New Orleans 2011

Yeah, I've been kind of avoiding this post, because, you see, there are a million things I want to say, but I am not too sure which ones to say.  Because, if I write the right ones, my ratings might go up too high and I would be put on Oprah or something, and that is not what I deem desirable, and if I write the wrong ones, I'll look stupid, among other things.  Never mind.
 Anyhoo, this spring a group of youth from my area went to New Orleans with the intention of painting houses and changing OTHER peoples lives.  Uh huh.  Sure.  We spent 22 hours in a smelly van full of teenagers, 14 girls and 14 guys.  Sound like fun?  It was incredible!  Before we left, our leaders kept talking about how we would bond a ton and other such stuff.  I thought, I think I already know all I ever want to know about these people, I'll stick with my close friends, not really talk to anyone else, and I'll be fine.  Yep.  Not gonna happen.  It turns out, you don't exactly get to choose who you sit by, and 15 passenger vans are extremely crowded, so you may very well end up like I did more than once: smashed between a wall and a guy you don't know very well.  I guarantee you, that was a brotherly bonding moment!
One of the first days there, a pastor from the Church we were staying at asked us what our expectations for this trip were.  I thought about it, and here is what I came up with.  No kidding, this is what I expected.  I expected:
1. For New Orleans to be basically a slightly larger Sandstone with a house that needed work here and there.
2. For the houses to still have water in them. (My logic: If the people left before the water got there, and never came back, and no one opened the doors or the windows, how was the water to escape?)
3. Not to have any fun whatsoever.
4. Not to be changed all that much.
5. For the people I was with, particularly the older kids, to be mean to me and stick up their noses at me like last summer (This did not happen, it must have something to do with being in a crammed 15 passenger van).
6. Not to hang out with the people I did.
7. Not to bond terribly much with people.
8. To be bored on the car ride.
9. To sleep on a hard floor.
10. For it to be about 50 degrees.(Ha! Not! 80 in the shade!!!)
11. Not to cry for the people (and I did, sadly).
12. Not to make new friends.
13. For the people there to hate us.
So there you have it!  And you know what, none of these expectations were true!  It was incredible!

I think another big thing I learned, besides all those mentioned above, was that I never knew how much I complained.  Because really, what in the world do I have to complain about?  I have a warm house, food, and a family that loves me, not to mention amazing friends. I have learned to say that that is all I need.
I also was told quite often by my friends that I am "sheltered" "stupid to the world" "uncorrupted" "too innocent" and "need to get out of home school" not to mention "will be shell-shocked in college"  "will never find a husband (like I need to find one)" and "should be shown more of the world".   Not sure how to take that.  Oh, well.  I'm just having fun laughing my hide off at them because of what they think is important.  LOL.

We painted and drywalled for 5 days, and then spent 22 more hours in vans.  Don't get me wrong, it was amazing!  All said, I learned a ton and will never be the same, in ways that I cannot express on paper. Thank you to all of those who supported me on this trip, both in funds and in prayer.