The youth's thoughts on our trip!

" I liked meeting new people from all over the country. Bob and Larry (bus drivers) were veggie. The seafood was good! The hotel was HUGE!"
             -Cortney Weiss

"This was so fun! I loved seeing so many Christians together praising God. The food was sooooo good. And the elevators were so fun. I hope I can go again sometime."
             - Kayla Ross

"Trip was amazing. My favorite part was the dome. It was amazing to see and worship with so many people. I think this gathering has changed many people for the better."
             -Sam Nycklemoe

"I liked this trip. I made a lot of new friends and talked to even more. It was amazing how well everyone got along, especially with 33,309 kids."
             -Peter Jones

"The energy was unbelievable and everybody WANTED to be there. Having Agape and Switchfoot was awesome. they really got people dancing! Singing every move I make and Blessed Be in the convention center was fun. We showed them 'our version' of some of the songs and had a lot of energy."
             -Lauren Sanberg

"I really enjoyed walking through the city and getting to see how different it is from Minneapolis. The people in New Orleans were very kind and fun to talk to. When I get home I am going to remember to bring Jesus' grace to others.  I also really enjoyed listening to some of the speakers.
             -Karyn Vadnais

"The 2012 youth gathering helped me to really grow as a person. Everyone that I met was welcoming and kind. There is no better feeling than having 33,309 youth singing Jesus Loves Me at the same time. I feel like I learned so much about the culture, the people, and the soul of New Orleans.This trip was truly life changing and I wont be forgetting it!"
            -Avery Gaboury

"I really enjoyed meeting all the different people and sharing new experiences with them. I enjoyed learning a new culture and seeing the city. I hope to take home the positive, loving attitude that I witnessed throughout the New Orleans community."
              -Maddie Kinn

"The things I liked best about the trip was the nice hotel we stayed in, in New Orleans. I also liked the super dome concerts. Another thing I liked was being able to help others."
              -Dan Bakkum

"I really liked our trip to New Orleans! A few of my favorite things were" daily closings at the dome, beignets, and the concert from Switchfoot. We great together as a group over the week and know each other well. I hope that we can continue to practice peacemaking, justice, and discipleship as we return to Minnesota."
             -Erik Jones

"I loved how nice the people were in New Orleans. They are so friendly. I loved when it was raining and then the flood, because when we walked through all that water it was a good experience in a way. It helped be to better understand what the citizens if New Orleans went through after the hurricane."
            -Falisha Jackman

"I liked the huge worship in the super dome. Also, I liked going to the French Quarter and shopping. The food was amazing!! Especially the beignets. Meeting new people from all over the country  was one of the best parts too!"
           -Kylie Anderson

"It was super fun having worship at night with 33,000 other Lutherans. And I met a lot of great people on the trip and became better friends with people from Zion. I felt like we were one big family at the end. I definitely wont forget the experience."
           -Andrea Paulson

"This trip was so much fun! I loved meeting new people and trying new things. This will be something I remember forever. I am so glad I got to come!"
             -Arianna Giorgi

"I loved the trip! The bus ride there and back was great! I even had fun when we broke down. I really loved the culture down in New Orleans. All the people were fun and welcoming and I didn't even know them! I brought home so many cool souvenirs, I hope I can go back sometime in my life!"
             -Katie Porter

"The 2012 Youth Gathering had countless joyful and comedic, not to mention helpful moments. One was the French Quarter. I thoroughly enjoyed the culture and shopping that was available to me in that area. The super dome was a high light for me in many ways. What I enjoyed most was by far time with my old and brand new friends!"
              -Alex Will 

"The one thing I will take home is the love of God and Jesus. I loved the jazz and the people of New Orleans. I made more friends on this trip than I have ever had. I loved the food we ate. YUM! This was my first trip outside of Minnesota. Loved it!  P.S. New Orleans Rocks!"
              -Jake Thompson

"This trip was amazing! Seeing how many people truly love God is incredible. My favorite part was getting close with the people in our youth group but also meeting new friends!"
              -Sally Kron

"On this trip I discovered getting to know kids from all over. I feel so close with all the kids from church. Leaving this trip I feel so much closer with God and I learned so much. There is still so much to learn and ask but this trip has helped me move along faster. I made a second family!"
               -Megan Fischer

"I loved getting to go to the super dome and the feeling of having 33, 309 other Lutherans to hang out with. I also loved getting to meet new friends. I wish we would have gotten to do our service project, but it is ok. I had so much fun it was one of the best weeks of my life!"
               -Cole Birklid

"I enjoyed the culture and the speakers were great. The rain was cool, even with a little flooding. The bus was fun. Finally I enjoyed meeting and reuniting with other Lutherans."
               -Karl Nycklemoe

"Some of the highlights of our trip were getting so much closer to all the people. We are like a family now. This most definitely was one of the funnest things I have done in my life. The crazy nights at the dome, the walking all around NOLA, the dances, meeting people, and hanging out with my friends was a blast! I miss the atmosphere already. #CWTS12   #ELCA  #FRIENDS  # SACKATTACK"
               -Tessa Williams

"I liked the food because it was delicious and new. The music was really good down in NOLA. The bus ride was a great bonding time with others from our church. The dances were fun because everyone was there and the music was bumpin'!"
            -Nicko Bye

"I loved the bus ride to and from New Orleans. I also loved the food and all the new people I met. I enjoyed the super dome shows at night too. I also loved the speakers at the dome. They really impacted me and this became a life-changing experience for me!"
           -Katie Halek

"I will never forget this trip! It was a so much fun and such a good experience! One of my favorite parts was being able to meet so many new people from different states. Also the amount of people in the dome!!I got so much closer to my friends and Jesus! It was life changing!"
            -Lucas Manke

"This trip was really an amazing experience. I loved the super dome and everyone in it! I also loved shopping and eating those nummy beignets. But probably my favorite part was getting to know everyone so much better on this trip. It makes me feel like we are one big family!"
          -Natalie Bye

"The ELCA National Youth Gathering was one of the greatest trips I have taken. Despite the problems with flooding we still managed to keep high spirits throughout! My favorite part was probably the amount of energy that resonated from the super dome." 
            -Caleb Birklid

"I had lots of fun on this trip. some of the unexpected things were the most enjoyable. For instance the large amounts of rain and the bus breaking down. Both threw us of schedule but ended up being fun in their own ways!"
              -Mitch Goodmanson

"This trip was one of the best weeks of my life!!!! x10! I love dthe atmosphere of everything, how everyone was so friendly. Being at the dome was amazing! I loved spending time with my church family! I will miss this a lot!"
              -Hayley Severson

"New Orleans is such a cool city. I had a lot of fun there. I liked hanging out with my friends and making new ones. I liked the food there. I tried gumbo, oysters, and beignets. I also enjoyed the worship services at the dome!"
              -Emma Santa

"I liked everybody that  was there all together in one place. Also, I liked how everyone was so friendly with everyone! I loved spending time with my church friends that I don't get to see that often!"
           -Lucas Tiede

" I enjoyed getting to know people at our church and people from across the nation. I liked experiencing a different culture than what I am used to. It was awesome to see how the people of New Orleans even after suffering a tragic natural disaster, can come together and be one as a community. I feel very inspired by the people of New Orleans and their welcoming spirits. I am very blessed to have gone on this trip. I have learned and grew so much in my faith and I am taking away many life skills and memories I will carry out the rest of my life. Thanks mom and dad for an amazing experience! Love you!"
              -Lindsay Jerome

"I liked meeting new people from all over the country. I had a lot of fun on this trip. I made stronger relationships. I learned about discipleship, peacemaking, and justice. Louisiana is a very different place than Minnesota, culture wise and how it looks."
            -Linnea Tiede

"This trip was so amazing. I can never forget the great times! One of the amazing fun things I did was go to the dance. I met so many people there! Everyone was so nice everywhere we went. We sack attacked people. Funnest thing was seeing people and everyone gave high fives. I really want to go back!"
             -Kiley Bloch

"New Orleans was great! I loved being able to talk to and meet many people from different states. My favorite part of the week was getting to see how much of a difference that 33,309 people can make. Another one of my favorite parts was Switchfoot and how the music brought us all together, made us one and "fueled the fire". For me the entire week was an experience of a lifetime. The culture, the stories, and the overall welcoming atmosphere. I truly fely as if God was there keeping us safe. Especially when the good Samaritan's from Georgia stopped and picked us up when our bus broke down. I hope to continue to spread God's word and return to the next youth gathering in 2015!"
         -Michaela Lundborg

""There were a lot of fun things about our New Orleans trip. One was the concert every night at the super dome. It was really fun to have all of the 33,309 youth all gathered and singing together. Another fun thing was the trip some of us took to get beignets. They were amazing and worth getting up early for. Everyone, whether they were native New Orleans, or other people from different states, all were very nice. The whole trip was worth while and I wish I will have a chance to go back!"
              -Samantha Meek

"I loved getting to meet people from all around the country and learn about them. I loved getting closer with people from church and meeting people from our church. Having 33, 309 people in the dome for worship was unforgettable and all together it was amazing! Just literally everything was so great and amazing! Also it was super fun trying yo get signatures from all the states!"
           -Sarah Nienaber