WE OFFER OUR TESTIMONY: By Gary Swanson

My first day back in the ‘Big Easy’, Reverend Lisa Hickman handed me a list that read “Rainbows, juggling, garbage, football, makeup, music, toys, water, weeds, children, lines, stairs, beads and bridges.” The hurried first glance my eyes caught of this odd compilation greatly underestimated the lasting significance each word would carry.

In mid January, I joined a wonderfully energetic, talented, and genuine group of area men, women, and teens from New Wilmington Presbyterian Church who traveled to New Orleans for an unusual type of mission trip. These travelers were going to be actively involved in helping to rebuild portions of and offer hope to the people of New Orleans. A typical mission trip, right? Nope. Not even close.

Lisa followed the Cajun edict as she planned this trip, and kicked the spice up a few notches. She added a specific task of reflection. Traditionally, reflection is partnered with words like private and quiet. As thoughtful creatures we usually sneak off to some hushed area when we want to reflect. Conversely, the charge for reflection on this trip was to locate an honest internal voice, and free that voice to express itself publicly. There was to be very little focus on the final product. Instead, the focus was on the process, and letting the voice be the storyteller. It was a wide-open, intimidating range without the safety nets of structure or directive.

Distinguished author Jim Mulholland (author of Praying Like Jesus, and If God is Love, among others), expertly cultivated a vast array of remarkable written expressions through his gentle but direct manner. My role on the trip was to provide support with public expression through the use of video. As Director of Audio Visual Services at Westminster College, I was invited to be an on-site media technology resource, providing assistance (primarily to the teens on the trip), with basic recording and editing equipment, and helping people to think visually about compelling images that might enhance their expressions.

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had her fair share of compelling images, but now they overwhelm her, constantly pushing that pendulum between hope and despair. Foot-deep creviced mud cakes the floors of ragged remnants of homes. Colorful dwellings of hope sprout up within the miles of weeded devastation. Stairs, no longer attached to any semblance of a dwelling, now lead to a lot barren of everything but slowly evaporating memories. I cannot adequately paint in words the plethora of images that now swamp New Orleans.

More compelling, however, are the people of New Orleans and their thousands of untold stories. That is just one part of it, however. The group that I joined on this trip has gripping words and imagery that need to be shared also. Some manage to conceal it, but rarely are people truly comfortable or candid when I put a camera in their face. These folks, however, stayed true to their mission. The openness, depth and breadth of thought were striking. The teens in particular were inspiring with their frankness, creativity, zest, and sensitivity to the heavy layers that surrounded their distinctive thoughts. Addie Domske is a name that deserves special mention, as she has innumerable gifts that have added a magical flair to the telling of these stories.
These are powerful messages that deserve a view, and/or listen, and thankfully, there are multiple opportunities to do just that. The first few WOOT videos, (short for We Offer Our Testimony,) have made their debut on YouTube at this address:

http://www.youtube.com/WeOfferOurTestimony

There are more in production currently, and a compilation DVD set of all of them is in the works with behind the scenes footage and bonus materials. Also, the church is sponsoring a coffee house on Friday, March 28th to showcase both written and video works. There is a power in these messages, radiating from that obscure list of words handed to me the day I arrived in New Orleans that I’m confident will reach into your hearts as well.