Maranatha Students Serve in New Orleans

Students at Maranatha High School have the opportunity to serve the world in unique ways. This last school year, students had the opportunity to serve in Pasadena, New Orleans, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. Just recently, over thirty students and staff spent a week in New Orleans working with Camp Restore, a non-profit that works to bring hope and restoration to people still living with the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Students had the opportunity to work as camp counselors at a local church, serve at a food bank, and clean a local school. The Maranatha students who volunteered at the church enjoyed working with local children and were challenged to help them deal with conflicts when the child’s first reaction to a situation was to fight. The students who served at the food bank quickly realized that making 500-700 meals per day was no small task. The students not only plated up meals, but also packed food boxes for families and did data entry for the food bank. The team that volunteered at the local school was asked to scrub desks and windows, move furniture, catalog library books, vacuum, and clean many areas of the campus.

During their week, Maranatha’s student team met many disadvantaged and hurting adults and children. The students were amazed at how the community is still so affected by Hurricane Katrina and to see the ramifications of it being passed down to the next generation. Witnessing all that the children have to deal with at such a young age was especially painful for the student volunteers. The lasting effects of Hurricane Katrina became “real” and not just something they have heard about.

One of the team’s leaders and Maranatha staff member, Laurie Enloe, noted, “Our students were stretched in New Orleans. They were forced to consider what it means to truly serve others, and for many it was not what they expected. The students learned that the smallest tasks had huge and positive implications to those they served. This service trip served to humble, strengthen, and encourage them to live a life that is transparent, and in service to the Lord.”

Maranatha High School, 169 S. St. John Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 817-4000 or visit www.maranatha-hs.org.