Anna, Joanne and Acupuncture: Or, encounters with Jesus in an Episcopal Church

Hi Folks, this is Michael, yet again....

Since I've become the cripple of the trip, I get more time to blog, so I'll tell you a little about yesterday.

PILGRIMAGE
Lunch delivery: New Orleans is not on a regular grid. In fact, at one point, I told Judy that I felt like trying to navigate the streets of New Orleans is like having a kaleidoscope for a map: every few seconds, just as you are getting your bearing, the scope is turned, the pieces move, and everything is in a new pattern.

The grids here, which are relatively organized, are intersected by random weaving streets, and change center, it appears, based on the twists and turns of the Mississippi River. It's more like an octagon, with various one-mile chunks of street missing and showing up several blocks later.

EUCHARIST
We took four and a half hours, from 12:00-4:30, to get lunch delivered - not good for the folks out there working hard. Part of this is due to the (lack of) pre-organization, preparing the addresses (sometimes you are given the wrong street name, which could be an existing or non-existing street), and no directions - just a map and address. Today, I'm doing the same thing again, and know where most of the sites are. Also, I've got a little plan for making things more organized, so delivery should go more quickly. And yet, no one complained - everyone was grateful and overflowing with an abundance of "thank yous."

EUCHARIST, PART I
Last night, we went to mass at St. Anna's (Episcopal). Kirstin's rector is friends with the priest here. It was good to be in church, and there were a number of volunteers there. Jesus was there too, though ever present with the poor and homeless who were all over the city. We feasted on and with Jesus in this wonderful, multi-racial church.

BALM IN NEW ORLEANS
Afterwards, the priest offered anointing and laying on of hands. Several of us went forward, and felt the balm soothing our foreheads in a cross pattern, as the priest prayed that our anxiety and fear and pain would be entered into by Jesus.

EUCHARIST PART II
After, we went to dinner in the parish hall - they have an open dinner with a jazz band every Wednesday. All kinds of folks are there - some who go to Eucharist, some who don't. Some who have jobs and families, some who don't.

BALM IN GILEAD, PART II:
Then, Judy, Kirstin and I tried acupuncture, which was being offered for free. It helped me, at least. But the gash is still there.

EUCHARIST, PART III,
WITH SUGAR ON TOP
A wonderful person staying at the "orange house" (women's shelter) suggested the church to us also - she goes there. We sat with her at dinner, and then to thank her for recommending us to come to St. Anne's, we treated her to beignets at the Cafe DuMonde (are you keeping track of how many times we have been!!!). She is really cool - a great personality with tons of interesting experiences, and smart as a whip. Unfortunately, she is not getting the help she needs for housing here in NOLA, and has decided to move to another city. Keep Joanne in your prayers, please.

TODAY

Well, it's Thursday, and our last "work" day. I'm on meals again, Judy is on security at Common Ground, helping keep our luggage safe while we are all out working. Vivian is at the "blue house" (distribution center), and Kirstin is at the "orange house" (women's shelter). It will be early days, I anticipate for all of us.

From this point on, we will be celebrating, saying goodbye, and enjoying a little bit of traditional NOLA tourism. Tonight, we are going for a nice dinner, and plan to sit and talk for a good-long while. Tomorrow, we'll go to the New Orleans Cooking School (they teach a lot of NOLA history and culture, so this should be fun, but also educational). Then, we are planning to meet with a Voodoo priestess, Priestess Miriam, whom I know from early research days as an undergrad in comparative religious studies. This will provide an opportunity to learn more about New Orleans, and understand better an often MIS-understood religion.

Then, I go to the airport, and the rest fly home Saturday, after a Cajun Swamp Tour.

The swamp tour (having done it myself earlier) is also quite educational - especially as one is able to learn about the effects of Hurricanes, and particularly Katrina, on the course of the Mississippi River, the wetlands and other environmental impacts of the hurricane and of human beings' attempt to control rivers, master the land, and "settle" territory.

Enough for now - I've got meals to get delivered, and today's goals is done by 2:00 p.m.! Keep us in your prayers, as we wrap up our work; process what we have seen, heard and learned; and in our travels home.

The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in....

Peace,
Mpb