Grits and Gators

by Jocelyn Hogan

It's 8:00 a.m. and I'm awakened by Sophia telling me that we need to be dressed and ready to go in 15 minutes! I'm not well known for quick awakenings and fast movements in the morning. :-) Despite this, my roommates and I make it downstairs with 4 minutes to spare. We sleepily walked several blocks to a restaurant called "Mother's," which is world famous for their ham. (It was delicious.) Sitting there with egg and grits in hand, I realize that, due to my efforts to be on time, I had left the hotel without something crucial...money. Gathering Amanda, Solveig and Maren, we make the trip back to the hotel to grab money and necessities.

Our plan was to meet the rest of the group at the Riverfront where we were going to catch a bus to the swamp tour. Thanks to Mike's navigational skills (ed. note: she reads this to me with a classic and well-performed eye roll), we end up in the wrong spot and have to backtrack a few blocks but eventually make it there with 20 minutes to spare. :-)

The swamp tour was very interesting. We learned that the swamps are actually endangered. You expect animals to be in danger but not land. But every 30 minutes the wetlands decrease by the size of a football field. :-( The upside is that this problem is not going unnoticed. There are organizations that bring awareness to this specific problem and work to protect the swamps.

One "out of my comfort zone" thing I did today was hold an alligator. (Yes, it was real.) :-) After the tour, the group made its was to the French Market where we ate beignets and coffee. This held us over until dinner. The French Market was full of shops to buy souvenirs and gifts. With at least one bag per person we all meet for dinner at the Cafe Maspero. We finished the night by heading back to the hotel and having Bible study.

Overall this trip has been a great experience. Experiencing a new culture and immersing ourselves with their needs has strengthened us more as a group and as followers of Christ. Although our project was not building a school or a tangible thing, we were given the blessing and responsibility to be advocates for Christ and his creation.