A City in Ruin

When I arrived in New Orleans, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, it had been over 6 months since hurricane Katrina ravaged the area. I was a little shocked at all that I saw. It looked like the disaster hit the week before. Miles and miles of debris along the sides of the roads, abandoned cars under the highway, and houses untouched. It was a little overwhelming. I couldn’t imagine New Orleans ever being fully restored again.

Then I met Diane. She owns a home that sat in about 5 or 6 feet of water for days and days after the levy broke. The dining table was so warped, we easily broke it in half to get it out the door. Books and pictures were pasted to the floor. Clothes were still wet hanging in the closet. Black mold grew on the walls up to the ceiling where the fan drooped from the moisture. The smell, even through the protective mask, was rancid. But Diane was hopeful. She rummaged through the mess to find the handful of personal items she could salvage. As we tore down walls, she was already thinking of ways to improve the house that she would rebuild. The work was hard, but we had fun. In the end, the thankful tears of Diane (not to mention all the crawfish, crab, and shrimp she brought us) made it all worth it.

All in all, my group of about 15 finished gutting 3 houses during the week we were there. Compared to all that still needs to be done, that’s a drop in the bucket. But it’s a start. And to Diane, it was much more. When I think about how much nearly 10,000 students accomplished over a 6 week period, I have hope. It will take a long time, and lots of hard work, but this city isn’t a loss. God is using this as an opportunity to pour out his love through his people.

Though Spring Break is over, my time in New Orleans isn’t. I will be heading back in 2 weeks for Summer Project. I will be there for 5 weeks, with 2 groups of students coming in for 2 weeks each. We will be splitting our time between working on homes and starting up campus ministries. It looks like we will be living in a building on the Tulane campus, which will be great for ministry. We are still figuring out details, so continue to pray for the preparation. I’m excited to see how God will continue to work in this city through our time there this summer, and I’m very glad that you are a part of it with me.