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I had no idea what to expect as our group headed down to New Orleans. All I could think about was what kind of difference I could make in an area that lost over one thousand people, spent over 200 billion dollars toward damages, and was essentially destroyed. When we arrived on site at the Good News Tent, we had a meeting about what the following day was going to look like. I'm not sure what triggered it, but I realized at that moment that this was going to be life changing. Toward the end of each day when we closed down the camp to the public, it was really time for us to reflect as a group. We would have nightly meetings after cleanup to share with our group about what happened that day. Also, it was a time of fun to hang out, do fellowship, and pray together. In the meetings, we were encouraged to share our testimonies so that the group could learn even more about us. I was one of the few that shared. This was a personal leap and bound for me. I had only shared my testimony the week before to a stranger for the first time and now I was suddenly volunteering to share with a huge group of people that I had just met. What was I thinking? I was so nervous and scared, but the Lord just spoke through me about what had happened in my life. It sounds so cliché, but this trip really transformed me. It was a wonderful experience and I felt like everyone in our group really bonded and grew. I think how silly I was in being skeptical of not believing that I, Tonya Washington, could make a difference in going on this trip. There is still so much that needs to be done in New Orleans and I hope that I can come back at a later date. For anyone who isn’t sure about going or perhaps is scared like I was, I strongly encourage going especially if your heart is calling you too. It’s the best decision I could have made. Go back |
We followed a day by day schedule that started with breakfast at 7:00 and devotional at 7:15. After this, we had choices of how our day would run. There was always something to do whether it was gutting houses, working in the store, playing with inner city kids, serving lunch and dinner, cooking, cleaning, working around the camp, cleaning out houses, and most importantly simply giving people our time. I was able to get in many spiritual conversations, do evangelism, and just listen to what people had to say. I ended up learning the most from listening and hearing how God has been working in peoples lives even though they lost everything. One story that stood out, was when my friend Megan and I spoke with a woman named Joyce while eating lunch with her. She lost her house, she lost family members, kids, cars, and one would essentially think everything. She ended up explaining to us how those things never really belonged to her. She told us, "I didn't own those things, they were God's things. They never belonged to me. The Lord has a plan for me and the Lord has a plan for you." Those words really stuck with me and I realized how much I take my life for granted. Her passion was amazing and her stories touched my heart. When our lunch time was over she told us that she was so glad that we sat down and listened to her. I had made a difference just by deciding to sit with Joyce randomly that day for lunch. It was a huge blessing for me to meet her.