 |
| Kirsten and Emma pickin' up some studs |
 |
| Dr. Page at work |
 |
| More stud pickin' up |
 |
| Concrete for the A/C Stand |
 |
| Drilling the A/C Stand |
 |
| Taking out the trash |
 |
| Joel going for the clean sweep |
 |
| More Walls.....sounds like a country song |
 |
| The Tupelo Street Dance Crew |
Saturday, May 5, 2012
More Pics from Friday
Team NOLA 2012 at the house on Tupelo St. (for all you Elvis fans out there)
 |
| ...and Stew Bear shows up for the group photo. I'm sure I saw him swinging a hammer at some point in time. |
Friday, May 4, 2012
Our last full day of work
Hi - it's Brad here. Today is Friday May 5th and we've completed our work-week here in Slidell. Actually, we would normally work a half day on Saturday, but instead, tomorrow we are helping commission a women's only build taking place next week at the same site we worked on this week. Apparently there will be dancing, decorating tool kits and generally enjoying good old Louisiana hospitality.
Considering the blistering heat and humidity this week, everyone did really well and a lot was accomplished on the site. All exterior walls were completed and approximately another 10 or so interior walls were raised. It's so gratifying when you can see visible progress and framing is great for that! And with the extra code requirements for hurricane protection - including metal strapping and special nailing patterns, framing in this part of the world means hammering a million nails and dealing with blisters on your blisters!
Today's work-day ended a little early for me as I drove Jim Lamb to the airport so he could come home early for Xavi's 1st Communion taking place in Ottawa tomorrow. I then rushed back to meet Christine and the rest of the crew enjoying a post-work swim in the Gulf of Mexico at Waveland, just over the border in Mississippi. What a great way to end the day!
We'll be sorry to leave this wonderful part of the world, but speaking personally, like all my previous trips here, Louisiana has provided a wonderful stage for adventure, growth, fun and service. And what a fantastic group of young people and adults with whom to share the time. The young people on this trip - Becca, Tia, Kirsten, Emma, Heather and Joel were committed, energetic and hilarious from the moment we left and they represented Emmanuel United incredibly well this week.
We can't wait to share our journey with the congregation at an upcoming service. Meanwhile, we'll be heading home tomorrow - arriving late Saturday evening. Thanks to everybody for their support, prayers and personal commitment to helping make this service learning trip a huge success.
Brad
Considering the blistering heat and humidity this week, everyone did really well and a lot was accomplished on the site. All exterior walls were completed and approximately another 10 or so interior walls were raised. It's so gratifying when you can see visible progress and framing is great for that! And with the extra code requirements for hurricane protection - including metal strapping and special nailing patterns, framing in this part of the world means hammering a million nails and dealing with blisters on your blisters!
Today's work-day ended a little early for me as I drove Jim Lamb to the airport so he could come home early for Xavi's 1st Communion taking place in Ottawa tomorrow. I then rushed back to meet Christine and the rest of the crew enjoying a post-work swim in the Gulf of Mexico at Waveland, just over the border in Mississippi. What a great way to end the day!
We'll be sorry to leave this wonderful part of the world, but speaking personally, like all my previous trips here, Louisiana has provided a wonderful stage for adventure, growth, fun and service. And what a fantastic group of young people and adults with whom to share the time. The young people on this trip - Becca, Tia, Kirsten, Emma, Heather and Joel were committed, energetic and hilarious from the moment we left and they represented Emmanuel United incredibly well this week.
We can't wait to share our journey with the congregation at an upcoming service. Meanwhile, we'll be heading home tomorrow - arriving late Saturday evening. Thanks to everybody for their support, prayers and personal commitment to helping make this service learning trip a huge success.
Brad
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Day Three- Becca edition
Our morning started as it should have: Christine waking up absurdly early, waking us up a 5:50, and us all laying in bed for another 10 minutes. By 6:30 we'd all pulled on clothing, chased food down with caffeine, and had piled into the vans. At that point, our fearless yet terrifying work supervisor, Rock, rolled onto the scene to tell us we might not be working today because of the thunderstorm coming. Now, there are many things that Louisiana knows how to do well. For example, apply icing sugar liberally. In addition, make fantastic music. But also, it sure knows how to rain. And today, it rained. And then it sprinkled. And then it RAINED. While we waited for the final word for him, people took to opportunity for some down time. Emma journaled, Tia, and Joel played games. Jim did some Jim things. Christine, Brad, and Kirsten went to Starbucks. And I, well, I went cocooned myself in a blanked and snuggled down for some more sleep. Yeah, it was a great morning. At nine o'clock Rock confirmed that we would not be able to work today. Disappointed but our spirits undampenable (even by the rain) we piled back into the cars and rolled out to take Louisiana by storm (pun very much indented).
The evening before we had the opportunity to view photographs from when Katrina first hit. It's remarkable really, but I feel like no one really has a grasp on the all consuming destruction that was the hurricane. A deeply unfortunate combination of natural tragedy and human mistakes, Katrina is tragic in ways that I still do not fully grasp. I've seen the photos. I've heard the stories. I've seen the waterline on the sides of houses broken down but still standing but still I feel I don't fully grasp what happened in this place. Louisiana is fun. And spirited. And sweet; sweeter than the tea they make. The people are kind and quick to introduce themselves and recommend a good restaurant. But all of that really doesn't fit with the people's surroundings. Today, we drove through the Lower Ninth. This is where the real punch of Katrina was felt, as it so often is in these situations: by the poor. As we drove down the lower ninth, we saw habitat house followed by empty lot that someone still mowes followed by a house with a caved in roof and boarded up windows. Six years later, houses hit by the hurricane are still just sitting there. Someone told me today that FEMA, the organization that provides aid during emergencies, pulled out a year after the hurricane hit because they thought their job was done. Driving through the Lower Ninth today, I can't help but question that decision. I couldn't help but think that surviving a stage 5 hurricane, the highest rating, should be enough. But people here have been living on some level of survival for 7 years. And all this in the most well off country in the world. I think that made all of us itch for our hammers and the heat of the work site.
The Lower Ninth is also where Brad Pitt and Michael Holmes funded homes to be build. We cruised past them, and they only added to the feeling that something was wrong with the setting. These houses were designed by famous architects as a means for them to help out. So amongst worn out homes and leveled lots, there are pastel space houses. Nothing seems quite right. Add to that picturing the very road you drove on as underwater, and the feeling was quite disconcerting. Perhaps the most harrowing image was a "Children at play" sign. I'm sure many of you are familiar with this sign, seen often around Ottawa to warn drivers to be careful. Hanging askew in the Lower Ninth, it seems to say so much more.
The rest of the day was filled with a visit to a plantation and garden. We learnt that it was considered unbecoming for women to cross into a certain room without the men's position and that they had to be sure to keep their thirteen petticoats under their hemline. Emma and I decided we would probably not do well in those times. But, at least we could live on the fringes of society together.
As some of you may know, Brad has a certain affection for driving on top of the levies beside the Mississippi. Today, in Jim's car, when we looked back and couldn't see the other van, we knew Brad was fulfilling his craving. (note: I was just informed that they were chasing us down up there. They had trouble catching up to us because "for once Jim decided to drive close to the speed limit and was just tearing up the road").
This evening, we played a game by the name of Animal. Those of you who've travelled with Emmanuel in the last few years should be quite familiar with this game. Amongst the shenanigans and monkey howls, I was reminded that among friends, fun can always be had. When moments are found in a busy day to spend time with other people, one can also find solidarity. So when I ask myself how Louisiana is still suffering after all this time, I also know they are doing far better than anyone could expect. When I ask myself how they do it I know it has something to do with that solidarity found in others (although I'm sure I don't fully understand the depth of that).
There are things to be icing sugared, there is music to be made, and there are storms to ride out. And that's just what New Orleans knows how to do.
I'd apologize for the length of this post, but Christine says its okay. And if Christine says its okay, then it must be.
The evening before we had the opportunity to view photographs from when Katrina first hit. It's remarkable really, but I feel like no one really has a grasp on the all consuming destruction that was the hurricane. A deeply unfortunate combination of natural tragedy and human mistakes, Katrina is tragic in ways that I still do not fully grasp. I've seen the photos. I've heard the stories. I've seen the waterline on the sides of houses broken down but still standing but still I feel I don't fully grasp what happened in this place. Louisiana is fun. And spirited. And sweet; sweeter than the tea they make. The people are kind and quick to introduce themselves and recommend a good restaurant. But all of that really doesn't fit with the people's surroundings. Today, we drove through the Lower Ninth. This is where the real punch of Katrina was felt, as it so often is in these situations: by the poor. As we drove down the lower ninth, we saw habitat house followed by empty lot that someone still mowes followed by a house with a caved in roof and boarded up windows. Six years later, houses hit by the hurricane are still just sitting there. Someone told me today that FEMA, the organization that provides aid during emergencies, pulled out a year after the hurricane hit because they thought their job was done. Driving through the Lower Ninth today, I can't help but question that decision. I couldn't help but think that surviving a stage 5 hurricane, the highest rating, should be enough. But people here have been living on some level of survival for 7 years. And all this in the most well off country in the world. I think that made all of us itch for our hammers and the heat of the work site.
The Lower Ninth is also where Brad Pitt and Michael Holmes funded homes to be build. We cruised past them, and they only added to the feeling that something was wrong with the setting. These houses were designed by famous architects as a means for them to help out. So amongst worn out homes and leveled lots, there are pastel space houses. Nothing seems quite right. Add to that picturing the very road you drove on as underwater, and the feeling was quite disconcerting. Perhaps the most harrowing image was a "Children at play" sign. I'm sure many of you are familiar with this sign, seen often around Ottawa to warn drivers to be careful. Hanging askew in the Lower Ninth, it seems to say so much more.
The rest of the day was filled with a visit to a plantation and garden. We learnt that it was considered unbecoming for women to cross into a certain room without the men's position and that they had to be sure to keep their thirteen petticoats under their hemline. Emma and I decided we would probably not do well in those times. But, at least we could live on the fringes of society together.
As some of you may know, Brad has a certain affection for driving on top of the levies beside the Mississippi. Today, in Jim's car, when we looked back and couldn't see the other van, we knew Brad was fulfilling his craving. (note: I was just informed that they were chasing us down up there. They had trouble catching up to us because "for once Jim decided to drive close to the speed limit and was just tearing up the road").
This evening, we played a game by the name of Animal. Those of you who've travelled with Emmanuel in the last few years should be quite familiar with this game. Amongst the shenanigans and monkey howls, I was reminded that among friends, fun can always be had. When moments are found in a busy day to spend time with other people, one can also find solidarity. So when I ask myself how Louisiana is still suffering after all this time, I also know they are doing far better than anyone could expect. When I ask myself how they do it I know it has something to do with that solidarity found in others (although I'm sure I don't fully understand the depth of that).
There are things to be icing sugared, there is music to be made, and there are storms to ride out. And that's just what New Orleans knows how to do.
I'd apologize for the length of this post, but Christine says its okay. And if Christine says its okay, then it must be.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
First day on the site
Today was our very first day working on the house in Slidell. When we got to the site we were told we would be raising a wall. It took all of us as a group to lift this wall and it was a very bonding group experience because we needed every person to pick it up.
Throughout the day we became friends with the Americorps volunteers, the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity on-site staff, and our den mother Kristen (who gave Joel a hot pink hard hat for the day).
After a long, very hot day of hammering we ended up putting up 3 exterior walls and have begun working on the interior walls. Our arms are now hurting but our minds and hearts are very happy after a camp fire sing-a-long. We cannot wait for our next couple of days on the site to see what the house will end up looking like, and going on the Bayou and not getting eaten by alligators. They should be more scared of us because we have been eating them down here in aligator sausage Po Boys.
"A friend is the hope of the heart" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Curfew is coming, so post again soon,
Kirsten
Throughout the day we became friends with the Americorps volunteers, the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity on-site staff, and our den mother Kristen (who gave Joel a hot pink hard hat for the day).
After a long, very hot day of hammering we ended up putting up 3 exterior walls and have begun working on the interior walls. Our arms are now hurting but our minds and hearts are very happy after a camp fire sing-a-long. We cannot wait for our next couple of days on the site to see what the house will end up looking like, and going on the Bayou and not getting eaten by alligators. They should be more scared of us because we have been eating them down here in aligator sausage Po Boys.
"A friend is the hope of the heart" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Curfew is coming, so post again soon,
Kirsten
So, here we are settled into the friendly confines of Peace Evangelical
Lutheran Church, a church with accommodations for the many teams that
have come to the Slidell Lousiana are to help with the post Katerina
recovery. With 7 years passed since the Katrina the number of people coming to work on the recovery has declined as have the number of houses being built.
Following a couple of days a acclimatization, we started work this morning. A face familiar to previous team members greeted us this morning at the HFH East St. Tammany's Center. Rock's new gentler character was challenged when he asked who the under 18 person was and a small voice told him to "guess". Rock meet Tia. Tia meet Rock.
Peter has been sent some pics of todays work and hopefully, they will be posted shortly.
The friendly people ( Miss Stephanie) have called us for dinner so I'm signing off for now.
Jim.
P.S. Others will be encouraged to contribute later.
Following a couple of days a acclimatization, we started work this morning. A face familiar to previous team members greeted us this morning at the HFH East St. Tammany's Center. Rock's new gentler character was challenged when he asked who the under 18 person was and a small voice told him to "guess". Rock meet Tia. Tia meet Rock.
Peter has been sent some pics of todays work and hopefully, they will be posted shortly.
The friendly people ( Miss Stephanie) have called us for dinner so I'm signing off for now.
Jim.
P.S. Others will be encouraged to contribute later.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)