Thanksgiving In New Orleans.

New Orlean's Church of the Annunciation is to be featured in a Thanksgiving Day t.v. program to be called "An American Thanksgiving." Here's Fr. Kramer's note; program airing information towards the end.

17 November 2006 AD

Dear All,

Below are some details on an upcoming Thanksgiving Day T.V. programme featuring the trailer park church here in New Orleans (we don't have a working television and don't know what the CW Network is!). While millions are lined up around the country this morning for their Play Station 3 games, we have a line around the block waiting on food, clothes and cleaning supplies. And unlike the Play Station lines, there is no violence or fussiness here. Our people are generally gracious and most grateful. We're in particularly desperate need for coats and cold weather clothing, children and adults, all sizes.

The reality is that we're going to be slammed for help from Thanksgiving through the Christmas Holiday Season with people trying to return home and make a go of it here. I believe America is the greatest country on earth. But our greatness depends on rescuing and rebuilding a great American city and helping get American citizens back on their feet. We are struggling mightily and the reality is that, for the most part, it's the faith based groups that haven't forgotten or turned their backs on us.

Roughly 150,000 people (homeowners) would qualify for the Road Home programme (government monies to help get us back in our homes); 75,000 or so applications have been received to-date and 22 checks cut thus far. Keep in mind the vast, vast majority of these folks (like my family) have never asked or needed the government for anything.

We're partnering up with the Church of All Souls in the Lower 9th Ward for Thankgiving worship and dinner. They had fifty in attendance last Sunday while still worshiping in the garage of a house that went completely under water. We're presently working on finding a lot for them in the 9th where we can plop down a double-wide for their church and office. Pray we find an available, workable lot.

So watch us on t.v. and please keep us in your prayers. We remember you daily. Blessings from South Louisiana,

jerry+ op et al.

The Rev'd Jerry and Stacy Kramer
Free Church of the Annunciation
New Orleans, LA USA
www.annunciationinexile.homestead.com

----- Dear Fr. Jerry,

Hope all is well with you and the congregation. Your newsletters have kept me in the loop as to the goings on, and things seem to be moving ever forward.

The Thanksgiving show is ready to air next week, and your segment turned out wonderfully. We couldn't have done it without the support of you and the entire gang. It was an amazing shoot, and the integrity and heart of Annunciation really shines through into the show. Powerful imagery and a powerful message.

"An American Thanksgiving with Bryant Gumbel" will air on Thanksgiving Day from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm on the CW Network. According to our website, that's WOOL-TV 38 in New Orleans, but you'll want to check you local listings just to make sure.

www.anamericanthanksgiving.com

Of course, I'll send you DVD copies of the show after it airs.

And I also wanted to let you know that I have a longer version of your segment (a nearly 12 minute "producer's cut") that I made before time-related edits were imposed upon me, and I'll send copies of that version as well. I don't quite know how much time was shaved off of the final broadcast segment (they were still tweaking last I checked), but it's somewhere around 8 minutes.

I hope everyone enjoys the show.
Happy Thanksgiving (again)!

Steve

Via email from the Anglican Communion Network.