New Orleans Day 4 (The Bayou and Shmoopys)

Today was a scouting day on steroids. Our day begun by heading down to the Dulac community center at pretty much the end of the earth (use google maps to look at Dulac, LA), then we headed over to shmoopys... the BEST corn nugget things and of course... CHILI!!!!! Holy moley their food was EPIC. We then just spent time cruisin' around the bayou looking for cool photo opportunities. overall... it was a dope day.

-Micah Cordy

New Orleans Day 5 (UCM Museum of Oddities)

After meeting with a local TV station manager to obtain flooding footage of Dulac, we trekked back to New Orleans. On the way back we stopped at the oddest museum in Louisiana. Steve is teaching me how to fall in love with the culture and people of an area, and as strange as it sounds this is the way to do it. We have had so many encounters with people about issues ranging from homelessness to government mismanagement. We have been down to the seediest parts of this state, to the most poverty and crime-ridden areas, and back to the areas with average folks who lost everything because of Rita, Ike, and Katrina. How in five days such a deep desire to help these people could develop is a tad surprising. Micah, Steve, and I have laughed so hard at times we could hardly breathe. At other times no words were spoken at all. Tomorrow we will head back to the 9th Ward to get one last glimpse of how that area has been impacted. Thanks Miletwo for the chance to let God remind me how blessed we are and how we need to love those who hurt. 

-Rick Cordy

New Orleans - Larry the Cajun From Wife Swap

As if speeding through the bayous on an airboat chasing nutrias and alligators isn't good enough on its own, then we meet Larry. I was struggling trying to hold a 4 foot alligator when another airboat pulled up to ours. Through the pitch dark out in the middle of the swamp, Larry introduces himself and shows us his chewed up arm that is dripping with blood because he has just been bitten by an alligator. He asked where we were from and when we say Orange County, he proudly announces through his thick Cajun drawl that he was on the television show Wife Swap and his wife went to Huntington Beach. He then went on to inform us that the other wife from Huntington Beach that came to stay with him here in Louisiana, "Started out as a vegetarian, but by the time she left she was eatin' everything we put in front of her." Good for you, Larry. That was one of those experiences when you are truly aware of the complete joy you are experiencing and that there are few moments on this earth that rival these organic escapades. 

New Orleans Day 2 (Almost Everywhere)

I have had some amazing experiences while gaining a heart for the people of New Orleans. How this natural disaster has been mismanaged is a tragedy. We met a pastor today that works with the people daily in the midst of the hardest hit area. The hope that he offers others comes from our Lord and he stays right there living in a deserted neighborhood working to make the area habitable again. It struck me hard. At the same time, I can't believe in America there can still be conditions that we are seeing all over.

- Rick Cordy

More photos http://gallery.me.com/stevefolge#100342

New Orleans Day 1 (Bourbon street)

After a laughably short flight to New Orleans with my dad, my pastor and I, we immediately hit the streets. Despite the fact that it was like 2 in the morning here... we checked out this crazy street. To make things better, our five star hotel is in the middle of, you guessed it, BOURBON STREET!!! It's been amazing.

- Micah Cordy