The Media Cannot Do It Justice

Over the past week, I was working at the St. Benard Parish outside of New Orleans. I will spare the minute details because the entire experience could written about extensively. However, there are a few details that I would like to highlight.

Entering the parish, I realized that the images on the news were real. Yet, the camara is unable to depict the atmosphere accurately. Boats were on the shores, stores were destroyed, stoplights were out, and trash was everywhere. I even got the feeling that the police officers who were still working were not even concerned that I was speeding through the city. It was if the locals of the region had entered a state of somber acceptance; they had come to terms with the disaster while understanding that life continues.

There were 15 people with our group from NC State University, and we were volunteering with the Samaritan's Purse (the organization started by Franklin Graham). The work was HARD and INTENSE! But, it was so much fun and life changing. We had the opportunity to talk and pray with the homeowners, and we got to see the devastation first hand.

Our responsibility was to clean out the houses and prepare them for reconstruction. We labored through muck and mire, we tore down the walls, and then swept the floors. It sounds simple, but it was tough. In one week, we cleared 3 homes (the average for a group of 15).

There's so much to say, that I write another web log about it soon.