Getting close to the end

The semester is winding down and life is getting busier and busier. I have two exams, one paper, one oral presentation, and two finals left before the school year is over. The last day of finals for me is May 16th. I am anticipating the end very much. This summer I'll be going back to Waukesha and working and hanging with my family and friends. This is the hardest time of year for me because it is so georgous outside and who wants to be inside studying when they could be outside in the georgous weather! But here I am, sitting inside doing my homework and studying. I hope your spring is just as georgous as mine.

Serving Dinner at Simpson Shelter

Tomorrow evening I will be headed down to Simpson Men's Shelter to serve dinner to 70 men. Thus far 5 other people are coming with me - I'm still hoping for a few more or even to double that number! This is the same shelter that a month or so ago I went and served dinner with Cindy's church. I am very excited and just need to finish getting the food bought.

Spring time!

Spring is yet another very enjoyable time of year for me. The birds chirping, the warm weather where I don't have to worry about wearing a coat all the time and being prepared for every possible type of weather. I keep my umbrella in my backpack and all is well. I also love spring because people seem to be more in love during spring than any other time of year. Perhaps it is the warm weather and people feel free to stroll around, or perhaps it is that all of nature seems to be in bloom. Whatever it is spring and love seem to go together. Since I am not in love (other than being in love with life) I will share a picture of a very beautiful lake that is near my home in Waukesha. The picture was taken last summer and I love boating and swimming in the lake and of course watching all of the sailboats take their jaunt across the lake and back every Tuesday evening. So enjoy, and happy spring!

Another day

Well it has been a while since I've posted anything and so I am putting up a post. There isn't much to report from the cities. I am keeping busy and looking forward to the long weekend very much. We don't have classes on Friday and I don't have classes on Thursdsays so I have a 4 day weekend which I will be spending with my grandparents, parents, sister, aunts and uncles, and cousins. It should be a good weekend. Last night I had a chance to see La Boheme performed by U of M students. It was a good performance and it was my first opera experience. It was good, but not the best thing I've ever seen. There were mixed views among the people I went with. I am astonished to think that the school year is winding down already. We have just over a month left. I have an exam in each of my classes and a paper to write in one and a presentation to prepare for another, and then I'm home free. I still haven't determined precicely what I will be doing for a job this summer. I was supposed to find out from the Medical College of Wisconsin last week if I got a place and so if they don't let me know by Wednesday I will be contacting them and if I don't get it will hope that Essential Industries will still want me back for another summer. I hope to make a few trips this summer for fun - ideally one to the cities to spend a weekend with people up here and then my trip to Europe which is still not a for sure. If I end up going it would be 10 days in Germany and Amsterdam for $500! I can't think of much else to report. So for now I'll sign off. Have a wonderful day!

A few pictures from the trip to New Orleans

This view is looking over the lower 9th ward. You can see the construction on the levee on the left side of the picture. These pictures were taken 7 months after hurricane katrina. At this point they are still taking bodies out of the rubble and there are several thousand people unacounted for.

This picture is of the mold in one of the houses we worked on along with a lot of personal belongings that we had to sort through and discard

This is the first house we worked on and all of the safety equipment we wore.

Back to life again

Now that I have returned from New Orleans it seems surreal to be returning to life as usual. It feels as though I am repeating the entire withdrawl that happened when I returned from Kenya. When that happened I managed to redefine who I was as a person and who I hoped to be. This time the trip was much shorter and while the devestation was much greater many people who had their homes devestated will be able to rebuild. However I feel for the ones that cannot. Those in the lower and upper 9th ward and families who are too impovershed to move back even though this is their home and has been for generations. It is difficult to put my feelings and thoughts into words. I want to thank all of you who were praying for us and keeping us in your thoughts. We did a lot for several families, but there is still much more to be done and I hope the city and the people of New Orleans will not escape your thoughts though they have escaped the news. I will leave you with a prayer that was posted in the house that we stayed at.

O God,
Today I will be with those who are suffering and frightened and possibly alone. Some will have no one to talk to today, Lord, but me.
May my arms be strong to give someone a hug, my hands comforting and warm to hold anothers hand and through my eyes and smile may someone know I care.
But most of all, Lord, give my heart the compassion and understanding that will calm anothers fears, dry a tear, and give strength to face what lies ahead.
I am only one person, Lord, but you and I both know that one person can and will make a difference in another's life.
And if I can do that for someone today, when my head lies upon my pillow tonight and my eyes close I will be at peace.
Amen and Amen

Check out the blog from the New Orleans trip I'm on

The address of the blog from the trip I'm on in New Orleans is www.hamlinehurricanerelief.blogspot.com

There are 30 students on the trip and most of them have added comments to this blog so be sure to check it out!

Thoughts and reflections

We are about to head out for a few hour drive up and then back along the coast that was damaged. I am looking forward to this tour but I don't want to talk about that at this moment I want to talk about a few things that happened at our group discussion. There are 30 of us down here like I had said before and only 3 of us are not white. One of the african americans started talking about race as it is a huge issue down here and many people here believe the levees broke where they did for a very specific reason and that this natural disaster showed the unnatural disaster that perpetuates american life. The idea about being black and being uncomfortable in every day life was brought up and we were all challenged to think about being uncomfortable in our own lives (black or white).

The disaster here is devestating and it is merely a perpetuation of things that are wrong with our culture and our american way of life.