two days in

Since you have to hear from me all the time, I thought you might enjoy hearing from someone ELSE for a change!

All five of the fanTAStic women who've joined me this week are first-time mission trippers. It is always interesting to see something through new eyes ...

We have been helping a family living in Chalmette to rebuild their home. We are to the finishing of the walls, and painting this week. It is exciting to be this close to getting a family back into their home.

It is most enjoyable to me to have time to chat with Janet and Ronnie (the homeowners) and hear all their personal stories. They have been fixing us lunch each day and it is some traditional down home southern cooking (red beans and rice, dirty rice).

The neighborhood is still in devastating condition, with few businesses open and the neighborhood is primarily empty gutted homes. An example of how things in this town are hard to understand: Today phone books were delivered to abandoned and demolished homes. Then Janet mentions there is no phone service since Katrina ... and won’t be till June!

Tomorrow we have a day of work and some extra fellowship time that includes a tour of other areas and also going to the French Quarter.

This has been an enjoyable experience. It is challenging at times, but I feel that I will be changed by this adventure!
Brianna


Wow. What an experience. I couldn’t even imagine when I got here what I would see. I have never seen such destruction in someone’s life.

Ronnie and Janet are such wonderful people and have such positive attitudes. I have spent much of the time that I am sanding drywall thinking about the situations that this community has been through ... and the dreams they have sleeping in a FEMA trailer with empty, abandoned houses all around and no noise or neighbors.

I stop sanding and think to myself I am not strong enough to deal with this kind of loss, But I have learned, I will never think of material things the same. The most important things in life aren’t things.
Aftan

Couldn't be more proud of a group of women ... or more sore, from work, and from laughter. My favorite combination.