I have done many mission trips through my Lutheran church back home to cities all over the United States including Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, and also Toronto so I assumed I would be at least kind of prepared for the work in New Orleans. Upon driving into New Orleans I realized that I could never have been prepared for what I saw. It is as if nothing has been touched since the day after the water had been pumped out. Entire neighborhoods were deserted. It looked as if the entire city had been deserted during a war. I remember thinking to myself how can I possibly make a difference in such devastation.
Throughout the week I was able to work on three houses. The first family was considered lucky because their house was located in Lakeshore a district of well to do families that were able to get many of their belongings to the second floor of their two story homes. Lakeshore only got less than 8 feet of water. In my mind I couldn’t understand how this family could in any way possible be considered lucky. The next day we worked for a family in which the mother had gotten in as soon as possible after the flood had been pumped out and gotten to work on her home. She is in her 40's with a husband in his 60's and a son who lost two friends in the flood. She also is caring for a grand child. She has gotten her house to the point in which she only need finishing details done by our group even though she has major heart complications. The determination of this lady and most of the people of New Orleans to get back on their feet and back to normal is heart wrenching and amazing. I only hope to be as strong willed and determined in my every day life as they are. The last house we gutted from the beginning meaning that we were responsible for removing all of the ruined personal belongings so that we could tear down the dry wall remove the ceilings and the insulation. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done to sort through ruined photos and memories of a family I had never met. On top of the physical strength I found this past week that I never knew I had, I was inspired to look deep inside myself for a spiritual strength that could even partially match that of the people of New Orleans.
