Update from Stephanie

Hi!

So my team has been in New Orleans for three weeks now. Its been really nice (and hot!) here. Our sponsor has been really great, he's very relaxed and easy going. We've been installing compact florescent lamps all around the New Orleans in homes and businesses. Sometimes we take bikes and back packs, but we drive to the far places (which is most of them). Green Light (the organization we're working with) has the mission of replacing incondescent lightbulbs with CFLs throughout the whole city. The service and bulbs are completely free which is really neat. Its for everybody too - no qualifications except to have an address. We were able to see all sorts of places - areas that have made a lot of progress since Katrina and a lot that still need a lot of work. Our sponsor always encourages us to talk to the homeowners and families and hear their stories. For the people who opened up, it was really cool.

The next three weeks were supposed to be at a volunteer camp in Ocean Springs Mississippi working with other volunteers restoring homes damaged by hurricanes. However the camp recently had a break out of body lice and our project was cancelled :( - it was a big bummer, but this means we'll be staring our very last project early.

For the next 9 weeks my team will be at a camp in Lake Charles Louisiana. We will be camp counselors for kids between kindergarten and high school. At the camp there will be swimming, canoeing, kiaking, archery, and lots of nature-y stuff. Its going to be a blast and exhausting!My team (there are 10 of us) will be the only counselors at the camp. We will be planning all of the activities and games as well as making sure they go to bed at night. There's also one night a week we will go on a "camp out" and sleep under the stars. I'm glad our other project was camping cuz now I know more of what I'm doing :) I think it will be a lot of fun, though I'm a little nervous about finding creative, engaging things to do all day.Its crazy to think about, but after this project our program will be done. We'll drive back to campus in Sacramento for the last time, finish up a few paperwork type things, and head our separate ways. I want to try to make the most of the rest of this experience :) Of course soon I'll be able to talk to all of you face to face again so that is something to look forward to :)Hope all is well!

Stephanie