I left Bethel later than I had planned today, but wound up able to visit Pastor Bruce Davenport and the people of St. John #5 Faith Church in New Orleans. The top picture shows the Pastor Bruce inside the church building, the second shows a woman named Coma who lives two doors down and whose house has been substantially restored, the third shows St. John Faith Church from the outside, and the next two show buildings of the St. Bernard Housing Project across the street. No one lives there now. In my short drives around the neighborhood with members of Bruce's family I have seen hundreds and hundreds of homes that need gutting, whose roofs are caved in and falling down. It is very, very quiet in that neighborhood and in the parts of ninth ward that I drove through Monday morning.

The next picture shows a site of the major levee breach in the area, now repaired (the lighter part). Pastor Bruce's daughter Tamasha told me of wading from her front porch to the curb and then being unable to keep her head above water once she stepped off the curb to head several blocks south to an elevated highway to wait for help. I heard other things I'm not prepared to write about here.

Finally, there is one more picture of the interior of the church.

St. John #5 Faith Church has been working in the neighborhood for many years. Prior to the storms they provided safe haven housing for pregnant teenagers, did a variety of HIV/AIDS prevention and care work, and provided GED prep classes and after school programs for kids. Most of those served by their programs lived in the projects across the street. All of the homes used by the church for these programs have been severely damaged, including the church building itself, but the AIDS outreach goes on, as well the providing of shelter for people who are attempting to return to the neighborhood and individuals at risk for various reasons.

It will take some time to have any proper words for what I was shown in the neighborhood. I've been humbled since my first time in the region- humbled by what I've seen and then again and again by trying to describe what I've seen and heard.

I was invited back for Bible Study. I made it- and had three hours of really good witness by a series of leaders including the Pastor Davenport, Deborah Davenport (they are spouses) and daughter Tamasha. I was invited to say a word at the end, and I read from Isaiah 43 and asked them to accept six quilts from Cross and Crown if they could think of some people who could use the quilts and what the quilts communicate- warmth and love. I mentioned CCLC quilters by first name, and so they were prayed for at the meeting.

One woman told me that she was taking a quilt to a member of St. John Faith who is in her 90s and still sings in the choir. That was a wonderful evening. I would love to have pictures of the church with the study going on, but it didn't feel right to do that. It was one of those things that it just more right to be a part of rather than a spectator. Tomorrow, after I go out with Mobile Loaves and Fishes I will try to get together with Pastor Bruce for lunch and more guided trips around neighborhoods.