Yesterday morning our group did our first service project, which was painting a ramp up to the front porch of a woman's house. From the moment we stepped out of the van, we were shown constant compassion by her. She hugged us all, told us how thankful she was, and let us get to work, but not before we had been properly welcomed to her home.
I have done countless service projects, and I can attest that I have never been so warmly embraced by the person I was serving. It was a remarkable and unforgettable experience.
A few hours into our work, we had made a considerable amount of progress. The front ramp was nearly done, so some of us started painting a front porch on an apartment to the rear of the house. It was around that time that the woman who owns the house hollered from the front door that she was making a cake for us to show her appreciation. A cake to show appreciation. Not a simple "thank-you".
This woman poured her soul into a cake for us – something completely unexpected by any of us. It stirred in me a sense of home – of family and comfort.
Despite the hardships this city has seen, there is a culture of tightly-knit community like nothing I haven ever witnessed. Coupled with an undeniable effortlessness of interaction with the people, one can understand why this city is called the Big Easy.
-Brad Firchow
How great! I wish she could read this and see how much you enjoyed her and the cake!
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