March 18, 2009

CHICAGO – When Liz Kourtesis of Florida heard that 37,000 Lutherans – mostly teens – were heading to New Orleans this summer to help hurricane survivors, she raced to add her name to the volunteers.

She's a hurricane survivor, too.

Kourtesis, 19, lives in South Florida, also walloped by the series of hurricanes in 2005 that devastated the Gulf Coast. She attends Grace Lutheran Church, Miami Springs.

"Hurricane season is always scary in Florida," said Kourtesis, a college student. "You never know if you'll lose everything. The worst happened in New Orleans. I want to show people there the world still cares."

Kourtesis is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), organizer of the July 22-26 event geared to high school students. The teens will learn about the city's history, arts and culture. They'll also help in the ongoing recovery through "servant projects," such as painting houses and planting trees.

They are coming from across the United States and from other countries. Those from states where hurricane season is a way of life say they feel an added impetus to help with the Gulf Coast recovery.

"There's a huge sisterhood between people who share a trauma like a hurricane," said Peggy Contos Hahn, associate in ministry and assistant to the bishop, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, Houston. The synod is hosting the ELCA Youth Gathering.

Maria Serpas, 17, of Louisiana, said she's "wowed" that Lutherans will make up the largest group to help New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck. She lost almost everything when flood waters covered her house except a paper she'd written about Martin Luther kept in a plastic case.

"I know if we work together we can impact the community in a positive way," said Serpas, a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Chalmette, near New Orleans. "I hope we get a lot of work done and show the people here that God is working among them."

During the event Serpas hopes to work with other teens on environmental projects to beautify parks and yards, as well as improve the city's carbon dioxide footprint. That's a passion Kourtesis shares.

After Hurricane Wilma ravaged the landscape surrounding Florida school Kourtesis attended back then, she convinced dozens of nurseries to donate plants and trees. The project took two years.

"Recovery takes a long, long time, but you can recover," Kourtesis said.

Lutheran teens want to be a show of support and strength to the people of New Orleans, she said. They also want to listen and learn.

"We are coming in the name of Jesus with a heart to serve the people as he would want us," Kourtesis said. "That's a great place to be."

Information about the 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering in New Orleans is at http://www.ELCA.org/gathering/, on the Internet.

ELCA News Service