We woke up this morning anxious and excited for the day ahead and who we were going to meet and where we would be working. Following orientation and meeting our old friends and long term volunteers of the UCC disaster ministries we headed out. Marty,Ron and Jerry to work on a house building a new indoor staircase and painting…the last project to finish for Otis and family. The rest of us went to midtown to work on a shotgun house gutting the inside room pulling off the boards with crowbars and hammers…dust ,grit and dirt everywhere! Good hard work and lots of sweat…boy were we ready for the showers ! This evening our hosts at little farms once again prepared an amazing meal for us…corn pudding, chicken, red beans and rice and lots more..good food and great company while for those of that have been here before connecting with our little farm friends..and new friends were made…Skelly wants to adopt Tara. We have lots of stories and pictures to share and hope the Internet will be working tomorrow. Please keep Beti our homeowner in your prayers as she deals with transitions and is having a difficult time. She is still living in a FEMA trailer (as our many others) she has lived in this house for over 50 years since the age of 3. As we drove through the neighborhoods today there is still much work to be done and the non profit $ are drying up. The UCC program is ending at the end of this year and other faith based programs have already closed and we learned today there are still 35,000 to 40,000 homes still needing repair.
We enjoyed a beautiful Sunday service at Little Farms. After church, Nancy, Marty, Mallory and Brian went to the International Jazz Festival. It was a beautiful day and the music included The Dirty Dozen Brass band, Dr John and John Mellencamp! What an amazing day! We were full of good music, good food, and lots of sun! Tomorrow begins our work journey…..
We arrived in New Orleans to Little Farms Church around 9:00 pm. We settled in, had pizza and turned in. On Sunday morning we had breakfast and prepared to greet the parishioners of Little Farms, many of whom are old friends by now. Many of us attended bible study class, gaining some interesting points of view into the book of Joshua. Randy and Barbara donned lovely choir robes, did a quick run through of the songs and were ready for the morning. The people are so gracious. They are a small, close knit congregation, and yet are so welcoming to all who come here.
After church some of us went to the jazz festival and the rest went on a tour of a nearby plantation which was built in 1787.
We picked up Tara in the afternoon and continued to explore New Orleans with a walk around the Garden District and and a drive around the French Quarter. This evening we await the arrival of Jerry and look forward to our orientation and job assignment tomorrow. We’re excited to get started on our week’s work. Thank you for your messages, your well wishes and your prayers. We are energized and ready! Barb
Saturday, April 30, 13 members of First Congregational Church will be leaving for New Orleans to work for a week with the UCC National Disaster Ministries and the South Central Conference. We will be staying at River Ridge Little Farms UCC church. We will be there to assist people and the communities in reclaiming whatever part of their lives is possible. We have the opportunity to be “Bearers of Hope” and a presence that demonstrates God’s companionship as the people and communities are empowered to rebuild their lives.
Marty Sandoval, Mallory Sandoval, Brian Hoffman, Denise Hoffman, Nancy Hart, Barb Storms, Amy Wolsdorf, Ron Pryde, Randy Minkler, Tara Olsen Allen, Jerry Couchman, Joe Nyberg, Sharry Nyberg
Our time in New Orleans this year is coming to an end…we have worked hard, met new friends, worshiped, consumed great food, laughed, shed a few tears and experienced great pride in a job well done! This evening at dinner we shared our top highlights of the week which were heartfelt and abundant. We will all remember those who have touched our hearts this week (especially Joyce, Doris and Bobbie). We are grateful and blessed to have worked with Jay and Marta (AMAZING!) our awesome leaders for the week…and to have connected with our old friends from UCC Disaster Ministries, Little Farms, Fodessa and Miss Sophie.
We have a few final bits of wisdom:
* ughhh! I need headphones it’s too early for this!
* not like you’re gonna remember in 10 minutes anyway
* She’s sorta like a Jen Jen
patent pending
* Doodie calls
* SNOW BALLS!
* I remember Poland
making left turns haven’t been our forte today, making rights haven’t either and the first time we tried to go straight didn’t work out so well.
* 3 to 6 more turns away from it
* the Fire Marshall has a hot car
* I have thick skin until someone says something bad to me
* the problem is I am attracted to water* Can’t win with you people
* I am so proud!!!!
We look forward to sharing more stories upon our return. and thank you all for your prayers love and support……Sharry
There is much to celebrate this year in New Orleans. On every block we would see homes that were repainted and being repaired. People were moving back to their homes. There is still much work to be done. Many homes remain boarded up, which means that they may at some time be repaired and occupied. Streets are in sad shape, but road construction caused us to detour on our way to the job site and as we toured the city. Road construction is a good thing! We leave feeling good about what we have done and the lives that have been changed by UCC Disaster Response . We leave knowing that the work continues and that this wonderful community will survive and overcome a disaster that none of us could ever truly comprehend. –Linda
It’s hard to believe that it is Friday and our work in New Orleans is completed. We all have special memories of this week, but I think most people would say that hearing the stories of our homeowners were among the most special. Yesterday we finished Joyce’s home and she treated us to a wonderful lunch of red beans & rice and CATFISH!!! She was so happy and we were grateful for her willingness to share her story. She will remain in our hearts as we remember her warmth and hospitality
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Four of us also worked on another home and completed the finishing touches on Doris’ home. We were impressed with Doris’ home that is a lively yellow, trimmed in barn red and white.
Today we completed our work at Bobbie’s house. We did power washing and scraped and scraped. Next week’s group will tackle the rest of her home.
Each of these homeowner’s were so gracious to us and their resiliance in the face of their struggles was a inspiration to everyone. And, as with most volunteer projects, we received so much more than gave. Thanks for viewing our blog this week and your support through prayers! Kathi
Our group worked as one big team today to complete the painting of Joyce’s June Berry House. At times there were 15 of us painting, caulking, cleaning downspouts, painting flower boxes, address numbers and garden decor. The house is beautiful and we must drive by tomorrow to see the new hurricane shutters that will be installed in the morning.
Joyce was so appreciative of our work that she invited us all for lunch today. We feasted on deepfried catfish and red beans & rice plus salad and a yummy cake. We found out how to make red beans and rice. It is not a recipe, it is just how everyone makes it in New Orleans. You start with onions, celery and green pepper. Cook it with your kidney beans, water, and meat of your choice. Joyce used a ham hock, turkey necks, and pieces of smoked sausage. For seasoning use garlic powder, onion powder, Zaterine’s creole seasoning. Start it early in the day and cook it slowly until you get a nice thickened gravy. Serve it over white rice. Yummm! –Linda
Four of us worked this week on a second painting project at Doris’s home. Her house had been in 4 feet of water. Her home had been completely resided and painted by UCC Disaster Ministries. Crew Boss, Joe, along with Randy, Barb and I were dispatched on Monday afternoon to paint her carport and storage shed to match her pretty yellow house. Our crew made short work of it and had it painted and ready for a garden party by midday on Wednesday. We were thrilled to meet two of Doris’s sisters and other family members who came for a visit on their way to Baton Rouge. They inspected our work and approved the results!
While working in the neighborhood we were greeted by all who passed by. “How y’all doin’?” We we’re doin’ fine! -Linda
- Here’s the crew on the street side of the shed and carport. Randy’s fence is open behind us.
