Noah sends: Meeting Brenda. Difficult to explain, but, she is very faith based and enjoyable to talk to. She can sing like an angel. She has lots of stories to tell about Katrina. She has a huge family that she feeds often. All 50 of them! She very much enjoys that we are helping fix her home. She has told us that we are God's children ~ like angels. She introduced us to her Christian sister as God's people. We were staining wood cabinets at her house. That's all we had to do and she was happy. She is a cook at a restaurant nearby.
She believes that you don't have to sing well, you just have to sing from the heart. So she helped us with the Gospel songs we were to sing that night. She sang the lead and we sang the response. She told us "ya gotta pick it up!" We sang like people who don't sing gospel very much. She has a great smile. She is a jolly person. She made everyone laugh at least 10 times. The things she said were funny, like... (Noah couldn't think if an example) She walked in and gave me a hug.
Julie sends: The yolk of Jesus, put on the yolk of JESUS. Amen!
We sang our gospel songs tonight at Missionary Bethel Baptist Church. We were guests of the church and sang for them to show our appreciation. We sang like people who don't hear or sing gospel very often. There were four ministers up front and an organist who could pick up a tune from the speech of a preacher. The prayers had organ music swirling in and through them. The message from the pastor was that there are a few prerequisites to following Jesus. One must be a person, one must be willing, be selfless, and be willing to take on the yoke of Jesus. Not the yolk of an egg as both Domenick and Noah thought but the yoke of Jesus. Lots of laughs around this
conversation after the service.
4 comments:
What an amazing story you are creating with the people of Biloxi! I look forward to hearing more and more and more!!! Yes, that "yolk" or "yoke" of Jesus--some funny irony in carrying it the way you all are in this week of service. Love really is a two-way street, eh? Thanks for walking it for all of us at RUCC.
Much love to you today, along with hugs for all you meet!
Sharon
I hope that you are going to sing your beautiful songs for us. I think that each of us who have read your blog this week have come away touched. We have all been there with you in spirit. Noah and Dominic you are amazing young men and I'm sure that the people there will always remember you.
We look forward to seeing you all soon.
Carla
I read this poem by Robert Bly tonight and thought of each one of you.
"There are more like us. All over the world there are confused people, who can't remember the name of their dog when they wake up, and people who love God but can't remember where he was when they went to sleep. It's all right. The world cleanses itself this way. A wrong number occurs to you in the middle of the night, you dial it, it rings just in time to save the house. And the second-story man gets the wrong address, where the insomniac lives, and he's lonely, and they talk, and the thief goes back to college. Even in graduate school, you can wander into the wrong classroom, and hear great poems lovingly spoken by the wrong professor. And you find your soul, and greatness has a defender, and even in death you're safe."
Thank you for the important work each of you are doing and the lives you are touching.
Thank you so much for the work, love, faith and joy you are bringing to the folks of Biloxi...and the folks in Redlands! Having just returned from Indiana I delved into your blog and am yearning to be with you, and in some way know that I am there because you are there! Blessings on your travels home.
Love,
Barbie
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