University of New Orleans

Today the group I was with went to the University of New Orleans. It is right on Lake Pontchartrain. It had little damage itself from Katrina as the land it is on is higher than that surrounding it. But almost all of the students on this commuter campus were affected by the hurricane. We prayerwalked the campus and decoded in order to give information to the team that will lead here in the fall. Two of our staff who were also praying and decoding UNO met two African-American gals in the cafe of the student center and got to share the gospel with them and they trusted Christ.

I paired up with Chad and Bekah Stewart who are on staff in Denver and we talked for a long time with a Resident Hall Director (they have only one dorm on campus) who lost his home and all of his family are now living elsewhere with no intention of returning. One idea we came up with was to suggest that this team continue to do relief efforts even weekly and offer to gut out homes of the students and faculty on campus as well as encouraging student groups to partner with them.

Wouldn't it be cool if Campus Crusade was know on this campus as 'the group that served the city and the students!' Their favor with the students would be so huge anyone would want to listen to them talk about the hope found in Christ.

After we left we drove around the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish that got hit hardest by the storm and levee breakage. It was unreal especially as we drove right where the levees broke. It's indescribable even now many months later. We are not really doing clean-up per se as a part of this conference but I would love to come back and be part of one of the Crusade clean-up teams in the fall. You just can't help but feel like you need to help serve.