2010 NW Suburban Gulf Coast Mission Team Returns from New Orleans
61 people representing 13 churches spend week continuing Katrina recovery efforts
February 3, 2010 -- On Sunday, January 17, a mission team of 61 people descended on Camp Restore in New Orleans, Louisiana. The group, representing 13 Lutheran churches from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, spent the week performing various construction and outreach projects in many neighborhoods throughout New Orleans. This is the fifth team to be sent to the region by this mission partnership of churches since Hurricane Katrina hit in August, 2005.
The week began with a pair of worship services Sunday evening. First, the group worshipped at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church just to the west of downtown New Orleans. Gloria Dei has been restored and the next day dedicated a new center for teens and young adults.
Following this worship service and a dinner of jambalaya and gumbo, the team headed to Trinity Lutheran Church ~ Claiborne, located in the Lower Ninth Ward. This church has been gutted, but there has been no construction work done since the Hurricane. The group worshipped by candlelight and asked for God’s blessing as the work was to begin on the church the following day.
Throughout the week, the team worked at 13 different job sites. More than 1,800 work hours were logged doing various projects, such as: demolition, roofing, drywall hanging and taping, painting, tiling, cabinet installation, door installation, trim work and insulation. The group also dispatched a Spiritual Outreach Team into the community. In addition to conducting prayer walks, this group was active at the new teen center and in local nursing homes.
“It’s always amazing to see God’s hand at work on these mission trips,” trip director Dave Moll (St. Matthew, Barrington) stated. “Our theme for the week was to ‘let the light of Jesus shine through us to the people of New Orleans.’ I’m happy to say that the light of Jesus is strong in the people of New Orleans, because that light was reflected right back to us.”
Participating Lutheran churches on this mission trip included: Faith (Carpentersville), Good Shepherd (Elgin), Holy Cross (Cary), Immanuel (Crystal Lake), Immanuel (East Dundee), Living Christ (Arlington Heights), Prince of Peace (Crystal Lake), St. John’s (Algonquin), St. John’s (Elgin), St. Matthew (Barrington), St. Matthew (Hawthorn Woods), St. Peter (Gilberts) and St. Peter (Schaumburg).
