8:00AM - Pack a granola bar for snack and meet in the lobby for our trip to the Hyatt
In the Hyatt, we gathered with 700 members from our own Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod almost all dressed in the same sage green t-shirt (we were one short and Stacey gave hers away so she wore a brightly colored tie dyed shirt. If she didn't match, she was going to stand out!). We were joined by the bishop of the ELCA, Bishop Hanson and our own NE PA synod bishop, Bishop Zaiser. We began sitting in a large group and sang songs with the lead group. Some songs we already knew and some were brand new. A worship service followed led by Pastor Mary, Bishop Zaiser, and 3 youth, one of which was our own Scotty. Pastor Jami, Steph, and Stacey volunteered to help distribute communion.
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| The Hyatt's escalator to the ballroom |
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| Waiting to get in |
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| 2 youth, Bishop Zaiser, Kathy Schaffer, Scott, Pastor Mary |
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| Swaying to the music with friends |
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| Dave found a friend! Or should we say... a former choir member. |
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| Whispering our prayers to God |
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| Sealed by God and marked by the sign of the cross |
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| I get down, God lifts me up! A new favorite song... or at least one that is so catchy it always seems to be in someone's head at some point. |
Following the worship service, we broke into small groups with various members of the synod. We were supposed to try to find groups without anyone else from our congregation. This proved to be very difficult since there are so many of us! In our small groups we discussed the 7 Lutheran faith practices (worship, serve, encourage, pray, study, invite, and give) and worked on little activities.
The entire morning lasted 4 hours, but didn't seem quite that long.
1:00PM - A quick snack for lunch of Starbucks and ice cream because we had early reservations for dinner.
2:30PM - Return to the hotel for rest and relaxation
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| Two is better than one. |
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| Pouring once again! |
While some slept, watched a little TV, and had a bit of down time, others got a little mischievous in the hotel. A few of our young boys spent the afternoon riding the elevator up and down meeting new friends and charging an entrance fee of $5. What a wonderful afternoon!
A quick check of the weather told us the rain would be coming back again in the evening. In preparation, PJ bought a few extra ponchos for the group. She asked if anyone wanted one and most thought they would be fine without it... too cool for a poncho!
4:00PM - Reservations at the House of Blues
We had 4 choices off a limited menu for dinner - Cheeseburger and fries, Pulled Pork Barbecue, Shrimp Po Boy, or a Chicken Caesar Salad. We were split among 3 tables and were some of the first people seated in the restaurant for dinner. We ordered our meals and 1 of the 3 tables received their food. The other tables waited... and waited... and WAITED some more. Table 1 finished dinner while the other 2 tables continued to wait. Their meals eventually arrived after a little prodding but to everyone's disappointment, some food was cold, some was dry, and all the french fries were sweet potato fries. Not our favorite meal.
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| Ready to eat! |
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| The only table that got their food. :( |
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| Shuppy waits for his food... while wearing a paper hat that Olivia made for him. |
Later in the evening PJ thanked everyone for being so patient during dinner and not getting overly upset or angry.
"That's may be true for everyone but you and Dave, mom! You didn't look so patient when you went flying into the kitchen with your arms in the air yelling 'Do we know when these tables will get their food???? I don't think you had your arms in the air praying!'" - Scott
Tonight was the night we were supposed to get first dibs at seats on the floor, but due to our very long dinner we did not make it in time. We walked out of the restaurant to find that it was POURING down rain. Ponchos became the thing to wear. Everyone wanted a poncho. "My mom told me to pack a poncho and I didn't. Now I wish I had one!" - Vicky. PJ passed out the ponchos she had and bought a few more so everyone had one.
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| Happy campers, even in the rain! |
7:00 - Dome night #2
We made it in time for a few opening songs and watched an amazing night unfold complete with acrobats hanging by long cloth from the stage, dancers, singers, a man who overcame the challenge of being born without a right forearm and taught himself to play the guitar (by duct taping a pick to his arm), a radical speaker who stood up for what he believed, young girls who were missionaries in South Africa and Tanzania, and heard accounts from other youth who witnessed bullying first hand. The night was moving, inspiring, and very much enjoyed by all.
"In the west, they have watches. In Africa, we have time." The young woman from Tanzania told us she was asked if it was true that in America people have to make appointments to see their neighbors. It made us all think about our hurried and rushed lives.
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| The stage from our high perch |
You probably can't even imagine what it is like trying to leave the superdome by foot with 33,000 people. I'm sure sporting events are crazy too, but in this case, everyone is walking the streets of New Orleans trying to get back to their hotels. Stacey tried to capture the moment on her camera on the way out today. Take a look.
After the dome, we moved to hotel life. Everyone had the option of attending a dance or returning to the hotel to relax and get ready for bed (or swim like Marissa).
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| This ballroom was hopping! |
Highs: riding the elevators, the speakers, the dance, meeting new people, serving communion
Lows: rain, food, women in yoga pants (what Jon??), waking up early, ponchos sticking to our legs
Good night, New Orleans!
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