Where He leads...: The latest from New Orleans

The latest from New Orleans

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The dynamics of my weekly schedule have changed considerably since my last update. We are no longer waiting for our volunteer groups to arrive… THEY HAVE ARRIVED! We started the Spring season out slowly last week, which is good since I am still trying to get the hang of everything! Last week, our only group was a group of 8 senior adults and their leader Ricky Allen, all from First Baptist Church of Statesboro, GA. A vast majority of my job description involves matching volunteer groups up with project sites throughout the city. I am constantly building relationships with local residents, ministries, organizations, and schools so that I can effectively put our volunteers to work when they arrive. FBC Statesboro requested that they work in a nursing home, encouraging the residents, playing games with them, building relationships, and all of that. And indeed they were a tremendous blessing to the people there. Here's your fact of the day, the mean age of nursing home residents in New Orleans has dropped considerably (i.e. from 85 to 65 in some places). The reason… as you may guess, when the floods after Katrina wiped out their homes, many of the senior citizen population had no other choice but to move into an assisted living facility prematurely. They found themselves homeless. I remember hearing about Pastor Mel's 80-something parents last summer. Their home flooded over 8 feet. They had it paid off, but the only assistance they were able to get to rebuild their home was in the form of a loan. At 80 years old, taking out a $60,000 loan doesn't make the best financial sense, does it?

I must add, however, what was most fascinating to me about this group. They were willing also to do some relief work, so for two days I partnered them with Bethel Colony South, the men's rehabilitation ministry I've written about several times. Pastor Mel told me they would be gutting out a house that hadn't been touched since the storm, now 18 months ago. When FBC Statesboro arrived, I sized them up as they walked in. The group consisted of Ricky, one other man named Mooney (easily in his late 70s, early 80s) and the rest were women all over 60, one of them was 84 years old! I turned to Linda and whispered, "Do you think I should call Pastor Mel and tell them he may want to rethink the gut-out idea?" She, having seen this group at work in previous months, assured me that they were beyond capable for the agenda of the week. I'll admit, I still had my doubts.

So on the days they were to gut the house, I had to go see for myself. And as you can see from the pictures… they proved me wrong! These guys, well mostly gals, were tough! Nothing was an obstacle for them, not age, not the heat, not the dirt and the mold, nothing.

I mention all of this not just to tell a story, and not just to report how I was encouraged and blessed by this group. I say all this to encourage and challenge you… to throw aside any obstacles, real or imagined, that are keeping you from doing all that you can do to make this world a better place, and if you're a Christian, to spread the love of Christ to a hurting world. If an 84-year old lady can gut a house, imagine what you can do!

Familiar faces
This past weekend was great for several reasons. I started off my Saturday morning bright and early, going out with Hoot (campus police chief), and 4 guys from Bethel Colony South. We went back out to Violet, LA where Hoot and some of his ministry partners are transforming a nursing home (heavily damaged by Katrina) into another rehabilitation ministry for men. Once again, we were up on the roof replacing the shingles. I'm getting the hang of it now, and my hammering skills are definitely improving! I also spent some time with Sue, the previous owner of the nursing home and now partnering with Hoot, who is living in a trailer on the property. She is going through a very rough time, as most people are who lived through the storm and are starting a new life. All of it is putting a strain on her marriage, her walk with Christ, and everything else. So please join me in lifting her up in prayer. I am going to try to hang out with her a couple times a month to try and encourage her during this difficult time.

Saturday, one of my best buds Melinda and her boyfriend Tyler came to visit. They stayed for several days and we had a lot of fun hanging out in the city. They helped out his granddad who lives near by and visited his grandmother who is in a nursing home. It was such a blessing having her here. There were a couple of occasions that we were just busting out laughing at stuff, and I realized that it was the first time I had laughed that hard since I moved here. Of course, I have met new friends here and we have a good time together… but there's nothing like spending time with the friends and family who know you best.

Also, a group of seniors and chaperones from The King's Academy, my last place of employment, was passing through on their way to a Spring Break cruise. I'm jealous! Sunday morning they attended Gentilly/Elysian Fields Baptist Church with me (two churches have merged as a result of Katrina… the pastor of one church left, and the building of the other church was destroyed, so it was the best option). As of this week, the church is meeting in the gym as they begin repairs on the sanctuary (you can still see the flood line on the sanctuary walls). After church, I led them over to Pontchartrain Park, a nearby neighborhood that was heavily damaged by the recent tornado. From there I took them to the Lower 9^th Ward, one of the most devastated areas from the Industrial Canal breach. Even though their time and interaction with Post-Katrina New Orleans was brief, I believe that it left a lasting impact on each of them. And hopefully, many of them will return at a later date to get their own hands dirty here in the city.

This past week and upcoming…
The groups this week have been phenomenal. They have each blessed me in a unique way. A college group from First Baptist Church of Powell, TN (go Vols!) had the opportunity to work across the street at Indian Village. They did some yard clean-up, house gutting, trash pick-up, and more. One thing to remember is that even though we're sending groups to work on houses and yards, each house and yard is owned by a person or a family, and they each have unique stories and needs. I always love it when our volunteer groups share with me what goes on throughout the week to put a name and a story with the work that is being done. One house they worked on is owned by an elderly man. When the waters rose, his wife panicked. She could not swim, and to his (and now our) horror, she shot herself. Another house that the team from Solid Rock Baptist Church worked on is owned by a woman in her 80s. Just weeks before Katrina her husband died, followed by the death of her daughter. And then came Katrina to take away everything else. These are not just destroyed homes after destroyed homes I pass by everyday, these are stories after stories of hurting people trying to pick themselves back up after such great loss of both loved ones and possessions.

I can only hope that God continues to move in a mighty way through the work of the groups that are continuing to come as volunteers to this city. Next week we will have over 200 volunteers coming through MissionLab. Praise God! Continue to pray for me and the MissionLab team as we prepare for their arrival. Include a prayer of safe travel for each group. And pray for all of us as we meet the needs of the upcoming week.

Blessings to you all,
Hannah