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07/03/2008
Christ Church members return from New Orleans
by Jim Dale, Christ Episcopal Church, Bowling Green
Twenty-two Christ Church parishioners, including four members of the Episcopal Youth Council, recently went on a mission trip to help rebuild New Orleans, a city still in despair nearly three years after Katrina. Following is an account of what they did and what they learned that weekâabout the disaster, its residents and themselves.
The evening before beginning our specific tasks, Pete Nunnally, mission and volunteer coordinator with the Office of Disaster Response of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, gave a brief history of the City of New Orleans, followed by an intricate accounting of the flooding caused by Katrina and the failure of the 17th Street and Industrial Canals.
Before giving an overview of the specific tasks assigned for the first day of our mission trip, Nunnally posed the question: Why should we rebuild New Orleans? That was the question we reflected upon and discussed as we endeavored to carry out our mission.
Nunnally also gave personal insights about the individuals whose homes we would be working in. Proceeds from the loss of a catering business allowed one family of 11 to make a down payment on their first home. About half of our mission group, including the EYC members, were assigned to do touch-up painting, install covers over electrical outlets and light switches, clean up the back yard and sand and finish both sides of the front door.
At another site a 60-year-old woman used the proceeds from disaster relief to rebuild her house. Days before completion, the house next door caught fire, and because of the close proximity of the houses in the neighborhood, her house also caught fire and was severely damaged. Unfortunately the owner had forgotten to purchase home owner’s insurance for her newly rebuilt home prior to the fire.
The second crew was assigned the arduous task of shoveling fire debris and personal belongs from the home. Among personal items found was a King James’ version of the New Testament. The cleaning revealed a beautiful tile floor throughout the entire house that some mission members wished they had in their homes.
After personal items and debris were removed from the home, all of the wallboard had to be torn down. Crowbars were used to pound holes in the walls. After a series of holes were made across a section of wall, the hook of the crowbar was used to pull the drywall down.
Working conditions were stifling. When the mission group arrived at each site in the morning shortly before 8:00 a.m., the sun was beaming in a cloudless sky with the temperature climbing through the early 90s before settling in the mid 90s by midday. Humidity raised the heat factor further. Sun screen was applied liberally. Bandanas, broad-rimmed hats and headbands gave extra protection. Water breaks occurred every hour for rest and rehydration.
Parents were delightfully surprised at their children’s eagerness and willingness to accomplish tasks assigned. The entire team worked extremely well together. Upon arriving at a site the crew leader would inform the mission group, “Our goal today is to…” and the entire group, in spite of some chaotic disorganization, endeavored to reach the goal. Everyone periodically checked on the wellbeing of his/her fellow missionary.
On the second day the entire mission group went to the Teento house, so named because of the street it fronted. The home has been in the same family for over 100 years. Because the house had been titled in the name of the family business, the family did not qualify for disaster relief. Two of the family members had been confined to wheelchairs. One team cleared the back yard of three years of growth, and another crew began checking and replacing, where necessary, clapboard siding. Myriad people began scraping decades of paint preparatory for a new coat.
As the mission group worked at the Teento house on the third day they noticed during a lunch break a pickup truck driving by. It had a memorable message on the rear windshield: “Jesus said: No Opportunity Wasted.”
Messages also were spray painted on the outside of homes in the neighborhood. “TFW 9-14” on one house meant the house had been checked on Sept. 14 and it had been flooded with toxic waters. “Gas off” and “Dog taken 10-13” were self explanatory. Spray painting on the front porch indicated the house had been checked on Sept. 14.“N/F TFW” indicated no one was found, but there were toxic flood waters inside. Something not quite identified had been removed on another date.
The last task of the day was putting primer on the front porch. The gray primer covering the spray-painted messages ended the chapter on the house’s life in a disaster and started its next chapter towards becoming a home again.
As we were getting ready to pull away, a large tri-axle dump truck pulling a trailer loaded with a trackhoe crept along and stopped in front of the house. After cutting the ignition and diesel engine falling silent, the driver leaned out the window and said, “I’m here to demolish this house.” What did you say? The driver looked down at his clip board, glanced at the numbers beside the doorway on the porch, pointed and repeated, “I’m here to demolish this house.” Christ Church member Jim Dale walked up to the cab of the truck, looked up and defiantly proclaimed, “No, you’re not.” In a post-Katrina weird sort of humor the driver cracked a smile and chuckled, started his engine and continued inching down the street.
An undisputed highlight of our mission trip was helping the Dragon Café, a program of St. George's Episcopal Church on St. Charles Avenue to provide meals to the needy, homeless and volunteers who have come to help rebuild New Orleans. Mission members cooked and served a meager menu of chili with cornbread and toppings. Two volunteers from Oregon brought their violin and guitar to entertain the crowd. A woman retrieved the church’s electric piano and joined the two to become a trio. A tall, bald dude pulled out his harmonica and played some blues and jazz to the delight and applause of the crowd.
At an early morning briefing on the last day of the mission trip, the group was told they were going to Miss Lewis’ house in the Upper Ninth Ward. The group was told she would probably be present, and they were asked not to ask her about the tragedy. She doesn’t want to relive the horror. The group was advised to pretend the house is our best friend’s house and to treat it with respect. The last day would be spent installing drywall. Quality over quantity was stressed.
As the group arrived at Miss Lewis’ house and stepped out of the vehicles, the sun and humidity gave a silent prediction that the heat was going to be sweltering. Another day in the rebuilding of New Orleans had begun.
The evening before beginning our specific tasks, Pete Nunnally, mission and volunteer coordinator with the Office of Disaster Response of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, gave a brief history of the City of New Orleans, followed by an intricate accounting of the flooding caused by Katrina and the failure of the 17th Street and Industrial Canals.Before giving an overview of the specific tasks assigned for the first day of our mission trip, Nunnally posed the question: Why should we rebuild New Orleans? That was the question we reflected upon and discussed as we endeavored to carry out our mission.
Nunnally also gave personal insights about the individuals whose homes we would be working in. Proceeds from the loss of a catering business allowed one family of 11 to make a down payment on their first home. About half of our mission group, including the EYC members, were assigned to do touch-up painting, install covers over electrical outlets and light switches, clean up the back yard and sand and finish both sides of the front door.
At another site a 60-year-old woman used the proceeds from disaster relief to rebuild her house. Days before completion, the house next door caught fire, and because of the close proximity of the houses in the neighborhood, her house also caught fire and was severely damaged. Unfortunately the owner had forgotten to purchase home owner’s insurance for her newly rebuilt home prior to the fire.
The second crew was assigned the arduous task of shoveling fire debris and personal belongs from the home. Among personal items found was a King James’ version of the New Testament. The cleaning revealed a beautiful tile floor throughout the entire house that some mission members wished they had in their homes.
After personal items and debris were removed from the home, all of the wallboard had to be torn down. Crowbars were used to pound holes in the walls. After a series of holes were made across a section of wall, the hook of the crowbar was used to pull the drywall down.
Working conditions were stifling. When the mission group arrived at each site in the morning shortly before 8:00 a.m., the sun was beaming in a cloudless sky with the temperature climbing through the early 90s before settling in the mid 90s by midday. Humidity raised the heat factor further. Sun screen was applied liberally. Bandanas, broad-rimmed hats and headbands gave extra protection. Water breaks occurred every hour for rest and rehydration.
Parents were delightfully surprised at their children’s eagerness and willingness to accomplish tasks assigned. The entire team worked extremely well together. Upon arriving at a site the crew leader would inform the mission group, “Our goal today is to…” and the entire group, in spite of some chaotic disorganization, endeavored to reach the goal. Everyone periodically checked on the wellbeing of his/her fellow missionary.
On the second day the entire mission group went to the Teento house, so named because of the street it fronted. The home has been in the same family for over 100 years. Because the house had been titled in the name of the family business, the family did not qualify for disaster relief. Two of the family members had been confined to wheelchairs. One team cleared the back yard of three years of growth, and another crew began checking and replacing, where necessary, clapboard siding. Myriad people began scraping decades of paint preparatory for a new coat.
As the mission group worked at the Teento house on the third day they noticed during a lunch break a pickup truck driving by. It had a memorable message on the rear windshield: “Jesus said: No Opportunity Wasted.”
Messages also were spray painted on the outside of homes in the neighborhood. “TFW 9-14” on one house meant the house had been checked on Sept. 14 and it had been flooded with toxic waters. “Gas off” and “Dog taken 10-13” were self explanatory. Spray painting on the front porch indicated the house had been checked on Sept. 14.“N/F TFW” indicated no one was found, but there were toxic flood waters inside. Something not quite identified had been removed on another date.
The last task of the day was putting primer on the front porch. The gray primer covering the spray-painted messages ended the chapter on the house’s life in a disaster and started its next chapter towards becoming a home again.
As we were getting ready to pull away, a large tri-axle dump truck pulling a trailer loaded with a trackhoe crept along and stopped in front of the house. After cutting the ignition and diesel engine falling silent, the driver leaned out the window and said, “I’m here to demolish this house.” What did you say? The driver looked down at his clip board, glanced at the numbers beside the doorway on the porch, pointed and repeated, “I’m here to demolish this house.” Christ Church member Jim Dale walked up to the cab of the truck, looked up and defiantly proclaimed, “No, you’re not.” In a post-Katrina weird sort of humor the driver cracked a smile and chuckled, started his engine and continued inching down the street.
An undisputed highlight of our mission trip was helping the Dragon Café, a program of St. George's Episcopal Church on St. Charles Avenue to provide meals to the needy, homeless and volunteers who have come to help rebuild New Orleans. Mission members cooked and served a meager menu of chili with cornbread and toppings. Two volunteers from Oregon brought their violin and guitar to entertain the crowd. A woman retrieved the church’s electric piano and joined the two to become a trio. A tall, bald dude pulled out his harmonica and played some blues and jazz to the delight and applause of the crowd.
At an early morning briefing on the last day of the mission trip, the group was told they were going to Miss Lewis’ house in the Upper Ninth Ward. The group was told she would probably be present, and they were asked not to ask her about the tragedy. She doesn’t want to relive the horror. The group was advised to pretend the house is our best friend’s house and to treat it with respect. The last day would be spent installing drywall. Quality over quantity was stressed.
As the group arrived at Miss Lewis’ house and stepped out of the vehicles, the sun and humidity gave a silent prediction that the heat was going to be sweltering. Another day in the rebuilding of New Orleans had begun.
