Expectations... sometimes it feels like they are meant to be broken. Sometimes it feels like God just breaks our expectations for no reason. It's not so He can point and laugh at us as we try to pick up the pieces of our broken expectations-- it's probably more because He wants us to lean on Him, not what we hope will happen.
A few of my expectations leading up to the actual trip were:
1. Our NWC group would have fun working together, cleaning out houses or something. We would get to know each other (due mainly to proximity) and maybe make a couple of friends.
I am going to go ahead and say... I was wrong. In fact, all of my expectations were broken. It is safe to say that on the two-day road trip down, I got to truly meet and have fun with people that I never thought I would come to love so much. Arriving in Castle Rock, I was surprised to see so many people (ranging from upper middle school/high school to people in their 70s!) praying together. There was a high school team, a team from Wheaton College, and a team from Bellevue, Pennsylvania. Wow, and this was just the beginning!
Monday, our team was split into 2.5 teams. Two groups were all NWC students, then they would need three of us to work ALL WEEK with some of the Pennsylvania (hereafter referred to as PA team) team. Unfortunately, at the time, I felt God telling me: CHARISSA, THAT'S YOU--VOLUNTEER! Imagine my the feeling in my chest when they needed just 1 more volunteer and NO ONE was piping up. Stacy, Kameron, and I worked with Bud, Duane, Shari, Mary Ann, and Chris (for a day) all week under the leader, Ben (who liked to eat ice cream and make us drink a whole bottle of water in one break). We were so blessed to get to meet these people-- although they were old enough to be our parents and grandparents, we connected with them on a personal level because we all have one thing in common: JESUS. (:
Besides bonding to the max w/ NWC-ers & the PA team, I also got to meet some pretty sweet people (locals, people associated with Castle Rock/Yellow House, and other volunteers). First off, I feel like we were all put in NOLA at that time by God. The organizers of everything we did: amazing! Pastor John knew how to speak to every person, not just one demographic, his assistant, Miss Helen, is such a happy follower of Christ, Julie (our cook) could not have been more perfect, Katie from Haiti was organized and always seemed to have a solution. There are many more, some I didn't get to know as much as I wanted, but I did get Bill Richards & Buzz to jump in puddles like children. (: The other people in the House, Wheaton and PA, are so great! Getting to know them and keep in touch with them is such a blessing in my life.
The "locals." Most of them are so open to God, prayer, and random conversation that I was really taken aback. For instance, while we were working and talking to two men, one of them insisted on giving us Zulu/Mardis Gras beads to show his gratification to us. Kameron, Stacy, and I did a prayer walk with Bill, Buzz, and some of the Wheaton crew and we prayed with people who are more spiritual than I would have dreamed of (read Kameron's blog below). If any of you ever go to Nawlins, don't just stay in the tourist spots, get to know some of the locals (but only God-willing, because it is dangerous!) because then you will have really been to New Orleans.
2. We would not "be forced" to work with the locals and actually proclaim the Word. We would just do our "good deed" and leave.
What was I thinking?! Working with the people of New Orleans was one of the best parts! As we were cleaning lots, people would start a conversation, and most of the time, they just needed to be heard. Then a prayer. Sometimes that's all that is needed to show God's love. The kids, on the other hand, were like the big pack of fireworks-- you never know what you're getting. Tuesday: Kaiser, Jordan, Luke (Wheaton), and I worked at SLAM, Castle Rock's middle school youth group. They were loud and obnoxious, and the girls scared me some of the time! But while it seemed like nobody was getting a lick of good from the message and games, you could tell they loved it. Half of them didn't want to leave at the end, some of them asked if we were coming back the next week. I can't really explain how it was. Wednesday: Challenge Circle! We may have outnumbered the kids present, but getting a hug from them or seeing a genuine smile on their faces is so amazing. Who knows what these kids' lives are like? A couple of boys I had on my team (GO RED!) had scars covering their faces, but when they were playing or showing me their sweet dance moves, you could tell they felt safe. Sometimes, like Erin mentions below, they threw punches or were a bit violent, but they received love and attention that was inspired by Christ. How sweet!
3. I would be so happy to come back to N-dub and see all my friends. Coming back would be nice-- I'll be ready for a routine again and the end of the school year. Acutally, I was very anxious to come back to Northwestern. I still am. God changed me during that quick week, and I don't even know exactly how. I fell in love with Jesus and NOLA, I can feel God testing me and helping me grow, I feel in my heart that I'm right where God wants me (which is the safest place for me to be, right?). I have found that the structure of college is restraining-- who wants a schedule and to have to worry about grades and staying in the lines? Each new day brings its own responsibilities and worries, but that's what God is there for.
And this is supposed to be a blog entry, not a book, so I'm going to wrap this up. If you want to know the details or just one of the many fun(ny) times, just let me know. Philippians 1:20-21; 2:3-4 God bless you! -Charissa (Chachi)-
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment