tom talks...

and NO, this ISN'T the first time we've let him, so hush up in the Peanut Gallery!!

The Iowanians are a little nervous about me having a blog. But I promised them I'd be nice ... after all, What happens in New Orleans ...

Today's tasks were no less arduous, but not quite as mucky and awful as yesterday's. I didn't see the other site, but our Geist group plus Brynn made a solid showing at the home of a retired postal worker; 29 years in February, with the plaque to prove it.

A quick picture (from today's site) to show Ruth that he IS actually working (and don't you LOVE the new headgear?!) ...

and I've asked Tom to share some of his thoughts and reflections from our first few days ...

As we traveled south, I had the normal thoughts about what I was getting myself into. Could I stand up to the work? What kind of conditions would I be working in? How safe was the area? As we passed through Meridian, Mississippi I thought about the three civil rights workers who were murdered there a generation ago. Surely, they too were apprehensive about the future. Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney were in a much more hostile environment. Whatever uncertainties I faced were nothing compared to theirs.

My own uneasiness faded quickly soon after arriving at First Christian Church in Metairie. After meeting with volunteers from Iowa and northern Indiana, I knew that the week would go well. Monday, our first workday, began with John, (our host/work coordinator) giving us a brief tour of the major levee break near the house we would be cleaning up. It was not worse than I imagined, but certainly no better. As we entered the house the stench, even through the required mask, was overwhelming. Polluted water had permeated everything five feet above the floor, staying for weeks before receding. The floor was now covered with a reeking muck about six inches thick. As the day progressed I began to wonder about the family who had once called this mess home.

>Stuffed animals covered with slime. Where was the owner?

>Military medals and a Navy Chief’s hat. Were these the present owner’s? Or were these items keepsakes from a father or grandfather?

>The house was in such bad shape that none of us thought it could ever be livable again. Did the owner have flood insurance? Would the family just have to walk away from disaster, but still be tied to a mortgage?

>This was just one small house in one neighborhood in New Orleans. How many thousands of families are experiencing the same heartache and misery?

By the end of the day we all looked like we had rolled around the floor for several hours. A shower and change of clothes along with a hearty meal prepared by Courtney and Pam, restored our spirits and we spent the rest of the evening reflecting on our day’s experiences and learning about each other’s lives. How truly wonderful it is to be a part of a group that gathers to share God’s Love.

Tom

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As I read through what we've written, I know we're not giving a sufficient picture to represent the reality. But really, nothing can. Even standing here looking at it doesn't really help it sink in. Hearing individual stories ... the water rose 4 feet in 47 minutes ... we thought we were fine and then our neighbor was running and yelling 'look at the water!' ...

Story after story ... house after house ... everything with water marks and orange x's, indicating that houses have been searched, and code for what was found (or wasn't) ...

It's unbelievable. And we're only here for a few days. We're not even trying to LIVE here. We're just praying that eventually the people who WANT to, will be ABLE to.