We were treated to some very special things on Sunday. We started off the day going to mass at Saint Augustine Church in the Treme area. Treme (the area we are living) is one of the first cities in the United States where freed slaves were allowed to purchase their freedom and property. It is a wonderful part of town filled with a rich history and we are fortunate to be staying the area. St. Augustine Church is also one of the oldest black parishes in the United States and the mass was uplifting and energizing.

After a quick lunch we heard that the Keep It Real Social Aid and Pleasure Club was going to host a second line. If you are not familiar with a second line, this New Orleans tradition goes back a long way and tied to very important social justice issues. This history goes deeper than what a blog entry could capture but we were fortunate to experience this on second line Sunday. Second lines are more than just a parade, they often pay tribute to someone or help raise money for a good cause.

We closed out our Sunday with going to Tipitinas to learn Cajun dancing. You cannot be a wallflower because the experienced Cajun dancers will take you and teach you how to dance. The quote of the night was a man who took Becca and said “you better have a camera because this girl is going to fly.” And she did!

Today the students went out into the community and will be working with the Children’s Freedom School to work with local youth and serve as tutors and mentors. We are also going to talk with local Mardi Gras Indian Chief David Montana to discuss more New Orleans history.

A major purpose of our trip is not just about the direct hands on service, but also to learn about the history and culture of the city. We do this because we know that in order to be in community we need to learn from the community. We take a year to prepare for this trip and the students take a class in the fall semester to prepare for this experience. Each year the students build on the relationships built the previous year and as our supporters and loved ones we want you to know that we deeply appreciate your generosity and love because we could not have done it without you. This week is often just the beginning and we encourage you to continue to ask questions when your family member returns from this trip! Enjoy the slideshow, you can also click on the photos to enlarge and go through one by one.