He is Risen!

We were blessed to celebrate the Resurrection this morning with the congregation here at Firehouse Family Ministries. The music was amazing; upbeat and filled with a spirit of celebration. Everyone in the room was clapping and dancing and singing, and we just couldn’t keep ourselves from joining in. The worship leaders included a pair of women dancing with flags and ribbons, praising God with their graceful movements, a quartet of incredibly talented vocalists, and a band that just plain rocked.

One of the biggest surprises for us so far is the weather here. This time last year, the temperature was in the 80s with plenty of humidity. This year, it’s in the low 60s, cloudy, and threatening rain. So please, pray that the weather improves and that it doesn’t interfere with any of our ministry plans.

This afternoon, we visited the Lower 9th Ward, an area of the city that was hit particularly hard by flooding in the aftermath of Katrina. The team visited the same area last year, and sad to say, not much has changed. The neighborhood is simply wiped out. Most of the lots no longer have houses on them; the wreckage was cleared long ago. All that’s left are overgrown concrete steps that once led to front doors and a handful of decaying rubble piles that once were people’s homes. It gives you an eerie, surreal feeling. An artificial peace.

On the way back we visited the Broad Street Mission, where we’ll be helping to feed homeless people and ministering to neighborhood children. We gathered there to pray for our week of ministry, asking God to go before us and to prepare us for what lies ahead.

We finished the evening with worship and discussion of the day’s events. And as I type this, team members are winding down, playing basketball and cards, and preparing to get some rest tonight. Tomorrow is a big day.