So I was thinking...maybe I should just make this a general family site and not only for the boys. I wanted to have a place where I could share misc. other pics and comments, including my trip to New Orleans.
Some of you may or may not know that I had the privledge of going on a mission trip to help with the Hurricane Katrina relief effort a couple of weeks ago. It was my first "mission trip" ever and it was indeed eye opening. Unlike other stories I've heard, the people we found there were SO grateful for everything we did. Just our presence was appreciated. We were, however, much more than a presence. We worked HARD and yet so much is left undone.
Our group worked as a "Mud-Out" Team. Sometimes this did literally include mud, but mostly it is removing all items from the home (trying to salvage anything precious, ie. pictures) and tearing out everything from the kitchen sink, to trim, sheetrock, flooring and nails. You name it we probably took it, all down to the base of the structure, except for ceilings, toilets and any flooring stuck down too tight to pull up. Some incredible things we saw 9 months after Katrina.....water still trapped between two glass panes in a door, water trapped in an upside down bucket, items on a top shelf of a closet, still soaked.
One of the houses we worked on, the lady who lived there was actually rescued on Day 4 from the roof! We were able to meet and pray with her, which made the whole experience much more personal. Another house we cleaned was that of an older man who had cancer. He survived Katrina, but died shortly after. His children all lived in the same neighborhood. They all lost their homes and their Dad....it was emotionally difficult for them to say the least. One daughter came the day we were working and looked through things as we pulled them out. She was absolutely thrilled when she found one polaroid shot of her Daddy when he was younger. She thought that all of the pictures had been lost.
There were so many other experiences as well. Perhaps I will share more later.
It was my intention to post pics with this blog....but for some reason they aren't working...I'll try again sometime...
2 comments:
Thanks for making this a family blog. Even though I see you often (almost daily) I still like to read your comments. I am very proud of you for giving of yourself on the mission trip. It is an experience you shall never forget. Bless you! Great family picture, too.
Mom
Thank you, Katie for the hard work you and the Mission Team accomplished in New Orleans. I'm so glad you had the experience. The pictures are great.
I would love to hear more! Kathy
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