L2 - Day 2

It’s even colder in New Orleans!!!

Today was our first day of work. 6:45 a.m. was the appointed hour. The intent was to beat the morning commuter traffic. Well, we actually left camp at 7:05. Then not 5 minutes into our drive, two two-step ladders decided to jump out of the pickup truck that was leading the way. Our caravan of minivans – and everybody behind us – came to a halt. The pickup though, oblivious to the leaping ladders, kept on keeping on, which meant we had to wait for them to realize we were MIA. It took us a hour and fifteen minutes to reach our first work site.

Because of our size, we are divided into two work teams. Team 1 is working just a few blocks from the house that the August group worked on. Work on the house was begun by a previous group that very graciously left us the killer job – the ceiling. But this was no ordinary ceiling. It’s a plaster ceiling. Not a plaster ceiling over lath though, but over heavy duty “chicken wire” that was stapled every six inches to “one foot on center” ceiling joists. This plaster ceiling was never intended to come down. It was difficult, dusty work just getting it down. And then all those staples had to come out as well. They are confident that it will be finished tomorrow.

Team 2 is working a fifteen minute drive away at the home of an 87 year old woman, Miss Vivian. She and her husband built the house in 1957. During Katrina she had declined her nephew’s invitation to evacuate to Baton Rouge with him and his family. Instead she went to stay with a friend who had a two story house. They ended up on that second floor and on “Good Morning America.” They refused GMA’s attempt to evacuate them for three days. The team removed all the dry wall and nails from the main living area today and will tackle the ceiling tomorrow.

Just as the team was leaving for camp, Miss Vivian arrived with her nephew. As she reached the front door and looked in her home that reverted to a studed shell, the first words out of her mouth were, “Oh, it looks just like it did when we were building it in 1957.” A word of hope from the mouth of a gentile Southern lady. She called the team her group of angels and assured them that they were going to heaven – no questions asked. As she was leaving she said, “Well, if I don’t see you again here, I’ll see you in heaven.”

We returned to camp we learned that the local forecast is for a low of 22 degrees tonight. The church has graciously invited anyone who would like to to sleep in the heated Fellowship Hall (which comes with the opportunity to also use indoor bathrooms. No 22 degree middle of the night runs to the porta-potty. Be sure to ask about the Louisiana II Slumber Party when the crew returns, and

Keep praying!