of people who I'd love to see but missed. I'm sorry to anyone I didn't see! But I got to see some of my best friends from college, and lots of people from church I adore.

Also I got my mountain fix! Yay! (In eighteen inches of snow...)

It was a nice and relaxing trip, and I'm ready to get the new year started!

(Oh, the mechanic I want to go to is closed until after New Year's...so that particular problem is on hold for another week. Let's hear it for enabled procrastination!)

My Weekend

2009-12-14T22:26:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY

ME: GOOOO APPLACHIAN!

SKY: (rains)

ME: Let's go to a restaurant and watch the game!

ROOMMATES: Um...there's a game?

ME: APPALACHIAN DON'T YOU KNOW?!?!?!

(Drives to Wit's Inn, a restaurant/bar up the road.)

ME: (noms pizza, watches game.)

SKY: (deluges)

ME: Um...there's a lot of water on the porch.

JENNIE: There's a lot of water on the road, too.

CAR: (floods)

ME: OMG MY CAR!!!!!!!!!!!

ROOMMATES: Gasp!

RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES: Well that sucks. At least you can watch the game!

RESTAURANT: (floods)

APPALACHIAN FOOTBALL TEAM: (loses)

ME: (leave my car there, go to Hagar's House, watch cars flood on street.)

SUNDAY

ME: (walk to Wit's Inn to get my car.)

CAR: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?!?!?!?!?

ME: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry please work.

CAR: (cranks)

ME: YAAAY!!!

(Drives to the church, water sloshing about inside the car.)

CAR: (pulls into driveway. Dies.)

ME: Oh noes!!!

(Texts all roommates for help.)

Five of Eight Roommates who responded to an 8:30 AM text on a Sunday Morning: "Here I come to save the day!!!!"

(Push car into parking space)

ME: (Fills a shop-vac full of water from my backseat.)

CAR: Why does she hates us, precious?

Detergent, really?

2009-12-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

Laundry detergent is expensive. And we've had kind of an annoying problem of running through it very quickly in the house. So, in a move that everyone on staff hates but is still needed, we now keep the detergent in the office and give it out when a resident is doing laundry.

Last night one of our residents, "Joy," took out the detergent half-full. I mentioned in passing that it was the super-concentrated stuff, so she didn't only needed to fill it up to the first line. (This is very difficult to say without being patronizing, but I think I did OK on that front.)

She agreed, sure, fine, and took it out to do her thing. When she brought it back in, she handed me the bottle with a quick "thanks" and headed away. Then I realized--it was empty!

I talked with the other person on staff about what to do. I mean, I didn't want to talk down to this woman or anything, because a) she's awesome, b) it's hard to care that much about detergent, and c) I hate being like, "This is rule 1, this is rule 2, etc."

Jennie (the other staff person) and I talked about it for awhile. We decided it would be a good idea to dilute the detergent, but I still wasn't sure. Should I say something to her? We had quite a little conference on the stairwell.

Anyway, when I came back upstairs, Joy held up the full bottle. "Want the real one back now?"

And everyone upstairs died laughing.

Have I mentioned I love this house?

Captive Israel

2009-12-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, I went with some of my roommates to a Taize service nearby. If you're unfamiliar with a Taize style service, it's a service of music and silent meditation.

We walked into the chapel to find it full of candles. The first song we were in there to sing was "O Come Emmanuel."

I know this song--I've sung it all my life, I have the words memorized. But last night, repeating the first verse in a chapel filled with flickering candlelight, I heard the words in a new way.

O come o come Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel

In hearing this song, I realized that to me, Israel is now New Orleans. And New Orleans is captive--captive by crooked politicians who sit on federal money and refuse to rebuild. Captive by federal contractors who condemn and demolish sturdy buildings and replace them with shacks. Captive by a devastating housing crisis and crime rates among the highest in the nation. Captive by a levee system only repaired to pre-Katrina strength.

But like Israel, there is joy and beauty in New Orleans. It's a city of joy and love, commradire and struggle. It's a place of music and history. It's a place where people at two seperate tables who have never met strike up a conversation and share their wine.

Rejoice! Rejoice
Emmanuel shall come to thee
O Israel

Emmanual--God with us--comes to this city each time a church opens a food pantry. Each time there is a meeting to struggle for a viable public health care option. Each time there is a festival of music. Each time a community of worshipers comes together regardless of race, class, gender identification or language, God is with us.

And through the captivity, through the struggle, through the fear, God is with us.

Emmanuel.

First Families!

2009-11-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, Hagar's House is now open to women with children! WOO-HOO!!! We now have a mom and baby, a mom and two kids, and another resident with a baby on the way, IN ADDITION to the five single women already living here! Whew! It's been chaotic, but mostly in a joyous way.

This weekend was wonderful. I went down to Bourbon Street with Nichol for the first time and feel absolutely no desire to ever, ever go there again. However, when there's an icky guy trying to talk to you, "I'm a missionary" is a FANTASTIC way to get him to clear off. :)

Children's Choir Sunday went VERY well! The power went off about a half hour before we started, (boo,) but we had candles and it was fine in the dark. After six kids last week, we had twelve show up Sunday! We were thrilled.

Two of my wonderful roommates!

Nichol, on the left, is heading up the children's choir. Jennie and I are helping--Jennie playing piano, me as an assistant. It's been a lot of fun so far.

The sanctuary at First Grace

As you can see, the sanctuary doesn't look too typical. There's tile floor, chairs instead of pews, a small alter. That's because when the church re-opened after Katrina, they decided to use the resources they had to start ministries up, rather than pretty up the sanctuary. Jennie showed me some pictures of what the church looked like two years after the storm--I'll have to see if I can load them sometime next week.

Our church!

This is FGUMC from the corner of Jeff Davis and Canal Street.

And finally...

MO'ISA!!!

We have a dog! I can't remember if I mentioned that before. His name is Mo'Isa, which is a combination of Mohammed and Jesus. (That's what they told me anyway...I'm not really sure how they create the name 'Moi'Isa' but I'm prepared to go with it.) He is tiny and adorable. And no, of course he is not sitting on my bed because that would be UNHYGENIC and WRONG, and I would NEVER ALLOW IT.

Ahem.

Hope you're doing well!

Don't judge me!

2009-11-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

OK, so I know I haven't posted a blog in awhile. But there is so much happening I don't even know where to start!

My life is falling into normalcy as I adjust to a new home.

I've definetely adopted a "Feet-First" method here. I LOVE First Grace UMC. It's a wonderful picture of a church. In addition to Hagar's House, the church has a food pantry, Spanish classes twice a week, English classes twice a week, Bible study, a mobile health clinic that visits everyday, Faith/Health Alliance upstairs...it's the most mission-oriented church I've ever been to.

As far as space, the church has a lot, which it uses really well. Most of the upstairs is devoted to the intentional community, (of which I am part,) but there's also the Faith Health Alliance up here.

The history of First Grace is really remarkable. First UMC and Grace UMC were two seperate churches--predominantly white and black, respectively. After Katrina, the two chruches didn't have enough membership to be sustainable. So they joined churches.

For those of you unaware that things like racism still exist, this was kind of a big deal.

When the church first united two years ago, there were about 60 members. Now there are much closer to 150, and that number grows almost every week. It's really a remarkable thing to be part of!

As far as MY life here...I've been going to Spanish class (happily, Pastor Oscar is very patient with me,) Bible study, and choir. Nichol is starting up a Children's Choir next week, and I'll be assisting her with that. There are a TON of young adults that go to FGUMC, and we're going to start meeting and getting together soon.

On the secular side, I've joined the New Orleans Concert Band (YAY!) and found my first New Orleans geocache. I have a bike for the first time in ten years! (No klutz comments, please.) It's a great way to get around the city, and I'm actually enjoying the chance to ride.

(Note: riding a bicycle is NOT exactly like riding a bicycle--you can actually forget.)

There's a lot more I'd love to update on, but I'll save it for another day. Reading long blog posts test the limits of my endurance...so long for now, lovlies!

First post from NOLA!

2009-10-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

I am now living in New Orleans! The skies are blue and clear, and I'm watching locals walk around in their thickest coats in the sixty degree weather. (Note of Irony: Amanda is now one of the most warm-natured people around. What.)

Getting down here was a pretty nice and easy drive. I saw my first roadkill armadillo (!) just before I crossed into Alabama, and it was easy driving from there. I'm fully unpacked and settled into my wonderful new home:

Oh yeah. I see your envy.

I'm sharing a room with two other women. Elaine I met for about thirty seconds before she was out the door visiting Massechutsess. I've spent a lot of time with Nichol--a fellow music major and fantastic sax player.

So far, I have...

*Had my first "po-boy" (fried shrimp, pickles, mayo, lettuce and tomato stuffed into a hoagie roll,)
*Eaten life-changing grits,
*Been to a free outdoor Blues and BBQ festival,
*Ridden the streetcar
*Had two shifts at Hagar's House,
*Been to First Grace UMC for worship service.

I still have a lot to explore and do!!! I've still only seen a tiny piece of the city, and I'm excited about seeing more of it.

I don't really miss "home," even though I do miss my family and church! I miss my fellow US-2s and Mission Interns much more than I thought I would! I've been keeping in contact with the US-2s, though, which has been wonderful. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to fit into the community here yet. I get the impression I've come here at a strange time. The bottom floor of Hagar's House literally JUST opened, and this is the first time there's been seven women living in the house. It's a very exciting time to be here!

I have a few more reflections about NOLA in general, but I feel like this is a pretty solid update. Hopefully I'll be writing a bit more consistently soon!

More Important than Information

2009-10-10T22:48:00.000-07:00

There's a lot I could talk about from our sessions. We've discussed a great deal about poverty, "Theological Diversity," conflict, etc, etc. I mean, as missionary-type people, this would make sense.

But I really don't think in a few months I'm going to remember the flow charts about communities. I'm going to remember doing the Cha Cha Slide with thirty missionaries in a crazy dance party and singing Aretha Franklin at the top of our lungs. (BTW, Missionary Dance Party: Awesome times. There are videos somewhere. I might share them, pending censorship.)

I'm not going to remember my session this morning. (Um...maybe I already forgot it.) I'm going to remember hiking around Bear Mountain with Jen, Erin, Heather, Amihan, Johnathan, Shannon, and David.

I'm going to remember Holli's earnest love of everyone.

I'm going to remember Jennifer's giggle/laugh.

I'm going to remember Helen's shrieking at every new game.

I'm going to remember to roll my "r's" when I say "Rrrrrrrosanna!"

I'm going to remember driving to the get real food (ie: greasy fast-food goodness) in the middle of the night with Bethany and Rachel.

I'll remember Joseph's ridiculous comments to everything.

I'll remember how much I missed Hannah and Rachel when they were gone for just one night.

I think what I've learned here isn't "training." It's the beautiful experience of being around such easy love, such effortless joy, such constant respect and growth.

It's an intense experience, being here and bonding so quickly and knowing we all have to break apart so soon. Really, like it isn't enough that I have to leave everyone I love at home? Now I have to tear myself away from ten or more people who feel like family.

It will be hard, but I'm grateful for this time to spend with everyone. I'm so glad that God has created so many people who are fun and beautiful and loving. And I'm grateful to be a part of it.

What makes you?

2009-10-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

In our morning session today, we talked a lot about having a personal credo. To get there, we went through a lot of analysis about what we think about things and where those thoughts came from. I figured I would list some of the questions here. It was an interesting exercise to do--I recommend it.

What do you believe is most important in life?

Using all your capabilities to do all the good you can in the world, and maintaining a connection to the Divine.

What helps you experience a sense of purpose and meaning?

Studying religious texts. Helping a student who's struggling. Standing up for something that matters. Sitting outside. Writing. Being in a beautiful concert.

What gives you sense of wonderment and awe about life and the universe?

The color of the air just before dawn. Moss, mushrooms, things that grow. The crunch of autumn leaves. A harvest moon. A Child's Garden of Dreams. Climbing to the top of a mountain. The feel of muscles pulling body over rock. October.

Some basic and core beliefs or simple truths that represent your beliefs about life that you live by.

1) Everything is connected to God, and through God all things are connected.

2) Knowledge is beautiful and worth seeking.

3) The natural world is a breath away from heaven.

4) People are good.

5) Music is a core need.

6) It is our responsibility to use all our powers for goodness, justice and love.

7) To be dispassionate is death.

We also talked about the qualities we learned from our caregivers, which leads me to another very important point--my Parental Units rock. We're supposed to put together a credo to share on Friday.

What about you? Does any of this speak to you? Or do you have a personal credo you live by?

It has to start somewhere...

2009-10-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I know anyone who would be reading this already knows the basics about what I'll be doing, but I figure it's a good a place to start as any.

I'm currently at training in Stony Point, New York, to become a US-2 through the United Methodist Church. Basically that means I was admitted to a program through the General Board of Global Ministries to work as a missionary somewhere in the United States for two years.

Once I agreed to that, I took a placement site at Hagar's House in New Orleans, where I'll be going in a little over a week now.

But for now, life in training is great. We get a lot of sessions. Some are wonderful, like a very spirited conversation on diversity in theological ideas this morning. Others not so much, like getting binders full of papers that don't even apply.

Even the parts that are less-than-awesome become better-than-awesome because it's shared with such a fantastic group of people. I reconnected almost instantly with the people I had met before. I'm still getting to know some of the other people, but what I know so far has been amazing.

On the other hand, after I say goodbye I'm not going to see any of them for two years, if ever! (Except Bethany and Jen, who both say they'll come visit in NOLA. Yay!) So that might be a source of reluctance as far as "closeness," but it hasn't been yet. We all have a lot in common right now--similar fears and excitements, passion and beliefs. It makes sense that we'd get along so well.

We're only in day 3 of training, so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully we won't all be sick of each other in a few days...: p