2012 Mission Trip Blog

June 23-30, 2012 - Follow First UCC's Senior Pilgrim Fellowship on its fourth mission trip to New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in service to God and neighbor.  Once again, Senior P.F. youth and advisors are working with the St. Bernard Project to help rebuild homes for people who have been waiting over six years to re-establish a permanent residence.

(click on any article below to follow the trip)


Finishing Our Work

Friday, June 29 - We bittersweetly completed our fifth and final day of work at our St. Bernard Project sites.  Some of us were able to say good-bye and get thankful hugs from homeowners, and while all of us felt there was more to do, we returned to Camp Hope to rest and prepare to head home.  [ more ]


Working All Day

Thursday, June 28 - Today we had two opportunities to work--in the morning with St. Bernard Project and in the afternoon at Beecher Congregational (UCC) Church in the Ninth Ward.  Work groups in many cases made much progress and in a couple cases encountered some frustrations in trying to get projects done.  [ more ]


Another Long But Rewarding Day

Wednesday, June 27 - Our third work day was another hot one, but we were able to get a lot of work done, furthering our work from the day before and improving our skills as we get into the groove of the week's work.  Another house was landscaped, more rooms were sheetrocked, mudded and taped, and more insulation was installed.   [ more ]


Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

Tuesday, June 26 - Our fourth day in Louisiana was supposed to be a slower day so we could recover from our busy schedule and prepare for the last four days of the trip.  The sweltering heat, however, made it tough to relax. [ more ]


A Long Day

Monday, June 25 - Our day started early, as our orientation at Saint Bernard Project in Chalmette began at 6:45 AM.  Elise from St. Bernard Project told us of some of the background of the parish and its recovery from Katrina and why it's been so difficult to rebuild over the last seven years ... [ more ]


The Journey Begins

June 23-24, 2012 - The first two days of the mission trip were devoted to traveling to the region and exploring some sites.  After a slightly bumpy airplane ride, we landed in Louisiana and immediately drove to the French Quarter, which as it turns out was swamped with tourists and conventioneers.  Next we settled into our lodgings at Camp Hope and had to find our own food that evening ... [ more ]





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