We are back! At 6:00 a.m. this morning the bus rolled into the parking lot of Bethlehem Lutheran Church. We are exhausted, but enthusiastic about the experiences we had in New Orleans. What an amazing group of young people we brought to New Orleans for the Youth Gathering.

To hear more from the high school students themselves, be sure to come to church on Saturday, August 4 or Sunday, August 5. These students will be leading each worship service in their own unique way, sharing the story of their experience and inspiring us to continue to break down walls so that we all may take our proper place as "Citizens with the Saints."

Saturday started with a discipleship meeting with other churches from the Chicago area. We we engaged in learning and discussing the seven marks of discipleship. After this we had  a scavenger hunt type task on hand. We were required to wander parts of the city and find how the seven marks of discipleship were prevalent in the city. Bethlehem split up into three random groups and the students led as the adult mentors followed and learned as we did. We found the seven marks of discipleship such as serving, prayer, worship, inviting, studying, giving, and encouraging. We took pictures at each stopping point and explained how they related to that certain mark that we had chosen. At some point each group got a little off task when passing the gelato shop to pick up a little treat.

We got back to the hotel at around five and ventured over to the super dome. We heard The Rev. Andrena Ingram speak about her early life which was filled with sexual abuse, violence, and drug abuse. Her life hit a new low when she realized she was HIV positive. She said that she could let all of these things bring her down, but instead, she decided to start becoming closer with God. After attending church she felt the call to attend seminary. We learned that no matter what happens in your life, don't let it bring you down. After her speech, the band Switchfoot played a great set; everyone was pumped up and dancing to the great music. We left the Super Dome and went back to the hotel for devotions. Aaron brought water and  we were blessed as each one of us remembered our baptism with a blessing by one of the adult mentors. We were tired and went to bed. bye.

                                                                                                  --Andrew, Ethan, Jacob

The Most Resilient Creatures in the World!

Friday was one of those days when it didn't just rain and pour. Flash floods and severe weather threatened to dampen our spirits and cancel our service project. The rains succeeded at accomplishing the latter. This was a rain that impressed even the residents of the city, and that is no small task. 

We spent all day preparing our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to do service in the community of New Orleans, only to be left with nothing to do. We waited out a nasty storm, waded through knee high water, and we sat patiently as we anticipated lunch. We did worship together to prepare our hearts for service, and we again waited to be released to our service project. We were promised an alternative. We were given the choice to just go home, but we weren't wearing wet shoes all day without reason. We pushed on to do whatever we could to help out in the city of New Orleans.

When we arrived at the the convention center to sort books, the bus drove away in the rain. Upon setting foot in the building, we were informed that there was nothing for us to do. These twenty-five high school students were disappointed--and rightfully so--, but they handled it with such maturity and poise, that I am still in amazement. Certainly, high school students are the most resilient creatures on the planet. Their spirits are still soaring and they are inspired just the same. 

That evening during devotions we talked about how we celebrate the life of the church. We celebrate as so many others are doing meaningful service projects in New Orleans as the Church demonstrates its compassion. We celebrate the economic impact our presence has on a hurting city and the relationship with the area that Bethlehem is continuing for the fourth year in a row. We celebrate because we are here with 33,284 other high school students in worship, play, and prayer. We celebrate because we are in New Orleans!

These resilient creatures in our group of young adults also agreed to a day of service within a few weeks after we return back home from New Orleans. We are Citizens with the Saints no matter which state or city we are in, and that is a practice we will take with us as we head back home. We will indeed fulfill our commitment to a day of service. These young people are ready to embrace the challenges that come with being the hope of the Church. This week, I am proud to be walking, praying, singing, dancing, playing, and mentoring these wonderful young disciples. We are indeed blessed with a group that is called to action.

                                                                            --Aaron Shoppa, Director of Youth Ministries

Rain, rain, go away!!! NOW!!!

Friday morning a few of us went to the above ground cemetery. We saw Homer Plessy's grave, Marie Lebeow (don't know if that 's spelled right), and Nicholas Cages [he is obviously thinking ahead]. The group came back to the hotel and then it started to rain heavily. We were delayed going to the Super Dome for about an hour. During our wait, we all looked at our bibles and read from Genesis. We then shared our interpretations of a few passages and talked to each other about how it related to environmental sustainability. Finally, when the rain started to let up a little, we all headed over to the Super Dome. The rain had flooded the streets and the water was up to our shins. Feet soaked, we then entered the dome to wait to do our service project.

However, the waiting continued. We ended up going to a room where all the other groups were gathered, and we patiently waited for lunch. Soon enough, Subway was brought to us, and afterwards we thanked the lord for our food by singing a few songs. As we waited for the next activity, we had a chance to talk to an old friend, Denis Manson [former youth director at Bethlehem]. Then we were directed to a different room where a band was playing and we waited yet again to start the service project. The day seemed to drag a bit as we hurried up and waited. The rain was falling hard outside and it wasn't until a little after 2 that we finally got out of the Superdome and made our way to the convention center. 

At the convention center, we learned the ELCA had run out of service projects due to the rain.  Originally we were supposed to improve the environmental stability on a nine block radius by planting flowers and changing lighbulbs, and then there were arrangements made for us to sort books for children who have never own a single book.  (In case you didn't know, the average child in New Orleans is 2.5 years behind the rest of the country academically.)  Even though both of these projects would have been impactful, we made the best of the situation by exploring the convention center for an hour.  After our time at the convention center, we took a shuttle back to the hotel to shower and munch.  

As we marched on, the Bethlehem youth walked to the Super Dome. Once we found our seats, the mass gathering started. Last night's gathering was one of the most amazing worship experiences because of the three speakers: Leymah Gbowee (Noble Peace Price Winner/Liberian peace activist), Diane Latiker (mentor of Chicago's youth), and Jamie Nabozny (bully activist from Southern Poverty Law Center).  Also, at the end of the gathering, we were surprised by the song "Hallelujah" and giant white balloons that were uplifted half-way into the air.  It was a sight you would never believe!

                                                                                           --Andrea, Roshen, and Stacey

Day Three - Thursday

On Thursday morning, we all woke up (some of us more easily than others) at 7:00  A.M. and had a luxurious breakfast of bagels, juice,and granola bars in Aaron's hotel room. After breakfast, we went outside and braved the hot Louisiana sun for several blocks on our way to the Convention Center for our "Practice Peacemaking" day. After a short wait, our group attended an opening worship service where we enjoyed lively music provided by a live band and a motivational speech provided by a pastor from one of the other groups.  The message of this talk was mainly about the importance of breaking down walls that separate us from others so that we can see God in everyone around us.  

Following the service, we got to spend most of the morning and early afternoon exploring the many activities in the conference center; everything from interactive learning booths to crafts to inflatables was represented.  For example, we learned how exhausting it can be for people in underprivileged areas to carry gallons of water every day, and some of us experienced firsthand how difficult it is to maneuver a wheelchair through sidewalks, sharp turns, and tight spaces.  The college-bound students and rising high school seniors also had a chance to talk to campus ministry representatives from many colleges throughout the country.  There were several opportunities to give non-monetary donations to many worthy causes; Mrs. Walker and Mariah both donated blood to a local blood bank, and Heidi gave several inches of her hair to Locks of Love.

 

After a brief delay due to a rainstorm, our group headed down to the French Quarter for some delicious beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde.  We spent some time shopping and enjoying the local flavor downtown at the open-air french market, where many students bought t-shirts and other souvenirs, in addition to the delicious food for which New Orleans is famous.

 

From the French Quarter, our group braved the rain again to walk to the Superdome for another night worshipping together.  Being able to see the whole arena from the third-tier seats was a sight that we will never forget; the huge lit-up cross illuminated the stadium, and hearing the voices of 35,000 people cheer on the speakers and sing along to the worship tunes was incredible.  We heard the stories of several missionaries who spent time serving in Africa (one of whom was a teenage girl who has been living in Tanzania for the past several years), and one extremely dynamic speaker, Shane Claiborne, who shared with us both his progress and dreams of making the world a more truly Christian place to live.  He spoke about the need to accept everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ, and he reminded us that "After all, the Bible does not say 'for God so loved America,' but it says 'for God so loved the WORLD.'"

After our mass gathering in the Dome, our group met in the hotel for our devotions and small group discussions.  Our main topic was humility, the power of the youth generation to "make or break" the future of the church, and the importance of proposing changes in an appropriate way.  The students met in groups led by the recent graduates to discuss ways to make changes while keeping a humble tone in mind.  To end our night, we all held hands in prayer and each gave a prayer intercession. 

--Annie, Katie, and Laura

 

Now the expanded version of the story...

Our bus ride was anything but relaxing. We started off leaving the church at four and were stopped by an unexpected bus breakdown at five. We were then stuck in the heat for two hours while waiting for a new bus. When we were on the road again, we ended up playing some games to keep us occuppied. When we finally ended up turning off the lights at midnight, we all struggled and pretty much failed to sleep throughout the night. There was no possible way to get comfortable on a bus, so we ended up laying on each other or even on the hot floor. Getting to New Orleans at eleven the next morning was a relief after a long night.

When we arrived there was along wait to get into the hotel, but our brave, fearless leader, Aaron waited forever to get our rooms to check in. While we waited, we played card games, talked to our amigos, and made friends with people from other churches! There are people from many of the 50 states. After a long wait we finally got our room assignments. We took showers and then we were on to our next adventures!

Next, we split into two groups to get lunch and explore the city. Despite not being able to go far from the hotel, we managed to find a pretty good place to eat, even though they were out of alligator. Apparently, its not in season. After exploring for a bit, we headed back to the hotel to prep for the evening activities. 

Inside the super dome, there was a mass of over 33,000 people in patches of neon T-shirts dancing together as a community. We sang, worshipped, and talked about doing God's work with our hands as one family of the Lord. We listened to several speakers, like Nadia Bolz-Weber, preach about how you don't have to fit a certain mold to be a Lutheran, and a variety of spices are welcome in God's bowl of gumbo.

                     --Abby, Brianna, Sabrina, and Sarah

Broken down bus... 33,000 high school students... and Siri can't find Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson

We made it!

One broken down bus and a three hour delay...

Long lines for check-ins...

A little downtime to explore the city...

Inspiring speakers at the Superdome...

Siri still can't seem to find the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA...

Running through the rain...

Broken hotel elevators...

And now we're all sleepy...

It must be day one at the 2012 Youth Gathering.

Expect to hear more from the students tomorrow. More pictures to come as well!