Home At Last, But Not Without A Glitch

Scribe: Cindy A

I don't know if anyone will see this last entry but since things didn't wrap up into a neat little package, I think we need some closure. So here's a brief rundown of our last day...

*+* On Friday morning, an unfortunate circumstance developed at one of our work sites, that we picked up in the middle of the week. It was discovered that it looked as though the family having work done on their home had deceived SMHA and was taking advantage of a system designed to help those with real needs. The team working there had to be pulled off and told of the possibility of fraud and it was quite discouraging to them. Thankfully, the other sites provided jobs for those folks and we were able to wrap up our sites and say our sad good-byes. Judy has promised to keep us updated and let us know when the ribbon cutting ceremonies happen at the homes we worked on.

*+* Friday night we had a wonderful devotional time, followed by much packing. Saturday morning we were to be in the vans and ready to go at 6:45am.

*+* So Saturday morning arrives and we head to New Orleans. Our flight was at 2:55pm and we really wanted a tour of the 9th Ward and where the levees broke from Hurricane Katrina. Remember that the work we were doing outside of New Iberia, in Vermilion Parish, was mostly caused by Hurricane Rita. As one of our homeowners said, "Katrina took the roofs off, Rita brought the floods and mud." What we saw in N.O. can only be described in single words and brief phrases: sad, disturbing, a war zone, devastating, obscene at how easily it might have been prevented. You'll have to see out pictures and talk to us in person to really understand what we saw. Holes cut in roofs where people tried to escape, one hopeful woman weeding her flower garden as a neighbor emptied the contents of his home with a wheelbarrow, the spray-painted notes on the houses regarding the other victims of the storm..."cat d.o.a.," "2 pitbulls found loose," "black lab." No living this was left unaffected by this storm.

We also learned that the water that washed through these areas came from the local lake, not the ocean. I, for one, didn't understand that. I would not have guessed that a lake could be whipped into such a frenzy that it could cause so much damage. I'm not sure who the rocket scientist was that decided it would be a good idea to build an entire city below sea level but what happened there is a terrible tragedy that should never be repeated.

*+* After the tour we had a wonderful lunch with a couple of 'gators just steps away. Then it was off to the airport. We were supposed to stop in Atlanta and then on to Boston, but Atlanta was closed for a while due to thunder storms. As a result, we had to stop in Birmingham, Alabama for fuel. By the time we landed in Atlanta, we had missed our flight by 20 minutes. 20 minutes! And they couldn't hold the plane for 29 people?!? Then the fun began. Given the circumstances, Beth did an amazing job trying to deal with finding us flights, dealing with 29 different people and all that that implies. The wait for the shuttle to the hotel was interminable but we finally arrived there at about 10:30pm. 22 of us, the bulk of the group that was left, had a 7am flight out of Atlanta. So, after about 3 hours of sleep, we caught a 5:30am shuttle back to the airport and we were homeward bound.


Thank you all so much for following our experiences and praying with us. We traveled with all of your hopes and dreams with us and we look forward to sharing it all with you in as much detail as you want.

The Future Of This Blog:
This will be my final post for now. Our next scheduled trip will be in the summer of 2008. It is my hope that as we plan fundraisers and begin to talk about where we might go, I will periodically update the blog so that you can be in from the very beginning. For now, thank you, God bless you and remember....we are all God's hands.

I Can't Believe It's Time To Go...

Scribe: Cindy A, while Dave and Chris pack

It's amazing to me that it's been a week already. Leaving the families I worked with was very hard; Mr. P was so sweet and Carl and Stacey's dog finally trusted us enough to let us pet her! I even got a kiss on the nose. Stupid I know, but this little things remind me of how, at our core, we are truly all the same. As I spoke my good byes to Mr. P and he thanked me over and over, I was overwhelmed by the feeling that if anything ever befell me, he wouldn't hesitate to help out.

On our drive last night, the most lasting sights were that of a sign for an elementary school...and nothing but a cement slab where the school once stood, and, as described by Bill S, rows of mailboxes with no homes in sight, until you look out into the swamp about 1/4 mile and spot a roof or 2. Very humbling.

Tonight we had a celebratory dinner at the Golden Corral followed by a brief meeting and devotions at the Annex. Beth led us in a handwashing ceremony, reminding us that we are all the hands of God. And not just us here, but you all at home as well that support us in so many ways. I can honestly say that I won't miss the heat but there is much about this place that will stay with me forever.

Complete exhaustion has now set in. Time to finish packing and get ready for bed. We leave New Iberia at 6:45am to head to New Orleans for a tour of the damage done there, the place where the levees broke, and some rebuilt areas. After that it's a box lunch and onto the airport for a 2:55pm flight. We hit Boston at about 9:30pm. Please join us in worship next Sunday for Mission Sunday. We'll have our pictures and stories and maybe some Cajun snacks!

Please pray for traveling mercies for all of us. Thanks for journeying with us. Peace and grace to each of you. C

6 Days Down, 2 To Go...

Scribe: Cindy A.

No post last night due to our late arrival back at the hotel. Tonight is late as well, so this will be brief. This evening, a group of us took what was supposed to be a "three hour tour" that was more like six. Apparently, when someone from here says, "Oh, that will take about an hour" they mean a Louisiana hour, which is slightly over 2 hours Beverly time! We drove down to near where the eye of Rita made landfall. Difficult to describe the sight of entire homes, looking perfectly fine, sitting in the middle of the swamp, a mile or more from the slab it blew off of. We also saw alligators, egrets, and blue herons.

All the work sites are looking great, but the heat is taking it's toll on us all. Lots of exhaustion and a couple of short tempers have us all looking forward to lights out! But all starts fresh the next day and when we see "our" Louisiana families again, we are reminded of just why we are here.

To correct a previous entry, Bill S was not showing Mr. P's wife the house, that was his mother. His wife is bedridden and non-vocal, recovering from a stroke. So here's the picture of the day...We surprise Mr. P with a cake yesterday for his birthday, which also happens to be his 37th wedding anniversary. He brings the cake over to the bed so she can see and she gets a little frosting on her finger, which she promptly licks off! I'm so glad to be at this worksite!

Missed the group meeting tonight, so I don't know what other celebrations there are. Tomorrow will be my last entry. I'll try to have some more pics, but they'll be plenty to see when we get home.

Blessings, C.

This shows a house, not one of ours, that has been raised to an acceptable height.

Picture(s)

Remember the grandparent's I mentioned above, who are about to be put out of their trailer? This is their home. In the foreground you see their front steps, then Bettie, then the house. The only thing that stopped the house from going further was the fact that it hit the workshop and stopped.

Day 2 and We're All Still Standing!!

Our dining and living accommodations.

Scribe: Cindy and Dave A.

Last evening we discussed work projects at our group meeting. All sites are going full steam ahead and we're adding a 6th site at some point tomorrow. The stories are just amazing. For example, we're working on one sight where parents and 2 kids with their kids live in 3 houses next door to each other. The grandparent's home has not had one thing done to it, because they wanted to be sure that their grandchildren were taken care of first. Only hitch is that FEMA is about to kick the grandparents out of their trailer because they've had it "long enough." The blessing and curse of having your family live next door is that you are all together in a disaster. Good for support, not so good if you need another place stay. Down here FEMA really is a 4-letter word!

All the houses are being raised on stilts. Most are 8 feet off the ground. Some people have chosen not to raise them. I don't know what will happen if another storm hits.

Enduring images for today:

****Bill S. helping the 80-something Mrs. P up the two stories on her front porch so that she can go in and see how the work is coming. Did I mention she's recovering from a stroke?

****12 year old Austin and 7 year old Mattie playing Nintendo DS side by side as the crew prepares for the new ceiling in Austin's room. Austin loves NASCAR and lost all his collectibles in the storm. He'll have a NASCAR bedroom from top to bottom.

****A 10 year old girl brings her friend into her home to "show off" all the work that is being done.

****A young boy is anxious to show the crew at his house his "swimming hole." Not much more than a big puddle but he splashes around and then tells them how happy he'll be to be in his new home.

****Mrs. R presenting individual thank you cards to her crew, even though they aren't done yet. They are addressed in the pet names she has given them - Serious Dave, Quiet Chris, Big Cindie, Little Cindy, among others. She fed them gumbo yesterday, sandwiches today, and is preparing a Cajun pork roast tomorrow. I've received a special invite to lunch. I wonder what "Cindy" I'll be!


The weather has been the most daunting thing about this trip. It gets to be about 95-98 every day, with about 80% humidity. The air is so heavy, it's like wearing 3 layers of clothes. We take breaks often and consume many beverages, mostly Gatorade. Thankfully, the shower schedule and the additional hotel showers available to us make us mostly presentable by dinner time.

It's getting late and tomorrow is an early day. Much more tomorrow night. I will post a couple of pictures following this entry.

Shalom.