Eight Months after the Storm...

I spent this past week in New Orleans East just minutes outside of the city center. Every year LCC participates in a Week of Evangelism. For one week students are scattered accosted the US, Mexico and overseas. I chose to go to New Orleans to help in hurricane relief. We were working in partnership with Journey Christian, BBC and Crossroads missions. This is a great partnership to be involved in. To make a long story short BBC and Journey have enlisted the assistance of Crossroads to lead week long missions projects that mud out houses for those who are getting other assistance from their organization including spiritual discipleship. Those that lost their homes to flood damage need to have their houses gutted (or mudded out) in order for insurance to even consider evaluating their situation. Companies and individuals charge between $1 and 1.50 to do this, basically, get everything out of the house, shovel out the mud, sort the trash and strip the walls down to the studs. So that's where Crossroads comes in to do this for people with the intention of spreading the gospel through service. The best way to share my experience is through a journal entry I wrote the second day there.
Apr. 11/06
"Yesterday was intense! Very emotional and unrealistic. I couldn't believe the destruction as we drove to the worksite. The whole city is trash. Steve [out trip leader] just kept saying "this reminds me of war torn Haiti". There were boats in the road, vehicles tossed in fields like candy wrappers, sheds wedged in houses and trash heaped debris piles along every roadway. I kept looking for a street or some place that wasn't affected but it all looked the same. We met Dawn, Mark 8 months ago they had a happy life with mom (Emma) living in a small house in the backyard next to the pool. As we walked in the house the smell overtook me first then the massive damage caught my eye. Wedged in 3 feet of mud was a house full of earthly possessions scattered like a giant snow globe. Dishes still in the dishwasher and briefcases ready to go to work. We could see the waterlines at about 13ft. on cathedral ceilings and sea grass and scattered papers hung from the ceiling fan. It was amazing to visualize the power of the flood. Dawn told the team that she planned to return in 3 days only taking 3 sets of clothes and the shoes on her feet as they left at 2 am in the morning with their 2 girls following a final warning from city officials. Their house then filled with 16ft. of water and everything they once knew as normal simply destroyed. Praise God for teaching me about the importance of investing in the kingdom. Earthy possessions will never look the same again. They are simply treasures without eternal value."

Later on this week I hope to have pictures to post.