February Newsletter

January is over and so is my first calendar month of Mission Year.
SO MUCH is going on over here on Stroelitz Street. I am both
excited and thankful to be here and I couldn’t have done it with-
out the prayer and support of everyone I know. It is awesome
to be here and know that I have an amazing support system be-
hind me. You guys are the best.

My new home is a duplex in a neighborhood of New Orleans
called Holly Grove. It is wonderful. I have five roommates: Ka-
tye, Marcos, Jojo, Anne and Adam. [six people in two bed-
rooms. Yikes!] We sleep in bunkbeds but do NOT have extra
space for activities. Its interesting to have people from all over
living under one roof and I’m sure it will provide some hilari-
ous stories in the coming months. We live below a man named Jar-
vain, his wife Gloria and his son, Little Jarvain.

My roommates and I attend a church plant near our house, The
Grove. The pastor, Duane, is great and his messages are inspiring.
I am excited to be a part of what they are doing.

We are all working at a local community center called Trinity Christian
Community, but most everyone calls it TCC or “The Center”. We are all
going to be working in their After School Program, working with
neighborhood kids on homework and in clubs. We got our first taste of it
earlier this week and I’m hooked. Katye, Marcos and I are going to
start volunteering at Bethune Elementary School. Adam is working to
with the Center, trying to get a local park active and populated again.
Anne and Jojo are working with Duane the Pastor to get the
neighborhood seniors together. Pre-Katrina, Holly Grove had a very ac-
tive senior center and everyone is really excited to get that going.

This month, my team and I went on
a scavenger hunt through all of New Orleans. We saw all the sights: St.
Louis Cathedral, Café du Monde, Audubon Park and Zoo, Lake
Pontchartrain, Mississippi River and took the streetcar around the city.

That day really showed just how beautiful New Orleans is.

My team and I are on a technology fast– no phone, internet, television
or movies for six weeks. This means that it will be hard to com-
municate via phone call or email. But I always love to receive letters.
Don’t forget to read my blog [missionyear.org/blog/
jennifermusic] and support me any way you can! I will be sure to post
lots of stories and hopefully some photos to look at [flickr.com/
imalwaysprettyhappy]

Red Beans and Ricely Yours,