What they learned in New Orleans

Happy Fat Tuesday!

This got me reflecting on the experience my daughter had with the 2009 ELCA National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Several youth from St. Andrew, Pastor Fred and our Youth Advisor, Karin, a.k.a. KTB (Karin the Beautiful), traveled to New Orleans in July 2009 to join 35,000 other youth and their chaperones for five days of worship, service and fellowship. It was an experience that they will never forget.

I called her at school and asked her to tell me what she remembers as her most cherished memories and what she learned. She told me:

The worship experience (in the Superdome, a place of prior misery and suffering) was phenomenal. All the music, every speaker, touched their lives and connected them to each other and the city of New Orleans and why they were there.

The welcome was humbling. The people of New Orleans greeted them with “thank you’s” and “God bless you’s” everywhere they went.

The service was uplifting and empowering. When 35,000 youth tackle over 158 service projects an amazing amount of work can get done. Our group of kids painted colorful murals to brighten the gray block hallways of the schools to which they were assigned.

My daughter told me today that the most important thing she learned was that no matter how small a thing you do, you can make a difference in people’s lives.

Now there’s something to consider as we head in to the season of Lent. If we each woke up everyday with the intent to do one small thing to make a diffence in someone else’s life, imagine what a change you could effect by the Day of Resurrection, Easter Sunday.

Amen! St. Andrew's Youth are going back to New Orleans in 2012. They’re going to have a great time that they’ll remember forever. They’ll make a difference in people’s lives.

What are you going to do?

Don’t forget to get your ashes tomorrow. Noon and 7:30 pm at St. Andrew.