Katrina Mission Team - Day 5
Friday - March 20, 2009
Today we started a little earlier because we only have about a half a day to work and we also wanted to get Pastor Mark off to the airport. All crews, except for Skip’s who went back to Covenant, then drove to Bill’s site to try and get as much done as we could. We accomplished quite a bit with the walls and some carpentry. We would have loved to just stay and get the house finished for Cliff’s family, but we just have to pray that they get some more crews in there fast and that they are as successful as we have been in getting projects done. We were able to meet some more of their large family, including two very adorable granddaughters. Cliff was gracious enough to let one of our teenagers interview him for a school project. Can’t wait to read it! We were sad to have to say our goodbyes, because we have definitely grown to care about them. We’ll keep them in our prayers.
We spent the later part of the afternoon touring the heaviest hit parts of St. Bernard parish and the lower 9th ward to see the signs of devastation still very apparent over 3 years later. It really broke our hearts to see so many homes destroyed. We were also able to walk around the section of the ward that has the new Swedish designed “green” homes that were built as a result of Brad Pitt’s involvement. They had solar panels and were made from recyclable materials. Their architectural designs are very unique looking thanks to their Swedish designers. We took a drive down to Shell Beach where there are a lot of crawfish boats coming and going (through a drawbridge over the canal). This is where the Katrina memorial is located and where the names of all of the victims are listed. It was very moving.
We went back to the Center for a genuine Louisiana-style crawfish boil. They served hamburgers and hotdogs for those who didn’t like shellfish. It was great how they served the crawfish. The crawfish were boiled with potatoes, corn on the cob pieces, sausage, onions and seasonings. They then laid out newspapers over the cafeteria tables and just piled the boiled crawfish and vegetables down the center of the tables. We just had to sit and crack and peel. It was fun and delicious! We had a pretty close competition between Colin and Kenny for speed and total consumption.
After dinner we drove to the French Quarter and had beignets and coffee at the Café Du Monde. The beignets are freshly deep fried square donuts piled high with powdered sugar. They were scrumptious! We then split up into groups to walk around and do a little shopping and sight seeing. We would have loved to have had a lot more time to do some exploring! But, we did get a sense of why Orleaneans love their city so much and why they don’t want to give it up or lose it to another storm. The architecture, culture, music and people have a unique style all their own. It would be such a terrible loss if we were to lose New Orleans which is an American treasure like no other.
With a little sadness we headed back to the Center to pack for the long drive the next morning. We are all looking forward to getting back to our families, but wish we could have a little more time here. We have learned so much! And it feels so wonderful to have been able to give our time and efforts to these very deserving people. We pray they continue to receive blessings from the Lord and others like us who can be the Lord’s hands and feet in action.
God Bless!
Images from the job sites:
St. Bernard Parish Katrina Memorial at Shell Beach:
Make It Right Initiative:
Louisiana Style Dinner:
Sites from French Quarter:
