Written by Bruce Flohr:
As some us of drove around today (Thursday), working with a checklist to ascertain the condition of New Orleans’ neighborhoods - we experienced sadness, awe, and a glimpse at how great a scope of devastation this really is. You look on the sides of homes and businesses, office parks and hospitals, and you see the water marks- in many cases well over your head. You realize that this affected everybody who lives down here in this area. People of all colors were affected, people of all economic levels were affected, and people of all faiths were affected. Some may never return, some most certainly never will return. Many feel they have nothing left to come back to. Residences that were once full of life are now a vast wasteland. Neighbors are separated, in some instances, even families are now separated. When you walk up to a house that was once much like your own in a typical suburban neighborhood now with weeds waist deep, trees shattered, and bushes overgrown, you sense what it might be like after a war or some nuclear calamity.
Some homes a year and a half after Katrina are now home only to the rats. As you peer in the windows and smell the mold and see furniture, clothing and papers all tumbled this way and that, you realize that this is or was somebody’s life that you are looking at! What brought them joy and comfort. What took perhaps years of hard work to acquire…and you realize from these treasured possessions that very little if anything is salvageable. How hopeless these people must feel if their lives are not centered in the good Lord above. Some are struggling with politics and insurance companies to find some sort of monetary compensation to get their lives rolling again. Some homes have been leveled; all that remains is the slab. That could have been your next door neighbor. Others have been gutted of the drywall. Personal belongings have been thrown away due to the contamination of raw sewage, chemicals and oil spills from ruptured tanks at the refineries. Even entire lawns have had their top soil removed because of the toxic levels of contamination. Satan has tried to contaminate these people’s lives with discouragement and his lies. Only the spiritually strong will survive here.
On the brighter side, some homes and businesses are rebuilding. Today I even saw a man washing his truck and kids playing basketball in their neighborhood; a little semblance of normality amongst much destruction. The air carried sounds of birds singing their songs of new hope for spring time. Hammers and saws could be heard from both carpenters and church volunteers helping to build again. Throughout everything that we saw, heard and experienced today, we are thankful that our families our safe, our homes are safe and our churches are safe back in Fort Wayne. We pray that New Orleans can once again recover from another hurricane. You need to come down here yourself; to really get an idea of the immensity of what has happened here.
This week’s mission has really helped me grow in not only a better understanding of others lives but in my own - and where God fits into all of this. God always has a plan, we cannot always understand it or perhaps agree with it, but it’s there; undeniably there. Keep the faith!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Day Five
Written by Duane Thieme:
Unlike the Gulf Coast Trip of last year, this trip was unusual for me. This camp had moved to a new location and was using many temporary facilities. Instead of going out into the neighborhood and doing clean outs, tear outs or rebuilding family homes, I stayed back at camp and completed some of the many projects needed to transform the camp with permanent facilities. I believe this work is what God had chosen for me. I know the Gulf coast is going to require many years of volunteer labor to clean-up and restore this area. This camp is going to be home for a week to many volunteers over the next several years as they perform their service to our God helping the people of the Gulf coast rebuild their homes and lives. I feel with the projects I worked on in camp I am participating in the Gulf coast rebuilding project because the campers (God’s chosen workers) have a better place to rest from a hard day’s work, share the stories of the day, and share the stories of their own life.
Written by Charlene Ebel:
I am so glad that I came on this trip. This will be an experience I will never forget. It is one thing to hear about Katrina on the news, to get pictures through emails of the devastation, but to actually be here, to see it, to smell it, to touch it, to hear the stories, has been an emotional journey for me. Yesterday we moved a man named Dennis (former NASA employee) out of his former home and into another home. We had to go through his storage shed of what was left of his belongings and gently ask him what he wanted to keep and what was to go out to the curb. This was incredibly difficult for me to endure (and I wasn’t even related to him!). It was just a lot for me to take in all at once. Every item had a story to tell . . . “This was our first dinning room light fixture…uh, let’s save it, no, pitch that I guess” – statements like that really tugged at my heart. He said he had been through four hurricanes and this was the second time where he had lost everything in the storm. What looked like a bunch of junk to me (moldy, dirty, water damaged stuff) was basically what he had left that was tangible in his life. Precious memories attached to the items, gifts, and their first Christmas star for the tree - all gone. It was just really difficult for me to keep it together. This has really put things into perspective for me as I go about my daily life and being even more grateful for where I am at in this life and being content with what I have. We all have come down here to be a blessing to others and in return we have been blessed richly. To God be the Glory! 2 John 12
Unlike the Gulf Coast Trip of last year, this trip was unusual for me. This camp had moved to a new location and was using many temporary facilities. Instead of going out into the neighborhood and doing clean outs, tear outs or rebuilding family homes, I stayed back at camp and completed some of the many projects needed to transform the camp with permanent facilities. I believe this work is what God had chosen for me. I know the Gulf coast is going to require many years of volunteer labor to clean-up and restore this area. This camp is going to be home for a week to many volunteers over the next several years as they perform their service to our God helping the people of the Gulf coast rebuild their homes and lives. I feel with the projects I worked on in camp I am participating in the Gulf coast rebuilding project because the campers (God’s chosen workers) have a better place to rest from a hard day’s work, share the stories of the day, and share the stories of their own life.
Written by Charlene Ebel:
I am so glad that I came on this trip. This will be an experience I will never forget. It is one thing to hear about Katrina on the news, to get pictures through emails of the devastation, but to actually be here, to see it, to smell it, to touch it, to hear the stories, has been an emotional journey for me. Yesterday we moved a man named Dennis (former NASA employee) out of his former home and into another home. We had to go through his storage shed of what was left of his belongings and gently ask him what he wanted to keep and what was to go out to the curb. This was incredibly difficult for me to endure (and I wasn’t even related to him!). It was just a lot for me to take in all at once. Every item had a story to tell . . . “This was our first dinning room light fixture…uh, let’s save it, no, pitch that I guess” – statements like that really tugged at my heart. He said he had been through four hurricanes and this was the second time where he had lost everything in the storm. What looked like a bunch of junk to me (moldy, dirty, water damaged stuff) was basically what he had left that was tangible in his life. Precious memories attached to the items, gifts, and their first Christmas star for the tree - all gone. It was just really difficult for me to keep it together. This has really put things into perspective for me as I go about my daily life and being even more grateful for where I am at in this life and being content with what I have. We all have come down here to be a blessing to others and in return we have been blessed richly. To God be the Glory! 2 John 12
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Day Four
Have you heard this story yet? This is what keeps us going down here. So much work to be done, yah barely feel like you are making a difference...but you are! Little by little we work onward and upward! :o] and every lit bit helps!
The Starfish Rescuers - adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."
That story constantly replays over and over again in my mind as we work down here. It is so rewarding to know that we are working for the LORD as well. :o)
Well the man that we moved yesterday was named Dennis. We got our stories confused and what I wrote yesterday is not accurate. We are not completely clear on what the situation is, but Dennis and his wife Jackie will not be living together. They have not lived together since 2002 due to health concerns, as in, they cannot take care of each others physical needs. Why they are not under the same health care program is still a mystery to us. We really do not know that much about their story, he let us pray with him and was very grateful for that and for our helping hands. This took us practically all day to accomplish. They both are in a safer part of town now and Dennis seemed to be very happy to move ahead with his life as he left what was left of his home behind. Aside from moving him, some of the men boarded up the doors and windows. Not only do you get a fine if your lawn is not mowed, but if your doors are not locked or there is an opening of any kind, like in the windows, you can be fined too, Dennis said. The home will now sit there until a certain program that he is with will buy it from him. A lot of details to that side of the story though. It was hard to find Dennis’ home because the directions from the computer may be accurate but the street signs here are either half torn off, turned every which way or just non existent! Someone has taken the back of the white, advertising signs and in black electrical tape made a make-shift street sign and posted it where it belongs! Thank you Jesus! J
Some houses down here have been gutted out and ready to be rebuilt inside and then the homeowners decided they are not coming back, so the home gets demolished. All that work that perhaps a youth group or missions group or whoever did, wasted, because it just ends up demolished down to the cement foundation. There are no basements here of course and many of the homes are brick to keep the termites away.
Now, what happens if insurance won’t pay up after the storm you might ask? Well the insurance company says, ‘sorry, it was wind damage and you don’t have that in your policy’ or ‘…it was flooding and you are not covered for that.’ Some folks have intentionally set fire to their home because, guess what? Insurance covers that! They of course don’t want to get caught on ‘how’ the fire started, but the insurance agents and arson inspectors are just so busy that the homeowner usually gets away with it.
If you view pictures of homes down here you may see a huge ‘X’ painted on the house or garage that faces the street. Larry told us that the first quadrant is the date that it was inspected, the left is the initials of who inspected it, the lower is the number of ‘bodies’ found and to the right is the number of animals (pets) found that did not survive. If the quadrant is left blank that is equivalent to zero.
Katie said that it will take anywhere between 8 to 12 years before everything is back to normal. This means, economically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Really something to think about isn't it? A couple days before the trip my husband, Caleb and I were talking about what it would be like to come down here and to have to adjust to the fact that this is the people’s normal lifestyle now. See, in the north, we don’t understand hurricane or earthquake, but we do understand snow and tornadoes. I really like the analogy that Caleb gave. He said “It would be like if in 2005 our city was hit over the weekend with a massive blizzard and still to this day and for years to come we are trying to undo everything that the storm did.” Wow.
Last night we went to a classic restaurant down here called, Mandinas. Many people tried new and tasty foods. Turtle soup, Gumbo soup, trout, crab, craw fish, yes, we really experienced what New Orleans had to offer! The people here also enjoy rice and red beans, anything with Tabasco sauce on it and Cajun foods! Then we went and walked down Bourbon Street which is in the French Quarter, many of us had never been there before. As we walked past a closed gated park I asked what all the commotions was going on inside. A crew worker said they were shooting a movie and nobody famous was in it and it was going to be a historical movie. We couldn't really see much but we heard “Quiet on the set!” and that was really interesting with all the bright lights everywhere and people in their costumes and makeup.
Today a bunch of people went out and surveyed over 75 homes to see what the status of the area was because the city had not heard back from them. Had the lawn been mowed, any sign of people living there, any windows not boarded up? Questions like that that needed to be answered. The rest of us stayed back and did lawn care and pouring and striking cement for the sidewalk that goes around the pond here at camp. The women’s shower room is still under way as the electrician came today and so now Duane can move forward with that.
I think our plans for tomorrow are to get up, clean up the camp one last time, pack our bags, say our goodbyes and hit the road. So I am not sure if I will get a chance to get back on here and update “ya’ll!” If not, thank you again for your prayers. This has been quite the adventure and we look forward to sharing more with you. Hopefully later this evening I will be able to post individual team members entries on what they have to say about this experience. :)
The Starfish Rescuers - adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley (1907-1977)
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up. As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean. He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?" The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean." "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man. To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die." Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!" At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."
That story constantly replays over and over again in my mind as we work down here. It is so rewarding to know that we are working for the LORD as well. :o)
Well the man that we moved yesterday was named Dennis. We got our stories confused and what I wrote yesterday is not accurate. We are not completely clear on what the situation is, but Dennis and his wife Jackie will not be living together. They have not lived together since 2002 due to health concerns, as in, they cannot take care of each others physical needs. Why they are not under the same health care program is still a mystery to us. We really do not know that much about their story, he let us pray with him and was very grateful for that and for our helping hands. This took us practically all day to accomplish. They both are in a safer part of town now and Dennis seemed to be very happy to move ahead with his life as he left what was left of his home behind. Aside from moving him, some of the men boarded up the doors and windows. Not only do you get a fine if your lawn is not mowed, but if your doors are not locked or there is an opening of any kind, like in the windows, you can be fined too, Dennis said. The home will now sit there until a certain program that he is with will buy it from him. A lot of details to that side of the story though. It was hard to find Dennis’ home because the directions from the computer may be accurate but the street signs here are either half torn off, turned every which way or just non existent! Someone has taken the back of the white, advertising signs and in black electrical tape made a make-shift street sign and posted it where it belongs! Thank you Jesus! J
Some houses down here have been gutted out and ready to be rebuilt inside and then the homeowners decided they are not coming back, so the home gets demolished. All that work that perhaps a youth group or missions group or whoever did, wasted, because it just ends up demolished down to the cement foundation. There are no basements here of course and many of the homes are brick to keep the termites away.
Now, what happens if insurance won’t pay up after the storm you might ask? Well the insurance company says, ‘sorry, it was wind damage and you don’t have that in your policy’ or ‘…it was flooding and you are not covered for that.’ Some folks have intentionally set fire to their home because, guess what? Insurance covers that! They of course don’t want to get caught on ‘how’ the fire started, but the insurance agents and arson inspectors are just so busy that the homeowner usually gets away with it.
If you view pictures of homes down here you may see a huge ‘X’ painted on the house or garage that faces the street. Larry told us that the first quadrant is the date that it was inspected, the left is the initials of who inspected it, the lower is the number of ‘bodies’ found and to the right is the number of animals (pets) found that did not survive. If the quadrant is left blank that is equivalent to zero.
Katie said that it will take anywhere between 8 to 12 years before everything is back to normal. This means, economically, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Really something to think about isn't it? A couple days before the trip my husband, Caleb and I were talking about what it would be like to come down here and to have to adjust to the fact that this is the people’s normal lifestyle now. See, in the north, we don’t understand hurricane or earthquake, but we do understand snow and tornadoes. I really like the analogy that Caleb gave. He said “It would be like if in 2005 our city was hit over the weekend with a massive blizzard and still to this day and for years to come we are trying to undo everything that the storm did.” Wow.
Last night we went to a classic restaurant down here called, Mandinas. Many people tried new and tasty foods. Turtle soup, Gumbo soup, trout, crab, craw fish, yes, we really experienced what New Orleans had to offer! The people here also enjoy rice and red beans, anything with Tabasco sauce on it and Cajun foods! Then we went and walked down Bourbon Street which is in the French Quarter, many of us had never been there before. As we walked past a closed gated park I asked what all the commotions was going on inside. A crew worker said they were shooting a movie and nobody famous was in it and it was going to be a historical movie. We couldn't really see much but we heard “Quiet on the set!” and that was really interesting with all the bright lights everywhere and people in their costumes and makeup.
Today a bunch of people went out and surveyed over 75 homes to see what the status of the area was because the city had not heard back from them. Had the lawn been mowed, any sign of people living there, any windows not boarded up? Questions like that that needed to be answered. The rest of us stayed back and did lawn care and pouring and striking cement for the sidewalk that goes around the pond here at camp. The women’s shower room is still under way as the electrician came today and so now Duane can move forward with that.
I think our plans for tomorrow are to get up, clean up the camp one last time, pack our bags, say our goodbyes and hit the road. So I am not sure if I will get a chance to get back on here and update “ya’ll!” If not, thank you again for your prayers. This has been quite the adventure and we look forward to sharing more with you. Hopefully later this evening I will be able to post individual team members entries on what they have to say about this experience. :)
Saved by Grace,
Charlene
2 Tim. 4:7-8
Phil 3:13-14
Mat. 25:40
Phil 3:13-14
Mat. 25:40
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Day Three
Last night during our devotions I asked the crew that went to the office building if they would be willing to write down, in their words, what the work site was like. I can tell you what I think it was like by looking at the pictures they took, but their descriptive words will paint you a much
better picture. So far Bruce and Tim turned in an entry to me, so this is what they had to say. ;)
Tim's entry:
Our mission to day was to help continue ripping out a steel fabricated plant the plant had not been touched for 19 months. Although it only had five feet of flood water, I was shocked to see the mold had grown to the second floor ceiling. With forecast of people needing help with their homes for the next eight years, homes will have to be completely ripped out from top to bottom.
Bruce's entry:
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today some of our Concordia Mission Team worked on the office front of a metal fabrication business that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It was near the New Orleans Port Authority, so we caught a glimpse of a large of a large cargo ship within view of where we were working. We removed drywall as well as THOUSANDS of rusting screws on metal studs, drank gallons of water in this humid heat, and did a final sweep and raking out front. This is a high visibility structure neat the port, so we tried to improve it's appearance as best as we could for the community. It was great to feel the Lord's presence as we helped each other to, in turn, help those here who are in such desperate need. This business has lost MILLIONS of dollars in large computer operated machinery that was all submerged in the storm. Nobody was left unscathed down here by Katrina, and it's going to take years before this area of our great country recovers. Prayers are very much appreciated for these folks. They are truly 'victims' in every sense of the word.
Sincerely,
Bruce - Working for Jesus
Pretty interesting, isn't it? They will go back this afternoon and tackle the enormous project as a team. Now, I know a couple of you are probably interested in what we are eating down here, so I will still keep you posted. =-] Last night was Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and peas with banana cake! This morning was similar to Monday's breakfast. The kitchen staff is really doing a marvelous job, praise the Lord!! :o]
This morning a couple of the team members are working on the lawn; weed whacking and mowing. Everyone else is preparing and packing up for our 9:30 am mission. We are going to be moving a elderly gentleman into his new home! How exciting for him! So we are going to be carrying boxes from the trailer into his home. Him and his wife had to be separated for a period of time because she was in a rehabilitation home and now they get to be reunited and live under the same roof! Their are so many heart touching stories that we have heard about, all are so different from each other. This morning might be our only chance to meet a homeowner and hear his side of the story, so we are very enthusiastic about helping him out! :-D
Larry (the maintenance man) was saying that homes before the storm were about $150,000 and retired folks used to live in them. Now that the storm has come and gone and the homeowners are not returning or no where to be found, the city MUST move forward. This city is all about moving forward! The city has no way of getting ahold of them so what the city is basically forced to do is to slap on a fine for the house because the grass in the yard is 'too high.' So the fine is $1,000 and if they do not mow the lawn (how could they) then their home will be taken away. This was bittersweet to hear because that is awful that their home will be repossessed, but what else can be done? How many more months would they have to wait to hear from someone to see if they are coming back or abandoning the place? So they most move forth! So now those homes will most likely have young couples living in them because the home will now be sold for around $20,000 after it has been mucked out. They couple (or whoever) will need to have about 40,000 to repair electricity, plumbing, walls, roof, etc. But overall it would be a 'good deal' for them. But of course, (it goes unsaid that) the people hear know that another storm could hit at anytime.
Your mouth just hangs wide open as you drive the streets down here. On one side of the road is a brand new Winn Dixie grocery store, Walgreens, McDonalds, etc (life still must go on) and on the other side of the road you will find what you think used to be a home, filled with laughter and love and memories, but now it is just a pile of rubbish. Boats are still tipped over, a caboose is still in the water along side the road, and spray paint on houses informing the public of when it was inspected and if any did or did not survive, just very bizarre and everything is out of the 'norm' of what we are used to. And to the people here, this, this is life for them. Count your blessings my friends and pray for those who are less fortunate. Thank you again for supporting us with your prayers, you are making a difference as well, right along with us. :o}
better picture. So far Bruce and Tim turned in an entry to me, so this is what they had to say. ;)
Tim's entry:
Our mission to day was to help continue ripping out a steel fabricated plant the plant had not been touched for 19 months. Although it only had five feet of flood water, I was shocked to see the mold had grown to the second floor ceiling. With forecast of people needing help with their homes for the next eight years, homes will have to be completely ripped out from top to bottom.
Bruce's entry:
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today some of our Concordia Mission Team worked on the office front of a metal fabrication business that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It was near the New Orleans Port Authority, so we caught a glimpse of a large of a large cargo ship within view of where we were working. We removed drywall as well as THOUSANDS of rusting screws on metal studs, drank gallons of water in this humid heat, and did a final sweep and raking out front. This is a high visibility structure neat the port, so we tried to improve it's appearance as best as we could for the community. It was great to feel the Lord's presence as we helped each other to, in turn, help those here who are in such desperate need. This business has lost MILLIONS of dollars in large computer operated machinery that was all submerged in the storm. Nobody was left unscathed down here by Katrina, and it's going to take years before this area of our great country recovers. Prayers are very much appreciated for these folks. They are truly 'victims' in every sense of the word.
Sincerely,
Bruce - Working for Jesus
Pretty interesting, isn't it? They will go back this afternoon and tackle the enormous project as a team. Now, I know a couple of you are probably interested in what we are eating down here, so I will still keep you posted. =-] Last night was Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes and peas with banana cake! This morning was similar to Monday's breakfast. The kitchen staff is really doing a marvelous job, praise the Lord!! :o]
This morning a couple of the team members are working on the lawn; weed whacking and mowing. Everyone else is preparing and packing up for our 9:30 am mission. We are going to be moving a elderly gentleman into his new home! How exciting for him! So we are going to be carrying boxes from the trailer into his home. Him and his wife had to be separated for a period of time because she was in a rehabilitation home and now they get to be reunited and live under the same roof! Their are so many heart touching stories that we have heard about, all are so different from each other. This morning might be our only chance to meet a homeowner and hear his side of the story, so we are very enthusiastic about helping him out! :-D
Larry (the maintenance man) was saying that homes before the storm were about $150,000 and retired folks used to live in them. Now that the storm has come and gone and the homeowners are not returning or no where to be found, the city MUST move forward. This city is all about moving forward! The city has no way of getting ahold of them so what the city is basically forced to do is to slap on a fine for the house because the grass in the yard is 'too high.' So the fine is $1,000 and if they do not mow the lawn (how could they) then their home will be taken away. This was bittersweet to hear because that is awful that their home will be repossessed, but what else can be done? How many more months would they have to wait to hear from someone to see if they are coming back or abandoning the place? So they most move forth! So now those homes will most likely have young couples living in them because the home will now be sold for around $20,000 after it has been mucked out. They couple (or whoever) will need to have about 40,000 to repair electricity, plumbing, walls, roof, etc. But overall it would be a 'good deal' for them. But of course, (it goes unsaid that) the people hear know that another storm could hit at anytime.
Your mouth just hangs wide open as you drive the streets down here. On one side of the road is a brand new Winn Dixie grocery store, Walgreens, McDonalds, etc (life still must go on) and on the other side of the road you will find what you think used to be a home, filled with laughter and love and memories, but now it is just a pile of rubbish. Boats are still tipped over, a caboose is still in the water along side the road, and spray paint on houses informing the public of when it was inspected and if any did or did not survive, just very bizarre and everything is out of the 'norm' of what we are used to. And to the people here, this, this is life for them. Count your blessings my friends and pray for those who are less fortunate. Thank you again for supporting us with your prayers, you are making a difference as well, right along with us. :o}
In Humble Adoration,
Charlene
1 Thes 5:16-18
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Day Two
Today is another gorgeous day! And with that gorgeous day we are all doing some very hard work! :)
This morning after breakfast seven people from our team went over to work on an industrial office building that needs to be reconstructed and finished 'mucking it out'. That means shoveling up junk! The office building is considered commercial, not residential, but this camp was allowed to work over there with permission. The storm really hit hard over there and left a huge mess. The group that went over to help today took sack lunches and I assume they will be back by dinner time, which is at 6 pm. The people that went today are: Caleb, Carter, Bruce, Tim, Aaron, Ellen and Jane.
That leaves me (Charlene), Dave, Dwayne and Joe back here at camp. Since breakfast Dave has still been working vigorously on the back hoe trying to dig trenches for the electrical work that needs to be done. I think he also wants to get the foundation laid for cement to be poured to make adequate side walks, but that will be later on in the week. Joe and Dwayne are diligently working as a team on the women's shower house today. Yesterday they did the boy's showers and today they are doing the same thing for the girls. They need to lay the floor boards down correctly as it was not done properly the last time. This morning I cleaned the inside bathrooms, the port-o-potties, took out the trash, picked up liter from outside, restocked the fridge and freezer with water, swept, and did some laundry. They have thousands of work gloves in bins and hundreds of work boots in the dinning hall area here. It is amazing and wonderful to think that all of these supplies are being used! And after they are used they need washing (that has been keeping me busy today)! So the gloves go in a huge bucket with bleach water and sit for at least an hour. Then they are washed in the washer and hung up to dry. The boots were power washed and turned upside down to dry. They lay in the spaces between the huge wooden crates. If their are ever holes in the gloves or boots they use duct tape to repair them until they are no longer usable.
The fabulous kitchen workers have been feeding us well (buffet style). Monday for breakfast (7 am) we had pancakes, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, cereal, juice, milk, and fresh fruit to choose from! For lunch yesterday (noon) we had sloppy-joes and corn and fresh fruit. For dinner last night and today's lunch we had white rice and white beans with sausage mixed in with the beans. And Tabasco sauce goes on EVERYTHING down here, but at your choice of course! :o]Last night served with the beans and rice was sweet potatoes and chocolate pudding. For lunch today we had collared greens (spinach-like) and brownies served with the beans and rice. For today's breakfast we had grits (oh yes!), waffles, cereal, juice, milk, fresh fruit and biscuits and gravy to choose from! I am not sure what will be served for dinner tonight. I think we might be headed to Bourbon Street this evening, but that is set firmly in Jello!
I wish I could tell you what we did last night but I fell asleep at 7:30 pm and didn't wake up until this morning! Dave tells me that most everyone watched the basketball game, played cards and did a devotional during half time. Around 5 pm we are done working and can get cleaned up for dinner. Most people who work 9 am - 5 pm jobs, shower in the morning. Not here! Larry (the maintenance man) told us we could if we wanted to but he said that you will be sweating and dirty ten minutes later. And he is right! So most people get cleaned up before dinner then they have the evening to themselves.
From the camp you can see a six story apartment building from here. It had hardly no damage from the storm and could have been used again for renters. However, Ellen (Larry's wife) told us that drug lords and gangs went in and spray painted everywhere and did so much destruction that it cannot be used at this time. We often hear sirens, trains, traffic and lawn equipment going off and on every now and then here at camp.
I don't think the bugs have been to bad since we have been here (knock on wood). They have down here what they call the "no see 'em" bug/insect. You cannot see it, you cannot feel it, but it leaves it's mark! It appears to be a mosquito bite and gets red and itches. I am not sure if any of our team has been bit.
Each day we write down the hours we worked and what we did, similar to a time sheet. This is because Katie turns them into the company they work for and they get looked over and then submitted to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). FEMA credits the state of LA 17.50 for every volunteer hour worked. In 2006 Camp Hope, Slidel, and Peace (camps) earned over 3 million dollars in credit. This amount will be reduced from the debt that LA is in because of the storm.
Many homeowners who need work done on their homes can fill out an application and it will be submitted and looked over to see which camp has the man power and skills to meet their needs. Once the application is submitted they must go through a case manager to see if they qualify for (funding) aid. The camps are more likely to help out those who have their own funding established and who are able to provide their own materials. The camp provides the free labor! :)
The camps supplies are mainly donated. Their supporters who fund them are LCMS (Lutheran Church Missoury Synaod) and ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) and through private donations.
I hope to get more pictures uploaded for all of you. Hopefully the group of seven takes some good snapshots of the office building so you can see what they were doing today. Oh, it looks like the group just pulled in...they look exhausted! My husband, Caleb just said that the building was a huge disaster! I will have to write more on their experiences later....!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are having a lot of fun, making lasting memories, learning more about what happened down here and just so glad to be here! Enjoy your evening!
This morning after breakfast seven people from our team went over to work on an industrial office building that needs to be reconstructed and finished 'mucking it out'. That means shoveling up junk! The office building is considered commercial, not residential, but this camp was allowed to work over there with permission. The storm really hit hard over there and left a huge mess. The group that went over to help today took sack lunches and I assume they will be back by dinner time, which is at 6 pm. The people that went today are: Caleb, Carter, Bruce, Tim, Aaron, Ellen and Jane.
That leaves me (Charlene), Dave, Dwayne and Joe back here at camp. Since breakfast Dave has still been working vigorously on the back hoe trying to dig trenches for the electrical work that needs to be done. I think he also wants to get the foundation laid for cement to be poured to make adequate side walks, but that will be later on in the week. Joe and Dwayne are diligently working as a team on the women's shower house today. Yesterday they did the boy's showers and today they are doing the same thing for the girls. They need to lay the floor boards down correctly as it was not done properly the last time. This morning I cleaned the inside bathrooms, the port-o-potties, took out the trash, picked up liter from outside, restocked the fridge and freezer with water, swept, and did some laundry. They have thousands of work gloves in bins and hundreds of work boots in the dinning hall area here. It is amazing and wonderful to think that all of these supplies are being used! And after they are used they need washing (that has been keeping me busy today)! So the gloves go in a huge bucket with bleach water and sit for at least an hour. Then they are washed in the washer and hung up to dry. The boots were power washed and turned upside down to dry. They lay in the spaces between the huge wooden crates. If their are ever holes in the gloves or boots they use duct tape to repair them until they are no longer usable.
The fabulous kitchen workers have been feeding us well (buffet style). Monday for breakfast (7 am) we had pancakes, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, cereal, juice, milk, and fresh fruit to choose from! For lunch yesterday (noon) we had sloppy-joes and corn and fresh fruit. For dinner last night and today's lunch we had white rice and white beans with sausage mixed in with the beans. And Tabasco sauce goes on EVERYTHING down here, but at your choice of course! :o]Last night served with the beans and rice was sweet potatoes and chocolate pudding. For lunch today we had collared greens (spinach-like) and brownies served with the beans and rice. For today's breakfast we had grits (oh yes!), waffles, cereal, juice, milk, fresh fruit and biscuits and gravy to choose from! I am not sure what will be served for dinner tonight. I think we might be headed to Bourbon Street this evening, but that is set firmly in Jello!
I wish I could tell you what we did last night but I fell asleep at 7:30 pm and didn't wake up until this morning! Dave tells me that most everyone watched the basketball game, played cards and did a devotional during half time. Around 5 pm we are done working and can get cleaned up for dinner. Most people who work 9 am - 5 pm jobs, shower in the morning. Not here! Larry (the maintenance man) told us we could if we wanted to but he said that you will be sweating and dirty ten minutes later. And he is right! So most people get cleaned up before dinner then they have the evening to themselves.
From the camp you can see a six story apartment building from here. It had hardly no damage from the storm and could have been used again for renters. However, Ellen (Larry's wife) told us that drug lords and gangs went in and spray painted everywhere and did so much destruction that it cannot be used at this time. We often hear sirens, trains, traffic and lawn equipment going off and on every now and then here at camp.
I don't think the bugs have been to bad since we have been here (knock on wood). They have down here what they call the "no see 'em" bug/insect. You cannot see it, you cannot feel it, but it leaves it's mark! It appears to be a mosquito bite and gets red and itches. I am not sure if any of our team has been bit.
Each day we write down the hours we worked and what we did, similar to a time sheet. This is because Katie turns them into the company they work for and they get looked over and then submitted to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). FEMA credits the state of LA 17.50 for every volunteer hour worked. In 2006 Camp Hope, Slidel, and Peace (camps) earned over 3 million dollars in credit. This amount will be reduced from the debt that LA is in because of the storm.
Many homeowners who need work done on their homes can fill out an application and it will be submitted and looked over to see which camp has the man power and skills to meet their needs. Once the application is submitted they must go through a case manager to see if they qualify for (funding) aid. The camps are more likely to help out those who have their own funding established and who are able to provide their own materials. The camp provides the free labor! :)
The camps supplies are mainly donated. Their supporters who fund them are LCMS (Lutheran Church Missoury Synaod) and ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) and through private donations.
I hope to get more pictures uploaded for all of you. Hopefully the group of seven takes some good snapshots of the office building so you can see what they were doing today. Oh, it looks like the group just pulled in...they look exhausted! My husband, Caleb just said that the building was a huge disaster! I will have to write more on their experiences later....!
Thank you again for your prayers and support. We are having a lot of fun, making lasting memories, learning more about what happened down here and just so glad to be here! Enjoy your evening!
In His Grip,
Charlene
Phil. 4:13
Monday, April 2, 2007
Our First Official Work Day
Hi Everyone,Welcome! I am Charlene Ebel and I will be updating you throughout the week on what we are doing down here!
First, lets start off with what we have been up to these past couple of days. We are having a lot of fun and getting to know each other better through our conversations and through the car ride! We made good time getting here and even were able to make nice, leisurely stops along the way. About 4 pm Sunday we arrived at Bethlehem Volunteer Center and were greeted warmly by Katie. She is the manager and works here with many other helping hands to take care of volunteers as they come in and need instructions on what to do and how to get the jobs accomplished. Their whole staff all do a tremendously awesome job!
We are staying in a school's gym. This area that we are staying in has a gate with barbwire around it. This area used to be an orphanage for children. The building that the children stayed in was too damaged from the storm to repair, plus it was an old building anyway. The gym however was in good enough condition to be fixed up and they turned it into a camp for volunteers to sleep in. They usually have MANY people staying here, but this week it is just our team of eleven. However we meet for meals with other volunteers who are staying at different camps. We have even met 22 volunteers who have come down from Fort Wayne! They are from various churches and our staying near our camp. Where they are staying at and where we eat at, I believe, is called Camp Restore. Bethlehem Volunteer Center (where we are staying) has only been officially open to volunteers since the first week in March.
The weather is beautiful! Yes it is humid sometimes, but since we have been here the wind has been giving us a nice cool breeze. It rains off and on too. I would say it would be in the 70's today. The breeze has really been a blessing as we are all working up a sweat outside! We are blessed also that our (gym) dorms have air conditioning! Yeah! Actually that whole building does. Besides the men and women's dorms we have restrooms, a place to keep cold water, they keep all their supplies (boots, masks, first aid, cleaning products, etc) here and they have a bunch of tables and chairs set up.
So what have we been doing to work up a sweat? The LORD'S work! :) Dave gets to dig up trenches with a back hoe. This will be for electricity to run to one of their tool sheds. Dwayne and Joe are working inside trying to REDO some showers. I guess previous groups tried to hurry up and get the job done and it did not meet 'code' standards nor did they even work properly. The
rest of the men: Caleb, Carter, Bruce, Tim, and Aaron, are working on cutting down some dead trees on this property. Ellen and Jane have been cleaning out first aid kits, organizing the inventory of band aids, peroxide, Tylenol, etc, and then putting them back into the clean kits. The kits then go into rubber maid containers filled with, gloves, masks, eye wash, trash bags, bug spray, etc. This container goes to the work site so that anything you need is easily accessible. Then I (Charlene) have been cleaning out our 'gym,' port-o-potties, shower area and doing some laundry. 
These projects and others (lawn care) will keep us busy throughout the rest of the day. We are trying to restore the camp so that when other volunteers or inspectors come in, it will be acceptable. Later in the week we will probably go to a house to help out with whatever needs to be done.Last night we went to a festival in New Orleans (St. Bearnard) and had a lot of fun at the carnival. Some tried alligator for the first time but no one was brave enough that I know of to try the crawdads! Maybe later this week,
eh? I remember Bruce saying it was good to see the people here out and about and having a great time and enjoying the festivities. Many people, I have heard, are depressed and losing hope quickly. So I think we can all agree with Bruce's statement!Now I would like to share two stories that we have heard and learned about while being down here and I am assuming these things have happened at more than once or twice! First, I will make you aware that, as I said before, people need hope and restoration down here. Construction workers (plumbers, electricians, roof workers, landscapers, the list goes on. . .) will make a deal with the home owner to fix it up, but the money must be upfront of course for the supplies. Then they will either not show up for the job and have their life savings in their wallet or they will work on half of the house and ask for the second have of the money later and then now show up. I am not sure if these are the professionals who are doing this or 'posers.' Can you imagine what that would be like to be the victim? Average people just like you and me loose everything in a storm and in an effort to rebuild their lives, a criminal steals from them. They are left with nothing.
The other story that was told was about a homeowner whose house was almost 'complete.' The volunteer group that had been working on her/his house had to leave and a new group would be coming in the following week to put the finishing touches on. Instead the group went in, I am assuming a little too excited and started gutting the house out as if it had never even been touched! Can you imagine the homeowners surprise! I don't know how they could have thought that it had never been touched because of all of the 'new' things that were put into the place! Oh goodness!
As I close I would like to give you all a huge "Thank you" for your prayers and support, we are so blessed to be able to be a blessing to the people here. Everyone is in good health and are glad to be doing the Lord's work! I hope to make a journal entry every day, so please feel free to check back in and make a comment if you would like. Also, thank you to the Stephen Ministry gang for taking the time to make us all encouragement cards. This gives us something fun to look forward to every day! =-]
Blessings,
Charlene Ebel
1 Peter 3:15
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Pre-trip Interview - 4
Tim Witte, our trip spiritual leader, has this to share about why he is going back to New Orleans for clean-up efforts:
"When I returned from the first Gulf Coast Mission trip in April of 2006, I experienced many exhilarating feelings. Each time someone would ask me about the trip was an opportunity for me to witness for Jesus and at the same time, I was able to relive the mission trip in my mind.
" In January of 2007, I prayed to God about where He wanted me in His service. His answer was return to New Orleans. The Lord knew that I needed to give back to the Concordia Mission Program for all my positive experiences before, during, and after the 2006 trip. By becoming involved in Gulf Coast Mission-2, I could help prepare its’ new members, rebuild more homes, and give hope to more people in New Orleans for a better future. I cannot describe the looks on their faces or the appreciation in their hearts that a stranger would travel across the country to show they care about them.
"If the Lord is tugging at your heart, even a little bit, to become involved in a mission project, I encourage you to pray to Him concerning your involvement. Concordia has many different mission opportunities that can fit your present life and you too, can have these “mountain top” experiences."
"When I returned from the first Gulf Coast Mission trip in April of 2006, I experienced many exhilarating feelings. Each time someone would ask me about the trip was an opportunity for me to witness for Jesus and at the same time, I was able to relive the mission trip in my mind.
" In January of 2007, I prayed to God about where He wanted me in His service. His answer was return to New Orleans. The Lord knew that I needed to give back to the Concordia Mission Program for all my positive experiences before, during, and after the 2006 trip. By becoming involved in Gulf Coast Mission-2, I could help prepare its’ new members, rebuild more homes, and give hope to more people in New Orleans for a better future. I cannot describe the looks on their faces or the appreciation in their hearts that a stranger would travel across the country to show they care about them.
"If the Lord is tugging at your heart, even a little bit, to become involved in a mission project, I encourage you to pray to Him concerning your involvement. Concordia has many different mission opportunities that can fit your present life and you too, can have these “mountain top” experiences."
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