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Sunday, February 26, 2006

Some of the members from Team Chalmette arrived yesterday.  Team Gretna and the remainder of Team Chalmette will arrive tomorrow afternoon. 

Team Chalmette Day 1: February 25, 2006

Day 1 began for me with an 8am visit to BCC where Wendy Sandford and I were to meet with WMUR TV for a last minute interview about the trip. After finding out the photographer was delayed, we packed up our families into our vehicles and proceeded to drive to the Poulin's home where the taping took place around 9am. From there we said our goodbyes and we began our journey to Logan Airport where Gerry, Wendy and I flew into New Orleans with a layover in Detroit. We arrived at the N.O. airport at 6pm and were greeted by Adam and Don, as well as by balmy, rainy, air mixed with a smell of mustiness that permeated the place. We gathered baggage and made the 30 minute drive to Chalmette, to "Camp Premiere." Flying into the airport we could see many blue tarps covering the roofs of houses and buildings, but as we drive further and further from the airport the sky darkened and the mood grew heavier as well, as we witnessed destruction that I don't think any of us had seen before outside of New Orleans.

I had pictured it as bad, but my weary mind cannot even begin to come up with the appropriate description of the scene. Houses lifted off foundations, laying on top of other houses. Crushed and demolished cars piled up in random places. Pile after pile of debris where some attempt at cleanup may have been -- and I'm talking house-sized piles of debris. Debris that not only contained wood and metal and trees and toilets but also I'm sure, that contained many lost memories of "Pre-Katrina" days. Rows upon rows of demolished structures. Blocks upon blocks. Porta-Potties lined up just in the islands in the middle of the busy roads. Broken glass and broken dreams. Despair.

One of the emotionally hardest and solemn moments for me was as we drove right by the Super Dome. Visions from the media coverage flashed through my mind as I realized that in the very spot our van was driving, people had stood with babies and the shirts on their backs as they waited it out for help.

How do I describe "Camp Premiere?" It is a military-style camp, with rows of large tents, each tent with 14 cots a piece. When we arrived it was dark, raining, muddy and raw, and I could sense the mixture of hope and despair here. We all checked in, got photo badges and ate dinner in the "mess tent." Amidst the long tables lined with plastic tablecloths and florescent lights was a mix of people -- volunteers, building contractors and a few displaced families... a little toddler was there making my heart ache for him and his family as well as for my sons to be in my arms (and realizing how "good" they have things!)

Please pray for us -- that we'd have physical and emotional strength to be a blessing to others this week. Pray for sleep amidst the tents, rain, sound of generators and in being surrounded by strangers. Pray for safety. And beyond it all, please pray that God's love and glory would shine through each one of us as we serve Him by serving others. Amen!

Team Chalmette Day 2: February 26, 2006

After a night of camping in our tents in the 30+ degree windy weather, we awoke to sunny skies and a cool breeze. The Camp had several loads of people come during the evening, making for our tents each to be full. The morning sunshine as well as the many more faces here than from when we first arrived, helped the day start brightly. Our team gathered to view the WMUR clip that was posted on the website and were all pleasantly surprised at how much God was left in the "equation" of the trip! Late morning we loaded into the van to join many others for a church service that was held in a school cafeteria. Worshipping with other volunteer believers as well as some who may have just been there searching for hope, was so emotionally uplifting. God really does have a plan and a purpose in all things, and He WILL see those through who are currently "in the valley."

A large part of the afternoon hours consisted of getting everyone from Camp Premiere (I'm guessing approx. 150 people or so) onto buses and transported off site for a training. There we received our "gear", Tyvek suits, masks, gloves, boots and hard hats. We also sat through a 1.5-2 hour presentation/training session. Seeing video footage and hearing the statistics was so emotional for many of us. There is SUCH a need for help here. At the end of the week perhaps we can get some of the stats posted here, but for now, bedtime is calling since we will be meeting for breakfast in the morning at 6am. For now, though, I'd like to plead with you, that as you check in this week to this site to read what God is doing here, that you would consider being a part of a future trip here. As of 2/24/06, 100 houses have been cleaned by volunteers. A major goal (for serious financial and political reasons)is to have 5,000 homes cleaned by June 30th, 2006! While we've been here, even though we haven't worked yet, we have already said, "We need to come back again soon... there's so much to be done." Seeing some of the homes that have been gutted out already, ready to be re-built and restored, is SUCH a sight of hope and joy to those who call New Orleans their home! One of the men who spoke at the training said to the body of volunteers, "Thank you, for giving part of your life for ours." Might you consider stepping outside of your comfort zone as we have to join in with brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the country to serve other Americans in such a tangible way? Please do consider, and thank you for prayerfully doing so.

Team Chalmette Day 3: February 27, 2006

Today was about hard work, and about hope amidst the darkness. We all slept better than we had the night prior, and arose to a sunny day to eat breakfast at 6am. Samaritan's Purse held a 7am devotional time... there's nothing like gathering with brothers and sisters in Christ from all over the country to praise our Lord and Savior through worship time! We loaded on buses with our gear and all of the different teams got dropped off at their sites. Our team, "Red 4," had the privilege of working on the home of Bob and Mavis, a married couple who joined us at their home shortly after we arrived. As we walked on the ground where the massive waters had torn through, the amount of work to be done seemed daunting. Words cannot describe to you what the destruction inside these homes entails... what we saw with our own eyes was way more than what we had visualized in our minds. As we worked our hardest (for some of us, the hardest we've ever worked physically), there were moments of light and joy. We'd find sentimental treasures that miraculously had been spared, and would see the looks on Bob and Mavis' faces as they got to hold memories in their hands. They have 3 grown sons, and some of the treasures we found included some of their athletic trophies and diplomas, and one box of baby momentos -- somehow this box survived and had the boys' newborn hats from the hospital! Their favorite treasure may have been their wedding cake topper, a smiling ceramic bride and groom. We had to label the back of our suits, and some of us had added comments, such as: "Annie -with a smile- Fuller"; "Wendy -Love Thy Neighbor- Sandford"; and "Jennifer -here to serve- Boisvert." We did our best to keep smiles on our faces and found it such a blessing to interact with Bob and Mavis, to hear their story and to offer any comfort we could by lending a listening ear. A sad moment was when we found a sealed bag of newborn baby bedding -- when it was walked out to Mavis, she stopped in her tracks, and breathed, "My baby's." She rubbed the package with her hand and then quietly said, "We need to toss it; we live right now in a tiny trailer and we can't fit much more." She let go of something so sweet to a Mom. A lighthearted moment though was when, as we shoveled many piles of women's shoes into the debris pile, Mavis noticed a pair and said, "My favorite winter shoes!" And as she chuckled she said, "I DO still love shoes!" As we peeled off our sweaty, dirty gear and loaded onto our bus, Wendy presented Bob with the Bible, team photo and Walmart gift card from BCC. He was so touched. He seemed to well up when Wendy also gave him a bag of doggie biscuits for their dog that she had brought along. We will be going back to finish gutting their home this week. Please pray we can be a blessing to Bob and Mavis, that we would love them in Jesus' name in a way that gives Him the glory! There have been quotes of hope along the way, being another stark contrast against the rubble. On a rooftop, spray painted, "Chalmette spirit -- Salt and Light of the Earth!" On a sign at the Camp Premiere entrance, "Think Positive St. Bernard*, We Do!" And spray painted on a destroyed home, "We R OK. God Bless." Thank you for praying! Our first day of work left us with no wounds and we're praying for the same for the rest of the week! And please pray that our team, Red 4, (now joined by Bob McLaughlin who arrived today), would be able to show the people of Chalmette, N.O. that Bedford Community Church of New Hampshire hasn't forgotten about them, and neither has the God who knows each of them by name.

*Note: St. Bernard Parish is the county that Chalmette is in.

Team GretnaDay 1: February 27, 2006

The Hoerner van Explorer was packed, geared up, and ready to go.  We literally got a jumpstart early Saturday morning.  At about 4:30 am, Mark P, Carol, Jared, and Chris placed all our trust in the Lord as we started our drive.  We had little trust in the car.  The drive was uneventful as long as we kept the car running.  Around dinner time, and a stop for gas, the car died when an unnamed driver turned off the engine.  A lovely lady at the next pump gave us a jumpstart.  We were on our way again.  About five hours later we arrived in Atlanta, GA.  The priority for Sunday was to get the car fixed.  By 10:30 am we already had a new battery installed.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing, talking with a few of the locals, and eating a sit down meal.  Atlanta was one of the cleanest places we had ever seen.  This morning we started the last leg of our journey at 8am (Monday, February 27).  We began to see signs of greater and greater devastation as we approached the New Orleans area.  It began with trees split in half and debris scattered around.  Continuing down the highway, we saw an occasional light pole down, pieces of furniture, and a few boats stranded in the ditches.  Many a home appeared empty with tarps covering the roofs.  It was amazing to see apartment complexes without any life.  There were deserted malls, McDonalds, warehouses, and signs blown out everywhere you turned.  The debris piled higher as we reached our destination.  Once we pulled into Gretna around 2:30 pm (Monday), there appeared to be life around the area.  A baseball game was being played at the field across from the Dick White Center. The building itself was quiet except for a few Samaritan Purse workers.  When the rest of the team arrived about an hour later, we went in to set up our bedding.  Mark later shared a story about a home owner, from back at the neighborhhod of the Chalmette work site where they dropped off Bob McLaughlin.  She desperately wanted the street numbers from her home.  Mark G.got a screwdriver and got the numbers for her.  This just demonstrated how little people have and how much the little things mean to them. 

Up until this time, no one else had arrived.  It was very quiet.  We ventured out for dinner using our street pilot to go to a local restaurant.  We got a bit lost in New Orleans.  We ended up in downtown, a place we did not want to be.  Amidst trash, we spotted Mardi Gras attendees and floats.  It was very crowded.  We turned back heading to where we were staying. Once back at the site, the atmosphere had changed. A group of 24 or so came in from Vancouver, ranging in age from 19-58 years.  Soon afterwards, another group from the University of Michigan arrived.  The majority of the women were composed of  college students with a few staff members supervising.  A bit later another group came from Delaware Baptist Church.  There would end up being between 60-80 volunteers, more men than women.  Anticipating what will happen tomorrow, lights went out at 9:30pm.

Team Chalmette Day 4: February 28, 2006 (Fat Tuesday)

Today is a holiday for New Orleans. Originally, on Sunday we were told that we would not be allowed to work; that it would be a Mandatory Day off because of the "holiday." Due to complaints from some of the Samaritan's Purse volunteers ("We came here to work!"), a provision was made to allow anyone with SP to work if they desired. That included us! And work we did. Heat, sun, respirator masks, insulation, axes, sledgehammers, dust particles from insulation, the shattering of glass, the smashing of sheet rock and plaster... all part of the "mudding out" process again today. We worked until our faces were red, our clothes soaked with sweat and our bodies ached... but there is such reward that comes from the satisfaction of a hard day's work, especially when it involves serving "the least of these."

We were paired up with 4 men from Hope Community Church out of Michigan as well as a young woman named Pam from California who was serving with Habitat For Humanity. We pulled up to a large 2 story home that belongs to Darlene and Tony, both of whom spent the day with us. They have a trailer parked in front of their home, and watched us and talked with us on and off all day. They joined us in morning prayer and when we left Tony had tears streaming down his cheeks saying he prayed that the Lord would bless our lives for the rest of our lives, because of the blessing we'd been to his life.

One of the most tender and emotional "finds" today came from a photograph. It was a black and white of Tony's Mother at 9 months old. Annie has been the "go to" person for the treasure collecting. We dig something up that is potentially salvageable out of the rubble and then we pass it on to Annie, who sorts through it and shows it to the homeowner. She's experienced joy in connecting with the homeowners via the treasures, and she's been a treasure to them, too! (and she is a treasure to us as well.)

Tonight we had a wonderful dinner in the mess tent of fried chicken, baked potato and all the fixin's! We replenished our bodies and also had a great time of fellowship, creating a wonderful bond by experiencing all of this together. We are all very tired and sore and will sleep easily tonight -- we'll be ready to go bright and early at 6am again tomorrow.

Praise: -No injuries again today!

Pray: -For Adam. He has been a tremendous blessing to our team. He is our team leader and has coordinated every last detail for all of us as we've been here; from making sure we are equipped properly to making sure we're staying hydrated, he's been a wonderful team leader. I ask that you'd pray for continued energy for him, and that he'd have a hedge of protection the remainder of the week (and would still have the patience to deal with the rest of us by week's end!) :-)

-Billy Graham and his son Franklin will be here in N.O. next weekend! Please pray that word would get out so that the New Orleans Arena would be filled to the brim with the lost and hurting souls here in N.O. -That we'd be able to complete the 2 homes we've worked on by week's end so we can experience a sense of completion. -That we'd be not flashlights, but beacons of light shining throughout Camp Premiere (not everyone volunteering here are believers), and in St. Bernard as well, that Christ would be recognized in us as we serve as His hands and feet.

Team Gretna Day 2: February 28, 2006

The lights came on at 6:00 a.m. and breakfast was served at 6:30 a.m.  Worship and devotions followed.  Using Luke 14:12, we were encouraged to  ...help the poor so that we in turn we will be rewarded for helping those that can not repay you.

The Samaritan's Purse staff went over the types of job sites we would be working on and the equipment we would need.  A brief orientation was given as to our duties for the day and each team was assigned a morning task.  The Gretna team was in charge of making lunches this day.  We quickly turned into an assembly line preparing lunch bags packed with sandwiches, chips, and apples for the 60 volunteers.  We received a brief tour of a water purification trailer that was on site for making ice.  This piece of machine is a $30,000 item that was donated for this cause.

Once we got all of our supplies and tools packed, the Gretna team headed over to a ball field in Algiers.  Samaritan's Purse has teamed up with a group called, Kids Around the World.  This program brings playgrounds into the area.  They also bring felt boards that tell the gospel story to share with the young children.  The park we were working at needs to be completed in the next two weeks so that it will be ready for the Billy and Franklin Graham celebration of Hope Crusade which will take place from March 11-12, 2006 in the New Orleans area.  The park itself is located in a poor neighborhood.  We were warned to be careful of used syringes.  We worked alongside Charlie and Diesel from SP.  Our jobs for the day included removing the roof from a bathroom/field house and clearing brush.  We managed to get rid of all of the old shingles, patch a hole, and start putting on the sheathing. 

Tom Calkins and Mark Godfrey worked on the roof the entire day.  Don Fuller and Mark Pouliot had quite a time with the chain saws cutting back the brush for the Hoerners to drag into large piles.  All of the men had a chance to work on the roof, while Carole was quite content staying grounded.  The best job that Chris and Jared had was to kill the mounds of fire ants.  Instigating them to come out was a must.  Quitting time was about 5:00 p.m.  We made it back just in time to clean up and eat.  A shower never felt so good!  The bottle of ibuprofen was opened this evening and is vanishing like sweet candy.  We did not get much of a chance to talk with neighborhood folks today, but we did see a few children enjoying the playground.  This will be painted and more pieces will be added.  It was a good feeling to know that the work we did will bring a little joy and hope to the neighborhood.  Prayer requests are: the blisters Mark Godfrey has will heal quickly, no injuries (more roof work tomorrow), and no sunburns.  Carole is really hoping that tomorrow she will be able to connect and have a good conversation with some of the other ladies.


Team Chalmette Day 5: March 1, 2006

We made it over "hump day!!"  Today Stephen Curtis Chapman's song "You make all Things New" rang true-- "You redeem and You transform, You renew and You restore, You make all things new!"

We were able to return to Bob and Mavis' house and... we ended the long, HOT day by pulling some nails out of the studs and by sweeping the house out as "clean" as we could get it!!!  The sense of completion and satisfaction was amazing.

All day today, despite our throbbing muscles and the heat, there was LIFE and renewal in our midst.  Where on Monday and Tuesday it was a ghost town, today there were trash pick-up trucks (loaders), scrap metal scavengers and appliance removal workers on our road.  Towards the end of the day Bob and Mavis returned and were amazed at "how different it looks, even since Monday!"  They were excited and optimistic, even discussing between themselves how they would set up the rooms when they rebuilt!  They were so grateful, taking pictures of us, and doing a video recording of us each stating our names and info so they can keep in touch with us.  Smiles all around, birds flying overhead and singing their song, and to top it all off, a neighbor whose home was a few doors down came by with his 3 sweet dogs, who were treated to some of Wendy's doggie treats!  This neighbor is rebuilding his home, too!  Life is coming back to St. Bernard Parish, home by home.  What an amazing way to end "Hump Day!"  With God, NOTHING is impossible!

PS.  Our team can totally sense the prayers of our families and of our church family.  Your prayers of protection haven't gone unheard -- this morning Annie fell down wet metal stairs here at the restrooms.  She did get a laceration on her hand but didn't injure her back or anything else -- and her cut didn't bother her at all today!  Praise God, and please keep the prayer coverage coming!

PPS.  Today I'd like to ask for a special prayer lifted up for Don.  Not only has this brother in Christ worked so hard each day, but each night he's been our "go to guy" for anything computer related.  Even though he's tired, he goes above and beyond for all of us.  It's because of him that you all get to read and view stuff related to our team here because of his hard work on the computer!  So do pray for extra blessings for this gentle servant.

Team Gretna Day 3: March 1, 2006

We were sent on our way with encouragement from Romans 12:9-15 and 13:8-10;

We are encouraged to be sincere in our love, joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and to keep on praying.  Love fulfilled the requirement of God and we were encouraged to go out and show love to our neighbors.  That included encouraging them and our own team. 

The Gretna team headed back to the same park this morning.  The ride took longer.  An electrician named Steve from Delaware joined our team for the day, pulling wire and replacing lights.  Before the guys got to the roof, they needed to place ply wood to support an electrical system that was damaged by fire.  The boys emptied the inside of the field house.  It was filled with football equipment and crawling with huge bugs.  The amount of stuff inside this particular field house made it obvious that it was not used as a bathroom.  More brush was removed from the fencing along the field.  The tennis courts are about 2/3 cleaned now from all the vines, used drug paraphernalia, and empty beer and wine bottles.  They are now talking about turning the tennis courts into a skate park.  This is probably a good idea since a number of teenagers came to play basketball on the courts throughout the day.

Don Fuller and Mark Pouliot continued to be traveling chainsaw massacres while Chris and Jared Hoerner took turns with the axe.  Mark Pouliot and the Hoerners ventured to the house of a neighbor and removed piles of downed tree branches and brush.  About 1/3 of the roof got shingled today.  Despite all this hard work, Chris managed to take up a few swings with a golf club and balls that were found at the site.  The best part of the day for Carole was spending a few moments chatting with a neighborhood couple.  They shared openly about their losses in their home, and their inability to take care of it because they were without flood insurance.  Amidst all the water damage, the dad continues to feel blessed, as his family is all safe and together.  The same couple expressed thanks to our team for the work we were doing in the park.  

The sad part is that this is just a drop in the hat, and the more you do, the more you see needs to be done.  This becomes even more evident when all the teams get together to share their experiences at the end of the day.  Before retiring for bed, the guys had a rousing game of UNO, where winners changed hands constantly.  Don got caught up in the game and knocked over a bottle of diet coke in his excitement.  Prayers are requested for the law enforcement officers and fire fighters who were sent off the cruise ships today.  Many of them do not have homes to go back to.   For us, we ask that God would create opportunities for us to minister to those in the neighborhood.  We also pray for continued safety for us tomorrow, and that the poison ivy that many of us have, does not become too much of a bother.

Team Gretna Day 4: March 2, 2006

The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  You will be like a well- watered garden, like an overflowing spring.  Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your city's then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes.  Isaiah 58:11& 12.

This was the verse Mark G. shared with us this morning. It stayed with me throughout the day, giving me strength to keep working. The morning devotion was all about friendship and how we are blessed with such an opportunity to extend friendship with one another and with those we meet along the way.  ...but what greater friend than Jesus, who gave his life for us.  John 15:13-15 and Proverbs 18:24.

It has been fun to see our team grow together as one unit...working hard, talking, and laughing.  Carole heard through the grapevine about a prank that was pulled on an unnamed team member.  Guess we will have to wait until March 12, to get the details on that.  We returned to the park with Steve the electrician this morning, hoping to get the roofing, electrical, and tennis courts completed.  Unfortunately we were without a wheelbarrow and we ran out of roof shingles.  Not to fear!  There was plenty more to do...

The boys power washed and scraped soot from the inside of the field house, painting began on the outside of the building, and Don and Jared went to a neighborhood home to cut down some damaged trees. We saw a 49 yr old man rode by on his bike.  He stopped to thank us for all of our work in the park.  The highlight of the day came as we were leaving.  Chris and Jared saw some young kids outside playing.  They gave the kids some soccer balls which had the name of Jesus, written on them, in many different languages.  Charlie from Samaritans Purse and Carole were able to chat with the moms while Chris and Jared kicked the balls around with the kids.  They had their pictures taken with the boys and enjoyed seeing themselves on the video camera.  The soccer balls brought such great big smiles to their faces.  We didn't have quite enough soccer balls for each of the children, but we invited them to come back tomorrow when we'd have more. 

The evening was quiet, enjoying a Roast Beef dinner, doing laundry, and covering our poison ivy with calamine lotion.  We continued to pray for opportunities for ministering to others, and that the small increments of work we are doing will bring a sign of hope to the neighborhood.  We continue to pray that as more work gets done and homes get finished, families will return, and this area will become more than empty green fields.

Team Chalmette Day 6: March 2, 2006

The word for today is HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!  Sweat was a 'drippin' today, that's for sure. We got to finish up Tuesday's home (Darlene and Tony's). We found out that the house is 3,000 square feet!! (No wonder it was such hard work!) Got to sweep it out at the end which was nice. We'll return tomorrow to pull every nail out so it's spotless. Something different today was when Adam had gotten a Bobcat so we could do a good job trying to compile the enormous debris pile. He did a great job with it. I (Jen) was thrilled when he asked me if I'd like to drive it over to the trailer at the end of the day (I nervously but happily said "yes"... that was fun)! A highlight of today was at the end when we peeled our sticky suits off and pulled our boots off (we never knew how wonderful fresh air on feet felt until this trip, after our feet had been in rubber, steel toe-and-shank boots all day)! Mavis, (from days 1 and 3) came to our site today to say hi and bring us Mardi Gras beads!! She also brought along a co-worker Christine, to "show us off", and she got to meet Tony and Darlene, too, and we listened as they exchanged stories. Before our team left, Darlene prayed for us all!!! What a great way to end a long, hot day. 

PS., Many of you know that Gerry was a bit reluctant at first to come down here. For those of us who have razzed him about not using power tools for safety reasons :-) he hasn't used any here but he's worked like a DOG.  I think out of any of us, he deserves the title of "wheelbarrow King!" He's been giving 110%. For a guy who was reluctant at first, and who came even without his daughter Liz, he sure is working hard! Y'all ( have to get one "y'all" in here) should be proud!

PPS., I thought you'd enjoy Bob's name today. His label (on the back of his suit) was: "Bob the Builder McLaughlin" "Can we fix it?" "Yes we CAN!")


Team Chalmette Day 7: March 3, 2006

How can this final work day be summed up? How can this experience possibly be put into words? It was such an amazing, life-changing week that what can be said is that we will never be the same again. Our hope is that what we have shared and will share with our family, friends and body about the need for help here will inspire many to put their feelings into ACTION and will come and experience this for themselves.  Today we returned once again to Tony and Darlene's home... they weren't there (and didn't know we'd be there), and we did the task of pulling out every nail in the studs and cleaning it out as clean as we could get it. Adam even went up on the roof and patched up a couple of holes. When we finished the day's work, we gathered and prayed as a group, and Adam said we had, like the story of the Good Samaritan, gone above and beyond. We left a little note in the mailbox and hope when they return they will be pleasantly surprised by the blessing!  We returned to the Camp today for lunch, and from there Gerry and Adam stayed to help out with S.P. assembling wheelbarrows for the huge group coming in next week. Bob, Wendy, Jen, Don, Annie and our friend Pam went on a tour of the "9th Ward", "ground zero" of the damage, right on the water. Horrific and sad are the only two words that come to mind to describe the devastation. However, again, there were some signs of hope, like the pile drivers at work repairing the levys. There were electrician trucks driving by, and some scenes of little churches that were still standing.  The lyrics "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand" came to mind.  We are all a mix of emotional and physical fatigue, as well as joy and thankfulness. Adam, Don and Annie will be heading home tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn to begin their longgggg drive home. Please pray for travelling safety. Wendy, Jen, Bob and Gerry will drive a rental car to our hotel rooms for tomorrow night after some site-seeing and will be flying out around 6am Sunday.

PS... Wendy got the chance to finally visit a home a few down from us today that had a trailer in front and 7 dogs outside tied up. When she brought doggie treats for them the owner opened up a little bit, and Wendy was able to give her a Bible when she left. This woman had an additional 7-8 more dogs inside of her trailer. Dirty and matted, and with the owner's sad story about rescuing these animals left tears in Wendy's eyes today. Please lift up that woman and her husband in prayer, and also pray an extra special blessing on Wendy whose love for animals had allowed her to step out of her comfort zone in getting to give out a Bible! (And praise the Lord for that opportunity!)

PPS... Bob has been Adam's "right hand man" with tools, driving the van to the sites, and with the work at the sites. He said this has been the first time he's been surrounded by so many Christians other than at church, and it's touched him to see so many men of Christ working to serve Him.  Please pray for an extra blessing for Bob as he's been such a blessing to us here!

PPPS... I know Annie's been mentioned already, but she's been our "den mother" and has done such a great job taking photos for us and video as well, going above and beyond in that area. We all love her so much, so be sure to lift up this sister in your prayers as well!  One more PS... tonight Jen went to go to visit our friend Pam to give her a Bible and talk with her. She'd gone out for the night, but when she returns to her cot she will find: a S.P. tee shirt, 2 Bibles, a card we've all signed, a group photo of our team, and a letter from Jen. We want her to know she is loved, by us and by the Lord Himself! So pray for Pam, who has a "heart of gold", coming over here from San Diego, CA all by herself so she could give of herself any way she can.  Some bullets we want to remember:

*Each day we had an evening meeting with Samaritans Purse. All of the different teams would share what the day was like, and it was such a blessing to everyone to hear the stories of God's work. Each morning we began the day with a 7am devotional time with S.P, doing praise and worship and hearing someone do a devotional. It was such an uplifting time for all of us. One of the chaplains who was here as part of a Billy Graham team frequently used a phrase as he prayed for us all, calling us "evangelists with shovels and hammers."  *In the men's tent were people from First Baptist Church out of Lumberton, N.C. This group of men, ages  mid-sixties to late-seventies had to be the funniest, sweetest group of "Southern Gentlemen" we have ever met! At night, in the tent, they'd gather in a circle of chairs along with anyone who wanted to sit as well, and shared stories, jokes, memories... it was a precious, precious time of fellowship. None of us have laughed so hard in years. Also, none of us have ever seen Adam laugh until he was crying!  One man we'll never forget, nicknamed "G. Lee" had THE most contagious laugh we'd ever heard, and once he started laughing everyone would be in stitches. *"Magoo"...(you'll have to ask us about this one)!  To our church family and friends who have logged on this site to read about this trip, thank you for caring enough to read and to support us with your prayers. To Lucie, Karen, Mike Street and anyone else on the BCC side of things who have been pulling this all together over there with the computers... thank you for serving!!!

Team Gretna Day 5, March 3, 2006

Mark Godfrey led devotion this morning for all the volunteers.  He shared with us how the process of rebuilding Louisiana is a lot like our walk with Jesus Christ.  It takes a long time to bring ourselves to the person the Lord wants us to become.  But, just as Paul did, we need to be poured out like an offering to God.  We need to fight the good fight, finish the race, and remain faithful. Philippians 3:12 and

2Timothy 4:6-8.

Mark used the example of how he and Jared removed soot from the wall tiles inside the field house.  Mark worked on many tiles removing quite a bit of soot, while Jared only managed to get two tiles done in the same amount of time.  The difference was that Jareds were cleaned closer to perfection.  That is what God wants of each of us, to keep on working toward our own Christian walk.  We all need the Holy Spirit to allow this to happen in each of us.

The day began as we cleaned the breakfast and lobby areas, followed by quickly packing our gear to get back to the Donsereaux-Harrison Playground.  It was built in 1982 and supports the recreational league in the Algiers area.  The kids can play soccer, football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, and track and field all through this program. The director of the program, whom we called, Coach, was very happy to see the playground coming back to life.  He said -  maybe my kids will win a championship here this year.  We completed the roofing, painting, priming the inside, and cleaning the tennis courts all before noon.  After lunch, back at the home base, we were given a new assignment down in the French Quarters. 

It was an upper scale neighborhood from where we had been.  Tom was back on the roof putting up tarp.  Don, Mark P. and the Hoerner boys were cutting down trees and removing branches.  The tree was so large it covered three yards.  Carole and Mark G. removed a ceiling in part of a living room, kitchen, and small portion of a bedroom.  The home owner, Marvin Price, has been gutting his home for a while now while his wife and children continue to stay uptown.  He first came back to see his home in November.  He remembers throwing away a brand new large screen television; something he never thought he would be doing.  He remembers furniture shifted all throughout the house, bar stools jammed into walls, and standing in about four feet of water. The only items remaining inside the house were a few dishes, a couple of bikes, a brass CD rack, and a large playground ball.  The guys got to meet his brother who is living behind him, in a FEMA trailer. It is apparent that the families are thankful for all the help they are getting, but continue to ask for more help. 

During the ride back we saw more and more devastation.  There were Xings on the sides of houses that showed the dates they were checked for survivors and pets and which police station inspected the homes.  One X was for the survivors and another X was for the pets.  This really made it all seem surreal.  The piles of water damaged vehicles under the bridges and the enormity of how many homes were stilled abandoned was overwhelming.  To think that all those homes still needed to be gutted of everything one owns before they can start anew.

Once back at home base, we enjoyed a southern flare of Gumbo.  Only Tom was brave enough to spice it up with the BAMM.  We helped the chef, Francois, with the dishes.  And in about ten minutes our team work paid off as he shared some of his experiences with us.  He showed us a video of the House of Hope in Oran, Algeria.  He grew up there raised in the Muslim culture.  His church there worshipped our Lord and shared the Gospel with those who were seeking and willing to hear it.  He really stressed the need to share one-on-one at a very basic level and to slowly feed them more and more with the truth of Jesus.  What an amazing journey just one man has been on, since giving his life to the Lord.  We continue to pray for those on our team covered with poison ivy, blistered, and feeling the fatigue and aches and pains of our work.  Raising our arms in praise can seem like a daunting task after a hard day of work.  Pray for strength and glory to shine on each of us as we set out for our final day of work.

Team Gretna Day 6, March 4 , 2006

Our last day of work began with a college student expressing how he saw the Lord describing to him what was going on down here.  He referred to Psalm 69:1-3, 16&17, 33-36, 69.  Where they cried for help from the flood waters, asked for answers through prayer (what we are trying to do here), and the cities will be rebuilt.  He stressed the need for all of the volunteers to remember what the people of New Orleans have been through and what we, the volunteers, have been experienced through all of this.  The volunteers must go back and share this with others as part of their testimony of God's work and glory in our lives.

It is hard to say if this was one of our best days because all of our days were quite amazing. This one, however, was definitely filled with much spiritual blessing.  We took the ferry over to Chalmette to work at the home of Yvonne Weaver.  She is the mother of four grown children; two sons and two daughters.  Among all of their relatives, eight homes were lost to the hurricane.  All family members survived.  She feels fortunate for still having her family and her job, unlike others she knows who lost everything...family members, jobs, and homes.  It struck me that through all she is going through, underneath the pain, she could still see some joy.  Her home was a three bedroom ranch that had about four feet of mud damage and a water line that went above the roof.  It was a blessing to us that the day before, a group of college guys had moved out the large furniture - couches, bookcases, and bureaus.  Also, having the windows broken made the smell bearable in the home.  We were also blessed with cool weather, so donning the Tyvek suits, rubber boots, goggles, breathing masks, and hard hats was tolerable.  A visit from the Chalmette Team (Gerry, Wendy, Jen, and Bob) was very uplifting for us.  Before they left we ended with a circle of prayer. 

The day included removing mattresses, bed frames, a refrigerator, freezer, kitchen cabinets, wood molding, sheetrock, ceiling tiles, rugs, wood floors, and piles of debris which lay strung on the floor.  The closets and built-in draws were filled with damaged, mold-filled, clothing, shoes, and personal belongings.  We were able to get down to the framework in the living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms.  The last bedroom was close to completion, but another team will need to return to gut out the two bathrooms and finish cleaning out the attic.  The sad part was in knowing that decisions will need to be made as to what to do with her home, since part of the framework was damaged by termites.

Yvonne came back from a christening for a grandchild so that she could spend some time with us.  She was so appreciative of the help, but was most thankful for the moments we took to salvage some memories for her.  We were able to find some glassware, china, a basket of marbles belonging to her son, handmade afghan, an old fashioned coke bottle, a crocheted doily that belonged to her grandmother, and other assorted knick knacks.  Among the photo albums she was able to retrieve some pictures that were only damaged along the edges.  Each time a new item was retrieved; Yvonne would relive a memory and share that moment with one of us.  Some of her favorite treasures were a slip belonging to one of her children hiding amongst clothing, a wedding dress belonging to her youngest daughter, a dolphin figurine, and a hand-painted picture that was done by one of here diseased aunts.

Yvonne was a blessing to us as we shared in her pain and gave her hope that things would be better.  She is already planning on how she will re-design her home.  Along with Yvonne, we met her oldest daughter and a few of her neighbors, Lee, Patsy, and Dave.  They each had their own story to tell...each having gone through such devastation yet still managing to have the strength to go on and the desire to rebuild.  God is truly working in this neighborhood, as one can sense a great concern and commitment to one another, all encouraging and working alongside to bring life and hope into one tiny community.  We were able to provide them with the Bibles from BCC and a photo of our team.  Yvonne stated that she will find a special place for our photo in her new home.  Chris told her that if she ever went through this again, that she needs to grab the picture of our team.  She agreed, saying that she now had the names of the people who she would call for help.

We ended our time with Yvonne in a circle of prayer outside of her trailer.  We got back to home base after 7:15 p.m.  We were exhausted, physically and emotionally, yet still needed to clean our tools before sitting down to dinner.  Francois, the chef, waited patiently to serve us.  After dinner some of our team helped with the dishes, while the rest cleaned out and packed the Hoerner SUV, preparing for the early morning departure.  Mark P. and Hoerners would be leaving around 6:30 a.m.  Don, Mark G., and Tom would go to a church worship service in the area with Francois before heading to the airport for their flight home.  Continued prayers are need for Yvonne, as she has yet to be moved into her trailer due to problems with the water and some things have been stolen (we were able to replace a shovel that she lost, with one that was donated to BCC).  Pray for those with poison ivy as it is not only spreading, but becoming weepier.  Pray for all our team members as we head home and into the next week.  For we are not only fatigued physically.  But, emotionally and spiritually, we traveled a long journey. 

Team Gretna Day 7, March 5 , 2006    

Don, Mark G., and Tom woke up to the early morning chill as they sent the rest of us on our way.  It was a round of hugs and wishes for safe travels.  I also sensed that this was the beginning of a bond that we will all share in the future.  The ride home was long and at times unbearable.  Fatigue was setting in and we were all anxious to be home and in our own surroundings.  The poison ivy did not help either Jared or I with our comfort.  But, as I reflect on all that has happened over this past week, I know the Lord has worked in each of us.

Mark G. led our group and kept us on task.  He made sure that we got the job done, yet knowing when we each needed a break.  He and I got a chance to spend time talking while sweeping and shoveling dirt at the tennis courts.  I will treasure the wisdom he imparted to me as he shared.

Tom, the quietest one of the bunch, I know was taking everything in.  His calm nature is truly a gift from God.  I think all of his energy was used up in his work. His humbleness shined as he worked diligently each day.

Demo Don, the name fits him well, whacked away his time with the chain saw, pulled up tree stumps, and banged down walls.  But what I treasured most was the comradery he has in his heart.  He truly has a social gift and brought my boys right along his side.  He helped them to focus on the spirit of sharing and showing the love of God as they engaged with those they came in contact with. Now, I know he will tell you that three strikes and you are out.  But, Don never let himself or the boys get that far.  He made sure they went above and beyond to make up for any opportunities they missed.

Mark P. was definitely on a mission to serve the Lord.  Our God gave him plenty of energy; just like the energizer bunny, he never seemed to stop.  Mark was never without a loss of words, and we were able to share good spiritual conversation. His passion for living for God really came out as he shared pieces of his life with me.  I thank God for these great models of Christian men, for my sons to learn from.

My sons, Chris and Jared, amazed me!  They really rose to the challenge of doing hard labor.  But, boys will be boys, and they still needed to play; they brought joyful spirit to all of us.  Chris rose to the challenge of navigating New Orleans as he followed Mark G. to all of our destinations; moving a bit too fast for mom.  Chris, too, has a social gift, and we could see his face shine as he engaged with the children and adults in Louisiana.  Jared, not quite as talkative, always showed his humbled natured.  He was content with doing whatever was needed of him.

As for myself, I knew the hard work would not be a challenge.  And, for those back home who know and love me, I did not lose a single nail.  Fingernail that is.  For me the challenge was in my emotional and spiritual growth in relating to others.  I truly believe God placed me as the only female on this team for a reason.  I needed to step out of my comfort zone and open up to strangers and I did it!  God also challenged me in letting go of control in every situation.  I just had to follow and I was anxious for nothing. He gave me much peace on this trip and taught me about people.  I no longer was seeing or reacting through my eyes, but through the light that the Holy Spirit laid on my heart.  The morning worship and devotion time gave me the strength and foundation for each day of this journey.  If I had to share all of the things that struck me on this trip is would look something like this:

1.  How much we all have

2.  How we take so much of it for granted

3.  How quickly it can all disappear

4.  How precious life is in comparison to the material things we treasure, and

5.  How God has commanded us to love thy neighbor; it is our responsibility to help those who are in need physically, emotionally,
     and spiritually.

I am thankful for having had the opportunity to serve with my brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that each of us has a part to play in Gods plan.  And, that not one gift is better than another, allowing all of us to impact this world with the glory of God.  My own emotions are overwhelming me as I think of how little I was able to do in the big picture.  But with that I can rest on knowing that when we minister to others we are also doing the same to the Lord himself.  I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters; you are doing it to me.  Matthew 25:40.

As I end my journaling, I want to ask for continued prayer for New Orleans. They are still in need of help; physical, emotion, spiritual.  Many are feeling sad, angry, afraid, powerless, and lonely.  They need to know that God is on their side and can meet their every need if they only ask; that the Lord will give them strength, comfort, joy, hope, and love.