This trip to New Orleans was my first mission trip. As we drove into the areas destroyed by Katrina, it took a moment for me to adjust to the complete emptiness and destruction. The estimated time it’ll take to completely rebuild is 17 years. It’s horrible just thinking about the possibility of another hurricane striking, but most of the residents affected by Katrina are very positive and determined to rebuild their homes and their lives. Praise them for their courage and determination. The amount of damage is just unbelievable. Although there has been a big effort to rebuild, little has been done in many neighborhoods since the hurricane. One thing that touched me was a photo album I found lying on the sidewalk in front of an empty house. Inside were discolored photos, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how these photos are someone’s valuable memories. As I flipped through the album, I came across a photo of a man, and the sad thing was in the picture he was standing in front of the now abandoned home in rubbles facing me. Before the trip my thoughts were simply that I’d be making a difference by helping to rebuild, but what I’ve gained from this experience is much more than I expected. It’s so easy to get caught up in our busy lives and to forget how we can provide a helping a hand to people who need it. Every little effort counts toward the big goal and by taking part in this experience, I developed a sense of true happiness and contribution.

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