Appreciation

Funny how a little change in your routine can change so much in your head. So it was when I went to New Orleans at the end of February. Little did I know how impacted I would be. I was prepared to encounter a lake's worth of mind numbing scenes. In reality, it was an Ocean's worth. Not one, but all seven oceans. It took every bit of a week until today to even be able to start thinking about anything else.
People, I am not kiddin' you when I tell you that it is far worse than the reporters said. It doesn't look like six months has made a dent's worth of progress in the cleanup, even though I saw myself that the disposal units are very quick to come and pick up what is lying curbside-- I mean within a day or two. So all the pictures you see of curbside trash are all new every couple of days.
There is a lot of gutting and cleaning going on down there. Everysingle house that flooded more than a few feet needs gutted. For obvious reasons it is heartbreaking for the home and property owners. They really need the assistance because emotionally, they get paralyzed by the overwhelming task and the underlying truth that they are throwing out their whole lives. Many can't reconcile it. Most of the people we met are holding it together with Jesus and even still are breaking down in tears.
Imagine if 3/4 of Columbus was vacated- empty. School yards, shopping plazas, gas stations buisnesses closed, for blocks and blocks. All uninhabitable until gutted. And for some of them, it may as well have happened yesterday. Their hearts are still in knots and tears are very close to the surface. It's truly heart breaking. You can feel the sadness in the air.
They are sincerely grateful for all the help they have received, and whatever help they get even now. They are truly trying to move on with their lives. One family wanted to buy 14 of us lunch. We told them we had brought lunches. And our own drinks. They wanted to do something. They were so grateful that we were coming to help. We told them we wanted to do this wanted to bless them. They went out and got the team King Cakes. Who knows what those are? I never heard of them. They are very pretty, multi-colored frosting on a big ovel doughnut shaped coffee cake ( tasted like a cinnamon roll). There is a plastic baby somewhere in the cake and who ever gets it in their slice has to buy the next one. They didn't get just one, but three. One of them would feed 15 people. So we took them back to the Kenner Vineyard to share with our Canadian mission mates and anyone else who wanted. The kitchen ladies even made a pot of coffee (Usually only for breakfast!) to go with it. The family who gave them to us--Al, Patricia Redeaux, and their daughter, Brigitte and granddaughter Brianna smiled their happiness at being able to do something for us, share a tradition and the story of King Cakes with us.
It is also really amazing how open people are to prayer. Everyone I asked accepted prayer. They have nothing but praises for the Christians and the churches who are down there in droves. Someone said it's the volunteers who are the heroes. Maybe revival will break out and there will be a transformation of New Orleans and a new industry will be born (obliterating Mardi Gras).
There will be more to follow and probably photos too. This is no time to be forgetting them! They need us more than ever, and there is still so much to do there. . Please remember them in your prayers and consider a trip south to help. God bless you all.