Lutherans teens spilled into the fifth floor hallway of the Sheraton Hotel on Sunday night.

Two shy boys from Puerto Rico leaned against a pillar on the right side of the hall. A young woman originally from Taiwan stood next to a pillar on the left side. In between, a  sea of New Jersey teens wearing lime green T-shirts sat on the floor.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” said Josiah Williams as he surveyed the diverse crowd.

The teens were waiting to get inside a room for worship. It’s the kickoff to a three-day event known as the MYLE — Multiculture Youth Leadership Event.

Williams, an aspiring actor from Milwaukee, said he needs the MYLE. He loves worship, but doesn’t make it to church every Sunday, he said.

“The MYLE  is a good place to get a closer connection to your spirit and God,” Williams said.

* * *

An airport shuttle driver said Hurricane Katrina destroyed his home four years ago. Everything inside, too, including his dog, Ja.

The driver said that when he fled for safety, he left the pit bull behind. Like many people, he simply didn’t believe the Katrina hype.

“My only regret to this day is that I didn’t take him with me when I left town,” the driver said.

* * *

An estimated 12,000 different ELCA youth will be working across New Orleans on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. They will all be wearing orange T-shirts. Not just any orange. The official color: hunter orange.

* * *

Spotted at airport:

• Dozens of ELCA youth from Detroit in matching yellow T-shirts
• Dozens of ELCA youth from New Hampshire and Massachusetts wearing black T-shirts that said: “Jesus, hope for the nations.”
• Several red-shirted ELCA volunteers helping Lutherans at the airport with shuttle rides

Businesses spotted near French Quarter:

• Cajun Encounters (bus tours)
• Dixie Gyros Greek Restaurant
• Cemetery Tours

UPDATE: Stop to help people  in Peoria, Ill., featured in newspaper there.

First stop: Peoria, Ill.

Busses filled with more than 450 ELCA teens and adults are rolling out of northeastern Minnesota today. They’re headed to the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans to help in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

On their way down, they’re spending time in Peoria and Memphis to help people there, too. What follows is the story I wrote about these teens in December. You’re welcome to leave them a note in the comments section below. (more…)

With Hurricane Katrina barreling toward New Orleans, 13-year-old Maria Sepas threw her most cherished possessions into a suitcase.

A miniature guitar from a grandmother in Germany. Photos from every vacation. Children’s books by Lemony Snicket  titled “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

Her family’s vehicle was full, so the suitcase was left behind. Maria placed it on top of the pool table “just in case” flood waters came that high.

When the levees broke, water gushed through the city streets, drowning hundreds of residents. At Serpas’ house, the water rose quickly over the pool table up to the ceiling and over the roof.

That was four years ago. Serpas’ family and house are still on the mend. Their spirits are lifted, though, knowing that 37,000 Lutherans will be in New Orleans soon for the July 22-26 ELCA Youth Gathering. (more…)

Welcome to the ELCA’s Summer 2009 event blog!  This is your one-stop shop for all things related to Youth Gathering 2009: Jesus, Justice, Jazz.  You’ll find news on the Gathering events, info on speakers and performers, and links to everything you want to know before you go.  (Don’t forget to weigh in and hear from other attendees by commenting here, of course.)  And that’s just before the Gathering gets underway.

Things will get even more interesting around here once JJJ begins.  This very blog will be host to you and everything you do in New Orleans.  Everyone you left behind to tend the home fires can visit the blog (every day–or even more often) to keep up on all the great things you’ll be part of at the Gathering.  Look for the stories of your ServantLife contributions; collections of your feedback on all the speakers, musicians, and other entertainers; and videos of anything and everything happening down on the Bayou.

To start things off, here’s a great collection of JJJ links you might not have visited yet:

• Keep up with everything in New Orleans by following @ELCAYouth on Twitter–updated throughout the Gathering!
• (If you’re into Twitter, you can also keep tabs on all sorts of things related to the Gathering with the hashtag #JJJ09.)
• Join the Gathering group on Facebook.
• Check out the full list of speakers and performers – and come back later for some feature articles on them.
• Be ready to get packed for the trip.
• Print off maps and read up on background info at the ELCA’s Learn about New Orleans page.