November 6 pm
It’s Tuesday and we’ve just returned from a daycare centre in the lower 9th. Everything seems to be a jumbled mix in my mind, which is a bit reflective of what our group is experiencing. Some of us are having great experiences – some a little less great. You can see the strain on people. In many ways the city is continuing on even when so many are still stuck in post-Katrina mode – not in their homes, dealing with insurance, suffering depression; the list goes on. As expected, the group has been split up going different places to work. Some of are at Pastor Boutee’s house, some at Mt Ararat Baptist Church and some of us at a daycare centre. 50 children are ready to start at the centre as soon as it’s able to open. It’ll be awhile. There’s lots too be done. The last few days though, it’s been amazing how some things just seem to work out. Of course some things haven’t, but that’s for someone else to write about. Yesterday, working to board up a home, we had to find hydro (aka electricity in the US world) to be able to cut plywood. Our first idea, to use a neighbour’s didn’t work, but shortly afterward, a man came along the road & said he had a generator he’d bring back. While waiting for him, some of us started measuring, some started cleaning up the yard – hand mowing if you will. (Owners can be fined $500 for not keeping their yards mowed.) We also then met the back-door neighbour who said he would let us use some of his hydro. We needed a ladder – Diana ‘fell over’ one at the house…add those to a few other things that kept happening with amazing ‘coincidence’. Today, as we started to pile the debris from inside the daycare, a junkman and woman came along and were happy to take away all the metal piping, wiring etc. Cleaned up our pile and helped them as well. It’s amazing how things work. Is it God’s hand or the people of God doing God’s work? Christian Unity (or should I say Cliteal and Diane) are feeding us for the rest of the week for dinner – no small task, when you’re talking 29 people, but that will make logistics much easier (& tastier too) God’s hand or the people of God? Doesn’t matter! It’s still hard to see all of the devastation and I’m still angry – a little surprising because I thought I’d dealt with all of that last time. And life and hope are here; people are returning, businesses are opening, etc. But, there’s still so much to be done – and so many people dealing with so much loss and continued pain, so long after the hurricane. If it were me, I’d curl up in a little ball in the corner and not uncurl for a very long time. Either that or I’d lash out at anyone who came near. God promises “My grace is sufficient for you”. Guess it’s up to all of us to take that grace and do something with it. – Karen Hilliker
November 6, 2007
~Each day greets us with stories of the people that we meet – the people that make this work very personal. I can only share some of what I have gained from the few I have met:
Sunday I was touched by a woman who has now been home in New Orleans for two months but is apologizing for just making it back to worship with her home congregation at Christian Unity. She openly admits to suffering depression and just being too busy with the work of returning. As I can only imagine the many things that would be involved in this work and the overwhelming grief that must be a part of day to day living, I am inspired by her openness and willingness to admit the truths around her road home.
On Monday I met a gentleman who shared his continued struggles on the road back to “normal” life. He was rescued from the attic in his home “only a day and half” after Katrina. He now struggles to rebuild with the wood in his home that was sold to him with termites and ants in it causing repair on the repairs. During our conversation he was still able to laugh and make jokes with us which to me is an inspiration of dealing with life while maintaining joy!
Tuesday brought a gentleman to an intersection at the daycare as I stood taking pictures. He was very willing to share that his son was to have attended the daycare shortly after Katrina hit but since he is now 5 he is at school instead. He had briefly moved to Knoxville, TN but now spends time back here working there and returns to New Orleans to work on his home periodically. He wished us great success as we continued to work on the daycare and looks forward to the activity and laughter back in the neighbourhood.
Each day provides another opportunity for inspiration – I welcome the learning of the next few days and trust that I will be reminded of these friends whenever God sees a need to remind me of things in my life. ~ Deb Siertsema
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