So this morning we were treated to a strange white precipitation also known as snow. Yes, I know, I'm from Iowa and have seen plenty of this for the last 26 years of my life. But when it snows in New Orleans, which it almost never does, it's a huge deal! People at Starbucks were gawking out the window and taking photos with their cell phones.

I made sure to take plenty of photos, although I quickly remembered why I don't like taking photos in the snow. Nevermind the fact that it gets your camera all wet, but it's freezing to boot and I can only take that for so long.

I am now sitting happily at my desk with a venti extra hot peppermint mocha, which I decided it was finally acceptable to order, being as that there is snow on the ground. It is my winter drink and two days ago it ws 75 degrees here, and not much like winter.

So we'll enjoy this little bit of Christmas miracle for now and pray that it warms up again in the next day or two. But next Thursday I'm off to Iowa for Christmas vacation where I know plenty of nasty winter weather is sure to be waiting.

PHOTOS COMING SOON!

I just realized how long it's been since I posted anything! A lot has happened since then. We have successfully sent out about 8,000 end of year letters to all our supporters, which was quite a task. I had originally thought it would be more like 12,000, but once we worked on taking out duplicates and bad addresses we whittled the number down.

It took our entire staff and several church and team volunteers a week and a half for print, stuff and seal the letters. Then it took two days at the post office to get it all mailed. It has been a relief to have them all out the door on time. Overall the process worked well and we figured out a system for future similar mailings.

My brother Andrew was here for a week for Thanksgiving and got a little taste of mailing as he spent several hours with me at the post office on his first few days here.

It was so good to have him here this year as I was looking at being away from family for the second Thanksgiving in a row. While we didn't do anything spectacular, we had a great time just hanging out and doing everyday stuff.

Thanksgiving day was beautiful. It got up to about 70 degrees and was sunny. We took on the challenge of dog sitting so we took her out to Audubon Park for a walk after having homemade cranberry orange scones and Starbucks. Golden Girl (the dog) loves the park and Andrew ran with her and let her chase the squirrels, which she absolutely loved.

Then we headed home to start making Thanksgiving dinner. I decided it would be fun to just have the two of us this year, and if it becomes a tradition, we may branch out next year. So I bought the turkey and all of the necessary staples and we worked together to make it happen. Preparing the turkey is my least favorite activity. I made Andrew help me wash it off and we spent a lot of time laughing and being grossed out. But it made it in the oven and we moved on to other things.

I'm still working on timing for large meals, and managed to have the turkey done before my rolls or green bean casserole, but it all worked out and we had a good meal.

The annual Turkey Bowl takes place Thanksgiving evening so we went and I watched while Andrew played. I suppose football isn't really his sport, and it's much more competitive than he'd like, but he gave it a shot anyway.

Then we headed home and enjoyed pumpkin pie out on my balcony, which was nice because I really don't sit out there as much as I'd like to. It was also nice that the weather was nice enough to do so without freezing to death.

We did venture out the day after Thanksgiving but not early and not looking for anything in particular. We spent almost 20 minutes circling at the mall while looking for a parking spot and completely by accident managed to score a spot close to the door and in the parking ramp. Of course, the mall was nuts. I had a coupon for New York and Company that I wanted to use, but I didn't find much that was worth spending that kind of money for. We also ventured into our new Macy's just to look briefly but left there empty-handed as well.

Our last stop was Williams Sonoma, which is one of my favorite stores. It smelled so good and it always inspires me to be a better cook. We looked at things that I don't even know what they're used for, but may very well be needed. The smell of apple cider was so strong we were both inspired and I had to get in touch with my friend Kevin to get his recipe for later.

Saturday it rained all day, but we took a trip to Dunkin' Doughnuts because Andrew wanted to try them. Then, of course, we took our doughnuts to my favorite Starbucks where we were able to sit outside under the canopy to enjoy and watch the rain. We did not, however, stay very long because of three women who were smoking, being loud and obnoxious. The rest of the day we just hung out and watched movies and made red beans and rice for dinner.

Sunday was, thankfully, another beautiful day. We went to church in the morning and then headed to VooDoo BBQ for lunch. Andrew wanted to go there because he liked it so much when he was here last March. Somehow, I managed to squirt a vinegar bbq sauce all over my face and most of my clothes no more than two minutes into our meal. That provided an unexpected good laugh and more laughs when we got into the car and could only smell vinegar.

In the afternoon we took Golden Girl out to City Park. In the 14 months that I've been here I hadn't ever been there, so that was a lot of fun. Andrew again gave into G.G.'s need to run everywhere and chase squirrels and be a nut and we tried our best to tire her out for the afternoon. We also went to the old golf course part of the park that is now overgrown and untended. We had a lot of fun poking red ant hills and running away.

Sunday night we spent time making a gingerbread house out of frosting and graham crackers. We had managed to eat our first can of frosting and several graham crackers so we had to get more supplies before we could start. We had a lot of fun with it and finally got around to making our apple cider as well.

It was hard to have him leave early Monday morning because we'd had such a good time and it seemed like time went by so fast. The upside of that is that I will be back for Christmas in 16 days, which I am very much looking forward to. I'll be able to spend some time in my mom's classroom and will be able to go to the wedding of some friends in Des Moines as well as see friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.

Last Saturday Jill and I headed to KIPP Central City Academy to help build a Kaboom playground. Up until then, there had been only a patch of grass and some basketball hoops, which is hardly conducive to good recess time. The previous school had even less, just an asphalt slab and some broken down basketball hoops.

The school was damaged during Hurricane Katrina and was not reopened again until KIPP moved in this school year. This school holds special meaning for me as it was a big part of my first trip to New Orleans. When I came down in 2002 with a group from Iowa State we painted a mural just outside the library and spent several days in the building. The mural was painted over, as was everything else, when KIPP moved in, but I know that it's still there.


Jill and I helped construct the spiral slide, but some volunteers spent their day using blue tarps to haul a massive amount of mulch from where it was dumped outside, in to the playground. Jill and I got in on this action in the afternoon and I never knew mulch could be so heavy!

Several of the kids that Jill has worked with in her time here were on hand to help in the afternoon. Even the smallest got in on the action by helping to create this "ribbon" used for the ribbon cutting. Some of the older kids helped shovel and carry mulch. How exciting it must have been for those kids to see some 300 volunteers from all over New Orleans descend on their school and help build this beautiful playground. And what is better, this playground was designed specifically for these students based on pictures they drew and things they told the designers.

While it was a chilly and windy day, Jill and I both got plenty of sun and had a great time interacting with people, hearing stories, hanging with kids and sharing God's love in real and tangible ways.

And this was random. This guy walked by with his dog, who was walking on two feet like it was normal. I had to get a photo.

This next week will be all sorts of crazy as I am working to get some 12,000 end of year newsletters out the door. So far we have had machine malfunctions and database dilemas that appear to have set up back in the process. Laura and I will be working this evening and all of tomorrow to prepare for Wendesday when we plan to start stuffing the envelopes. The whole process will take place in Pastor John and Wendy's basement where we will have room to spread out and leave things as many days as it takes. Space is at a premium in our new office arrangement so it is a blessing to have a place to spread out.

So all that to say that prayer for peace, alertness and endurance would be greatly appreciated this week as I know it will be stressful. I wanted to be sure to include a few recent photos that have gotten a lot of comments on Facebook with everyone else. Enjoy!

It was a beautiful, sunny morning in New Orleans today as I headed to the polls. As you may remember, I registered to vote just under the wire and was much relieved to have realized in time. I was raised to know the importance of such a right as voting and while as a young girl I remember who my parents and grandparents voted for being much more secretive than now, it was important.

I have been reading the book 1776 and what a great reminder it is of how many fought and died so that we would have the right to be governed as we are. Knowing our country's history is my ultimate soapbox. So many today enjoy and even abuse the rights we have without understanding or caring why we have them.

I have taken a sample citizenship test online to see just how much I do know, and I'm proud to say that I passed. But the sad thing is that so many Americans could not. I mean, do you know how many amendments there are to the Constitution, or even when the Constitution was adopted? (Hint: it's not 1776) If you'd like to test your knowledge, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13442226/

So on the day of what just may be a historical election, I'll say that I have voted and I am proud to be an American. And remember this, you may not like the man elected to office today, but he is the President and that position deserves your respect. So when you exercise your freedom of speech, whether for him or against, remember that many men died for you to have that right and it should never be taken lightly.

As we are coming to the end of the year everything seems to be changing from office location to finances. And while I am at 82 percent support, many of the one-time gifts I have received have been used and those monthly gifts I receive are falling short of the amount I need each month. My next newsletter will be sent out at the end of November, but if you are interested in becoming a financial partner, just let me know.

For those who are already supporters I want to thank you so very much for your faithful commitment to the ministry here and to what I am doing. I could not do what I do without you. I thank you also for your prayers which are essential and that is evidenced more each and every day. Knowing that you are praying keeps me going when the days and work gets tough.

God is good and is working mightily

"God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him...Now I'm alert to God's ways; I don't take God for granted. Every day I review the ways he works;...I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step. God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes." - Psalm 18:20-24 (The Message)

We've been in a bit of an upheval here lately as we move our offices and deal with financial struggles as a ministry. But God often reminds me why I'm here and reminds of from where I've come. Everything in my life up to this point has prepared me for where I'm at right now. All of the training, lessons, struggles, joys, hurts, excitement and experiences have prepared me to do what he calls me to do right now. And I continue to learn how to deal with people and how to show compassion to those around me.

For those who haven't heard, we are in the process of moving out of our old office and into the Yellow House. It will be a tight squeeze, as we have as many as five people in some offices, but it is likely to increase our communication! Our whole development team (Larua, Terry Andrus, George and our two Mission Year interns) will be in what has previously been the Yellow House office. For the most part we are limited to the space in front of us and a small two-drawer file cabinet and portion of a shelf. Surprisingly this works well and isn't as cramped as we thought it would be. In fact, it's rather homey, although my bamboo plants may have to go if space becomes an issue.

This move has been good for us all, I believe. I love moving because it gives me a chance to sort and throw away all those things I didn't really need in the first place. Old files and random paper that takes over my desk. It also gives me a chance to revisit things I was probably supposed to do some time ago and forget because they got burried. It is also one more great reminder that I don't really need most of what I have.

In addition to all the moving that has taken place at work, I have been nesting, as they say, at home. I was able to purchase a wonderful couch a few weeks ago and have loved finally having my first piece of "big girl furniture." Even after college I had borrowed furniture, so this first independent furniture purchase felt great. It is also a much needed addition to my house as prior to that couch I spent my evenings sitting on a barstool.

In addition to everything else that is going on we are in the midst of preparing our end of the year newsletters for each staff member and for the ministry as a whole. This newsletter will be a little different and a little more labor intensive for our staff, so I am working to do as much in preparation as I can so it is a smooth process that takes as little time as possible.

I wish I could have taken a picture of New Orleans this morning. As I was driving back from the airport I came over the rise to see downtown and it was shrouded in fog and illuminated by the sun. It was an amazing sight and it just reminded me again how much I love this city.

The past few days have been crazy as I've been battling allergies which appear to have turned into a minor cold. Something I ate didn't settle right Wednesday which made for a long night. But, I was able to finish the initial and largest portion of our quarterly newsletter mailing yesterday before going home to get some sleep.

October is poised to be one of the busiest months since I've been here with a lot of publications and mailings happening all at the same time. Our quarterly newsletter goes out as soon as possible, staff newsletters are in process, as are October thank you notes and we are beginning to work on our end of the year letter and mailing. We are also working on packing up our offices to move to the Yellow House. Thankfully, Laura (my boss) and I have been blessed by two interns from Mission Year, each of whom work half a day. They have been and will be a great help as we ramp up projects in the development office in preparation for the end of the year.

In addition to everything else, I am still working on raising support as much of what I am receiving now is only from monthly donors. I am at 62 percent, but some of that includes money that will be sent in each month by my monthly donors. As I approach the half year mark I need to be sure that support level is increasing so that it does not become a strain on the general fund, which is already lacking for the year. If you are not already a supporter, I'd ask you to prayerfully consider how you might help and I'd love for everyone to be in prayer, as I am, for God's provision in this area. Thanks!

Wow, so much has happened since I last wrote. Perhaps the biggest news is that I am now officially a Louisiana resident!

Thursday afternoon I was talking to some ladies about where we go to vote from this neighborhood and I mentioned that I still needed to register. One of them let me know that the deadline was October 6. Wow, that was coming up fast. So as I got online that night to see what I needed to get a driver's license I began to panic. I lost my social security card some time ago and just haven't made it a priority to get a replacement.

Well, one of the things you need for a license is your social security card. Go figure. As an alternative form of ID I can use a passport so I tore up my apartment Thursday night looking for that. I finally found it and several documents which contained my SSN.

I arrived at the DMV at 7 a.m., even though they don't open until 8, and there were already 12 people in line. When they opened the doors then you go through another line to get a number for another line. My number came up about 8:30 and when I got up there they told me that isn't where I was supposed to be, but the lady decided to be nice and take care of me anyway. So by 9 a.m. I had my new license!

Because we are so close to the deadline for registering to vote, I couldn't do it at the DMV. So yesterday I headed to city hall to take care of that. It was all the way down at the end of the hall and, of course, there was another line. I told the lady I needed to register and that I hadn't registered in Louisiana before. She told me to fill out the form and when I gave it back to her, she didn't even ask for my ID. Why am I surprised? I don't really know. After all, this is New Orelans.

On another note, we are experiencing a lot of change here in the ministry. We will be moving out of our offices the last week in October and we'll be moving into the Yellow House. For those who aren't familiar with the house, it is where all of our teams stay. There are four main rooms on the first level toward the front, and that is where we will be staying. Behind those are bathroom, shower and laundry areas and at the very back is the kitchen. Upstairs are two apartments and rooms where our teams stay when they come to serve.

It is going to be a tight fit and a big change from our spacious offices. The move is due to a serious financial crunch that has been coming for several months. Our operating budget is very low and we are looking to make some changes to help alliviate that as we work on continued fundraising. Moving out of our offices will save us approximately $5,500/month.

Our other big news is that for the time being we are delaying the building of our new community center. We want to be able to build out of a position of financial strength and know that we will see and increase in both ministry and expenses once we move. We want to be sure we are prepared in every way and so we have decided to delay the project until we are able to bring our operating budget up to where it needs to be. More information about this issue will be available in our upcoming quarterly newsletter. If you are not on my mailing list, but would like to be, or would just like a copy of this newsletter, please leave a comment and I'll be sure to get one to you.

I covet your prayers for the ministry as these are trying times. We have confidence, however, in a God who has known this is the situation we would face at this very time before it came to be and we know that he will provide in ways we can't even imagine. As we go through this we are looking forward to growing in our faith and seeing how God will work. Please pray not only for provision, but for wisdom and discernment about how to move forward and for protection against spiritual attack as we seek to do God's will.

Well, it's official, I've now been in New Orleans for a whole year. As I've though about this fact the last several days it's almost hard to believe. I'd like to say that it seems like just yesterday that I was moving into the camper, but really, it seems like I've been here forever. Every time I drive through town and know the routes to take to avoid traffic or find just the right place to park I feel like I've been always lived here.

A lot of things have changed in the past year, but one thing has remained the same: I absolutely love it here.

I still love the culture and atmosphere in the neighborhood. Sure, now that I live in the thick of it some of the "atmosphere" keeps me awake at night, but I wouldn't change it. I love seeing people hanging out on their porch and talking in the streets. It's such a difference from everything I've ever experienced, but it seems like that's how it should be, neighbors interacting with each other.

I love the music and the huge live oaks. I love seeing the skyline and the Superdome when I walk out my door in the morning and I love that it's 70 degrees in December. I love living in a city that is stangely quiet on the Sunday afternoon of a home game during football season. I love learning about a different form of government and a different ecosystem. I don't so much love hurricane evacuations but I love being in a place where I can help my neighbors get out.

As I look forward to the upcoming year I am so excited to see how God is going to work. I know it will be in ways I can't even imagine.

I stopped by the office Saturday afternoon to check my e-mail and found that someone had broken in. I called Tre, our worship pastor, because I knew he lives close. We checked out the building together and at first saw not much more than the broken window and blood stains on light switches as whoever it was had apparently gone from office to office.

Tre worked on boarding up the window and I left. It was later that afternoon that we found out Sandy's laptop had been stolen. As Tre looked more we found the laptop we use for church gone as well. I woke up in the middle of the night and remembered that I hadn't seen Laura's laptop in our office and it was taken along with two of our point and shoot digital cameras.

This morning we found the person also took a large jar of money (about $50) from Tyrone's desk from his candy sales and other youth fundraisers.

It's an eerie feeling to walk into what I consider "my" office to know someone who wasn't invited and doesn't belong had been there taking things. There was definitely a period of fear that I've never had while being here as I thought about it all.

I am not sure yet what our insurance will cover, or if we have reached the deductible, but I know that God will provide. Please join me in praying for a convicted heart of whoever it was that broke in and that God's justice would be served.

Praise the Lord! I just took my car to a muffler place recommended by one of the Christian mechanics I found through some former UIM staff and asked them to replace the strap on my muffler because the whole thing was rattling. After having several guys in the shop look at it the guy came back in and told me the hanger would be $18, but the catalytic converter was also rattling. Being as that I have now been told this is a problem twice, I decided to go ahead and have it replaced. The good news is, it is only going to cost me $300, that's $900 less than Midas! So praise the Lord that I've been setting aside money for such a time as this and that I won't have to accrue any debt to have it fixed! Thanks for praying!

So, the saga of my car problems continues. Actually, I'm not sure how much of it is a problem and how much of it is mechanics trying to make money. See I have this problem....I don't trust mechanics. Walking into an auto body place is the one time in life I truly hate being a woman. One of these days I'm just going to take a couple classes so I don't feel so inadequate and unprepared.

Granted, my dad has taught me a ton (HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!) and has at least given me a fighting chance with a lot of things related to my car. Although I should have made an effort to be around when he was doing all those things to my car so that I would have a better understanding.

I was told by Midas a week ago that I needed a new muffler strap and a new catalytic converter and that was going to cost me approximately $1,200. Are you kidding me?! Forget that. I'd rather get a new car. So I've done some checking and investigating, as has my dad, and neither of us are so sure that's the problem. The muffler strap is certainly loose and I just found out that I can have that fixed for about $25. That's in my price range! So, I'm going to start there and see if that makes a difference. Then we'll see about the rest of it. Right now my car doesn't display any of the symptoms of a broken or clogged converter and apparently it isn't something you can check on a diagnostics machine. Therefore, we're going to wait and see what happens when the strap is replaced.

HELLO! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get on here and send an update. We are finally home. Our return trip began at 9:45 a.m. on Friday and was much shorter than our evacuation, about 5 hours shorter, and the traffic wasn't nearly as bad. Perhaps we took the long way, but we headed south on I-65 to Montgomery, Alabama and then on to Mobile, Alabama where we joined I-10 westbound and made the final stretch home. This is where we ran into most of the traffic, especially as we entered Mississippi. Once we were into the city traffic began to move just fine, and actually seemed pretty light.

As we drove into the neighborhood I saw that the sign on our new land which we worked so hard to install was facedown on the ground, but other than that, there were just a few branches and piles of leaves and general debris here and there. I didn't make it out to survey most of the city until Saturday and even then the most damage I saw was downed trees, none of which seemed to have caused much structural damage.

I know the parishes to our west were hit much harder and some are just getting power back on today. Our church has already talked about a trip west to help those folks and TouchGlobal Crisis Response, our partnering ministry, has already had people on the ground there for a few days.

In New Orleans grocery stores, Wal-Mart and other businesses are now almost all reopened. Shelves are being restocked and gas tanks filled. I know we delayed our return a few days just to allow some of the necessities (gas and food) to get here first.

All in all, I'd say this was a good experience. Not one I'd like to repeat anytime soon, but good.

I now know what it is like to drive away from my home not knowing if there will be anything left when I return. I know what it's like to practice patience as I travel with a caravan of coworkers and church family through stop and go traffic. I know what it's like to be registered as an "evacuee" and offered a bag of free toiletries. I know what it's like to sleep on a gym floor with all my coworkers and what it's like to wake up in the same situation. I know what it's like to be grateful for a hot meal and a hot shower. I know what it's like to walk past the television to see a swirling mass in the gulf and watch water lap the sides of a levee while wondering what will happen. I know what it's like to be delivered from the storm. I know what it's like to breathe a sigh of joyful relief as the storm passes and good reports pour from my city. I know what it's like to long for home so much I can't stand it and I know what it's like to ride back into town and gaze again on the skyline of the place I love to find it only a little bruised and battered. I know what it's like to be part of a group of pepole who are resilient and determined. I know what it's like to trust God for everything, knowing the future is so uncertain. And I know without a doubt that he will remain faithful even in the worst of storms.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fail. God will help her at break of day...Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." - Psalm 46:1-5, 10-11

Our return to New Orleans is tentatively scheduled for Friday. Some of our families have already headed elsewhere and then back and some will be leaving tomorrow to get back for work. We are not in a huge hurry as gas and food are scarce right now. We have decided to let the masses return so that it doesn't take us as long to get back as it did to get out.

We're now almost finished with day two in Birmingham and I think I echo everyone's sentiments when I say I want to go home. Yesterday was a pretty good day and everyone was generally upbeat, myself included. Today I woke up and got the day started well, but about 10:30 it really start to hit and I really started to miss home. Now I love to travel and I love to see new places, but this isn't like most trips. I don't have that travel mentality.

I may try to get out and see a few things in town tomorrow. For the most part it is just hard to sit around with nothing much to do. It allows far too much time to miss where you're from and gives time to wonder when you'll get to go back. Speaking of which, we are tentatively headed back Saturday but we are still awaiting word from the city.

It's time like this when I continue to realize that New Orleans is where I am supposed to be. No matter where I go in the country I am always still called home, this time more than most. I just want to get back to my city, my neighborhood and my life.

But I know that God has bigger plans. I know He is using this time for something. Maybe it's to teach me patience or reliance on Him. Maybe it's to help me identify with those in our ministry who were so affected by Katrina. I don't really know. But what I do know is that this is a whole bunch of free time with very few distractions to keep me from spending time at His feet and hearing what He has to say before I head back into the routine of ministry in New Orleans.

You figure things have got to be bad when the close Wal-Mart since they don't even close that on Christmas these days. It was eerie to drive through the city on Saturday and find things all boarded up or at least closed. My friend Emily was down from Nashville on vacation and little did she know that would turn into an evacuation. We saw as much as we could before things began to shut down.


We had planned to do at least a little shopping on Magazine Street, but things closed down pretty early on this one.

I have to give a huge thanks to the City of New Orleans for getting things right this time. The system was efficient, effective and very clear to residents. Pick up points were scattered throughout the city and people were then taken to the Amtrak terminal and sent out of town on busses or by train. Shelters were already set up to receive them on the other end.

Saturday night we had a "freezer party" at the Gerhardt's. That pretty much means, we're about to lose power and we shouldn't leave anything in our fridge or freezer so bring it all over and we'll cook it up and eat it. We had everything from shrimp and frozen pizza to chicken and vegetables. I know there were a ton of leftovers, but at least we tried!


We also spent time Saturday night praying for the evacuation, the city, and those who would stay behind to protect it. We have a police officer in our church who was just sworn in this past week. He has a wife and two small kids and prayer for that family was a tear-jerker. So far we have heard no bad reports from him and continue to pray for his safety.


Sunday morning was the most beautiful sunrise and you'd never know that there was a hurricane less than a day away. God provided this beautiful reminder of himself in a time that was so very uncertain.

Just follow the blue "hurricane evacuation route" signs. How many times I have looked at those signs and thought nothing of it! That will never be the case again.

The state began contraflow at 4 a.m. Sunday in partnership with Mississippi and Alabama. This is the first time ever that the southeast and southwest have had contraflow instated at the same time. It was crazy to see all lanes headed out, but it was so good to see just how many had heeded the warning to leave the city.

Close to dinnertime one of the vehicles in our caravan blew a tire. Other than that, we had a long but very smooth trip to Birmingham, Alabama where Mountain View Community Church has been so gracious to take us in and make us feel at home.

This has truly been an example of the body of Christ. We arrived weary and crabby last night and were treated to such wonderful service. We each have a bed and linens. They had every toiletry anyone could possibly need, gift bags for the kids, and welcome notes and Bible verses posted on the walls. We are sleeping in their gym and they have locker rooms where we are able to shower. I have decided that I much prefer to be on the giving end of disaster relief, but I am grateful for the opportunity to experience both sides. This has been a faith-stretching experience for sure and one I will not soon forget.

As we continue to monitor the weather and levees in New Orleans we are trying to make the most of our time here by continuing to share the love of Christ with those we are in contact with. About 64 evacuated with us and some have now moved on to other places to be with family or deal with work situations. We are still unsure about when we will be able to return home.

Please pray that we would be on guard against the attacks the devil is sure to throw our way. Pray that we are able to keep clear heads about news reports, doubts and anxiety. Pray that God would be our rock and our fortress in all the distress and uncertainty of the days to come. Thank you!

Well, my apartment is now all back in plastic boxes, my office is cleaned out and moved to a hopefully safer area away from windows and all staff newsletters have been packed up to be mailed from Alabama.

Mandatory evacuations are beginning today in some of the river parishes and contraflow begins tomorrow at 6 a.m. That means all roads lead out of the city. I-10 is a four lane highway this is largely bridge to the west and in some places to the east. All entrance ramps will be blocked on the southbound side to allow for faster movement of traffic out of the city.

Praise God the city is getting it right this time and people are all getting on busses or Amtrak to head north. We have learned something and it seems that our neighbors are also ready with a plan. We have had on 15 people who will be going with us to Birmingham instead of the 75 from last time.

I will post updates and photos hopefully tomorrow afternoon after we get there and get settled. My friend Emily is here from Nashville and will be missing her Sunday night flight and will instead be evacuating with us, thus getting the full New Orleans experience. Thankfully it is only three hours from Birmingham to Nashville and there will be some friends to help get her home.

Thank you again for all your prayers. Continue to pray for all who are evacuating and for the city as it prepares for a potentially dangerous situation.

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Test to see if we can update the blog via phone.

Hello loyal readers. Here is the update:

We are all working today to pack up life at the office in preparation for an evacuation likely Sunday. The current plan is to take all media and financial computers out with information backed up on external hard drives. Staff has been split into a few different groups and several will begin calling our neighbors and church members today to determine if they have plans to evacuate and a way out of the city. If the storm is headed east, we'll likely be headed to Jackson, Mississippi or Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. If it heads west, it will be Birmingham, Alabama.

It is a blessing to know that there have been lessons learned with Katrina and plans seem to be flowing smoothly. I'll keep updates posted here as decisions become more solid and as we see just where Gustav is headed.

***UPDATE***

Our groundbreaking ceremony has been canceled for tomorrow in light of pending storm concerns. It will be rescheduled for a later date.

Our staff will be meeting tomorrow (Friday) morning at 9 a.m. to discuss further plans as we wait to see the storm's path. Thank you for your prayers.

This past weekend I had the joy of traveling to New Jersey for a church visit. From the minute I arrived Friday to the moment I left Monday afternoon I had a blast. I stayed with Kathy Fisher, and her family. Kathy had been to New Orleans with a team last May and when I spoke with the pastor at the church he arranged the housing.

I flew into Philadelphia and took the long way to the coast via Delaware. I wanted to swing through the nation's first state, even if it was just a brief visit.

I arrived in Ventnor, NJ about 4:30 p.m. and had a little time to relax in the evening. I was treated to a Sacko sub, what I am told is a NJ favorite, and it lived up to its reputation.

In the morning Kathy and I got up early (6:30 a.m.) and went for a ride down the boardwalk toward Atlantic City, or Frantic City, as Kathy appropriately calls is. Ventnor is right next door, but you'd never know you were so close as life there is much more calm. We saw the casinos for the boardwalk and stopped to people watch and have some coffee.

We spent most of the rest of the day at the beach. Now, when I think about New Jersey, I don't think beach, but it was beautiful. The sand was great and the water was pretty clean. The beach was full, but not unbearably crowded. I got a little sunburned, but not too bad. That evening we hung out with another of the girls who had been down on the same trip as Kathy. She is very interested in coming back and we talked about all of her options.

Sunday morning I spoke at two church services and met several people who had been down on trips with their church. Public speaking gets a little easier every time I do it and I wasn't even nervous this time. That is a praise God thing because even a few years ago I never would have believed I would be up in front of churches talking to people.

After church we had lunch with some people from the church and it was so good to be able to talk about what is going on here and meet with others who have been here or who would like to come in the future.

On our way home from church Kathy and I decided we'd see if there was any way to make a last minute overnight trip to New York City. I have wanted to go for so long and it is only two hours from where she lives. We found a decent hotel, but didn't think that we'd be able to get there and have enough time to make it worth it and still get me back to Philly by 3 p.m. Monday. So we've put off NYC plans but I promised her I wouldn't go without her. I am considering doing the 5 boro bike ride with her and her husband in next May....

Sunday night we ended up going to the southern most point in NJ and walked around in Cape May, a beautiful town full of old homes and amazing bed and breakfasts. As you can see from the map, I stayed just south of Atlantic City.

This is Congress Hall in Cape May, a beautiful old hotel that was restored not too long ago. It would be amazing to stay here.

This is Lucy the Elephant. She is a must see in Margate, the town just south of Ventnor.

We spent plenty of time at or near the beach. Kathy's family lives only four blocks from the beach. Even so, the neighborhood is very quiet and you'd never know there were so many touristy things so close.

This, I am quite sure, is where I will live someday. I absolutely loved this house in Longport. It is easily in the millions, so clearly, it will remain a dream, but it's still worth dreaming.

My last morning we had bagels on the beach. What a perfect way to start the day! I have definitely fallen in love with New Jersey and will surely be back there at some point, hopefully soon. I have always wanted to explore the east coast and this weekend was a great start to that dream. Kathy was a phenomenal tour guide and hostess and not only was I able to talk to people about what God is doing in New Orleans, I made a lifelong friend.

Tomorrow morning I'm headed to New Jersey, by way of Atlanta and Philadelphia. I will be speaking at a church near Atlantic City about our new community center and asking for their prayers for the month of September. We are asking individuals and churches across the nation to be in prayer each Sunday in September as we move forward with our project. The huge news today is that we have been APPROVED for our loan! It has been a long process but God has been at work and we are now able to move forward with the project.

Please pray for the trip to New Jersey to be fruitful and relaxing. We have had a crazy week here and with our ground breaking next week the fast pace is going to continue. I will have some time on Monday to tour Philadelphia, and while I won't be able to get to NYC, I am looking forward to enjoying my first visit to the east coast outside of Washington, D.C. I'll post photos as soon as I am able.

Mouse hunting is a terrible business. Just awful. So as I put out some sticky traps, on which I placed peanut butter, under my stove I wondered if this time it would work. I found more mouse droppings around my bed (are you kidding me!!!!) and that was it. No more being nice. So as I proceeded to move everthing from my bedroom and hand wash the floor, I caught one. He got greedy and went after more peanut butter. As I sat there and looked at him, with his face stuck to the glue, I thought, wouldn't it be good if when I got too greedy or ate too much, my face got stuck to the plate......


Anyhow, so then I had to deal with getting rid of him. He was so cute and tiny, and I felt bad. But I decided to do the most humane thing possible. I put some fingernail polish on a Kleenex and put that in a plastic bag and then in went the mouse and the trap. I took it out and placed it in the garbage can. Half an hour later, I repeated the whole process.

That meant I was out of traps and had to go to Wal-mart to get more. So I bought two rat-sized traps and a pack of four mouse-sized traps, just in case. I loaded them all with peanut butter and placed all six under my stove.

I've decided I'm really ready for my home to be my own! All evening passed and there was nothing. I went in my room to watch a movie and ended up not even finishing it. Not more than two seconds after I shut off the light I heard a soft "thump" followed by a "squeak, squeak." Seriously.

So I ventured out to see what we had. It was very small. No longer than my little finger, if that. He was the cutest of them all and I felt so bad. I also realized that at 11 p.m. I wasn't venturing out to the garbage can. So I had to put him in the bag and leave him outside my door. Nasty business.

Yesterday, in my infinite wisdom, I had a thought. If they were coming from under the stove, why don't you move the stove and see where they are coming from. Aha! The light bulb goes on! So I did and I found two cracks that went under the cabinets, but had no other outlet, and a crack at the edge of the flooring where the water pipes run. So I motored off to Home Depot and bought a whole bunch of steel wool and spent the evening last night filling holes. I woke this morning feeling so refreshed by seeing no mice on any traps. I have overcome....at least for now.

I have a mouse.

It's not cute. It's not friendly, and it's not going to be living much longer.

After I moved in and began to get everything in my kitchen settled and arranged I noticed on morning that one of the suckers I had left in a box on the counter was now on top of a towel on top of the stove. There were shreds of paper around it and little teeth marks.

So I cleaned vigorously. I sanitized. I disinfected and I hunted. No luck.

The next morning I woke up at 5 a.m. to the sound of moving silverware. I crept slowly out into the living room and turned on the light to no avail.

The next night I strategically placed a small wooden decoration on my cereal dispenser. Certainly if said mouse was roaming about my kitchen looking for food he was going to knock it over. And he did. And I got mad. That same night he pooped all over the counter. This is not okay.

So last night I went to Wal-Mart and bought rat-sized sticky traps and some of the old standard traps. I put the sticky traps on either side of the stove as I assumed he was coming out from behind it. Then I loaded two of the other traps with peanut butter, removed the drawer from under my stove and placed them there. And I waited....

This morning was kind of like Christmas morning. I awoke with the great anticipation of finding a dead, nasty, but dead, mouse. On the contrary, I walked into the kitchen and it was like going to the Christmas tree as a five-year-old looking for presents left by Santa to have your older sibling hit you in the face and tell you Santa doesn't exist.

Except this "santa" is very real. You see, I left Fruity Pebbles on one side of the sticky trap as I have found that is what he likes. They were all gone and he was not stuck to the trap. This means he did not come from behind the stove. The other side of the stove still had its Fruity Pebbles. He pooped on the light that is sitting on top of my microwave, and oh the outrage! I looked under the stove and found he had snacked on the peanut butter on both traps! Ahhhhhh!

So I calmly placed some Fruity Pebbles on the sticky trap and placed it back on the counter. Then I went to take a shower. I had the idea that perhaps he was hiding behind the fridge, so I moved it. I found a lot of junk and some mouse droppings so I left the fridge out and will clean that up once I get a broom this afternoon.

Then I had a thought about the traps. I put more peanut butter on the other two traps I had not used and as I proceeded to place them with the others under the stove I saw it. Not the mouse "it" but what he had done. While I was in the shower he ate the rest of the peanut butter off one of the traps and nibbled more on the other one!

I was furious. So I made sure the new traps had hard to eat peanut butter and put the used ones in the sink. I also put the sticky traps on the floor by the front of the stove and disinfected the counter so he has nothing to find up there.

I left the house knowing that I will still likely have to sleep at lesat one more night with this menace in my house, but it is only a matter of time before his greedy little self wants just a little more. Then we'll see if that last nibble of peanut butter was really worth it.....

Well, it's been a week now since I moved and I have loved every minute of it. The first night I didn't sleep very well, although I think that was more because it was a new and unfamiliar place than anything else. I have greatly enjoyed having some room to spread out and a place to make my own. Even in Waukee I had a very small kitchen and that is perhaps the best part of my new place, a big, beautiful, spacious kitchen. If you worked on the quad as a volunteer BLESS YOU! It is such a blessing to be in such a place.


It is so nice to be able to come home to a place that is so inviting and I am working to be able to have people over either for dinner for just to hang out. Living in the camper never afforded that opportunity. Now I have a kitchen of my own as well as a front balcony and back deck.


It has rained a great deal lately so I haven't been able to work on my desk, but that project will be startd again soon. I am hoping to paint it black with silver hardware as soon as I finish the sanding which is always more work than I imagine it to be.

I am slowing whittling away at the number of boxes in my living room and once things are a little more organized I plan to look a little more seriously at getting a loveseat. I have decided that a couch would probably take up too much space so we'll just start small.

I have met a few of the neighbors and have already been invited to a fried catfish dinner with Reverend Boyd and his family who live on the street just behind the quad. I am looking forward to meeting more neighbors and getting more involved with the neighborhood now that I am actually a part of it.

Yesterday was the long anticipated moving day where I finally said good-bye to the camper and was able to move into a place with running water. It's been a long time coming and I'm so excited to get settled. I kept a log of all that happened as I knew it would be an eventful day.

7:30 a.m. - Wake up to a barking dog. So much for sleeping in on my day off.

8:15 - Check my e-mail and Facebook and try to locate my package with FedEx.

8:45 - Finally decide to get out of bed as I am not getting any more sleep today. Pack a few more things and load clothes and toiletries into the car.

9:30 - The car is packed to the gills and I've done all I can do at the house so I'm off to Wal-Mart to get some necessities and cleaning supplies.

10:15 - Standing in a really long and slow line at Wal-Mart. Well, at least this is wasting some time so I won't get to the Quad before Matt leaves.

10:30 - Finally done waiting in line and I'm off to Starbucks to spend my last half hour before I can move in!

10:45 - Run into Sandy (no surprise) at Starbucks. She is supposed to be on her way to Florida but has been delayed. Talk to mom on phone about the day and wish she was here to help.

11:15 - Off to the Yellow House to get Windex.

11:30 - Off to the Quad!

11:35 - Get to the Quad and realize I left the keys in the camper.

11:40 - Get the keys at the camper and realize that I had a spare set in my purse. I hope this isn't an indication of how the day will go.

11:45 - Get to the Quad (with the keys) and run into Jenn, Jenn's mom, Matt and Irvin who are all headed out.

11:50 - Start the long awaited move in process!
12:05 p.m. - Set up CD player so I can have some music.

12:10 - Dance around the apartment just because I can and smile because the whole place doesn't rock back and forth when I do.

12:15 - Continue moving stuff. Run into Tyler, a boy I have met once before on a Super Friday, who stays around the corner. Start to wonder if I'm going to be moving all by myself.

12:30 - Cleaning the bathroom when Sara calls to ask if I need any help. Yay!

1:00 - Back to the Yellow House to get more stuff and meet Sara. She calls Mike to see if we can use his van.

1:10 - Mike arrives with Jonathan. Dingo, Davonte and Sara help me load stuff into Mike's van and my car.

1:15 - We all unload stuff at the Quad. Many hands make light work!

1:25 - Head back to the Yellow House to get some more stuff and drop Sara off.

1:30 - Realize there is more in the camper than I thought. Load up the car and make another trip.

2:00 - Work on cooling off and getting a few things organized. Wondering if I am going to last much longer. I don't remember the last time I was this hot or worked this hard all day long.

4:15 - Mary DeMarco and a team member stop by to say hi and see the place.

4:45 - Scavenge through boxes to find enough stuff to take a shower at the new place. I must have left my box of toiletries at the Yellow House.

5:00 - Off to the Yellow House to dry my hair and put on my make up.

5:30 - Put last big load of stuff into the car and head off to get gas and make a trip to Wal-Mart to get dinner.

7:15 - Back home and unload one more time. Wish I wasn't sweating because I've already taken a shower.

7:30 - More organizing and start dinner.

8:00 - Pizza is done.

8:05 - Anthonika (my new neighbor) arrives. I help Duane, Irvin and her unload all her stuff.

8:20 - Reheat dinner and watch most of The Devil Wears Prada. Traditional move in dinner is pizza and this time I added sparkling grape juice. I love my martini glasses.9:30 - Shut movie off and try to determine if I should go to bed or work some more. Feet hurt but I'm not really tired yet. Decide to do a few more things.

10:15 - Still not tired but lay down anyway.

11:00 - Still awake. It's going to take a while to get used to sleeping in a new place.

All in all yesterday was a great day. The clarinet I got on eBay arrived midafternoon and served as icing on the cake of a great day. Today has been spent at Target and Wal-Mart getting some new things and loading up on groceries. Tomorrow will be spent continuing to unpack and make my place look more like a home and less like something blew up all over.

This is the traditional move-in dinner. Pizza and sparkling grape juice. I'm not really sure where the idea came from, but it started when I moved into my first apartment back in Waukee.

I simply couldn't resist sharing these photos with the world. This is "Ms. Jeri." The actual person was our wonderful cook here for two seasons. This is her stunt double for a movie that Sara and James are working on to send to her of memories and events during her time in New Orleans. I heard the dogs outside and looked out to see them playing and James was sitting next to Jeri in the lawn chair. When they got ready to film Golden Girl just jumped up on her lap like it was nothing unusual. I just laughed and laughed. When they were done filming they went to take the dogs home and I knew they had left but when I came back outside, there was Ms. Jeri sitting all by herself in the backyard. Sometimes there are just no words.....

On another front, I have found out that I will be moving into the quad this Thursday and I am so excited. The ministry had Monday and Tuesday off but I swapped my days for Thursday and Friday so I can get all moved in before staff retreat which is Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I'll post pictures of the move and the new place as soon as I have them!