Hey everyone, this is Mac, coming to you live from First Street Methodist Church in Central City, New Orleans. It's only our second day in town and we have done so much! This morning we slept in (relatively late) and then headed over to Masjidur Rahim to have brunch with the imam, a few members of the mosque, and Ms Joanne, a volunteer for the church we are staying at.
While munching on our brunch, Imam Rafeeq was telling us about how they have been working hard to change the negative perceptions people have of Islam. It is a religion of peace and service and they engage in lots of interfaith dialogue surrounding those tenets of the tradition. These people are exceptionally generous. They care deeply about their community. They work hard to make positive change.
After the mosque, we got to experience the fervor for life that New Orleans has. March 19 is the celebration of St. Joseph. The streets were filled with floats, people, community members decked out in feathers. We couldn't really figure out why this celebration was happening, but it really showed us the kind of community that exists down here. One group of men was walking down the street in the parade chanting their area code-504. No one is afraid to celebrate and have fun here or get a sunburn. The back of my neck is evidence enough for that.
Overall, I think we're pretty tired, but its all worth it. The night is warm and the breeze is cool. Bourbon Street is calling our names, even though our alarm clocks are set for 6am. See you with the sun.
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