Sunday: All Souls Episcopal Church

Today was a big day: emotional, tiring, productive and educational.

Through our main contact who is a Reverend with the Episcopal Church, we were connected with the kind people at All Souls Episcopal Church. A church that was brought to life in 2007 and inhabits an old Walgreens.

We were invited to the church service where we were humbled, saddened, inspired and energized. There were about twenty-five members there, of all ages and races. With a drummer, organist and song leader we clapped our hands, swayed and even cried as we sang the three hymns of choice today: "He's Got the Whole World In His Hands", "This Little Light of Mine" and "We Shall Overcome."


The Reverend spoke about Martin Luther King, our individual gifts we have to offer to the world, the devastation in Haiti and ultimately how to use what we have no matter the size to let our light shine.

The children of the church immediately took to all the sweet girls in our group. Prior to the service they read books to us and became instant friends. The interaction and connection between our girls and these kids, who obviously thrived for a little attention and a lot of love, was hands down the most popular topic of "meaningful parts of the day" in our circle time tonight.

We also took communion with the congregation.

Following church we enjoyed a feast that provided for us: turkey, rice w/ sausage, green beans that many of us are still talking about, salad, peaches and homemade King Cake. After we ate the work began.

You have never seen a group of girls people work like our group does. Nick, the volunteer coordinator, walked around with his mouth on the floor most of the time: we were fast, took initiative, keep a positive spirit and were happy to be there. For those of you that know us you understand when Dana D. put it best into words, "he didn't know he was working with 18 Chiefs, and no Indians!"

In a three hour period we conquered four different tasks...a feat they had suspected to be a two day project. The projects are featured in the post below.

This facility, an old drug store that was at one time filled with up to 18 feet of water, is now growing into a community center, a place of worship and a safe haven from the reality that lives on every street corner, in every home and every sidewalk in the forgotten community now nationally recognized as the lower 9th ward. And our work today contributed great strides in making this place a safe haven with potential to change a community.