Thursday, May 10, 2007
L1 - Day 2
Day 2 - Today we discovered one of God's gifts to N.O. work teams - Burger King, Clean bathrooms, Large sodas and very cool air-conditioning!!!
Our overly enthusiastic first day caught up to us this morning. We were moving a bit slower and there was little resistance to mandatory hourly water breaks-but we got back in stride by about 10 a.m.
We completed the removal of all the wallboard - down to the studs. We then removed an uncountable number of nails in all sizes and shapes. It is imperative that all the nails come off so that the new wallboard can be nailed to a smooth surface.
Our neighborhood tourings have taken us by a Hellenic Center and a Vietnamese Catholic Church. Notice the shrine structure with Mary on top, as well as the watermark on the column above David’s head.
In our conversations with the across-the-street neighbor we learned that two brothers a few houses down remained through the storm and then spent nine days using their small boat to rescue people. (They also gave their two shotguns to the N.O. police who had lost all their firearms).
Just two houses down, an 82 year old man also stayed, but was forced into his attic by the rising waters. When the water prevented him from getting the attic door open again, he finally managed to get out on to his roof through a ventilation duct and was rescued.
Another neighbor, an elderly blind woman - who lived in a bright purple house - will not be able to return home.
And again, wherever we turn people thank us for coming and helping.
David received a voice mail from Mary to call a reporter with the Advocate. She is working on an article for this Sunday's paper.
Tomorrow is hardhat day as the ceilings come down and the floors come up. And then it's off to the French Quarter for dinner with Eric and Melanie (our homeowners).
Keep those prayers coming!
Our overly enthusiastic first day caught up to us this morning. We were moving a bit slower and there was little resistance to mandatory hourly water breaks-but we got back in stride by about 10 a.m.
We completed the removal of all the wallboard - down to the studs. We then removed an uncountable number of nails in all sizes and shapes. It is imperative that all the nails come off so that the new wallboard can be nailed to a smooth surface.
Our neighborhood tourings have taken us by a Hellenic Center and a Vietnamese Catholic Church. Notice the shrine structure with Mary on top, as well as the watermark on the column above David’s head.
In our conversations with the across-the-street neighbor we learned that two brothers a few houses down remained through the storm and then spent nine days using their small boat to rescue people. (They also gave their two shotguns to the N.O. police who had lost all their firearms).
Just two houses down, an 82 year old man also stayed, but was forced into his attic by the rising waters. When the water prevented him from getting the attic door open again, he finally managed to get out on to his roof through a ventilation duct and was rescued.
Another neighbor, an elderly blind woman - who lived in a bright purple house - will not be able to return home.
And again, wherever we turn people thank us for coming and helping.
David received a voice mail from Mary to call a reporter with the Advocate. She is working on an article for this Sunday's paper.
Tomorrow is hardhat day as the ceilings come down and the floors come up. And then it's off to the French Quarter for dinner with Eric and Melanie (our homeowners).
Keep those prayers coming!
L1 - Day 3
Day 3 – “Hump day” hit us hard. (See photo below).
The morning started in slow motion, but turned out to be quite productive. The ceilings came crashing down- along with various sorts of insulation and some unidentifiable pellet type material. We used tarps to catch the debris which made removing it to the sidewalk pile much more efficient. Amazingly, FEMA had come after we left yesterday and removed the previous pile. (It was record- breaking quick according to the neighbors. Perhaps PDA has an in.)
By 11 a.m. all studs and rafters were drywall and nail free. Next came the floors – or at least they were supposed to. NOT EASY! And the nails left behind were even more tedious and difficult. The neighbor’s son and a friend who are carpenters came over and gave us a few helpful tips – and then wished us good luck. A quick trip to Lowes for some new nail pullers provided some encouragement for tomorrow. Some!! Tomorrow is going to be a very challenging day.
A saving grace was that since this was our “night out on the town,” we left for camp just after 1 p.m.
Later it was off to the French Quarter for an hour or so of taking in the sights. We met up with our family – Eric and Melanie and got to meet their 11-year-old son Eric – for dinner at the Gumbo Shop (just off Jackson Square). Susan Bergson, the daughter of a woman who works with Debbie Hurrell also joined us. It was a wonderful evening of good food, good fellowship, good spirit, as well as a few good spirits.
After dinner, a short walk through the square found us at Café Du Monde for beignets. A sweet ending to a very fine evening.
Back to camp where we descended en masse upon the men’s and women’s shower rooms and sink areas, which was our daily clean up assignment. Now it is off to bed-much too late.
Really keep those prayers coming tomorrow!
The morning started in slow motion, but turned out to be quite productive. The ceilings came crashing down- along with various sorts of insulation and some unidentifiable pellet type material. We used tarps to catch the debris which made removing it to the sidewalk pile much more efficient. Amazingly, FEMA had come after we left yesterday and removed the previous pile. (It was record- breaking quick according to the neighbors. Perhaps PDA has an in.)
By 11 a.m. all studs and rafters were drywall and nail free. Next came the floors – or at least they were supposed to. NOT EASY! And the nails left behind were even more tedious and difficult. The neighbor’s son and a friend who are carpenters came over and gave us a few helpful tips – and then wished us good luck. A quick trip to Lowes for some new nail pullers provided some encouragement for tomorrow. Some!! Tomorrow is going to be a very challenging day.
A saving grace was that since this was our “night out on the town,” we left for camp just after 1 p.m.
Later it was off to the French Quarter for an hour or so of taking in the sights. We met up with our family – Eric and Melanie and got to meet their 11-year-old son Eric – for dinner at the Gumbo Shop (just off Jackson Square). Susan Bergson, the daughter of a woman who works with Debbie Hurrell also joined us. It was a wonderful evening of good food, good fellowship, good spirit, as well as a few good spirits.
After dinner, a short walk through the square found us at Café Du Monde for beignets. A sweet ending to a very fine evening.
Back to camp where we descended en masse upon the men’s and women’s shower rooms and sink areas, which was our daily clean up assignment. Now it is off to bed-much too late.
Really keep those prayers coming tomorrow!
L1 - Day 4
Day 4 – There are train tracks 200 yards from Fish Camp Luling. There are a number of crossings in the area. Around 11 p.m., 2:30 a.m. and 4 a.m. trains pass by and sound their whistles at each of those crossings. In fact, those trains were the first topic of conversation on Monday morning after our first night’s “sleep.” When you’re getting up at 5 a.m. train whistles at 2 and 4 definitely do not qualify as welcome sounds.
This morning, after night number 4, only one of us could recall hearing any trains last night. Could it have been the sleep of the righteous? Or merely the exhausted?
You may remember that when we left work yesterday we were quite frustrated by our initial attempts to lift the hardwood floors. That frustration lingered just below the surface as we drove to the worksite this morning. In fact, David gave us a pep talk encouraging the group to approach the process from the perspective that we had two days to get the floor done, so let’s not get nuts if even if is excruciatingly slow. Well, forget about two days. Those floors were all but history by lunch. Someone who didn’t know us might well have mistaken us for a well oiled MACHINE. It was hard, back breaking, sweaty work. Each room seemed to have different nails that required different methods of removal. Slowly, but surely, the sidewalk pile of oak planking grew and grew.
Meanwhile, outside, our industrial weed-whacker person extraordinaire – Emily – tamed the front “lawn.” Our efficiency allowed us to head back to camp early with a refreshment stop on the way.
Tonight was our night to lead evening devotions. As we were tossing around ideas one of the “moments” of the week came up. On the wall next to the back door of the house hung two pictures – Mary and Jesus. Our homeowner, Eric, commented how glad he was that they were above the high water mark and so undamaged. On Monday, when the wallboard demo reached them, they were taken down and put safely aside. Wednesday afternoon, during the rush and hustle of clean-up, Jeff suddenly shouted, “They put Jesus in the trash!” It broke the place up. But it also burrowed into our head and heart. How easy it is and how often each of us manages to put Jesus in the trash. Not intentionally- not without sorrow when we realize it- and yet how often. “Lord, when did we see you naked, or hungry, or in prison.”
Until tomorrow, keep those prayers coming.
A postscript from David: Last night while we were at dinner, I was talking with Mary Kay about how frustrating the hardwood had been and how exhausted everyone was. I said to her, “Tomorrow will be the test of who we are.” Let me tell you, these representatives of yours, are incredible beyond words. They have served Christ well. Even more than well, but I can’t think of any other words this late at night. Blessings to you. DVD
This morning, after night number 4, only one of us could recall hearing any trains last night. Could it have been the sleep of the righteous? Or merely the exhausted?
You may remember that when we left work yesterday we were quite frustrated by our initial attempts to lift the hardwood floors. That frustration lingered just below the surface as we drove to the worksite this morning. In fact, David gave us a pep talk encouraging the group to approach the process from the perspective that we had two days to get the floor done, so let’s not get nuts if even if is excruciatingly slow. Well, forget about two days. Those floors were all but history by lunch. Someone who didn’t know us might well have mistaken us for a well oiled MACHINE. It was hard, back breaking, sweaty work. Each room seemed to have different nails that required different methods of removal. Slowly, but surely, the sidewalk pile of oak planking grew and grew.
Meanwhile, outside, our industrial weed-whacker person extraordinaire – Emily – tamed the front “lawn.” Our efficiency allowed us to head back to camp early with a refreshment stop on the way.
Tonight was our night to lead evening devotions. As we were tossing around ideas one of the “moments” of the week came up. On the wall next to the back door of the house hung two pictures – Mary and Jesus. Our homeowner, Eric, commented how glad he was that they were above the high water mark and so undamaged. On Monday, when the wallboard demo reached them, they were taken down and put safely aside. Wednesday afternoon, during the rush and hustle of clean-up, Jeff suddenly shouted, “They put Jesus in the trash!” It broke the place up. But it also burrowed into our head and heart. How easy it is and how often each of us manages to put Jesus in the trash. Not intentionally- not without sorrow when we realize it- and yet how often. “Lord, when did we see you naked, or hungry, or in prison.”
Until tomorrow, keep those prayers coming.
A postscript from David: Last night while we were at dinner, I was talking with Mary Kay about how frustrating the hardwood had been and how exhausted everyone was. I said to her, “Tomorrow will be the test of who we are.” Let me tell you, these representatives of yours, are incredible beyond words. They have served Christ well. Even more than well, but I can’t think of any other words this late at night. Blessings to you. DVD
L1 - Day 5
Day 5 – Our final workday was actually half a day. Inside, we did another once over looking for any overlooked nails in the sub-floor and yet another sweeping out. Outside, the rest of the “landscape” was tamed into submission. Our resident artist, Paul Merrell, was put to work turning a piece of plywood into a plaque for our family. We used a verse from Song of Solomon: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”
After a final group photo op and a final lunch at Burger King, we headed off to see some of the other affected areas of New Orleans. We made our way to the Ninth Ward – a low income, predominantly African-American neighborhood. It lies just east of the Industrial Canal-which was where one of the levee breaches occurred.
Even after a week of work in an area where 8 feet of water sat for 3 weeks, none of us were prepared as we turned off St. Claude. Complete devastation everywhere you looked. Homes moved off their slabs. Front steps leading to nowhere. A garage upside down on top of a car. Cleared lots with house numbers painted on the street as a sad reminder of what had been someone’s home. Underfoot, a slushy, gooey, slippery mud. You had to wonder if there is any option other than completely bulldozing the entire area. But then, what of all those for whom this was home? And from where would the will, let alone the finances to rebuild come?
Just about the time that we were feeling utterly and completely overwhelmed, we happened upon the Common Ground Distribution Center – a grassroots, community organization committed to the people of the Ninth Ward. A hand painted sign captured Common Ground’s heart: “Solidarity, Not Charity.” They help people navigate the maze of applications and red tape. They distribute tools and other equipment. Another hand painted sign said that they accepted donations. Someone from the group mentioned the tools and supplies that we had purchased during the week. In a flash, the van doors were opened and rakes and brooms, pruning tools, a first aid kit, lanterns and respirator masks were carried into the collection area. Someone else asked if they took boots as he began to untie the ones he was wearing. Several more pairs joined his in a line on the floor. (They’ll just have to buy new ones when they come back down). Eleven pairs of work gloves came next. It felt good to in some small way stand in solidarity with those folk. It transformed our visit to the Ninth Ward.
After a circuitous journey to find a store to buy flip-flops for some of our boot donors, we visited the Museum of Art to see an exhibit of photographs entitled, “Katrina Exposed.” The exhibit walls were covered almost from floor to ceiling with an amazing array of photographic images related to peoples’ experience of the hurricane. It was a powerful visual experience as we were taken back one year in time. A serendipitous way to bring our week to a conclusion.
After a final group photo op and a final lunch at Burger King, we headed off to see some of the other affected areas of New Orleans. We made our way to the Ninth Ward – a low income, predominantly African-American neighborhood. It lies just east of the Industrial Canal-which was where one of the levee breaches occurred.
Even after a week of work in an area where 8 feet of water sat for 3 weeks, none of us were prepared as we turned off St. Claude. Complete devastation everywhere you looked. Homes moved off their slabs. Front steps leading to nowhere. A garage upside down on top of a car. Cleared lots with house numbers painted on the street as a sad reminder of what had been someone’s home. Underfoot, a slushy, gooey, slippery mud. You had to wonder if there is any option other than completely bulldozing the entire area. But then, what of all those for whom this was home? And from where would the will, let alone the finances to rebuild come?
Just about the time that we were feeling utterly and completely overwhelmed, we happened upon the Common Ground Distribution Center – a grassroots, community organization committed to the people of the Ninth Ward. A hand painted sign captured Common Ground’s heart: “Solidarity, Not Charity.” They help people navigate the maze of applications and red tape. They distribute tools and other equipment. Another hand painted sign said that they accepted donations. Someone from the group mentioned the tools and supplies that we had purchased during the week. In a flash, the van doors were opened and rakes and brooms, pruning tools, a first aid kit, lanterns and respirator masks were carried into the collection area. Someone else asked if they took boots as he began to untie the ones he was wearing. Several more pairs joined his in a line on the floor. (They’ll just have to buy new ones when they come back down). Eleven pairs of work gloves came next. It felt good to in some small way stand in solidarity with those folk. It transformed our visit to the Ninth Ward.
After a circuitous journey to find a store to buy flip-flops for some of our boot donors, we visited the Museum of Art to see an exhibit of photographs entitled, “Katrina Exposed.” The exhibit walls were covered almost from floor to ceiling with an amazing array of photographic images related to peoples’ experience of the hurricane. It was a powerful visual experience as we were taken back one year in time. A serendipitous way to bring our week to a conclusion.
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