Hangin' with the Hippies

Today was varied and fun. Our little group split up to do various projects, fully integrating ourselves into Hurricane Katrina society. Ryan, Andrew, and Joy started by helping our Cuban friend Roberto by putting tarpaper on the house volunteers have constructed for him. Meanwhile I helped out the "Rainbows" at the hippie tent in Waveland. When asked who exactly the Rainbows are, they reponded that they simply get together on the fourth of July and pray for the country. We think they do a bit more. Anyways, The Rainbows have been providing food, childcare, and love for the community. I decided to join in by helping in the kitchen peeling garlic, making tuna sandwiches, and sorting food. I was excited to help out a hispanic guy get food for himself and his friends.

When we were driving to the hippie tent, we happened to pass a bus from my univesity. We flagged them down and discovered the people from the nursing departiment were inside. Jessica took off with them and aided in nursing endevors in the hippie area.

At lunch Ryan and I helped serve stir-fry and chicken patties to hundreds of people. Afterwards Joy hung out helping write an article for the hippies, Jessica continued nursing, and Andrew, Ryan, and I went to finish paper Roberto's house. The first day I met Roberto he pretty much just talked to Andrew in English. I was excited to have the opportunity to speak a lot with him in Spanish and later have a biligual Bible study with him. He is really interested in the Bible and in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Apparently we've been the only church to help him.

We returned to the Rainbow area and all played some hacky-sack while we waited for supper. After we ate wonderful quesadillas, Jessica, Joy, and I helped out in the "Dish Pit" until way after the sun went down.

Working with the Rainbows is a happy experience. Music is always going, people are always dancing, and every once and a while one gets a view of armpit hair...ick. The people are so full of love and creativity whether it be making lunch or entertaining the eaters. Many times they'll dance around while others play guitar, bongos, mandolin, or other strange instrument. The tables are topped with flowers and colorful artwork surrounds the camp. Their manner is inspiring and today they are what I'm thankful for. Here are some of the other things members of the group are thankful for:

Joy: meeting cool people that like to serve

Big guy that sells catepillars who got scared of shots and Joy who freaked out for her hepatitis shot.

Jessica: thankful she's not involved in the politics of the Rainbows, the hospital, etc.

Ryan: that we just got to help people

Andrew: we were going to have a Bible study with Roberto. We had to get a Bible out of the car. He couldn't find the key for the car when we were going to lock it. He thought it was the devil trying to stop the Bible study, so we just continued. He stopped worrying about it, and after a few minutes of our 40 minute Bible study he found it in his pocket that he'd already checked three times.