The Lighter Side of New Orleans

In addition to the rich ministry and profound lessons God taught us while in New Orleans, we had a whole lotta laughs, too! We were given a brief couple hours of free time on most afternoons, and we took these opportunities to make quick visits to the French Quarter. Our destination the first visit? The famous Cafe Du Monde, home of the delicious beignets. Covered in powdered sugar, these French doughnuts are amazingly delectable! Mmmmm...

When we arrived in New Orleans on that first night, we needed to grab a quick bite to eat, so some of our group went to Popeye's and some went next door to Wendy's. Words escaped me as I looked out the window across the street and saw "Emeril's Delmonico" in big, beautiful letters! I tried to tell my friend, Carolyn, but I was so excited, all I could do was point! Both my friend and I are avid cooks and big Emeril fans...we could hardly believe one of his restaurants was across the street and we were eating fast food!

We obviously didn't have any clothes along that were suitable for his restaurant (though we did contemplate buying new outfits just for this purpose). So on Friday afternoon of last week, the adults of our team took a quick walk over to his restaurant so we could get our picture taken out front. Carolyn and I looked longingly within. This was definitely another high point for us!

I would say, though, that my favorite part of the week was simply spending uninterrupted time with our kids. Our whole church was divided among 4 teams, so I didn't get to see all of them much during work projects or Challenge Circle. But coming together again was always the best! I was particularly grateful for the meaningful moments I shared with our girls Whether it be while lounging on our bunks and sharing our hearts...laughing like crazy as we donned our "babushkas"...or simply serving together throughout the week. My heart is so full as I think about these young women who love one another and our God so deeply. Repeatedly throughout the week I thought, "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God!"