Last Day in NOLA :(

Our last day of service was very sad for all of us. We went about business as usual with the kids, playing with them and having a good time. I finished up my last two Dr. Seuss drawings for the classes, and then went back to the kids. We helped with lunch and put the kids down for a nap. Olivia and I tried to say good bye to the kids without them really knowing what was going on. It was very sad because we had become attached to them over the week. We had lunch and unfortunately had to say our goodbyes. All of our teachers were so grateful to have us and were sad to see us go. They all gave us huge hugs and warm wishes, and told us all to come back sometime in the future! They gave us all a thank you card, and I even got my own special card for all the drawings I did. The teachers also made us some pecan pies, which we were all so excited for!

Olivia and I with Ms. P, Ms. Scott, and Nadia.

The whole group!

After we said our goodbyes, we headed back to the church to make sure we could say goodbye to Pastor Randy. He helped us out the whole week and worked tirelessly to make sure that all of the volunteers had a great stay at the fellowship. He also enlightened us with his stories and really made us realize how far the city has come from where it was. We said our goodbyes, and headed into the city!

The group with Pastor Randy

After we all got ready and said our goodbyes, we headed off to a long day in the city! We started off by taking a carriage tour through the French Quarter and surrounding area. It was awesome and we learned so much about the history of New Orleans! There is still so much to learn about! After our carriage ride, we took to exploring more of the city, and saw many people decked out in green for St. Patty's day! I got some free green beads, which I was happy for. Of course it became a joke for the rest of the day haha. We went to a shop where a woman makes organic home made ice pops. They were absolutely delicious!

The group on our carriage ride!

My green St. Patty's Day beads!

The group with our home made ice pops!!!

  We went searching for a good restaurant to eat at after we were done walking around. Unfortunately, we picked the worst time to go to dinner, because it seemed that everyone else had the same idea! We went through a couple different places until we made it to the Gumbo Shop for dinner. We had a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The restaurant was absolutely gorgeous, and we even got seated in their courtyard. I got gumbo for dinner along with Maggie and Joy, Olivia and Matt both got Po Boys, and Brea had blackened chicken. The food was fantastic!

At the Gumbo Shop enjoying a fabulous dinner!

After dinner we decided to walk to Cafe Du Monde (which we found out on our carriage tour means "Coffee of the World") to get more delicious beignets! We walked around for a little bit longer, then headed back to the car. We decided since we had some extra money from our group fund that we would buy a gift for the church. We figured that they could use some plates and cups, toilet paper, paper towels, and some garbage bags. We were happy to make a final donation to the church in a way of saying "thanks" for having us all week! By the end of the day, we were completely exhausted! We all packed our bags and headed to bed for the night. We were all terribly sad that the week had come to an end, but we were all excited to be coming home!

Our last group photo behind Cafe Du Monde!

Our thank you package for the church!

 This has been one of the most, if not the most, amazing experiences of my life. I have learned so much about the beautiful city of New Orleans, and the trauma that it has been through. But it is a testament to the fact that the phoenix rises from the ashes, and that it is always possible to rebuild, no matter how long it takes. I hope that some day I will be able to come back to the city and help out again, or just visit and see the sights and sounds again!!