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January 24, 2008 - 9:28 PM - Posted by LynV

     Is it really possible that this is going to be over tomorrow?  I say that with some sadness as this experience will never really leave us.  The overwhelming destruction of Hurricane Katrina cannot be truly understood until you see it.  (Even 2 ½ years later) 

    The home Linda and Audrey and I have been working at has taken on a whole new look.  The reconstruction phase has started. We placed the sub-floor in the bathroom, and framed in both bathrooms and a closet.  I have almost mastered the use of a chop saw, and kept constantly busy with “measure twice and cut once”.  The family members stop by daily and have shared their stories and heartaches with us. These visits are why the backbreaking work feels so right.  Lynn M has been at a different home all week and says she feels like Michelangelo’s daughter tonight after sheet rocking overhead all day. 

     Our last daily devotion was this evening.  We reflected on the wonderful friendships we have made within our groups and with the homeowner’s we have met.  Many shared their encounters with people in the community who have expressed thanks to us even if they aren’t the direct recipient of our help.  We have cherished your prayers during our stay and hope they continue as we make our way back to home and loved ones.

Submitted in Christ,

Lyn Varner

Lyn, Linda, and Audrey's work team

The Martin family - where Lyn, Linda, and Audrey are working

(and Martin's prized Dodge Charger that was damaged in the hurricane)

Audrey with a 2 x 4!

January 23, 2008 - 9:39 PM - Posted by Audrey

Lyn Varner, Linda Bettison and I have been working the past two days at a home doing destruction of a bathroom floor, removing all electrical wiring, moving of a few stud walls to rearrange the bedroom configuration, and cleaning up the back yard. Tomorrow I think we will begin the re-construction phase: putting up the new stud walls of the new rooms. Of course, we are providing the go-pher services and the unskilled labor for the most part, so we are grateful for the skills of the others on our team. Although Lyn did use the table saw today! Go Lyn!

One interesting feature of this house is the red pine wood floor .  It survived the flood waters, while oak floors in other homes were buckled and ruined. The construction manager explained that the red pine is native to the area and thus it withstood the flood.

A very satisfying part of our work day is when the family stops in to visit and see what we are doing. They are so appreciative of our work. They like to tell us their stories of surviving Katrina and how they are coping with the recovery. They feel very blessed because all of their families are safe. Many of their neighbors still have not returned to their homes. About half of the homes on their street are vacant.

We feel very blessed to be representing First Presbyterian Church on this mission trip. We feel your prayers. Thank you for your support.

Audrey Novak

We began our day at a church rebuilding site where another PDA group is housed. Then we moved on to our assigned houses. I split from the other FPC folks and served as chauffeur for a few people who needed a ride to their site. This meant that I got a chance to learn a bit about sheetrocking and using a power screwdriver (I think that's what it's called). Never too old to learn. We had a great team and accomplished as much as we could while waiting for the building inspector to arrive. Hopefully that will happen soon so we can keep moving along on our project.

LynV, Linda, and Audrey worked at a house that required some demolition, so they are on the front end of that project. It must have been hard work; I heard a few comments about sore backs.

It was a rather warm day today -- I just heard it reached 72 degrees. Enough to generate some sweat just standing around. Cooler temps are forecast for tomorrow.

We ended our evening at John Calvin Presbyterian Church in Metarie for dinner and fellowship with teams from 6 other presbyteries. The speaker, Allen Cutter, is Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Southern Louisiana. After serving a congregation in Duluth, he was called to Louisiana in 2006 and did not hesitate because he knew what it was like to need a helping hand -- he is a Vietnam Veteran who actually had to be rescued. He shared a lot of the history of PDA's efforts here and what is planned in upcoming years. It was a very inspiring message that makes me really proud to be a part of this organization.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have some photos to post from the others. We have been so tired by the time we get back to camp that I'm barely getting this journal done.

By the way, FISH Camp means "First in Service and Hope."

Thanks to all of you who are praying for us and who support us in this mission. It means a lot to know that you are behind us all the way.

January 21, 2008 - 9:08 PM - Posted by LynnM

Martin Luther King Day -- a day of service. And we did our part. We spent the day at Frederick Douglas High School in the Upper 9th Ward doing various projects to spruce up the school and its grounds. The event was organized by Hands-On New Orleans and we were joined by hundreds of volunteers, both local and from around the country. The four of us attempted to build a picnic table. So with some minor reworking by someone with real carpentry skills, it should be usable soon.

After a delicious lunch of red beans and rice, we spent the rest of the day on different projects:  painting planters, painting a mural to supplement the biology curriculum, planting flowers, and general helping out wherever an extra pair of hands was needed. It was a day well spent and so encouraging to see such a diverse group of people working together and accomplishing much. I bet the students will be surprised (and hopefully very happy) about the changes in their school environment when they return on Tuesday.

Some of our group worked on three homes today and it sounds like they did a great job. One team was rewarded with a delicious home-cooked lunch. So lucky!

On Tuesday we have assignments at some of the 7 houses that our PDA group is responsible for this week. Lots of different kinds of work so I'm sure we will all learn something new.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

January 20, 2008 - 9:17 PM - Posted by LynnM

Another long day in the car. Just to be sure we arrived in time, we left Festus at 6 AM. After a quick stop for photos by the Graceland sign (request of LynnV — her family will understand this perfectly!) and lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Batesville MS (to satisfy my yearning for southern food and SWEET tea), we made our way to FISH Camp in Luling, LA about 5:15 PM. (I forgot what FISH stands for.)

We have now been oriented for our duties and have a better understanding of how the rebuilding needs are determined, scheduled, and funded. PDA is working in conjunction with the Presbytery of Southern Louisiana which plays a major role locally in planning, and the volunteers are essential to accomplishing the work.

Our group is energized and ready to work. We sang one of my favorite hymns, "Here I am, Lord" which pretty much says everything about why we are here. On Monday there will be 3 groups working at houses and the rest of us will go to a high school for assignments as part of local service projects on Martin Luther King Day. I think that will be a great way to meet some local people and get involved. There are 8 houses on our schedule for the rest of the week and lots of work to keep us busy.

We are settled into our pods and the heat has been turned on so we should be cozy warm for the evening. We are living on Faith Lane. Audrey and Linda are in Alligator 2 pod. I hope that's no indication of possible "visitors."

It's a long way to Tipperary -- I mean, to Festus, Missouri. After 13 hours and 725 miles, we finally are settled into our hotel rooms and sweet dreams will soon set in. The shared driving worked well with each of us doing about 2 - 3 hours at a stretch. OK, one of us did a bit more but she'll be at the end of the driving rotation on Sunday. We took the route through downtown St. Louis and enjoyed the view of the lighted Gateway Arch.

Weather was clear all the way down. And it was a balmy 10 degrees when we arrived! A heat wave for sure. We will strike out at 6 AM on Sunday for another very long day; hopefully we will arrive by 6 PM for orientation.

We were wondering if others from our group might be overnighting in lovely Festus also. We really should have made badges, "Hug me, I'm Presbyterian!"

For some reason LynV found this to be an amusing sight. Yep, it was a long day.

Another long day in the car. Just to be sure we arrived in time, we left Festus at 6 AM. After a quick stop to take a picture by the Graceland sign (request of LynnV — her family will understand this perfectly!) and lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Batesville MS (to satisfy my yearning for southern food and SWEET tea), we made our way to FISH Camp in Luling, LA about 5:15 PM. (I forgot what FISH stands for.)

We have now been oriented for our duties and have a better understanding of how the rebuilding needs are determined, scheduled, and funded. PDA is working in conjunction with the Presbytery of Southern Louisiana which plays a major role locally in planning, and the volunteers are essential to accomplishing the work.

Our group is energized and ready to work. We sang one of my favorite hymns, "Here I am, Lord" which pretty much says everything about why we are here. On Monday there will be 3 groups working at houses and the rest of us will go to a high school for assignments as part of local service projects on Martin Luther King Day. I think that will be a great way to meet some local people and get involved. There are 8 houses on our schedule for the rest of the week and lots of work to keep us busy.

We are settled into our pods and the heat has been turned on so we should be cozy warm for the evening. We are living on Faith Lane. Audrey and Linda are in Alligator 2 pod. I hope that's no indication of possible "visitors."