New Orleans Day 4 - Week 1

A very wet hello from New Orleans. The day started out with just a little bit of rain, but by the end of the day it was a torrential downpour. The rain however, was expected and Brother Vance made sure we all had something to do.

Most of our work force was at the house on Miro street (also known as Cleopatra but I’m not sure why). Today they painted inside and repaired some broken windows. As incentive to get finished, the group decided when they finished the ten gallons of paint they had, they would quit for the day. You would be surprised how fast 12 people can get rid of 10 gallons of paint. Their situation was compounded by the fact that it was raining inside almost as hard as it was outside. Apparently the roof that was supposed to be fixed 3 weeks ago has not been completed yet.

The second group went to the Four-Plex on Lowerline St. This group of people replaced the laminate wood floor that was torn up earlier in the week (it was not installed right the first time). Trying to put this floor back down is like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture and not knowing if you have all the pieces. They also installed two bathtubs in between walls that were closer together than the length of the bathtubs. Some Baseboard and quarter-round was installed and a door that had been kicked in was repaired. This was all in addition to patching and painting some walls.

All crews were back at the mission center by 3:30 (Normally we don’t leave the job site until 4:00 then have a 30 – 45 minute commute. When we returned, most of us were SOAKING WET and COLD. It felt good to get into a warm shower and get into some dry clothes. The washer and dryer have been in constant use since then so everyone has clean DRY clothes for tomorrow.

After dinner, Brother Vance shared with us the stories of some of the people the mission center has helped. He encouraged us to remember Hurricane Katrina and the devastation it caused. People tend to think of things in “sound bites”. We only continue to think about the events that are most recent in our minds and in the news. Currently we hear a lot about Haiti. There is great need there now and they will continue to need a huge amount of help in the future. But we should not forget those victims of past disasters that still need our help. Brother Vance believes the rebuilding process here in New Orleans will take another 10 – 15 years. Brother Vance also discussed the vision for the future of the Westside Mission Center.

As you think about the victims of disasters, sit down in your favorite place in your home for 10 – 15 minutes. Now get up and walk away from your house for 10 – 15 minutes with nothing but the clothes on your back. Stop and look back imagining what it would be like to loose everything you have. That is what it is like for the victim of any disaster and that is what it is still like for many of the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Sorry if it seems like I am rambling on, but the work we are doing down here is important to the people of New Orleans, to us, and to God.

God bless you all and thanks for your support
Brian