Day 4 in New Orleans and meeting our homeowner

It has been awhile since I have mixed up 80 pounds of concrete. Ten years ago it didn't seem quite as heavy! We were able to pour a front step and a pad for the air conditioner. I also sealed the bathroom tile and continued with some painting. On Thursdays, the homeowners are invited to have dinner with us and we were so pleased to finally be able to meet Lionel ... the man whose home we have been working on. He operates cranes on an oil rig so we weren't sure he was going to be back in time... but he made it. After dinner I led some songs that had folks clapping, shouting and doing a few other crazy things and then it was time to hear from the homeowners. Their testimonies are powerful and inspiring ...and full of hope. The appreciation expressed to us was genuine, sincere and humble. I've been thinking how I wouldreact if all of my pocessions were gone in an instant? I hope I would have the strength and courage I've witnessed here this week!

Day 3 in New Orleans

In the neighborhood where we are working, I would estimate only 1/3 to 1/2 of the houses have been renovated. What you see in the pictures is typical throughout the community and reminders of the storm are still prevalent for the residents who have returned. As we drive to the worksite it makes us even more determined to complete our tiny piece of the puzzle. We are amazed at how many people stop us to express their gratitude for our efforts and how much it means to them and how touched they feel to have not been forgotten. When we returned to the Olive Tree ...the place where volunteers live for the week ....we had a special treat. Each Wednesday a woman who is a wonderful cajun chef cooks dinner for the volunteers. It is her way of saying thank you for the work done on her best friend's home. The gumbo and bread pudding were superb. I've had the privilege of leading the worship time for devotions the last two nights. This group loves singing and praises were definately lifted to the Lord. I am especially thankful today for the sucessful surgery of my youngest daughter Caroline. A second doctor whom she choose for the operation was concerned there could be some deeper issues with her neck problem. Thankfully the surgery revealed some infected lymph nodes that were removed but no other problems. Thanks for your prayers for a quick healing for her!

Day 2 in New Orleans

Our homeowner lives a short distance from Lake Pontchartrain ...protected only by a levee which was not able to contain the water during Katrina. We walked over to the levee and climbed up to the top to take a picture and see the lake. There is a walkway on the top....along with a railroad that transports hundreds of millions of dollars in oil. seafood and other commodities. During the storm he water reached 18 feet in this neigborhood so the houses were completely submerged. Fortunately most people left but the ones who stayed did not survive. It is difficult to imagine this entire neighborhood disappearing. Today, we continued painting trim work and ceilings, did some plumbing, laid the carpet padding on the stairs ans some more closet drywall work. We made significant progress and the house is looking great. We went to a local eatery for lunch to try some PoBoys and enjoyed mixing with the community and sharing some wonderful food. After our afternoon work we returned to the Olive Tree and cleaned the showers and washrooms, had some dinner prepared by the group from Oregon then we led the devotions for everyone. Most of us of are very tired but we are looking forward to continuing our work!

First Day on the Job

After a quick orientation with "Project Homecoming" the organization who provides the tools and foreman for the home repairs we were off to our work site. The home is only about two weeks from completion so we are working on a punch list which includes a lot of trim painting, calking, clean up, some dry walling in closets a banister and carpet for the stairs ...a concrete patio and other items. We spent most of the day completing three rooms and made a lot of progress. Our homeowner is a community leader who saved many people by helping them evacuate before Katrina hit. We will meet him later this week. It is exciting to see a home so near completion and another person being able to come home!

Concert in Mobile, arrival in New Orleans

On Saturday night I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Jack Keefe, the children's pastor of Christ United Methodist Church. He and his wife took me to the Oyster house for some incredible seafood. On Sunday morning I had the privilege of partnering with this dynamic church who has invested heavily in the children and families of Mobile, Alabama with a myriad of innovative programs. I enjoyed doing concerts for the children's churches..... then it was on to New Orleans to begin the week of working on homes damaged by Katrina. We had a fun evening of orientation and a dinner which gave us a chance to become acquainted with the teams of churches from Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina, Washington, Oregon and Florida. We are staying at the "Olive Tree" the volunteer village built by PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) All the groups signed up for various duties here in the complex which is our home for the week. All of us are excited to get started on the work and develop relationships with the people we are serving.

Visit in Atlanta

I am always thankful to have time with my daughters. My oldest, Lauren will be 29 on Sunday and I have to admit I am wondering where those 29 years have gone. I was pleased to meet Lauren's new employers (who absolutely maarvel at her work) and the kids she now cares for in her official title as "governess and household manager." The skills she has developed in this career have rewarded her well. I am so proud of all she has accomplised. Ethan's studies in accounting are going well and he is working hard to achieve his goal of a degree by next Christmas. We celebrated her birthday by with a night out at Pappasitos ....an incredible Mexican restaurant with a live Mariachi band.... who sang Happy Birthday to Lauren in English and Spanish.

Week 8 at Lakeside

Have you ever experienced a change in leadership? Ever been delegated leader or chose to be a follower? Did you experience sucess or failure? These were the questions we considered this week as we looked at the mantle of leadership being passed from Moses to Joshua ... and of course continuing our water theme with the Israelites crossing over the parted Jordan river... similar to what God did for them at the Red Sea. Our incredible kids have raised almost $1400 for our water project and we are so pleased they turned their knowledge into a measurable act of kindness and generosity for the least and lost of the world! This was our last week at Lakeside for the 2009 season and we were very busy saying goodbyes... relaxing on the beach for a few more afternoons ... seveal meals with friends ... one final Wednesday night picnic ...and packing up everything for our journey back home. It has been a mafnificent summer! We are so grateful to the Lord for the new relationships we developed, the ones we strengthened and all the opportunities we had to plant seeds of God's knowledge and wisdom from His Word into the hearts and minds of the kids at Lakeside who attended our MGM program! We look forward to the new challenges and chances we will have this year in Charlotte and beyond to spread the good news of the gospel of Jesus!