Day 5: Gratitude

Another day of work at the house that we are helping to rebuild. Substantial progress is visible since we started yesterday morning - lots of insulation and sheetrock up and much sense of accomplishment. We are also musing about spending some of the excess money we raised to purchase appliances for the kitchen in this home. There is a real sense of pride and connection to this family, whom we have not met and will not meet but are able to love and support through our work here.

I learned that while the physical rebuilding effort is going pretty well - 11 houses are under construction now - at least on the small scale that the Diocese of Louisiana is at, the emotional recovery is much more precarious. One home is complete but the homeowner is still not able to move in because of overpowring reminders of the flood. Government funds for support are drying up, though Episcopal Relief and Development is helping to fill in some of those gaps.

This evening we were invited to join the congregation of St. Paul's Church in Lakeview, next to where we are staying, for their Lenten Wednesday series. We prayed Evening Prayer with them and then they treated us to a supper of crab and corn chowder and Po Boy sandwiches and a video of the damage and rebuilding of St. Paul's supported heavily by the Diocese of Olympia in Washington State. We then shared conversation about their experiences of Katrina and the aftermath and our impressions after three days here. It was a powerful opportunity for connection and relationship. Four members of our team have been invited to a couple of parishioners' home for crawfish on Friday evening. I was impressed to learn that the new pews at St. Paul's here were donated by St. Paul's in Indianapolis, where I was baptized. This is truly the heart of Christ's activity in America right now and, as the Rev. Will Hood, rector here, emphasized, we are the hands of Christ here now, which is very exciting. Our supporters are our Holy Spirit!

I continue to be blown away by the hospitality and gratitude for our presence here. One man said that he just can't get over how people, often far away, who were never asked for help would offer to give their time and money to support rebuilding in New Orleans. I feel the love of God here and am grateful.

Blessings,
Steve+