Day 2 - December 14, 2005

This trip is definitely a once in a life time sort of thing. Getting down here and actually being able to meet and talk with the people who were affected by this, rather than just watching it on the news, is an amazing experience. The people who work here at the good news in bad places site are in one word: incredible. They are so diverse in every aspect, yet have come together to form there own sort of family unit. To be able to see all of these people and see how god is working through and within all of them is truly an amazing thing. All I can say about this trip so far is that I feel so greatful to be here and to be apart of this.

Heather

Day 2 - December 14, 2005

Well, to describe this trip after only two days, I can honestly say that it is something that can’t be described. The flight to New Orleans was so much fun, but very tiring as well. I feel like after only a couple of days I’ve known the other people in my group for years. Today, I got to see with my own eye the extraordinary power of God. It was hard walking along roads of total ruin and destruction. I saw a sign that was left in a piece of earth in an area where a home used to lay. The sign said, “We now having nothing except our lives and our dignity.” It hit me hard when I saw this sign and knowing that there are so many people in this city who have lost absolutely everything. A concept that I don’t believe anyone here or anyone who reads this entry can possibly conceive. God is good.

-Jamie

Day 2 - December 14, 2005

It was an early wake-up call at 6:45 am (4:45 west coast time :¬) but I was very excited that today we were going to work on a house. Not knowing what to expect at all, except seeing some destruction on the drive over, I was in disarray driving through the neighborhoods. The destruction was unreal along with large mounds of everyone’s furniture and clothing littering the streets to be thrown away. Today we worked on a local pastors house to try and clear out his first floor so that he and his family could possibly move back into the second floor. It was very difficult knowing that we were tearing apart a family’s home and that so many other people were in the same situation. Our team accomplished a lot, taking all of the dry wall out of the first floor and clearing out all of the moldy furnisher. The most shocking part of today came right after we finished working on the house and went to the neighborhood where the levy broke. The area looked as bad as you could possibly imagine. You wouldn’t have been able to tell if a bomb had gone off or not. The housed closest to the levy were completely flattened. Cars were flipped upside and relocated on top houses or in large trees. Even a barge had been brought onto the land. I still haven’t had much time to really think about what I saw today but the destruction was incredible. So many people have been affected by this hurricane and I hope that our group being down here will make a difference. In him,

~Kyle