We have come to the end of our fourth week here in New Orleans. It is amazing how familiar the city feels in that short amount of time and yet we continue to see new places and sights. Today some friends of the present directors are taking us on a tour of different places of interest around the area. This week our unit consisted of 13 long termers and 7 short termers. Some of the short termers worked with us a couple of days, but mostly they worked with their "sister church" here in the city. They are from Koinonia Mennonite Church close to Phoenix.
Rich and I worked with 2 - 3 students this week mudding and sanding in one house and then hanging drywall in another house. I am beginning to feel more comfortable with a dry wall gun than I did when I first learned how to use one. That is not to say all of the attempts are perfect.:) Old houses do not have straight walls so putting up and angled piece of drywall that fits makes me feel like I have accomplished something. The homeowner's brother stopped in one afternoon and was glad and appreciative of the progress. Meeting the family makes the work more meaningful.
This week we were privileged to attend a home dedication and listen to another homeowner whose homes had been worked on by former and present MDS workers.
The dedication was for an elderly woman (pictured) in an older home and involved all agencies associated with the rebuild. She invited us to stop in at any time and tried to get Rich to promise that he would.
The other couple shared supper with us on Wednesday evening along with another pastor from the city. They related their stories of staying during the storm, leaving and eventually coming back to ruined homes. The pastor said he spent 2 days in the building we stay in because it is the highest building in the area. It was a church meeting place before the storm.
They both related incidents of "contractors" promising work but leaving with the money before work was done. Even with these experiences they were positive and determined to go on and continue to reside here - their home.
These stories encourage us in the efforts of MDS.
(The first picture is of a parrot we have seen and heard on our walks.)