Post-Trip

I'm home now and I already want to go back. Not that I don't appreciate and love my life at home. I know I have a blessed life. I already want to go back because I want to share my blessings and experience with others. I want to round up people from NY so they can enjoy this experience. I want to go back and help improve more lives in New Orleans and help not only re-build houses and homes but life itself. To help a child have a home to play in and a backyard for dad to grill in and mom to garden. To have the simple thing we take for granted everyday. To have "just another day in paradise". I went into this trip to honor my dad. Now I feel I honored him more than I thought possible because I get it now. And I never could understand this LOVE without going on this trip. Not only did I honor him but everyone that does this does,and continues to even when back home. The feeling you get is contagious and is a blessing.

The people of New Orleans are so thankful. There not only thankful for our physical labor but for our support,just knowing someone cares. We had a lovely church down the road who not only let us use their restrooms but made us lunch and let us soak up their a/c everyday for lunch. They did this out of LOVE and thanks, just because we cared enough to come help re-build someone's home.(Not even theirs.)

We are all brothers and sisters and should all take action to help out one another. Unfortunately GOD has to do something traumatic to get his children to LOVE one another in the way we should.

I think I should be thanking New Orleans for letting me share the LOVE I have to share. So THANK YOU New Orleans for this chance to feel the LOVE I have felt which is more than I can explain. Thank you for the chance to work with my father again and see and feel the LOVE he felt and saw every time he came to New Orleans.

GOD(LOVE)be with you!

Home Again

A group of 24 people went to New Orleans to honor the memory of my husband, Jamie. Turns out I was the one honored to work and be apart of such a woderful group. Many thanks to all of you! Many of us came home with new skills learned and new friendships made. As for me I came home with a new lease on life. As I realized how I felt about coming home, I thought about those who have been waiting 5 years to come home and those who have to wait even longer. Don't take those little things for granted; embrace them all and feel blessed. Don't just pray for those still waiting to go home - go down there and help them get back! You will truly come home with renewed Faith.

Friday - Coming Home

Woke up this morning with mixed emotions! No longer did I have to don my dust and paint encrusted work clothes. Our last day.... We began with a "potluck" breakfast - dribs and drabs of leftovers from our amazing breakfasts enjoyed throughout the week. An infomative talk from Project Homecoming's Vann Joines followed. Next, clean up! Like busy bees the volunteers buzzed about the entire village cleaning and straightening, getting ready for the next wave of volunteers. Before leaving we were called once again to gather in the former sanctuary for our last devotional service. We reflected on our week of service and honored the memory of our beloved Jamie Smith. We shared communion and sang carefully selected songs including When the Saints Go Marching In. Volunteers signed a RH2NO t-shirt bearing Jamie's picture on the front to leave behind, a tradition at Olive Tree village. Vans were packed and the weary workers set off for our last excursion to the city, humbled by the knowledge and experiences of the week. The French Market was the destination for most while one van headed for a tour of the Gulf and Bayou. First stop was for coffee and beignets at Cafe DuMonde, then shopping and lunch. My group went to a wonderful restautrant called Cafe Reconcile where troubled youth receive the opportunity to learn the restaurant trade as they are employed and trained in skills such as cooking, waiting tables, and management. It was awesome and we were delighted to support such an important endeavor! A little more shopping then off to the airport and now as I write, on our way home filled with memories and the joy of new friendships that will remain with us forever. For many of us this trip was a repeat experience and for many of us we are already thinking of when we will be back to continue this critical service and share our love with those still in need.

Thursday

Our day usually begins at about 6:30am (5:45 for Karen, our cook.) Since we are housed dormitory style, someone's alarm other than your own usually wakes you up. This is now day 4, and we've all developed a routine and how to dress for the particular job site we got assigned to. In my case, I was teamed up with four other Laurelton church family members. Our task for the week was to join us with our PDA Project Homecoming site manager, John, to put the finishing touches to a home before priming and painting the ceilings and walls. The home was located in the Upper 9th Ward on S. Claiborne and belonged to an 84-year-old woman named Margarite. Margarite currently lives in a FEMA trailer parked in her tiny front yard with two giant blue metal storage containers much like train cars. Inside these two 14' long, 6' wide and 8' tall containers were what was left of her previous life before Hurricane Katrina hit. After the storm, Margarite had gone to Texas for three years and returned two years ago to begin the tedious and frustrating process of rebuilding her damaged home after being submerged in 7 ft of water. Basically her entire 1st floor had to be gutted and re-drywalled. Well it's been an interesting experience to say the least. Some of us have family members who've made a living in construction. Others had limited exposure. Our team soon learned to apply drywall compound, sand and reapply and sand again making what were once rough and imperfected walls and ceilings smooth and seamless, our ultimate goal. We climbed step ladders, extension ladders, scaffolding and carried our tools which included sand planers, drywall spatulas, paint rollers and an occasional box cutter. Yes, we are now all trained professionals! Actually we like to be referred to as the MUDgicians. And yes we played in the mud each and every day making those ceilings right. We discovered that our most valued team member turned out to be Sarah, Jamie Smith's daughter. Boy can that girl work her magic with a spatula spreading drywall mud! She picked up various tricks from her dad and made everything look so easy the first time while the rest of us struggled to get the same reults. Would you believe me if I said that our site manager John even learned some tricks from her? We did manage to complete our portion of the work needing to be done. We were disappointed that during our week-long adventure, we hadn't had the privilege of meeting our homeowner but John was able to give us some insight into how she was doing and shared some stories about her 95-year-old house. We were all pleasantly surprised today, our last day on the site, Margarite decided to venture out of her FEMA trailer and say hi to us all, thanking us for all the fine work we put in. As one New Orleans' homeowner so graciously said to us, though our work might seem trivial to us in our short stay, we're helaing hearts and giviing love which is a far greater gift.

Chef Karen reporting from Chef Highway

Let me say first that the exit we get off of on Route 10 to go back to Olive Tree everyday (where we are staying) is called Chef Highway -how appropriate for me since I am the "camp cook" for the days we are staying here. The team I am on is working at 4436 Cartier Street - pronounced like the diamond/jewelry company. I am sure our owner thinks that her house is a jewel and precious and so do we as we have been working hard to put down ceramic tile throughout her small but lovely home. Our home owner has saved her insurance and Road Home money in order to have volunteers work on her house. How did we forget the post-Katrina issue of fraudulant construction companies/workers? Who would you trust to re-build your house? PDA/Project Homecoming and our team are some of the lucky ones that are entrusted to re-build this house. We have not met our homeowner and probably won't, but that's okay. I will never forget the salmon colored house with it's cream trim. And this long-time desk jockey has done some hard work along with my team and all the other volunteers here. I can feel the good feelings but unusual feelings of physical exhaustion.

I am very happy I took the opportunity to participate in this mission trip. I will be returning home with many memories and the wonderful feelings of community and being part of something special with a group of people - some I have never met before. One of my favorite hymns is "The Summons" which contains the words "Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?" and "Let me turn and follow you and never be the same." I like to think that I did that this week.