Email: Alicia Weber

Greetings Everyone,

My Louisiana adventure has begun! I’ve been busy down here in New Orleans for the past month and it has been wonderful. I’m aware that many people have been visiting my Web site but I thought it would be a good idea to send out a monthly mailing for those of you who haven’t.

God has been working in some wonderful ways in New Orleans. Project Homecoming kicked off the rebuilding season on Monday October 4 by sending off the first batch of volunteers, and I’ve been quite busy myself after the initial adjustments.

I’ve been working in two main areas and splitting my day between them: Lakeview Presbyterian Church and the day school (preschool) it sponsors. My co-workers at the church have been very helpful with my transition, and it’s a blessing to work with such dedicated people. Lakeview had about 10 feet of water in the church as result of Katrina and the breakdown of the levees. They had to rebuild their entire first floor and are now getting around to renovating the second floor, which has Sunday school rooms, rooms to house volunteers, and the choir room. I’ve been doing a number of things during the past month and trying to find my niche while having my fingers in multiple pies! I dabble in the Sunday school renovations, some technology installation and updating, as well as Christian education.

The day school also suffered severely from Katrina. It stands right across the parking lot from the church and so received the same amount of flooding. This is the best year for enrollment that they’ve had since the storm, but it’s still not quite enough. They hope to get back to full operating capacity and be able to fully support themselves in the next year or two. I’ve been assisting the teachers in the mornings, usually the 1- to 2-year-old classroom and the 4- to 5-year old classroom. I love working with the children! My favorite activity is doing the hokey pokey with the younger group.

While living here in New Orleans we Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) have committed to several tenets: simple living, intentional community, spiritual growth, engaging in a ministry of service, and discernment. Simple living for us means that we live on a weekly stipend while paying for our own groceries, utilities, and extras.

From September 24  to 28 my roommate Rose and I went to New Mexico to attend the national YAV orientation. We talked about our year of service in different parts of the country, spent time with the Reverend Byron Wade studying God’s word, and talked about vocational discernment. We also had a little bit of free time which we used to hike to Box Canyon and take a night hike up to Chimney Rock. Overall, it was a time to draw closer to God and His will for our year of service while enjoying new friends and beautiful scenery.

I would like to thank you again for your prayers and your donations. I’ve been thinking about organizing some kind of Christmas gift for a needy local entity such as a homeless shelter, orphanage, or specific family. I ask that you pray about it, and if you are interested in helping with this as a church, or if any individuals are interested, please contact me. I will begin looking at specifics in the next few weeks, so if you have an opinion let me know!

With a grateful heart,

Alicia Weber

Visit my Web site for more information, more frequent updates, and links to photo albums.