Ok, I know that I am sleep deprived, but here comes another installment of our mission. Please know that I have tried to blog everyday, but either I got lost in New Orleans (very scary, by the way) or the internet connection was down, or the ethernet cable that I needed was out of stock, or it was to late to blog because the library was closed that had the wi/fi connection I needed. . .sigh. Anyways, it is going to get better.
The adults have 3 groups that are all working on homes that have already been gutted, de-molded, and are ready for the drywall (which they call sheetrock down here). They got off to a rough start because there are so many of us that need to get to different places, and we didn't think we would need the bus to take us there. (We figured most of the houses would be within walking distance. As it turns out, none of them are.) So we had a lot of wait time while we got the routes figured out. Then they got there, and the drywall screws didn't come in, so they had to wait for those. I think they have all the bugs worked out now, and they are hard at work.
The teens and chaperones were split into four groups and each given a house to gut. My group went to Cheryl and William M's house. It was gorgeous at one time. They had three bedrooms, a formal dining room, two living rooms, a kitchen I would die for, a huge shed and an in-ground pool. All of it is now covered in mold and slime. We found a lot of personal mementos, pictures,
etc. and just started hauling them to the street. It was heartbreaking. The owners met us, walked us through the house, and then had to leave. They just couldn't stand to stay and watch. I felt awful for them. Cheryl was upset so she left in the car, and William just stayed outside and worked on the yard. They gave Emily and I a ride to their house in their vehicle, and told us that they were one of the lucky ones. Everyone got out in time, they had relatives to go stay with, and William's job transferred him to Texas. They had only been back 4 times since the hurricane hit. They explained that with two mortgages, and nobody living in the area yet, they have to pay for the gas and the hotel rooms along the way. This is very expensive with the cost of living and paying for two houses. We went inside their house, and thought that their faith must be very strong, because we didn't see the 'luckiness' that they did. All we saw was destruction.
We got to work, and it was nasty hot and humid. It was very hard to breathe with the masks on, but it was imperative that everyone wear them. We weren't going to take the chance of anyone getting sick from the mold. My group agreed that the worst part was the smell. It was working an 8 hour day in rotten eggs and sewage. The teens did awesome! They worked circles around me! (I must be getting old.) Once in a while, the teens would find something that they thought was salvageable. They took great care in setting it aside to let the family look it over later. It was very touching to watch them. Of course, the rest of the time, they took great pleasure in ripping out the walls with huge sledgehammers and crowbars! When we left for the day, we had about 50% of the house totally gutted. We hope to have it finished today.
We had to take all of our tools and supplies with us when we left though, because theft is prevalent in that area. (A lot of it they blame on contractors in the area. . .How sad is that!)
The kitchen crew is doing an outstanding job. Our meals are great, and no one in the teen contingent has complained once!
Club time, which is the teens nightly spirituality component, is going well. At first, the teens weren't taking the praise music seriously, (I think they were to wound up from the day); but after I threatened to lecture for two hours, they came around. hehe. We have prayed every night for our families, friends, and the parishioners of all of our parishes. The teens have really bonded well, and are taking their responsibilities seriously. I have received nothing but praise for them from everybody who comes into contact with them. I just smile and say "I know." (Thanks to the parents of the teens who have raised them so well!)
Today we are going to Loyola with the teens to use the swimming pool. It will be a nice break for them. I'll blog again as soon as I can. Thanks for being so patient with me! Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. God Bless!
The adults have 3 groups that are all working on homes that have already been gutted, de-molded, and are ready for the drywall (which they call sheetrock down here). They got off to a rough start because there are so many of us that need to get to different places, and we didn't think we would need the bus to take us there. (We figured most of the houses would be within walking distance. As it turns out, none of them are.) So we had a lot of wait time while we got the routes figured out. Then they got there, and the drywall screws didn't come in, so they had to wait for those. I think they have all the bugs worked out now, and they are hard at work.
The teens and chaperones were split into four groups and each given a house to gut. My group went to Cheryl and William M's house. It was gorgeous at one time. They had three bedrooms, a formal dining room, two living rooms, a kitchen I would die for, a huge shed and an in-ground pool. All of it is now covered in mold and slime. We found a lot of personal mementos, pictures,
etc. and just started hauling them to the street. It was heartbreaking. The owners met us, walked us through the house, and then had to leave. They just couldn't stand to stay and watch. I felt awful for them. Cheryl was upset so she left in the car, and William just stayed outside and worked on the yard. They gave Emily and I a ride to their house in their vehicle, and told us that they were one of the lucky ones. Everyone got out in time, they had relatives to go stay with, and William's job transferred him to Texas. They had only been back 4 times since the hurricane hit. They explained that with two mortgages, and nobody living in the area yet, they have to pay for the gas and the hotel rooms along the way. This is very expensive with the cost of living and paying for two houses. We went inside their house, and thought that their faith must be very strong, because we didn't see the 'luckiness' that they did. All we saw was destruction.
We got to work, and it was nasty hot and humid. It was very hard to breathe with the masks on, but it was imperative that everyone wear them. We weren't going to take the chance of anyone getting sick from the mold. My group agreed that the worst part was the smell. It was working an 8 hour day in rotten eggs and sewage. The teens did awesome! They worked circles around me! (I must be getting old.) Once in a while, the teens would find something that they thought was salvageable. They took great care in setting it aside to let the family look it over later. It was very touching to watch them. Of course, the rest of the time, they took great pleasure in ripping out the walls with huge sledgehammers and crowbars! When we left for the day, we had about 50% of the house totally gutted. We hope to have it finished today.
We had to take all of our tools and supplies with us when we left though, because theft is prevalent in that area. (A lot of it they blame on contractors in the area. . .How sad is that!)
The kitchen crew is doing an outstanding job. Our meals are great, and no one in the teen contingent has complained once!
Club time, which is the teens nightly spirituality component, is going well. At first, the teens weren't taking the praise music seriously, (I think they were to wound up from the day); but after I threatened to lecture for two hours, they came around. hehe. We have prayed every night for our families, friends, and the parishioners of all of our parishes. The teens have really bonded well, and are taking their responsibilities seriously. I have received nothing but praise for them from everybody who comes into contact with them. I just smile and say "I know." (Thanks to the parents of the teens who have raised them so well!)
Today we are going to Loyola with the teens to use the swimming pool. It will be a nice break for them. I'll blog again as soon as I can. Thanks for being so patient with me! Please continue to keep all of us in your prayers. God Bless!
posted by Lori Anne at 12:32 PM
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