Day One

 We began hiking as the sun was going down one Friday evening. The tall pine-filled woods brought back sweet memories from trips past. Such memories reminded me that this night would also be etched in my mind for years to come.

 With headlights illuminating the path in-front of us, the “vets” (kids with camping experience) were ready to show the “newbies” (kids who had no such experience) how it was done. As bats swooped overhead, we marched forward and I curiously listened to the trail talk. The majority of the stories these kids were excitedly reliving with each other were from previous ‘Adventure Crew’ trips! I caught a glimpse of the impact these trips have on our students. While it might be statistically immeasurable, that moment reminded me that this work is good.

 After a brief hike into the night, we arrived at our first campsite location. The type of backpacking Adventure Crew practices is called ultra-light backpacking. We sacrifice some comforts while utilizing gear that minimizes the weight we carry. For example, we use open tarps in place of tents as protection from the rain. Unfortunately, tarps aren’t much of a shield against bugs . . .  At our campsite the vets showed the newbies how to set up camp while I gathered wood for the fire—pita pizzas for dinner.

 Taking a kid into the woods for the first time is a magical experience. Their sense of wonder refreshes my own, and reveals how unimpressed I have become by truly amazing things. Ty Thomas found a tree covered in thick neon green fungal pattern that entranced the kids for a full five minutes. Their headlights later illuminated glowing crawfish eyes in the stream that glow—the shells of these freshwater crawfish were so thin you could see their hearts beating. Science class was in session and the kids didn’t even know it!

 How many times have I arrived at a campsite thinking about resting or reading a new book? The wonder of these young people was inspiring and fueled a sense of worship as we beheld such beauty together. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child can help bring our hearts closer to wonder and glory! The more of this gospel-work I am a part of, the more I wonder who is impacted more, me or the kids?

 Another highlight of the night was learning the “Big Foot” call. Kevin Thomas had practiced for weeks in anticipation of his first trip. Quite the expert after hours of documentaries chronicling the Sasquatch, Kevin assured us there were no Sasquatches nearby because they would have certainly responded to his call. His expertise in the matter helped everyone sleep a little sounder that first night.

 Day Two

 As the morning water boiled we shared breakfast, scripture, and student-led prayers of thanks and provision. Our goal for the day was to hike the Kincade Lake Loop before turning back toward our first campsite. This loop wasn’t going to be easy—totaling thirteen miles with many hours between our feet and the rewarding swim hole awaiting us at mile nine.

 Each turn on that looped trail brought in a new view of the lake’s expanse. Families of turtles piled on logs sunbathing would quickly jump into the water as we approached. We surprised wood ducks, egrets, and even two deer that flagged us with their white tails as they leapt from the path. We were nearly halfway through our day’s mileage when Kristina and I marveled at the maturity level of our team. Even though the long hike was grueling, the attitude of the group stayed incredibly positive.

 Arriving at the swim hole meant a well-deserved break for lunch and rest. It seemed as though we hadn’t eaten in days as we all eyed the sausage and cheese, ready to leap on our portion. The younger boys explored after lunch, sure they spotted alligator and bear tracks in the sand by the lake.

 The final push was a gut check for the team. We finished the hike with under an hour of daylight left. With one night under their belts, the crew knew what was expected and set up camp with very little support from the adults. Trevon Eaglin and I prepared a gourmet meal of chicken, pasta, and mashed potatoes. The pots didn’t need much cleaning after dinner that night after being literally licked clean (with a finger)! Even after such an exhausting day, the kids still didn’t want to turn out the lights . . . I guess a few years have finally snuck up on me.

 Day Three

 Sunday morning found us pushing to eat breakfast and pack up camp in under thirty minutes. We managed to make it back to HFO, sort out the gear, snack on some boudin and cracklins and still make it to church on time.

 These training excursions help prepare the kids’ expectations as we head out on longer and longer trips. After two preliminary ventures into Kisatchie Forest, we will tackle an intermediate trip spanning four days and over twenty miles of the Eagle Rock Loop Trail in Arkansas. These tracks serve as preparation for our return trip to Durango, CO this summer to finish the trail we began over two years ago. This will be six days, five nights, and over thirty-five miles in the Rocky Mountain wilderness—an undoubtedly “epic” adventure!

 Like everything we do at HFO, Adventure Crew is another opportunity to walk beside our students. We set big goals, and then prayerfully and lovingly push towards these goals. Seems like a simple strategy, but it’s difficult to accomplish. We often complicate ministry, but this simplicity helps keep our priorities straight—“love changes everything.” The mountains we climb on Adventure Crew will hopefully help the kids see the adverse and figurative mountains of education, difficult home lives, and personal struggles differently. Not as impossible obstacles to accept, but as just another hill to climb as they press on to where the view gets even sweeter.

 Please pray for our Adventure Crew. If you would like to sponsor a student in this program, head to our donation page for more information.

-Loren

But no longer! We were sadly remiss last semester on taking some time to introduce you to a few of our favorite employees. The ‘Agents of Hope’ interns have quickly become vital members of the yellow house family, and we hope you have not forgotten about them! If you are unsure about what this program is, check it out here.

So today, I am very pleased to shine a little light on the spring 2012 ‘Agents of Hope’. . .

We all get to have a hand in working with these interns—Kristina plans the tutoring expectations and schedules, Loren provides feedback and accountability for the work accomplished, and I (an intern-of-sorts myself) have the great privilege to befriend, mentor, and challenge these incredible young adults in a weekly discussion time. We research college scholarships, learn how to construct resumes, and talk about the truths of growing up. This semester we are also reading a book together, and I encourage you to look into it!  The Kai’Ro Project

Briah Mayo:

Last semester we hired Briah’s twin sister, and we are doubly blessed in our “discovery” of the Mayo girls! Briah is a self-titled nerd who also manages to play basketball and stand up to our feisty middle-school boys. I love the gentleness and warmth that Briah shares with us.  Whether she decides to go into nursing or business, I know peers and clients alike will find her a treasure. Next to her tendency for quiet and tidiness, Briah’s dream to try bungee jumping is impressive . . . but I think that field trip will have to wait for a more adventurous chaperone . . .

McKenzie Brown:

I have learned that McKenzie has the gift of curiosity . . . in abundance. I am so impressed by her thoughtfulness and uninhabited questions, which will serve her well as she works to become an electrical engineer. McKenzie describes herself as mystical and quiet, but I will also tell you that she is a great conversationalist with a ready laugh. A member of the OHS dance team, a fan of competition and a hopeful LSU freshman this fall, McKenzie tutors one of our 8^th graders with commendable patience!

 Bryan Tyler:

Bryan is a generous young man who shares his thoughts easily and gives great suggestions for local restaurants. While Bryan plans to go to LSUE to be certified in fire safety, he dreams of owning a coffee shop to host jazz musicians and poetry slams. A true high school student, Bryan loves eating pizza and hanging out with his friends in his down time, but Bryan also has a great work ethic. He always seems to be opening doors for me or asking Loren how to do a new task.

 Karlotta Fruge’:

An Opelousas debutante, Karlotta would say that her heart still belongs to her home state of Texas. Karlotta loves her English class and sharing book suggestions with me—a girl after my own heart! She hopes to live in Baton Rouge after finishing college as a “classy” paralegal. It’s no surprise to hear week after week about new school activities Karlotta is involved in, and projects she’s checking off her list. The students she works with have a great example in her organization and studying techniques, which I am sure they are thrilled to try!

Wilbert Rosette:

Wilbert pronounced himself “very loyal” this past week, which does not shock me at all. He takes a beating from our elementary students—answering demands for games of “gotcha,” “Jenga,” and flashcard competitions. The truth is that Wilbert’s willingness and generosity are a wonderful example to our kids. He owns the OHS band family as one of his favorite parts of his home town; it’s no wonder since he plays several instruments and travels competitively as a leader in the brass section. Wilbert hopes to support a family of his own someday by working in non-destructive testing.

Each of these students has a real heart to contribute to the people around them, and a maturity we greatly appreciate. We hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as we have.

-Hannah

There is nothing quite like an early morning, a cup of coffee in your hand, and thirty teenage girls standing on your lawn. On such a day, we began to chip away at the list of projects attached to our recent property purchase. Before bids for roofing could be compared, before the handicap access ramp could be poured, and even before we could repaint the big empty rooms, some dirty chores were calling across the lot.

And so it was that one fateful Friday, three staff members, one teacher, and a whole crew of high school girls went to town . . .

“The feeling of getting something done to help people in a way that they needed without expecting anything in return impacted me the most.”

HFO has been experiencing the development of a rich friendship this year between the Academy of Sacred Heart and our tutoring program. Every week, Miss Ali Purpera brings several of her students to volunteer—to sit on the steps and talk with our interns, to keep up on the basketball court, and to coax 7^th graders into studying for impending biology tests.

“… not really knowing what it was or who was involved. Now I see how much soul there is in this project and helping out that day made me want to do more.”

Ali teaches, along with several other religion classes, a course in social problems. Amid discussions on poverty and economical struggles, Ali includes a day dedicated to working in the community in hopes of connecting her students with some of the topics on a more personal level.

“The thing that impacted me the most was about halfway through the day, I realized that while I usually have a strong aversion to manual labor, I did not have one thing to complain about. Also, at the end of the work, to see that not one girl had anything to complain about either, even though they all had just spent the day working and getting dirty.”

This year, HFO gratefully hosted the work day. For about four hours we cleaned floors, scraped paint, pulled carpet, hacked at bushes, and wrenched old nails, doors, and fences out of stubborn holds.  Who knew that 11^th grade girls carry such a penchant for destruction?!

“I had so much fun, probably the most fun I’ll ever have ripping up old pieces of a house. Everyone just came together for this big movement, it was amazing.”

In the afternoon, the girls were treated to a lunch hosted by the Opelousas Lighthouse Mission. There we heard about the unexpected situations that lead to poverty, spoke to some heavy demographics in our country, and shared the gospel truth of caring for our neighbors.

“They really opened my eyes to the fact that poverty can happen to anyone no matter the background.”

It is always hard to relate one short-term experience to the reality of another person’s life, but I think that those conversations proved compelling.

“…it helped me realize stability is fragile…”

This day proved to be surprisingly sweet, and not just because we were set upon by a reckoning workforce! We shared our hearts and made new friends. HFO is so grateful for the blessings of that day, and for the chance to work alongside such giving young women.

 “I really hope we do this again soon.”

So do we!

 “…the Good Samaritan parable taught me not to judge the men who did nothing because I probably would have responded similarly. It also taught me that service is one of the most central requirements of being a Catholic Christian. Having a lot of faith isn’t enough, and service without faith isn’t enough either.”

I am writing to you today to tell you about my trip to Dallas. When we went to Dallas there were 17 kids and 5 adults. The boys were in one van and the girls were in another one. It was 6 hours before we made it to Dallas where everything is BIG!!

Mr. Loren told me that it was just going to be about 7 kids going. Come to find out when he came to pick me up they had almost all of them in there. When we made it to Dallas they said that we were just going to down town Dallas to walk around. When we went to Six Flags we asked “what are we doing here?”, he said that we are coming to PLAY!! First we ate lunch and then went to the park. When I got in I almost rode every ride. We got on a ride that was so fun that we rode it about 5 times. At the end of the first day we got on a ride that looked ok but it was not. It was the TEACUPS!! When DD, Ty, Kaylan, and I got off it we all were sick! After all of that was that was over Loren told us to get together to take a family picture.

That night we all went to the gym to play b-ball and take a shower. When we got to the church it was so big that it was about 2 blocks long. After that it was time to hit the hay. The next day Loren told us that we were going to a play were you get wet. We went to Six Flags waterpark. Over there I went on every ride. The wave pool was so much fun. The waves were about 8 feet tall. We were there for about 5 hours playing all day. Mr. Johnny, Matt, and Keanu were on the biggest ride there, the Sky Coaster. My favorite ride was the Black Hole. When we got back to the car we were ready to eat. We got back to church and went to the showers. After that we played Hide and Seek. The next morning we went to church with the people out there. Their church was the bomb. After church we went get all of the thing and came back home.

Some things I learned on the trip were no matter how far you go in life God can always turn you around. What I mean about that is that me and DD get into a fight and look we was together the whole trip. I also learned that no matter how mean you are to somebody you should always love that person. What I mean by that is no matter how I am to my sister are anybody I should love them because that is what the Lord would want me to do.

So that was
the trip to Dallas where
everything is BIG!!

I arrived here in Opelousas on May 15 and hit the ground running. My first week with HFO was the last week of school for the students. I was excited to make it in time to watch several of our students graduate from the 6th grade. The teachers did a great job putting together the ceremony. And one of our students Ariel emceed the event. She was name the Historian of the graduating class. Some of our other students were honored with various awards. Tavian and Trevon were recognized for the Social Studies project on Tyler Perry. Their project won first place in Parish and 3rd place in the district. Loren was even recognized for volunteering with the class trip to New Orleans. It was exciting to see the support the school has for HFO and visa versa. The relationships that are beginning to be built between the schools and HFO will only continue to grow each year as God continues to build up the community on The Hill.

Later that day we had our end of the year pool party. All of our kids and a few of our volunteers gathered at one of our volunteer’s house to swim and grill out. We had a blast swimming, eating, and enjoying each others’ company. At the end of the evening we awarded the kids with awards which we thought they were deserving of based on the year of tutoring. They were humorous awards and the kids had fun trying to guess who was going to receive each award. We had everything from the “Miss Boss” award, which of course went to the one and only Tyriana Joseph to the most “Most Dramatic Receiver” which went to Isaiah Charles. Thanks to Ms. Cecette Bassett for opening her pool to us and providing some amazing food as usual.

-Kristina