It began as it has for months now. Cars and vans pulled up to the door on Monday afternoon and men and women jumped out looking a bit tired but excited. Then came the unpacking and getting the lay of the land at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. The volunteers were arriving. This time they were from Wisconsin, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma. Other times it has been Washington, Oregon, Utah, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia and on through the rest of the country. Men and women from all walks of life came to give of their time, skills and even their lack of skills to help people they have never met get back into their homes. These volunteers were answering the call of God to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” The organization that was sponsoring this effort is “Samaritan’s Purse”, the non-denominational Christian relief organization headed up by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham. That organization did an excellent job of taking care of the volunteers and finding homeowners.
Over the course of the week these strangers would become friends united by their shared work and their sore bodies. Each day was very much like the others. Lights in the dorm rooms were switched on at 6:00am to remarkably little groaning. The night had been filled with noises very much like those from a bear’s den. Breakfast followed at 6:30 with devotions after that. Now that we were refreshed in body as well as in spirit we scrambled to make the final preparations to get prepared for our worksites.
Each worksite was within a three block area of the church so once ready clusters of volunteers in their orange shirts made their way to their destinations. Then the work began in earnest. We worked until 12 noon when we took a break for lunch. The afternoon was more of the same and finished up by 4:00pm. Then it was back to the church where we waited in line for showers and then rested until dinner at 5:30pm.
The evening consisted of dinner, followed by share time (a time to debrief with the whole group about the day). After the structured part of the evening was over you were free to do what you needed to. Lights out in the dorms was at 9:30pm and honestly we were ready.
I need to mention some things about the work. What was needed really varied depending on what part of the project you were involved with. If you were a skilled volunteer (a licensed electrician, plumber, etc.) you were needed and used at the beginning of the project. The houses we have worked on were further along in the process. As a matter of fact the last home I worked on is now occupied. That felt good to see. Most volunteers have some experience they can draw on. For those who came with willing hearts and few skills the team coordinator made sure work and training was provided that made it possible for all who came to be part of the project team.
During the week I dismantled the forms used to pour concrete steps, painted the inside of a different home and used a nail gun which was a first time experience to attach quarter-round molding to the molding around the whole inside of another house. I also helped unload a container truck of supplies, cleaned up a worksite and set up in preparation for a home dedication. Rick D worked at another site installing cabinets throughout a kitchen. There were many setbacks in that project. Mike S worked with me dismantling the forms for the steps then prepared the steps for the next step. He also put on a hazmat looking outfit to work under the house installing insulation and helped install soffits. Both Rick & Mike were involved in other projects as well. We each worked alongside people doing other projects along the way. While I worked with the nail gun a couple other guys were tiling and grouting in the kitchen. Two others were working on constructing steps for the back of the house, while two others installed soffits. We each did our part to move each house toward completion.
We finished the week with some share time Friday night and Holy Communion.
This next portion was written by team leaders Pam & Robin Knoll my close friends from Waukesha, Wisconsin.
The general feeling from all team mates was that it was great not having to think about work or the worries about the outside world (including politics!) this week. Rather, we were able to focus on our relationship with God and our own life's direction. Also, there was a sense of peace that developed throughout the week and a real sense of community ... unlike anything else that has ever been experienced before. There was also a real sense of how sin manifests itself in the world as we heard how fraudulent contractors (it was amazing how many people suddenly became “contractors” after the storm did its damage)took helpless people for ten's of thousands of dollars, delivering terrible work (worst case was a blind women taken for $130,000). There was also awe as folks began to realize that all of the volunteers that have come to the Gulf Coast had given freely of their time, talents ... and finances to serve the Lord.
The most touching part of the week for everyone was a house dedication (when a house is completed, there is a celebration with the homeowner). Most dramatic was when Samaritan's Purse allowed the excited homeowner to see the total invoice for the house (which she could never pay for by herself), then stamped it "Paid in Full". This portion of the dedication was a reminder as to what Christ did for us in His death ... paying a debt we could never pay on our own. A celebration lunch took place in the new backyard that included the staff of Samaritan's Purse, volunteers and other home recipients.
We were also blessed with missing the tornadoes that went through Mississippi right about the time we were driving through on our way home (one team mate caught one of the twisters on her camera). Although it was the worst rain any of us had ever driven through (from the time we left New Orleans until we reach Litchfield, Illinois some 11 hours later), we never stopped and made it safe and sound!
The New Mexico part of the team drove right out of the rain we started in and had sunny blue skies on the two day drive home.
Why do we do it? Each person has to answer that for themselves but I would venture to say that we do it to feel good about ourselves and to answer the call of our Lord to help others. I went to New Orleans the last few times so that I could work alongside my close friends from Wisconsin.
Should New Orleans be rebuilt? The short answer is yes, of course, who are we to decide. The longer answer is this section of New Orleans was a community of people whose lives were forever changed by a storm and circumstances they had no control over. For many of them the land and the damaged house was all they had left. This is their home, their roots, part of their identity really and they really couldn’t walk away. We simply were there helping them get back into their homes. We are leaving it up to God to decide how long they will live there.
Who gets these homes? The Samaritan’s Purse organization has developed rather strict guidelines to help determine who the new homeowners will be. It is my understanding it is very much like what Habitat for Humanity does. The new home owner: has to have lived in that community (no one can decide to relocate to New Orleans for the climate and view and get a home this way; has to be employed (there are expenses involved in home ownership); and a number of other things.
Samaritan’s Purse is leaving New Orleans in September having made a two year commitment. I believe they will have completed about 30 homes by that time. God has richly blessed this organization and it was a privilege working with them.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support for your team. I truly feel that we went not simply as just three guys but as representatives of this congregation. Your support made it possible.
