Celebrate Blessings Street Outreach Update 06-14-2008

Dalvis- We have not seen Dalvis since the winter months. Last we had heard, he had been arrested on a blocking the sidewalks charge. He was really dirty. He told us that he only had the clothes on his back because when he was arrested, his bag was left behind. He has asked us for help in providing some basic essentials for him, to help get him started back on his feet again. Dalvis wears 34x32 pants and a medium shirt. He also has requested a hygiene kit. Please let us know if you can help him get back on his feet.

Richard- He has requested a backpack and a pair of 38x30 or 38x32 pants. He suffers from a terminal illness. He also reported that he has been sober for some time now. Although he is homeless, he receives a monthly income with which he uses part of it to provide food to the others he knows. He also mentioned that he tries to encourage the others around him. Please pray that he would be able to serve the others around him, and that he would be able to continue living a life of sobriety.

Joseph- This is one of our friends that we initially met at the New Orleans Mission. He needed to vent, and Kati was willing to listen. He must have ranted for fifteen minutes. Although, we offered to pray with him, and offer him comfort, he was only interested in venting. Please pray that he would have peace and understand that not everyone is out to get him. Also, please pray that he will encounter people who can encourage him rather than tear him down.

Larry- We met Larry earlier this year at the Claiborne camp. He is a former marine. He specifically came to the bridge to excitedly tell us, “Prayer works!” His VA Pension came through after a long wait. He is now living in a condo by the cotton mill. It was refreshing to see him clean, shaved, and happy. For the first time in his life, as a result of our prayers for him, he is tangibly experiencing the fruits of those prayers. Please pray that as a result, his faith will grow stronger and that he will be able to hold captive these experiences, that they may become a foundation for whatever is next in his life.

Paul- He is from Phoenix, Arizona. He originally came to work in New Orleans for Mardi Gras and the festivals that followed. He creates handmade jewelry and vends it at various events. The people he traveled here with decided not to return to Arizona. He also became a victim to predators that mugged him, and left him with only a few of his belongings. He now finds himself stranded in New Orleans. His desire is to return home to Arizona, where he owns a house and property. However, he is quickly losing hope that this will happen for him. If you can assist this man in bus, train, or airfare, please contact us, so that we can help make this happen for Paul. Please pray that he will continue to be receptive to receiving prayer. Also, pray that he will begin to see tangible ways the Lord is working in his life.

Tanya- She is of Cherokee heritage, born and raised in New Orleans. Although she has embraced the beliefs of her culture, but she is also a practicing Catholic. As a result, she allowed Goke and me to pray for her. Please join us in praying for her, that she will be able to find an affordable place to live in Westwego.

Angie's Update for 05-31-2008

I know something that Kati and I write frequently about, is how different our interactions in the community are from week to week. Yet again, this statement holds true for the weekend just passed.

When we arrived at the Claiborne camp, the first ten minutes were filled primarily with greeting our friends, exchanging hugs, and sharing words of affirmation. Following that short time, a news crew approached us. They were there representing ABC news network. The lead reporter was there doing a piece on the FEMA trailer deadline. As a result he wanted to get coverage of life at the Claiborne camp.

They spent the next twenty minutes speaking to us, our friends, and filming our interactions. I don't believe that any of this footage will be used for this story because our primary reason for being there did not relate to the story they were working on. It was, however, a great opportunity to be able to educate this news team of the dire living circumstances many of our friends face. Also, it was a great opportunity to share my testimony and plant more seeds.

When we moved to the other end of the Claiborne camp, I connected with a man named "Lit". He was visibly impaired by some type of substance. It was a challenge talking to him, because his thoughts seemed to be racing from one topic to another. Like a child tests boundaries, he verbally challenged me repeatedly. He seemed to be trying to shock me and the rest of the team. Depsite his oppositional attitude, he remained there engaging in conversation until we left the Claiborne camp.

For me, Lit is a perfect example of most of the people we meet on the street. He is looking, searching, franticly for something. He has no idea for what he is searching. As a result, he grabs hold to everything tangible (drugs, clothing, money,women,etc.) he can. What he does not yet realize is that the very thing he is searching for, is the very thing he is running from; that very thing he runs from is everywhere. All he has to do is just grab hold of his Savior.

We were able to share our faith with this man in the half hour or longer that he spent with us. I gave him a Bible, although he claimed to already own one and know it well. I marked several pages in the Bible for him to be reading this week. Also, when Goke prayed for him, he sank right into Goke. Lit is hurting.

Please pray for Lit and all the rest of our friends. Please also be praying that the Lord will begin preparing their hearts and minds for our return to the camp on Sunday. Last of all, pray for the team, that our hearts, minds, and bodies will be protected and prepared for the things we are called to do on the streets of New Orleans.

Thank you for all your support & prayers. I love you!

Angie

Donna- She is someone that we have not seen in quite a few months. We originally met her at “Bunker Hill” and she was one of the first to be removed from that park and placed into housing just before Thanksgiving. She has a friend that is now living at the Claiborne camp, and she comes out on the weekends to visit him. When asked her how we could be praying for her, she asked us to pray for her friend Charlie.

Charlie- He is currently working with a case manager at Catholic Charities. When we spoke to him, he was hopeful that Monday he would hear some news from his case manager regarding a move-in date on his new apartment. He asks that we will pray for him to get off the streets. He is another example of the working class among the homeless in New Orleans. He works at the Arena, Superdome, and also with Times Picayune. Also, he expressed disgust with the “night life” at the Claiborne camp. So, please pray that he will remain safe and protected from the evil and dangers that many of our friends endure in the night time.

Kenny- When we saw him Saturday, it was evident that he is losing weight again. Besides living on the street, he battles a terminal illness. Please pray for healing and relief from the symptoms of his illness. He has requested a belt, as a result of losing so much weight.

Larry- It was nice to see Larry again. We had not seen him in a couple weeks, so we were unsure if he had been arrested. He seemed to be doing well. He told us that he tries to spend as little time at the Claiborne camp as possible, in order to stay out of trouble. He also expressed agitation towards some of the men that live at the Claiborne camp and the threat he feels against his well-being. Please pray for him that the Lord will soften his heart, so that instead of fighting with his neighbors, he can learn to love them. Also, please pray that as a result of our multiple contacts with him, that the seeds planted will be watered and he will get to experience the power of freedom in salvation.

Russ- I would consider Russ as one of New Orleans core homeless. He is homeless and has no real plans to get off the streets. He is also well versed at being able to tell you what you want to hear. His greatest struggle that I have observed seems to be alcoholism. The team has only been able to connect with him superficially as he goes to great lengths to avoid any real conversations. Please pray for his deliverance from his addiction.

Coolio- He saw us at the Claiborne camp and walked over to greet us. Coolio is someone we typically see on the river performing for the tourists. Seeing him today was different from most days. He did not have his wheelchair today. He was walking and he was sober! I told him how great it was to see him standing and sober. He smiled and told us he was taking small steps at a time each day. While he visited with us, he prayed for the team and also our new friend Lit. Please pray that the changes he is trying to make in his life will be consistent, and that he will experience true deliverance from the strongholds in his life. Also, please pray that he and his wife Willie Mae will be able to connect with some strong Christians and be able to rebuild some natural supports in their life.

Pam- She came to greet us again this week. Yet again she is talking about seeking some in-patient treatment for her addiction. Although it always sounds good to hear our friends talk about positive change in their life, most of the time we find that it is what it is, just talk. One of the things we are finding is that as we go deeper with some of our friends, we are able to verbally challenge them. Please pray for Pam. She is struggling with drug addiction in her life. She has been in treatment before, and we would like to see her go in again and be successful this time. Please join us in prayer, that she will experience this freedom, like many of us.

Kati's Update 06-03-2008

Hello friends. Greetings from New Orleans once again! Since I last wrote to you, the homeless outreach continues to thrive as we seek to build genuine relationships with those who live on the streets. We have transitioned from the “winter” months now to the “summer” months, and with this transition includes a new focus for our weekly time on the streets. As far as physical needs are concerned, we are focusing each week on taking as many pair of new socks and underwear as we can, and most importantly having cold beverages to hand out as the weather becomes even more hot and humid. We are working towards being able to provide full, healthy sack lunches as well. Our greatest desire, of course, continues to be building relationships with those we meet, loving them unconditionally as Christ does, as providing them with support and encouragement on an individual basis. We are sharing food with over 100 people each week and connect on a deeper level with anywhere between 10 and 30 individuals. The time we spend on the streets takes a lot physically and emotionally, but seeing fruits of our work and your prayers make every moment of it well worth it.

Personally, I am in another transition period, perhaps even a waiting period, focusing primarily on resting and getting healthy. Some of you are aware of the challenges I have faced over the past years, and I really am making a concerted effort to do everything necessary to start the next chapter of my life full-force, without the health issues holding me back. Second to resting, my efforts have also been directed toward serving Angie and her family during a difficult chapter in their lives. We are able to mutually support one another and focus on healing and moving forward. As Angie is now at home with the boys full-time, my role in their family continues to change as well. Third, as is most evident by the pictures and emails you receive; my efforts are directed at serving the homeless in New Orleans. On our ventures downtown, we are also able to serve the street performers and artists in Jackson Square as well as some of the tourists we encounter along the way.

We have been spending hours each weekend serving at the Claiborne Camp, but my most treasured time is in Jackson Square and up along the Riverfront. At those locations, we have more opportunity to connect one-on-one, whereas under the bridge, we serve a lot of people in a very short period of time. No matter the location, I feel confident that we are able to build genuine relationships with those we serve, as well as with the team that goes out each week.

Angie, her two boys, and I go out each week, and we are joined by others each weekend as well. Two weeks ago, we had the joy of leading a team of adults from Savannah, GA, on the outreach and really began developing relationships with the team. This past week, a friend of mine from college was able to engage with us during the week in preparation for the weekend as well as serve with us on Saturday. We also have a gentleman, Goke, who joins us every other weekend. I love that our team looks different each week, and I am encouraged by the number of people that feel the pull to go beat the streets each weekend. I have hope and expectation that the number of people serving with our team will continue to grow in order to best serve those we meet. One specific prayer request is that God would send us one or more Spanish-speakers to join us on the weekends. Having multiple Spanish-speakers from Savannah was really a blessing, because we were able to communicate with many people with whom we have not in previous weeks been able to speak or communicate effectively.

We hope that these updates will encourage you and provide you with specific ways to lift up our friends in prayer.

-Kati