Packing the tent and bags. Ready to go home. I look around and see many faces of fellow workers, brothers, sisters, and friends. Many memories. Too many stories. As I think back on the week and as my tent comes down, I see in my mind snapshots, one or two word pictures of my experience here in Slidell, Louisiana.
work. devastation. trees. broken limbs. blue tarp. shovels. wheelbarrows. hammers. tents. people. Team Red. Hershey's Sours. On the road. Interstate 12. Alexandria. Pineville C of C. Don Gelles. Buddy. Talking. Box fans. hope. broken lives. shattered dreams. shared pain. laughing. team leader. team member. love. prayer. sheetrock. muck. muck. muke? and more muck. gatorade. bobcats. Jerry. bottled water. debris piles. everywhere. always. never getting smaller. Satellite internet. Blog. meals ready to eat. crew chief. the Machen family. servants.
katrina. rita. slidell c of c. how great thou art. hugs. tears. sore muscles. Jesse. emergency room. medical kit. strains. sprains. scrapes. cuts. bruises. badges of honor. rebuilding. lives. communities. families. disaster relief signs. Camp Modesto. Red Cross. Hilltop. ministry. all walks of life. all ages. faith in action.
Spirit. God. Christ. Lives touched. Lives changed.
God provides. Always.
Back on the road. Home soon.
Glen
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Slidell Memorial Hospital ER
Pam McCleary is an awesome worker. She works harder than most anyone I've ever met. Lifting furniture, loading equipment into the truckbed, knocking out drywall, or whatever. She does it all and does it well. Yesterday morning she was walking around camp and of all things, she put her foot into a hole and twisted her ankle. She (of course!) went out on the job site anyway. Didn't last long as her ankle started to swell and it became more difficult for her to stand and walk, let alone carry out moldy cabinets. I made her stop working and put an ace bandage on it. "But," she said, "I came to work." My answer? "It's not your call, I'm getting you to the emergency room." I could see the tears welling up in her eyes, but she understood.
It was nice to sit in the waiting room of the Slidell Memorial Hospital ER (air conditioning never felt so nice!). After we got in to the exam room, I bet Pam one dollar that she broke her ankle. She just thought she sprained it. Talking about our bet seemed to take Pam's mind off of her pain. Her pain was intense... even still, she put on a brave face.
The physician seeing her, Dr. Dedinsky, is an Emergency physician that works at Tulane University hospital. He was one of the physicians that stayed at the hospital when Katrina hit. His description of the events that unfolded had me gripped. The commitment he had to his patients and to the community is astounding. He said "I hear that Tulane is going to open in November...I sure hope so, because I have to get back there, to the people, to the community. It's what I need to do."
After losing the bet to Pam, I paid up. While drinking coffee in the doctor's area with Dr. Dedinsky and the other 2 physicians, listening to their stories, I asked him if he would sign the dollar bill. He wrote the following on that dollar bill..."Pamela, Thanks from New Orleans. Wayne Dedinsky, M.D. Goodbye Katrina."
It was the best visit I've ever had to an ER.
Glen
It was nice to sit in the waiting room of the Slidell Memorial Hospital ER (air conditioning never felt so nice!). After we got in to the exam room, I bet Pam one dollar that she broke her ankle. She just thought she sprained it. Talking about our bet seemed to take Pam's mind off of her pain. Her pain was intense... even still, she put on a brave face.
The physician seeing her, Dr. Dedinsky, is an Emergency physician that works at Tulane University hospital. He was one of the physicians that stayed at the hospital when Katrina hit. His description of the events that unfolded had me gripped. The commitment he had to his patients and to the community is astounding. He said "I hear that Tulane is going to open in November...I sure hope so, because I have to get back there, to the people, to the community. It's what I need to do."
After losing the bet to Pam, I paid up. While drinking coffee in the doctor's area with Dr. Dedinsky and the other 2 physicians, listening to their stories, I asked him if he would sign the dollar bill. He wrote the following on that dollar bill..."Pamela, Thanks from New Orleans. Wayne Dedinsky, M.D. Goodbye Katrina."
It was the best visit I've ever had to an ER.
Glen
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Tears
Tears.
My daughter Maya was at the computer yesterday and while she was working on it, she suddenly turned it off, closed it up, and ran crying to Mommy. Yvonne asked her what she was crying about and she blubbered, "I miss my Daddy and sometimes I think he's not coming back." That broke my heart. The thought of her tears flowing for me just makes me want to be home sooner.
I needed a break from it all so I went to New Orleans to pick up the rest of the crew. It seemed like a good idea. Drive down Interstate 12, blast the tunes, and clear my head. I was thinking about nothing in particular...about 20 miles down the road, out of nowhere, I just started to cry.
The tears wouldn't stop. Uncontrollable tears for about 5-10 minutes and then they were gone.
Our Lord cried for us. It seems only right that we do the same for others.
Glen
My daughter Maya was at the computer yesterday and while she was working on it, she suddenly turned it off, closed it up, and ran crying to Mommy. Yvonne asked her what she was crying about and she blubbered, "I miss my Daddy and sometimes I think he's not coming back." That broke my heart. The thought of her tears flowing for me just makes me want to be home sooner.
I needed a break from it all so I went to New Orleans to pick up the rest of the crew. It seemed like a good idea. Drive down Interstate 12, blast the tunes, and clear my head. I was thinking about nothing in particular...about 20 miles down the road, out of nowhere, I just started to cry.
The tears wouldn't stop. Uncontrollable tears for about 5-10 minutes and then they were gone.
Our Lord cried for us. It seems only right that we do the same for others.
Glen
Using Your Talents. . .
The Red Team. . . I have no words that can actually describe this group of servants. They are beyond awesome.
As we drove into the Devonshire St. worksite our "fresh team members" got to see National Gaurdsman and Police directing traffic into a FEMA distribution site. The folks affected by the storm are starting to recieve debit cards from FEMA and the Red Cross to help rebuild their lives. The line to the distribution site was long.
Talents . . . Jack using his IT Skills and also his hammer(not simultaneous). Glen physician and demo team leader. Paul Sale good with a crow bar and moving trash cans and being the roadmaster. Bob Hinton is a workhorse with lots of talent. Helen Hinton has been making a difference in the office, organizing. Brenda Smith took on warehouse organization. Jim Smith is working on facilities projects. Rose and Tina too on the sheetrock demo today with a flair. Oleta Sipes works and works (and has a great sense of humor). Brian Smith has a heart of Gold and does a great joke about Cal Trans(ask him about the Cal Trans Calendar). Lynn Couch is dilegent. Monte and Joan are a great team. Pam and Art are a great brother/sister combo. I thank God forletting me be on this team each moment.
Tonite six team members got to say good-bye to the group. I felt moisture on my cheeks as each of them talked about what an impression this place has made on them. It must have been dew or something 'cause real men don't show emotions do they? What a swirl of emotions tonite, missing family, laughing at stories of our team, sad for those who have lost most of what mattered to them except for family. I wish each of you could be here with me.
Its late, its time for bed, we have more adventures tomorrow.
Pray for us!
Buddy
As we drove into the Devonshire St. worksite our "fresh team members" got to see National Gaurdsman and Police directing traffic into a FEMA distribution site. The folks affected by the storm are starting to recieve debit cards from FEMA and the Red Cross to help rebuild their lives. The line to the distribution site was long.
Talents . . . Jack using his IT Skills and also his hammer(not simultaneous). Glen physician and demo team leader. Paul Sale good with a crow bar and moving trash cans and being the roadmaster. Bob Hinton is a workhorse with lots of talent. Helen Hinton has been making a difference in the office, organizing. Brenda Smith took on warehouse organization. Jim Smith is working on facilities projects. Rose and Tina too on the sheetrock demo today with a flair. Oleta Sipes works and works (and has a great sense of humor). Brian Smith has a heart of Gold and does a great joke about Cal Trans(ask him about the Cal Trans Calendar). Lynn Couch is dilegent. Monte and Joan are a great team. Pam and Art are a great brother/sister combo. I thank God forletting me be on this team each moment.
Tonite six team members got to say good-bye to the group. I felt moisture on my cheeks as each of them talked about what an impression this place has made on them. It must have been dew or something 'cause real men don't show emotions do they? What a swirl of emotions tonite, missing family, laughing at stories of our team, sad for those who have lost most of what mattered to them except for family. I wish each of you could be here with me.
Its late, its time for bed, we have more adventures tomorrow.
Pray for us!
Buddy
Chad Thatcher
Chad Thatcher is a NASA aerospace engineer who had finished remodeling the home he bought in Slidell just a month ago. The whole neighborhood caught a six-foot storm surge that remained as a four-foot lake for several days.
When we arrived, Chad had already removed the bottom four feet of drywall and insulation in most of the rooms. The bathrooms were still “intact,” with black mold all the way to the ceilings. It smelled nastier than words can describe, forcing us to wear filters all day.
Today was relatively comfortable—80 degrees and 80% humidity. We still sweated about a gallon, as measured by our water intake and the fact that no one needed to use the porta-potty.
In three and a half hours, fourteen of us removed all drywall, insulation and the remaining possessions. By the time we left, you could see clear through the rooms, with only the skeleton of studs remaining.
Chad said, “I can’t find words to tell you all how grateful I am. This would have taken me forever to complete.”
We came to be a blessing to others and left blessed ourselves.
Tonight we are invited to eat with the next door neighbor. The neighbor has many trees on the back end of his property. Many of those trees were either blown down or snapped off halfway to the top. A FEMA-approved contractor bid on the tree removal job--$50,000. That same day, Rich (King of Chainsaws) walked over to ask the neighbor, as a favor to the Hilltop organization, could we please use his damaged trees for practice in training chainsaw apprentices? Heh. Our crews have been "practicing" there ever since. The menu includes Gator Sausage, some crawfish dish, and I heard the word Etoufee in the list of a dozen or more items. Yummy! I believe the dish with Nutria in it was intended as a joke. Nutrias look like a rat on steroids, probably containing plenty of meat, but rodents are not normally my style.
Jack [filthy but happy]
When we arrived, Chad had already removed the bottom four feet of drywall and insulation in most of the rooms. The bathrooms were still “intact,” with black mold all the way to the ceilings. It smelled nastier than words can describe, forcing us to wear filters all day.
Today was relatively comfortable—80 degrees and 80% humidity. We still sweated about a gallon, as measured by our water intake and the fact that no one needed to use the porta-potty.
In three and a half hours, fourteen of us removed all drywall, insulation and the remaining possessions. By the time we left, you could see clear through the rooms, with only the skeleton of studs remaining.
Chad said, “I can’t find words to tell you all how grateful I am. This would have taken me forever to complete.”
We came to be a blessing to others and left blessed ourselves.
Tonight we are invited to eat with the next door neighbor. The neighbor has many trees on the back end of his property. Many of those trees were either blown down or snapped off halfway to the top. A FEMA-approved contractor bid on the tree removal job--$50,000. That same day, Rich (King of Chainsaws) walked over to ask the neighbor, as a favor to the Hilltop organization, could we please use his damaged trees for practice in training chainsaw apprentices? Heh. Our crews have been "practicing" there ever since. The menu includes Gator Sausage, some crawfish dish, and I heard the word Etoufee in the list of a dozen or more items. Yummy! I believe the dish with Nutria in it was intended as a joke. Nutrias look like a rat on steroids, probably containing plenty of meat, but rodents are not normally my style.
Jack [filthy but happy]
Friday, October 07, 2005
Half-way Home. . .
It is Friday night and it is hard to believe that we are half way through the trip. Today we took the group on a tour of ground zero, Lake Shore Dr., Lake Ponchatrain. We were laughing and joking about having the afternoon off and then we started seeing the piles of debris and accumualted assets of people beside the road. The group was very quiet as we looked at homes and weekend retreats destroted beyond recognition. Boats upside down on the road are common and houses off their foundations seems to be the norm. What started out as a day off turned into a time of reflection. We all concluded that no matter what problems we have in the "real world" away from Louisanna, they are minor in comparison to the people we are seeing and meeting. I cannot wait to be back in Modesto with my family. Tomorrow we will continue the adventure, pray for us to bring hope into a few more homes.
Buddy
Buddy
Father in law bonding
A small team of us went to a small stilt house on Carr Road, the last road on the east side of South Slidell, just before the bridge going into New Orleans. Every home on this street has been demolished. Whole houses blasted off their stilts, roofs destroyed, you know, the usual run of the mill hurricane destruction. Know what I'm sayin'?
The house we worked on had a steep set of stairs that led to the front door. Wrought iron railing protected the porch and there was a nice picture window in the front bedroom. The house was worked on yesterday, so today's job was to get the drywall removed, out of the house, down to the wheelbarrows, and wheel the detritus along the improvised path of real imitation wood paneling, courtesy of the stilt house. The previous crew was kind enough to leave the front picture window.
(side note: I've had the blessing of having my father in law, Jerry, with me on every job site. Every one says it's so I can watch him, but I really think it's so he can keep an eye on me! It's been such a blast to work along side him, just one year after he had been so sick; many of you have prayed for him and his strong health now is a testimony to God's healing powers.)
Jerry and I figured the picture window would make a great opening to the wheelbarrows 15 feet below....so, we proceeded to destroy the picture window, hammering it, pulling on it, pushing it, and finally yanking it from its perch. Broken glass, bent metal, and splintered wood. It was great fun destroying this window with him. Kind of like Extreme Home Makeover, but with out Ty...or the makeover, for that matter. (If this doesn't make sense to you, just ask someone who gets HGTV on cable.)
Some folks like to bond with their father in law's with golfing or fishing trips, Jerry and I chose to do it over shards of glass and some aggression. Good thing we both got our tetanus shots, eh? We only had to work a half day today and the weather has cooled off...it's much more pleasant than previous work days. This evening I'm even wearing a sweatshirt! Fall is in the air.
One more day to work. Let's go muck. Or as Joan Wohnhas says, "muke." What an amateur...
Glen
The house we worked on had a steep set of stairs that led to the front door. Wrought iron railing protected the porch and there was a nice picture window in the front bedroom. The house was worked on yesterday, so today's job was to get the drywall removed, out of the house, down to the wheelbarrows, and wheel the detritus along the improvised path of real imitation wood paneling, courtesy of the stilt house. The previous crew was kind enough to leave the front picture window.
(side note: I've had the blessing of having my father in law, Jerry, with me on every job site. Every one says it's so I can watch him, but I really think it's so he can keep an eye on me! It's been such a blast to work along side him, just one year after he had been so sick; many of you have prayed for him and his strong health now is a testimony to God's healing powers.)
Jerry and I figured the picture window would make a great opening to the wheelbarrows 15 feet below....so, we proceeded to destroy the picture window, hammering it, pulling on it, pushing it, and finally yanking it from its perch. Broken glass, bent metal, and splintered wood. It was great fun destroying this window with him. Kind of like Extreme Home Makeover, but with out Ty...or the makeover, for that matter. (If this doesn't make sense to you, just ask someone who gets HGTV on cable.)
Some folks like to bond with their father in law's with golfing or fishing trips, Jerry and I chose to do it over shards of glass and some aggression. Good thing we both got our tetanus shots, eh? We only had to work a half day today and the weather has cooled off...it's much more pleasant than previous work days. This evening I'm even wearing a sweatshirt! Fall is in the air.
One more day to work. Let's go muck. Or as Joan Wohnhas says, "muke." What an amateur...
Glen
Chained to the keyboard
Jack Hairston, sitting in air-conditioned comfort:
Before we left Modesto, Carolyn told me that I would be better off if I allowed myself to be shanghaied into the computer end of the operation. Nah, I wanted to go muck out houses and get filthy and tired.
Sure enough, the first night there was a fervent plea for someone to help out "maybe for one day" to create a database to coordinate volunteers with projects. Well, maybe for just one day. So while everyone else was out having fun getting filthy, tired, and making new friends, I was typing.
It's Friday, and I'm hoping to get to go out into the field tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some firsthand stories then. Stay tuned...
Before we left Modesto, Carolyn told me that I would be better off if I allowed myself to be shanghaied into the computer end of the operation. Nah, I wanted to go muck out houses and get filthy and tired.
Sure enough, the first night there was a fervent plea for someone to help out "maybe for one day" to create a database to coordinate volunteers with projects. Well, maybe for just one day. So while everyone else was out having fun getting filthy, tired, and making new friends, I was typing.
It's Friday, and I'm hoping to get to go out into the field tomorrow. Maybe I'll get some firsthand stories then. Stay tuned...
Greetings from Team Red in Slidell. . .
It is a cool morning in slidell, 72 degrees and a little wind. It made for a great night of sleep in the tent. When my head hit the pillow and my body on the air mattress I went to sleep right away. I was completely and totally used up. God has blessed us with the time here in Slidell as we kingdom work.
I tasted muck water for the first time yesterday in New Orleans. A large splash came from a shelf that had a box on it. It smells as bad as you can imagine and it seemed like it penetrated my respirator.
Glenn has done a wonderful job of describing the events that have unfolded here. The people we meet each day are still in shock and do not know where to start rebuilding their lives. Thats where Team Red and Hilltop come in. We help them pull out what was previously important and now destroyed so that they can begin rebuilding their lives. Hopefully, they get a glimmer of the light of Christ that burns so brightly in our volunteers here. It is hard to describe the emotions that we are experience.
Hilltop is an interesting mix of folks from all over the nation and a mixture of Christians and non-Christians. Many of the non-christians are getting an introduction to Christ. Exciting to say the least.
I am so proud of our people on Team Red. They step up at a moments notice and do what needs to be done and then some. This morning at the morning briefing Jess ask for a poem to be recited, Art T. stood and recitied a poem he had written last night.
Our women on the team are hard workers. All of them are awesome.
God Bless each of you for your prayers, we need them!
Buddy
Thursday, October 06, 2005
St Bernard's Parish, New Orleans
St Bernard's Parish. You've likely heard of it on CNN and every other news organization around. It was one of the worst hit Parishes in Louisiana. (The other was the Lower 9th Ward.) Davis Park had the privilege of being asked to be one of two teams from Hilltop Relief and Rescue here in Slidell to go in and "beta test" a couple of sites to determine if this organization wants to duplicate its efforts in that Parish.
Our task was to clear out a party store. Balloons, Mardi Gras beads, party hats, everything imaginable for a party, and then some. I was told in the planning meeting that the store was 1200 square feet. No problem, I thought. The DP wreckers could do the job in half a day and go help team 2 with the other site, a 3000 plus square foot house that needed to be mucked out.
Well, unfortunately, the information given to me was wrong. WAY wrong. What was supposed to be a 1200 sq foot place ended up being a 12,000 square foot party warehouse!! Man, a factor of 10 is a big mistake...y'think?? The party store had a front entrance with a handicap ramp and the wheelbarrows had a hard time making the sharp turns. A couple of the guys took the sledghammer to the wrought iron gate and railing and pulled it out so we could make a ramp out of plywood for more of a straight shot out to the parking lot and curb. The owner's son, Frank Jackson, made another ramp and he used a large supply of party bells (thousands!) to prop up and support the back door ramp. How very Martha Stewart!
After our crew got settled in at the party store, I drove over to the Roberts' house about 1.5 miles away where team 2 was working. They had a Chevy half ton truck outside blocking the path to the yard for the debris. Our solution? Hook up the puny half ton to Darin Ruskamp's brawny 1 ton, put it in 4 Low and pull the beast out of the muck. Great times. Great times. Wish someone would've taken a picture of that. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to wash and decontaminate Darin's truck before we get it back to him!
Back to the party store. DP wreckers had a problem with the work site. It was as dark as a cave. Because it was in a warehouse style building, there weren't any windows, so there wasn't any light. The team worked for half the day in the dark until I was able to bring back two generators, our stash of 1000 watt halogen lights, and some fuel and about 200 feet of electrical cord. We lit that place up like a stadium. I was also able to recruit 8 more volunteers to the site, bringing the party store team total to 22 people. And we still didn't finish. We were only able to complete about 85-90% of the project. Frank calculated that it would have taken him and his brother 21 straight working days to do what we did in about 6 hours of hard work. What a blessing.
About St Bernard's Parish. It suffered badly in Katrina. Floodwater 20 plus feet, winds to 195 mph, flying debris, crashing buildings. Destruction like I've never seen. I drove around and most people in the Parish had not even come back to claim their belongings. Houses still boarded up, 6 inches to 3.5 feet of muck in the yards and driveways. The only people around were disaster relief workers or official services for the community (telephone, electricity, police, fire, and the like). If you weren't on official business, you weren't even allowed into the Parish; the Sheriff's Dept. checkpoint ensured this. To make matters more interesting, two military choppers flew overhead constantly, "keeping the peace", or something like that. I spoke with two men from the utility company that rode out the storm. These were hard Cajuns, tough as nails. His quote? "I ain't never seen nothin' like that, and I ain't nevuh want to see nothin' like that agin. I was sho' nuf scared! I was." He says he'll never ride out another storm. Somehow I believe him.
Who knows what tomorow will bring? Only God knows.
Gotta Sleep.
Glen
Our task was to clear out a party store. Balloons, Mardi Gras beads, party hats, everything imaginable for a party, and then some. I was told in the planning meeting that the store was 1200 square feet. No problem, I thought. The DP wreckers could do the job in half a day and go help team 2 with the other site, a 3000 plus square foot house that needed to be mucked out.
Well, unfortunately, the information given to me was wrong. WAY wrong. What was supposed to be a 1200 sq foot place ended up being a 12,000 square foot party warehouse!! Man, a factor of 10 is a big mistake...y'think?? The party store had a front entrance with a handicap ramp and the wheelbarrows had a hard time making the sharp turns. A couple of the guys took the sledghammer to the wrought iron gate and railing and pulled it out so we could make a ramp out of plywood for more of a straight shot out to the parking lot and curb. The owner's son, Frank Jackson, made another ramp and he used a large supply of party bells (thousands!) to prop up and support the back door ramp. How very Martha Stewart!
After our crew got settled in at the party store, I drove over to the Roberts' house about 1.5 miles away where team 2 was working. They had a Chevy half ton truck outside blocking the path to the yard for the debris. Our solution? Hook up the puny half ton to Darin Ruskamp's brawny 1 ton, put it in 4 Low and pull the beast out of the muck. Great times. Great times. Wish someone would've taken a picture of that. I'm pretty sure we're going to have to wash and decontaminate Darin's truck before we get it back to him!
Back to the party store. DP wreckers had a problem with the work site. It was as dark as a cave. Because it was in a warehouse style building, there weren't any windows, so there wasn't any light. The team worked for half the day in the dark until I was able to bring back two generators, our stash of 1000 watt halogen lights, and some fuel and about 200 feet of electrical cord. We lit that place up like a stadium. I was also able to recruit 8 more volunteers to the site, bringing the party store team total to 22 people. And we still didn't finish. We were only able to complete about 85-90% of the project. Frank calculated that it would have taken him and his brother 21 straight working days to do what we did in about 6 hours of hard work. What a blessing.
About St Bernard's Parish. It suffered badly in Katrina. Floodwater 20 plus feet, winds to 195 mph, flying debris, crashing buildings. Destruction like I've never seen. I drove around and most people in the Parish had not even come back to claim their belongings. Houses still boarded up, 6 inches to 3.5 feet of muck in the yards and driveways. The only people around were disaster relief workers or official services for the community (telephone, electricity, police, fire, and the like). If you weren't on official business, you weren't even allowed into the Parish; the Sheriff's Dept. checkpoint ensured this. To make matters more interesting, two military choppers flew overhead constantly, "keeping the peace", or something like that. I spoke with two men from the utility company that rode out the storm. These were hard Cajuns, tough as nails. His quote? "I ain't never seen nothin' like that, and I ain't nevuh want to see nothin' like that agin. I was sho' nuf scared! I was." He says he'll never ride out another storm. Somehow I believe him.
Who knows what tomorow will bring? Only God knows.
Gotta Sleep.
Glen
Pics from Slidell
This is Party House in St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans. We mucked this 12,000 sq foot business.
This is Waldrens house when we finished - down to the studs, baby!
It's not just a rumor, Glen does sometimes, do work.
All Waldren's belongings were placed on the curb.
Here is our team with T.A., uncle of Waldren Joseph whose house we "mucked."
This picture shows the mold on the walls and the muck on the floors.
This is an example of how a house looks when it has been first opened (after Katrina). Most all contents are wet, smelly and looks like they have been picked up, spun around and dropped in a jumble.
Waldren Joseph
Couldn't post last night because of satellite internet problems...
Yesterday was an excellent day of hard, bust your tail kind of work. We were at the same site for the second day. 3 rooms left to clean out of debris and about half the house left on drywall removal. Our team made short order of the task. It was like a colony of ants, all working, carrying, hauling, loading, smashing. Fun times! Everyone's attitudes and spirits have been upbeat and encouraging. Any amount of hard work is made easier when the crew you are around is positive. And DP is definitely positive. Amen!
Waldren Joseph, the owner of the house, came by the house while we were working and what a blessing that was! I had the opportunity to interview him and his uncle, T.A., who lives next door. Waldren described his experience of boarding up his house and fleeing before Hurricane Katrina hit. Living on the road between Atlanta, Florida, and Louisiana, running from the storms and trying to place his children in safe places around the country with loved ones who would help provide care for them. His home has been his trusty Jeep Cherokee with a luggage carrier on the roof rack to store what little belongings he has left.
If I could describe to you his gratitude and his story, I would. But to hear him tell it was just phenomenal. He has been tired, worried, distraught. How am I going to clean out that house? How am I going to do it with all of those memories? It's going to take me "just about forever" to clean out my house. My mama is back in Florida worried sick and I don't want her to see all of this. It would just kill her. The week before Katrina hit he had gone out and purchased a couple of outdoor propane burners and big kettle pots to make up some gumbo, red beans and rice, and cornbread. He was preparing for a family gathering. To hear him tell it, "I was going to have me a real big picnic." What day was the party? The day Katrina came to town.
As he processed what was destroyed and what we were doing, and as each wheelbarrow and diesel truck bed full of his belongings went by him on the dusty driveway out to be dumped on the growing trash heap on the curb, I understood clearly and vividly that we were dumping his memories, his life as he knew it, his security, and his stability as well. "I'm trying to be strong, but sometimes I just can't take it." We encouraged him, hugged him, took pictures, made him laugh. Ministry happens in unusual places. Yesterday, it happened on a dusty road, on the Louisisana bayou, with a hurting soul.
Glen
Yesterday was an excellent day of hard, bust your tail kind of work. We were at the same site for the second day. 3 rooms left to clean out of debris and about half the house left on drywall removal. Our team made short order of the task. It was like a colony of ants, all working, carrying, hauling, loading, smashing. Fun times! Everyone's attitudes and spirits have been upbeat and encouraging. Any amount of hard work is made easier when the crew you are around is positive. And DP is definitely positive. Amen!
Waldren Joseph, the owner of the house, came by the house while we were working and what a blessing that was! I had the opportunity to interview him and his uncle, T.A., who lives next door. Waldren described his experience of boarding up his house and fleeing before Hurricane Katrina hit. Living on the road between Atlanta, Florida, and Louisiana, running from the storms and trying to place his children in safe places around the country with loved ones who would help provide care for them. His home has been his trusty Jeep Cherokee with a luggage carrier on the roof rack to store what little belongings he has left.
If I could describe to you his gratitude and his story, I would. But to hear him tell it was just phenomenal. He has been tired, worried, distraught. How am I going to clean out that house? How am I going to do it with all of those memories? It's going to take me "just about forever" to clean out my house. My mama is back in Florida worried sick and I don't want her to see all of this. It would just kill her. The week before Katrina hit he had gone out and purchased a couple of outdoor propane burners and big kettle pots to make up some gumbo, red beans and rice, and cornbread. He was preparing for a family gathering. To hear him tell it, "I was going to have me a real big picnic." What day was the party? The day Katrina came to town.
As he processed what was destroyed and what we were doing, and as each wheelbarrow and diesel truck bed full of his belongings went by him on the dusty driveway out to be dumped on the growing trash heap on the curb, I understood clearly and vividly that we were dumping his memories, his life as he knew it, his security, and his stability as well. "I'm trying to be strong, but sometimes I just can't take it." We encouraged him, hugged him, took pictures, made him laugh. Ministry happens in unusual places. Yesterday, it happened on a dusty road, on the Louisisana bayou, with a hurting soul.
Glen
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Demolition Day!
Well, well, well. Went to 12 years of school and what job do I get here in Slidell? Crew chief for the first ever Davis Park C of C demolition crew! HA! What do I know about construction or demolition? Not much! But hey, I'll give most anything a try at least once...
Our team was together today doing a "muck out", which basically is a removal of all debris (furniture, cabinets, freezers, beds, etc.) and taking the drywall out that has been damaged by the water. The term "muck" apparently comes from the gooey, black, tar like substance left on the floors and everything else after the floodwater has left. It's like oily silt. Very slick, very smelly, very messy.
The house we were assigned was by many accounts, the worst one encountered by groups coming out of this site. It is a big house, with many many rooms filled from top to bottom with large messy debris. We've never seen anything like it. When we got on site, Paul, Jerry,Brian and Bob worked on taking down the boards that covered the windows. The smell inside was horrible. Getting windows and doors open for ventilation was definitely a priority. After that we just dug into the work. It was tiring physical labor, but we are serving an elderly lady who otherwise wouldn't have had the resources to get this work done. Our day was from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we accomplished much.
We're taking pictures and video and when we (i.e, Paul or Jack) figures out how to upload them to the site, we'll get it to you. Only two smal injuries, Bob cut his arm on a door frame and Paul slipped in the muck while wielding a sledghammer beating the dog out of a kitchen cabinet. Nice. It refused to budge. But perseverance won out and we finally got the kitchen cabinets out. The rest of the day was spent doing this type of work. It was a great feeling to hear from the folks here in Camp Slidell that we were given the worst house many of them had seen and that we had done 2 days worth of work in one day. They've even taken to calling us the "red shirts". Pretty cool.
At lunch our reward was a smattering of food. Mostly civiliean MRE's (meals ready to eat) with a tasty choice of chicken salad or beef barbeque to slop on a vacuum sealed sesame seed bun that was as hard as you would imagine (we sliced 'em open with my Leatherman) , with Oreo cookies, and warm pineapple (?!) soda. Accompanied by Cheezum pringles and applesauce. Oh my, and how could I forget the Chef Boy-ardee beef raviolis? UMMMMM. Doesn't that sound like a lovely meal? Obviously, food is for sustenance only, not taste or enjoyment! I think we'll all lose a bit of weight here in Slidell.
Everyone's pretty tuckered out tonite, most are asleep in their tents and it's only 10 p.m.! We hope to finish the job tomorrow. Paul and I are interested in learning how to drive the heavy equipment (a Bobcat and Skeeter Slider); we're pretty sure that Jerry (who seems to know a little about everything) will teach us. For those of you who care, perhaps you could say a special prayer for Paul and me that we don't hurt someone (i.e, us) by jumping behind a rig that has hydraulics and really big wheels.
You all would be proud of your brothers and sisters; all of them are working their fingers to the bone. Your God and Christian family are being well represented here. Pray for safety, energy, and compassion for those that are hurting so badly.
Need to sleep before it's time for Muck Day #2.
Glen
Our team was together today doing a "muck out", which basically is a removal of all debris (furniture, cabinets, freezers, beds, etc.) and taking the drywall out that has been damaged by the water. The term "muck" apparently comes from the gooey, black, tar like substance left on the floors and everything else after the floodwater has left. It's like oily silt. Very slick, very smelly, very messy.
The house we were assigned was by many accounts, the worst one encountered by groups coming out of this site. It is a big house, with many many rooms filled from top to bottom with large messy debris. We've never seen anything like it. When we got on site, Paul, Jerry,Brian and Bob worked on taking down the boards that covered the windows. The smell inside was horrible. Getting windows and doors open for ventilation was definitely a priority. After that we just dug into the work. It was tiring physical labor, but we are serving an elderly lady who otherwise wouldn't have had the resources to get this work done. Our day was from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we accomplished much.
We're taking pictures and video and when we (i.e, Paul or Jack) figures out how to upload them to the site, we'll get it to you. Only two smal injuries, Bob cut his arm on a door frame and Paul slipped in the muck while wielding a sledghammer beating the dog out of a kitchen cabinet. Nice. It refused to budge. But perseverance won out and we finally got the kitchen cabinets out. The rest of the day was spent doing this type of work. It was a great feeling to hear from the folks here in Camp Slidell that we were given the worst house many of them had seen and that we had done 2 days worth of work in one day. They've even taken to calling us the "red shirts". Pretty cool.
At lunch our reward was a smattering of food. Mostly civiliean MRE's (meals ready to eat) with a tasty choice of chicken salad or beef barbeque to slop on a vacuum sealed sesame seed bun that was as hard as you would imagine (we sliced 'em open with my Leatherman) , with Oreo cookies, and warm pineapple (?!) soda. Accompanied by Cheezum pringles and applesauce. Oh my, and how could I forget the Chef Boy-ardee beef raviolis? UMMMMM. Doesn't that sound like a lovely meal? Obviously, food is for sustenance only, not taste or enjoyment! I think we'll all lose a bit of weight here in Slidell.
Everyone's pretty tuckered out tonite, most are asleep in their tents and it's only 10 p.m.! We hope to finish the job tomorrow. Paul and I are interested in learning how to drive the heavy equipment (a Bobcat and Skeeter Slider); we're pretty sure that Jerry (who seems to know a little about everything) will teach us. For those of you who care, perhaps you could say a special prayer for Paul and me that we don't hurt someone (i.e, us) by jumping behind a rig that has hydraulics and really big wheels.
You all would be proud of your brothers and sisters; all of them are working their fingers to the bone. Your God and Christian family are being well represented here. Pray for safety, energy, and compassion for those that are hurting so badly.
Need to sleep before it's time for Muck Day #2.
Glen
Camp Modesto has been established !
What a sight to behold, the "tent city" referred to now as Camp Modesto. Eleven tents all lined up near the back forty of the property. Today I spent most of the day setting up to cook breakfast for the group tommorrow. Breakfast so far is spinwheels, poptarts and other items of this sort. There is also some Atkins breakfast cereals that taste like cardboard. Tommorow its Sausage and Eggs frp breakfast! Glen has recommended all of us double up on our cholesterol Our tenting experience is different than any I have ever experienced, fans and lighting, its unbelievable. Our group is awesome! They can muck houses with the best of 'em. Glen will give a further update.
Buddy
Buddy
Monday, October 03, 2005
The Drive Team Is Here
Just wanted everyone to know the drive team rolled in safely today. Camp is set up and we are about to go to bed. I will talk to you later.
Buddy
Buddy
Ground Zero
Big day. Saw many things, some so difficult to see it made my head hurt and nauseated me. Buddy and I spent a couple of hours driving around the north shore of Lake Pontrachain. As we drove south from our command site the devastation grew. Roofs, cars, mattresses, refrigerators, all of the belongings of people's lives piled in huge stacks on the side of the road or scattered about in standing canal water. The debris fields are unbelievable.
We turned east on the road hugging the north shore of Lake Pontrachain. Stilt houses and lakefront property (restaurants, businesses, homes, you name it) completely reduced to pieces of lumber and sheetrock and roofing. Cars in the water. Boats flipped upside down on the side of the street. Children's toys strewn about. This to me was unbearable. So many pictures, so many stories. But there will be time to tell them later. We had arrived at Ground Zero for Slidell, LA.
As we crawled along this road taking pictures and video, we saw an older man with a crowbar and hammer working away on his stilt house. A stilt house with only shards of stilt left. But where was the house? No trace of a lakefront house. I stopped and asked him if I could take his picture. He allowed me this grace. As I talked to Charlie, I learned that he had lived on this lakefront for 31 years. He was devastated. We didn't know why he was working on the house because there was nothing left on the house to work on. But he knew he had to do something. And this was all that he could do. His dreams, life, future, security, and hopes were devastated
in the destruction caused by this hurricane. He shared more with me and Buddy than I ever expected.
Personal pain is so often protected dearly; we were offered a glimpse of his hurting heart.
I mustered the courage and said, "Charlie? Would you mind if I got out my video camera and asked you a few questions? Or would that be too much?" Charlie bowed his head and turned his face towards the lake. "Oh no," he said, "that would be too much." I'm certain that behind his glasses there were tears. Buddy wanted to hug him, but knew that might be too much as well.
Surely we had arrived at Ground Zero in Slidell, LA. And we might never be the same again.
Glen
We turned east on the road hugging the north shore of Lake Pontrachain. Stilt houses and lakefront property (restaurants, businesses, homes, you name it) completely reduced to pieces of lumber and sheetrock and roofing. Cars in the water. Boats flipped upside down on the side of the street. Children's toys strewn about. This to me was unbearable. So many pictures, so many stories. But there will be time to tell them later. We had arrived at Ground Zero for Slidell, LA.
As we crawled along this road taking pictures and video, we saw an older man with a crowbar and hammer working away on his stilt house. A stilt house with only shards of stilt left. But where was the house? No trace of a lakefront house. I stopped and asked him if I could take his picture. He allowed me this grace. As I talked to Charlie, I learned that he had lived on this lakefront for 31 years. He was devastated. We didn't know why he was working on the house because there was nothing left on the house to work on. But he knew he had to do something. And this was all that he could do. His dreams, life, future, security, and hopes were devastated
in the destruction caused by this hurricane. He shared more with me and Buddy than I ever expected.
Personal pain is so often protected dearly; we were offered a glimpse of his hurting heart.
I mustered the courage and said, "Charlie? Would you mind if I got out my video camera and asked you a few questions? Or would that be too much?" Charlie bowed his head and turned his face towards the lake. "Oh no," he said, "that would be too much." I'm certain that behind his glasses there were tears. Buddy wanted to hug him, but knew that might be too much as well.
Surely we had arrived at Ground Zero in Slidell, LA. And we might never be the same again.
Glen
Camp Slidell...redo
Late last night I was finishing my post and as I was sending it, the internet connection crashed. Someone immediately commented...'That's the problem with hurricanes.' Spoken like a true veteran.
Camp Slidell. What an amazing place. Anywhere from 35-45 people milling about, coming and going to work sites, bringing supplies, taking supplies. There's an outdoor washeteria, 9 washing machines and 11 dryers, with 2 long tables down the middle of it for folding clothes, all covered by a white tent. 4 showers, 4 bathrooms, enclosed completely. Man, someone around here is one amzaing carpenter!
RV's, fifth wheels, tent trailers, campers, huge family tents, small 2 man tents. It's just like a regular KOA. (minus the swimming pool, unless of course you count Lake Pontrachain...)
The tool shed is a piece of work. Work gloves, shovels, hammers, power tools, chainsaws, ropes, hooks, wheelbarrows, you name it, they've got it. Even have two bobcats and a flatbed trailer. Pretty much Mike Crowley's dream set up! Who needs Home Depot?
And for those of you who attended church at Davis Park yesterday morning...I understand there's an ugly rumor floating around that Buddy and I didn't know how to get to the site here in Slidell. That's actually only a half truth. We had a pretty good idea of how to get here, we were just calling to confirm what we knew. Even though we got the directions from back home, we STILL had to call the Site Coordinator for the most accurate directions. But hey, glad to know that we're good for a laugh or two...or three!!
For those of you reading, feel free to add your comments to our blog. We'd just love to hear from "alluh y'all"!
Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We expect the drive team to be here early this afternoon.
Out for now.
Glen
Camp Slidell. What an amazing place. Anywhere from 35-45 people milling about, coming and going to work sites, bringing supplies, taking supplies. There's an outdoor washeteria, 9 washing machines and 11 dryers, with 2 long tables down the middle of it for folding clothes, all covered by a white tent. 4 showers, 4 bathrooms, enclosed completely. Man, someone around here is one amzaing carpenter!
RV's, fifth wheels, tent trailers, campers, huge family tents, small 2 man tents. It's just like a regular KOA. (minus the swimming pool, unless of course you count Lake Pontrachain...)
The tool shed is a piece of work. Work gloves, shovels, hammers, power tools, chainsaws, ropes, hooks, wheelbarrows, you name it, they've got it. Even have two bobcats and a flatbed trailer. Pretty much Mike Crowley's dream set up! Who needs Home Depot?
And for those of you who attended church at Davis Park yesterday morning...I understand there's an ugly rumor floating around that Buddy and I didn't know how to get to the site here in Slidell. That's actually only a half truth. We had a pretty good idea of how to get here, we were just calling to confirm what we knew. Even though we got the directions from back home, we STILL had to call the Site Coordinator for the most accurate directions. But hey, glad to know that we're good for a laugh or two...or three!!
For those of you reading, feel free to add your comments to our blog. We'd just love to hear from "alluh y'all"!
Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers. We expect the drive team to be here early this afternoon.
Out for now.
Glen
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Safe Arrival in Slidell
After a really interesting travel day yesterday we set out primed for adventure early this Sunday morning. We rented our car and made the drive to Slidell. On the drive to Slidell as you get closer and closer, more and more damage to the area is evident. The electricity is on, there is hot and cold running water, laundry facilities are operational and there are real places to take care of personal business(if you know what I mean). The facility is a great staging area. God has provided well. We have pitched our tents and our anxiously awaiting the arrival of the drive team.
We have visited the other work site that is close by and they are a great distribution center. We are still seeking to see how God will use us here. We canjoy muck houses if we need to. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for ustomorrow.
Glen had on 3/4 length pants today. The locals were impressed with his presentation of lower leg in "capris".
Jerry has met up with old friends from his home and basically dumped Glen and I in lieu of his friends. He's a cool dude. Iam enjoy the time with them.
Seek to know God and He will bless you.
Buddy
We have visited the other work site that is close by and they are a great distribution center. We are still seeking to see how God will use us here. We canjoy muck houses if we need to. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for ustomorrow.
Glen had on 3/4 length pants today. The locals were impressed with his presentation of lower leg in "capris".
Jerry has met up with old friends from his home and basically dumped Glen and I in lieu of his friends. He's a cool dude. Iam enjoy the time with them.
Seek to know God and He will bless you.
Buddy
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Travel day...count your blessings
Too many blessings to count. We were all exhausted from the week and anxious to get on the plane to catch up on sleep. Thankfully, Buddy and my father in law Jerry can pretty much sleep on a bed of rocks. I'm no slouch in that department either. Snoozing on the 3.5 hour flight to Houston was refreshing. However, the 'mystery beef and swiss' sandwich served on the plane was not. This might explain why I left a binder in the bathroom stall at the airport, nearly causing us to miss our connecting flight...(see Buddy's previous post.)
Landing in Alexandria and all the events that followed are nothing short of amazing. Despite all the obstacles, primary of which every single room to rent in this area was booked and double booked due to relief workers and disaster victims, God provided not only a place to rest our heads, but he filled our stomachs with good 'ol Q, gave us great fellowship with the pulpit minister here at the Pineville Church of Christ, and He's provided us with an office here at the church building, computer access and all. The church kitchen is full of food (for late night foraging) and there are 2 showers to wash off the road funk.
I told Jerry that he better hang on, because this is going to be one full on wild ride...his response? Amen, son! What a blast to sit back, be faithful, and watch God work to move mountains for his people. I look forward to witnessing more of God's promises and miracles in the days to come.
God's blessings to you all.
Glen Villanueva
Landing in Alexandria and all the events that followed are nothing short of amazing. Despite all the obstacles, primary of which every single room to rent in this area was booked and double booked due to relief workers and disaster victims, God provided not only a place to rest our heads, but he filled our stomachs with good 'ol Q, gave us great fellowship with the pulpit minister here at the Pineville Church of Christ, and He's provided us with an office here at the church building, computer access and all. The church kitchen is full of food (for late night foraging) and there are 2 showers to wash off the road funk.
I told Jerry that he better hang on, because this is going to be one full on wild ride...his response? Amen, son! What a blast to sit back, be faithful, and watch God work to move mountains for his people. I look forward to witnessing more of God's promises and miracles in the days to come.
God's blessings to you all.
Glen Villanueva
A Funny Thing happened on our way to Slidell . . .
Greetings from Alexandria(Pineville), LA. . .
Glen, Jerry(Yvonne's Dad) and I had a great flight out. The run from one side of IAH to the other side was interesting. We had twenty five minutes to make the flight once we were at the gate. We made it to the bus that was to transport us out to the puddle jumper, when Glen remembered he had left my notebook in the Men's Room. He sprinted and made it back before the bus left. Picture the Hertz commerical with superstars hurdleing over chairs and bags, that was Glen, running and jumping. We were the last three on the plane, but we made it.
In Alexandria we found a Taxi to take us to the Hotel(2 mi.) for $23.00. The rent car company closed at 5:oop.m. so we had no choice. The Super 8 was looking good after a hectic week in Modesto, we were thinking one last night of a/c. God,however had other plans. The Super 8 was full, Expedia never got the word. God blessed us. We started calling local churches(after calling all the local hotels). The Pineville Church of Christ 's minister answered the phone. He picked us up and put us up at the local church building with a/c, kitchen, showers etc and internet. Don Gelles the pulpit minister is great servant of God and provided great feloowship. The ribs were wonderful at Outlaw barbeque. What a day!
We are off and running to serve God.
We just talked to Paul with the caravan, they were in Flagstaff and moving down the road toward Gallup. No problems on the road. . .
Keep us in yor prayers.
looking to serve
Buddy
Glen, Jerry(Yvonne's Dad) and I had a great flight out. The run from one side of IAH to the other side was interesting. We had twenty five minutes to make the flight once we were at the gate. We made it to the bus that was to transport us out to the puddle jumper, when Glen remembered he had left my notebook in the Men's Room. He sprinted and made it back before the bus left. Picture the Hertz commerical with superstars hurdleing over chairs and bags, that was Glen, running and jumping. We were the last three on the plane, but we made it.
In Alexandria we found a Taxi to take us to the Hotel(2 mi.) for $23.00. The rent car company closed at 5:oop.m. so we had no choice. The Super 8 was looking good after a hectic week in Modesto, we were thinking one last night of a/c. God,however had other plans. The Super 8 was full, Expedia never got the word. God blessed us. We started calling local churches(after calling all the local hotels). The Pineville Church of Christ 's minister answered the phone. He picked us up and put us up at the local church building with a/c, kitchen, showers etc and internet. Don Gelles the pulpit minister is great servant of God and provided great feloowship. The ribs were wonderful at Outlaw barbeque. What a day!
We are off and running to serve God.
We just talked to Paul with the caravan, they were in Flagstaff and moving down the road toward Gallup. No problems on the road. . .
Keep us in yor prayers.
looking to serve
Buddy
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