Presbytery Travel Blog

Today was our last day at the NOAHH habitat project at Ferry Place. Most of us woke late and were moving slowly this morning. Sarah told us that it’s pretty typical that the volunteers are “up and out” later each morning. One of the great blessings of the past two days has been the break in the weather: The heat has broken, and we’ve actually begun our mornings in jackets and sweatshirts. The downside of this is that we were far less careful about sunscreen these last two days, so most of us will be coming home mighty pink!

Tuesday morning, we assembled at 7:15 a.m. on the front porch of the Land Building, and headed off to Ferry Place, where we began our work with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity.   Our project leaders, Billy, Hank Henry and Andrew oriented us to the work we would be doing, and solicited volunteers for various jobs at various skill levels.  Billy, the project manager, who is a PhD student in theology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, started us off with some powerful words, “You may think you’re here to build houses, but what you’re really here for is to love people.”   It is a great perspective with which to begin four days of hard work on a project where it is so hard NOT dwell  on our tangible accomplishments.

 There are five houses currently under construction at Ferry Place.  Two have much of the exterior work completed.  We are working on the other three.  One already has walls up on the first floor, so our folks started out working on the second floor floor joists, finished the flooring, and today (Thursday) actually raised  two walls!  

The second house had footings and flooring sills in, so our folks finished the floor joists, and the flooring, and today actually raised the first three walls there.

The third house was the least complete, with only concrete foootings sticking up out of the sandy soil.  We finished filling the footings with concrete (Our folks carried a mixed a LOT of concrete on Monday!), added hurricane straps and termite shields, cut and installed the framing (?) for the floor, and today completed about half of the floor joists for the main floor.

 The first three days have been difficult and wonderful.  We’ve had our patience sorely tested with the “hurry up and wait” that accompanies this type of work—especially since we’re a team who has not worked together before, and most of whom are new to this sort of work.  There is a lot of consultation time with our project managers, and a lot of ”do overs.”  We’ve spent a lot of our devotion time (after we finish complaining) reflecting on how fortunate we really are, just to be able to be here, doing this work, serving God and these people—His people. 

 In the meantime, we’ve been treated with incredible and generous hospitality by the folks of St. Charles Presbyteryian Church.  The Church provided fabulous dinners for us on Monday, Wednesday and this evening.  Tuesday, we (which includes our group, the Delaware group, our Habitat site supervisors and several others) were invited to a church members’s home for dinner.    This evening, the church is hosting a wine tasting event in the Land Building, which some of us attended, while others headed down to the French Quarter, to pick up some local flavor.  Wherever we go, people are eager to thank us for coming down and for caring, and urge us to let people know how much there is still to be done.

We can do that.

Happily, our travel was uneventful and we arrived safely Saturday night. We got to the Land Building shortly after 10 p.m. and immediately ordered pizza, since none of us had had dinner. This is a great group of people, who really go to a lot of trouble to take care of each other.

Sunday morning began with worship at St. Charles Ave. Presbyterian Church, where we were warmly greeted and profusely thanked for coming to New Orleans to help with the rebuilding effort. After worship, the eleven of us managed to find a restaurant where we could have lunch together and spend some time getting to know each other better.

We returned to the Land Building for our orientation, by which time, the other group, 8 men from Westminster Presbyterian Church  in Wilmington, DE,with whom we’re living and working this week, had arrived. This means a LOT of personal space and shower time for the PGV women, with only five of us in the “women’s dorm,” and not so much for the men.

Sunday afternoon and evening, some of us explored the  Audubon Park and we all ended up in the rench Quarter for dinner, followed by beignets and coffee at  Cafe du Monde

This morning, we had our first work day. Tricia elected to go with the Westminster group to the home of Miss Stella, a 25-year nursery volunteer from St. Charles Presbyterian Church. Her home in the 9^th ward sustained a lot of damage from the Hurricane, and the Church has been able to send teams of RHINO volunteers for several half-days to help her with the restoration. The rest of us went to Trinity Christian Community Center where we did a variety of outdoor cleanup chores. The Community Center itself had sustained serious damage from the storm, and has been facing a constant struggle to restore and maintain its own property and at the same time offer its assistance to the surrounding community. The director, Sandy, told us that she felt bad about having volunteers working on their own facility, but she explained why the work was so critical: The overgrown areas surrounding the Center not only attacted a variety of animal pests, but encourages dumping which has become a significant problem in the area. Sandy pointed out to us the pile of debris in front of a house on Joliet street. Apparently, as of the 2^nd year anniversary of the Hurricane, the City no longer picks up Katrina-related debris from homeowners who are restoring and repairing their property – it is not part of the contract with the new refuse contractor, and the City is not willing to bear the additional cost, so homeowners are responsible for contracting their own debris removal – just another obstacle for the folks who are trying to put their lives and home back together.

The work at Trinity Community Center was good hard work, and we came back to the Land Building hot and tired, with just enough time to eat lunch and shower before we split into two groups and headed off with SCAPC members for driving tours of Post-Katrina New Orleans. Many of us were disappointed at the lack of progress we could see since we’d last been here. In contrast, one of the tour groups had the opportunity to meet Robert Green, who was grateful for the opportunity to share his story. All of us were inspired by the depth of his faith, which provided just the prod some of us needed to be sure that we could, in fact, make a difference in this place this week.

Although we worked hard today, and accomplished much, the best moments for everyone this day were the moments we spent listening to people tell their stories. As we reflected on the day’s events in this evening’s devotional time, it was agreed all around, that even though we are sooooo eager to accomplish the tasks we’re assigned, the most important thing we do is listen.—even if it means it means temporarily setting down our tools to so. We have come down here with the intention of being a blessing to these folks – we need to remember to let God bless us through their lives and stories as well.

Eleven Genesee Valley Presbyterians from seven different churches will travel to New Orleans tomorrow to assist with continuing recovery and rebuilding efforts.  We will be hosted by the St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church (SCAPC), and work for the next week with the church’s RHINO (Rebuilding Hope In New Orleans) project in conjunction with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA), the Presbytery of Southern Louisiana, and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH).

Participants are:

Whit Beckett, Jr., Alison Gilday, Jacob and William Morris, and David Fish (Gates)

Shelly Carithers (South)

Laurie Ditzel (Calvary St. Andrews)

Patrick Eble (Perinton)

Louise Josephson (John Calvin)

Tricia Moningle (Irondequoit)

Al Santos (Penfield)

For most of us, this is not our first trip to Post-Katrina New Orleans. The work will be different this time, since the focus of RHINO has changed from gutting houses to its partnership with NOAHH and the construction of fourteen new homes at  Ferry Place.   Nonetheless,  our purpose remains the same, and it is amazing, and humbling, to be among the thousands who are still coming to the Gulf Coast, two years after the storm, as part of the witness that Christ bears to the nations – a witness to the goodness of God in the world.   We expect to work hard over the coming week, but in many ways our presence will be at least as important as the physical work we accomplish.

I got this email from Katie. 

“I wanted to let all of you know that last Thursday was my last day on the RHINO staff at Saint Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church and I have bid New Orleans goodbye. I am back home in North Carolina and after a few weeks of beachtime, relaxing, and traveling to see friends and family, I will begin work on a Masters of Divinity degree at Union Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. I will start with summer language school, learning the ins and outs of ancient Greek. So prayers, mantras, hail marys, good karma, etc for me will be much appreciated during that time! I am eager to begin this next chapter of my life and to see where it will lead.

My last week with RHINO was bittersweet and the end of not only my time in NOLA, but also the end of an era for RHINO. RHINO begins full time work with Habitat for Humanity this summer and so the program gutted its very last home during my last week. At the day’s end, the 16 Michigan volunteers I was working with paused with me inside the sacred space of the home we were working on. I think the whole group was struck by the realization that they are connected to so many other RHINO volunteers they have never even met but who have shared in similar work and experiences. We were all humbled thinking about the work from the last year and a half that so many people have been a part of.

Sarah and I donated all of the gutting tools to the Presbytery’s Disaster Assistance office and we returned the RHINO Penske truck to its headquarter home, ending the church’s 20 month lease of our beloved yellow truck! I kid you not when I say I was misty eyed handing over the dusty shovels and the blue bin of hammers. As the Presbytery’s Construction Manager said to me as I handed him a handful of brooms, “Its the end of the best gutting team in New Orleans.”

I am so grateful that each and every one of you have been a part of that team. I cherish that my life intersected all of yours, if even briefly, through such a unique and amazing experience. Working alongside all of you, witnessing so much pain, but offering the work of our hands and hearts as a prayer to God has been one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life. My time in NOLA, both this year and last year, has absolutely changed the lens through which I see the world. It has revolutionized my understanding of who Christ calls us to serve. I have discovered new and creative ministry ideas as I have wrestled with so many of you over questions and issues of social justice, poverty, and the church’s role in crisis and disaster assistance. My heart was opened to so many moments of grace as we engaged together in the work that I believe is our highest calling as Christians-to participate in the revolution that Christ calls us to by caring for those that the rest of the world forgets, being present to those in dire need during crisis, and letting God’s love and mercy come from the light that we shine.

In an article I read recently in World Ark, Heifer International’s magazine, comparing Hurricane Jeanne in Haiti and Katrina in New Orleans, Paul Farmer, a physician, medical anthropologist, and cofounder of Partners in Health writes: “The best monument to the catastrophe in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast would be a serious national effort to address the poverty and inequality that afflicts the entire country. But can we respond effectively by addressing poverty in our own country alone? The shared history of Louisiana and Haiti reminds us that cultures, populations, hurricanes, and need refuse to be confined by national borders. Katrina is the latest reminder that the project of reconstruction must be underpinned by a vision of a world without indecent poverty, without racism, and without the accelerating divestment in public infastructures, which is now acknowledged in the United States and elsewhere. The great vulnerability to which we expose all those who lack fundamental social and economic rights, including the right to be protected from foreseeable and, indeed, predicted disasters, is a cause worth fighting for… Allaying human suffering and promoting human dignity, at home and abroad, are part of the prescription and the reason for rebuilding.”

It is my hope and prayer that all of us keep fighting that worthy fight and rebuilding hope in all the ways we can, wherever we are. Thank you to each and everyone of you for all you brought to New Orleans, I hope out paths will cross again soon, please keep in touch.

Peace RHINOs,

Katie”

Thought for the Day:   Some you are familiar with the Portuguese saying I use at the end of my emails : “It will all turn out okay in the end, and if it isn’t okay, it isn’t over yet.”  It isn’t over yet in New Orleans. The end of this particular phase of the work makes room for other opportunities for ministry.  I’m adding something new to my email signature for a while.   

 Our highest calling as Christians is to participate in the revolution that Christ calls us to by caring for those that the rest of the world forgets, being present to those in dire need during crisis, and letting God’s love and mercy come from the light that we shine.
 - Katie Cashwell

(LBB )    Thursday many of us experienced “gutting” a home for the first time. We were taken to Charbonnet Street in the Ninth Ward to Patricia’s house. Her brick home is one the the few left standing in the area. Her property has been condemned by the city and she must show intent to repair the property or they will demolish it.  She has not been able to enter the home because debris is blocking the front door. RHINO has decided to help her by cleaning out the inside of the house so that she can make a better decision about what to do next.  This will stall the city’s action for a while.

We thought Patricia was going to meet us but she did not. For whatever her reasons, I was glad she wasn’t there. I have now worked on nearly a dozen of these homes and this was the worst I had seen. No one can dispute that the Ninth Ward received the hardest hit. Most of the homes were simply swept away.  Patricia’s nice little home was clearly flooded to the roof and then sat as the water’s receded for over three weeks. It has now been over 20 months. Everything was coated with dried mud. Furnishings, once wet, fell apart as the team tried to remove them. Deconstruction is depressing work but it must be done and it can only be done by hand.  The team worked hard hauling out all of the families personal belongings before removing the walls.  By the end of the day the house was down to the studs.

For some of us this was discouraging work. What’s the point of doing all this when the city is probably going to tear it down anyway? Some were thinking, “Take me back to the Habitat site here I can do something postive!” Some were disappointed that they didn’t get to meet the person they were trying to help. She said she was going to be there; why wasn’t she? None of us really know what we would do in such circumstances. While that particular home may not be saved, we are helping to save a city. We will be remembered as some of the thousands and thousands of volunteers who are rebuilding hope in New Orleans.  

One of the great learnings for me on this third mission to NOLA, is that I don’t need to be thanked, honored, or congratulated for doing what God has called me to do. It is not about me having a sense of satisfaction or about being appreciated for being such a good Christian. It is only about one thing. Gracious God, be glorified by what we do here. May all of good we do in this weary world be a reflection of your ultimate goodness and grace at work in our lives.   

Thought for the Day:  Got catechism? What is the chief end of man and woman?       

We are all fine. God is good.

We had a better day today working with Habitat.  I left early with Bill, Alison, Judy J., and Shelly so I could have a chat with Zach, one of the Habitat project managers we met yesterday.  I wanted to talk to him before the chaos started to make a special plea for our group. It worked well and we got a great assignment working on two houses on Alvar Street in Musician’s Village. It was good work putting up siding on both; putting up roof sheathing on one; positioning trusses on the other. We came home good and tired.

It is exciting to think that we are part of making history right now. Books will be written about the thousands of volunteers who came to the Gulf Coast to do recovery work. We can each say, “I was one of the them.” Books will be written about Musician’s Village and we each can say,”I helped build Kenya’s house  and Annette’s house right there on Alvar Street.”

It’s amazing to be a part of something so much larger than ourselves.  It is good work. It is God’s work.

Thought for the Day:  The Letter of James reminds us that we are called to live out our faith everyday by doing good work for God. What good work for God will you do today?        

Wednesday was our day off.  There was an interpretive tour hosted by the church. It was much the same as the one in March so it the changes since then though few were apparent. And there was the addition of Musician’s Village.

We went to the lower ninth ward again. Instead of the gray silt coating on everything, wild grass and weeds hid the magnitude of the destruction. This is the second time I have been there and both times I found myself scouring the ground looking for some momento, like combing the beach for a shell or piece of sea glass. I picked up a few chips of colorful china.

Later after a day of R&R, I was sitting in the dining area working on a slide show when Jamie,a very quiet man, came over to me. “Did you see what I found?” He showed me a thin copper medallion. I asked if he found it in the Ninth Ward. He said “yes , but do you see what it says?” As I looked closely at the raised lettering I could see the words of the Lord’s Prayer. Amazed, I told Jamie of my quest and said to him “You were supposed to find this today.” He said ” Yeah, I think God is trying to tell me something.”

I think we all sense that God is speaking to us, trying to tell us something.

Thought for the Day: What is God trying to tell you today?