Almost at the end of a very busy week.... cooking for 30+ hungry, hard-working volunteers! I've learned some new tricks of the trade this week, especially about getting everything out at the right time at the right degree of doneness, and about how much food is the right amount. Deb, who arrived last weekend, has been head cook here before and has been generously sharing her skills and experience.
Every morning the volunteers have been getting up before the sun to pack their lunches, eating an early breakfast (which means the cooks have been up even earlier), and heading out to the job sites in order to get a lot of work done before the hottest part of the day. People have been drywalling, tiling, painting, installing doors and windows, putting in insulation, and just about anything else related to repairing a house. At supper time each work crew reports on the day's work, then the whole group plays a game where people have a chance to nominate others who they've observed working extra hard, being especially helpful, or going above and beyond the ordinary in any way. This game, suggested by one of the group leaders, has set a very positive tone for the week.
On two of the evenings this week we've had guest speakers -- local residents who were here during Hurricane Katrina.. Listening to their stories of surviving the storm and of their work to assist others in the aftermath, I am amazed, both by what people had to go through and by the strength of the human spirit. Over and over I hear stories about people whose first impulse is to help others.
I have changed my plans somewhat. Even while enjoying the time here, I had been experiencing a strong desire to go home early so that I could spend more time with family and friends before leaving for Tanzania in early August -- and also so I could join Brian and Marlee for a quick trip to Massachusetts next weekend. Deb's arriving and graciously agreeing to step into the role of head cook a week early has made it possible for me to head home at the end of this week. So things could not have worked out better!
Tomorrow, Friday, is my last day of work. Saturday I am planning to go on a swamp tour, and Sunday I will head home.
Thursday 23 June 2011
Monday 20 June 2011
Contrasts
It has been an interesting few days. On Saturday a group of us visited Oak Alley Plantation, and later that day I took off on my own for a drive along the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a stop at the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Reserve. On Sunday we toured the extremes of New Orleans: St. Charles Avenue and the Lower Ninth Ward. I also had a chance to see some of the houses that MDS is working on. One of them is almost ready for the homeowner to move into with her grandchildren. Since Hurricane Katrina she has been living with neighbours down the street. Many of the houses in New Orleans will never be recovered; many are vacant lots.
Sunday night two groups of volunteers arrived, 14 people from Pennsylvania ranging in age from 16 to 78, and 10 students from Fresno California. Suddenly it is very lively around here! Thank goodness there are now three of us working in the kitchen. We put in a very long day and made some great food for the hungry volunteers. It was fun to chat with a few of the volunteers this evening while doing dishes together.
Sunday night two groups of volunteers arrived, 14 people from Pennsylvania ranging in age from 16 to 78, and 10 students from Fresno California. Suddenly it is very lively around here! Thank goodness there are now three of us working in the kitchen. We put in a very long day and made some great food for the hungry volunteers. It was fun to chat with a few of the volunteers this evening while doing dishes together.
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| Oak Alley Plantation |
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| houses along the Mississippi Gulf Coast |
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| Bayou Sauvage |
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| Lower Ninth Ward |
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| a mansion on St. Charles Avenue |
Thursday 16 June 2011
Why we're here...
"I passed a man bathing in the drain
He said “i am jesus christ come back again”
And as i passed i turned to see
A man across the road cussin’ he for blasphemy.
But as i walked i started to wonder
Which man of the two was the blasphemer:
The one who said he was the lord himself
Or the next one who cyan’t see the lord in someone else." [Kobo Town]
"...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ [Matthew 25: 35-40]
Last night around the dinner table we all talked about why we're here. The reasons were as varied as the people at the table. A father and son are celebrating the son's graduation from high school by doing a service trip together. A kindergarten teacher visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras and is excited to be back here to work. A seasoned volunteer who has been at many Mennonite Disaster Service projects really enjoys using his building and problem skills to help people in need. For a student here on an internship, service is a way of life and an intrinsic part of being Mennonite. Another volunteer, whose work at home is counselling survivors of emotional trauma, is learning that she can also embody God's love by swinging a hammer.
It drew a laugh when I said that I believe we all have different gifts and that mine is the gift of stamina. It is true though. I have been gifted with a good deal of energy, curiosity, and creativity about how to live, and I want to put it to use serving people. I believe we are meant to see people the way God sees them, and that means seeing some good in everyone, impossible as that may seem. There is no way I can do that on my own, but I have found that when I serve people I begin to see them through different eyes -- eyes that are closer to God's eyes. Even yesterday morning when the work crews were packing their lunches at 6am: one of the volunteers asked me for a different kind of bread and my first response was to feel grumpy. The next moment though, I remembered that she is a person with preferences, just as I am, and that it is part of what makes her unique. And I have always said I celebrate diversity! A good lesson for me. [We now have 3 kinds of sandwich bread.]
I am also here because, like Henry David Thoreau, I want to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived." This world was made wonderful and diverse and I want to see and experience as much as I can in however many years I have in which to do it. So far I have seen huge contrasts in New Orleans, from mansions to ruins, from celebration to devastation. In a way, this city feels like a microcosm of the world.
He said “i am jesus christ come back again”
And as i passed i turned to see
A man across the road cussin’ he for blasphemy.
But as i walked i started to wonder
Which man of the two was the blasphemer:
The one who said he was the lord himself
Or the next one who cyan’t see the lord in someone else." [Kobo Town]
"...For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ [Matthew 25: 35-40]
Last night around the dinner table we all talked about why we're here. The reasons were as varied as the people at the table. A father and son are celebrating the son's graduation from high school by doing a service trip together. A kindergarten teacher visited New Orleans during Mardi Gras and is excited to be back here to work. A seasoned volunteer who has been at many Mennonite Disaster Service projects really enjoys using his building and problem skills to help people in need. For a student here on an internship, service is a way of life and an intrinsic part of being Mennonite. Another volunteer, whose work at home is counselling survivors of emotional trauma, is learning that she can also embody God's love by swinging a hammer.
It drew a laugh when I said that I believe we all have different gifts and that mine is the gift of stamina. It is true though. I have been gifted with a good deal of energy, curiosity, and creativity about how to live, and I want to put it to use serving people. I believe we are meant to see people the way God sees them, and that means seeing some good in everyone, impossible as that may seem. There is no way I can do that on my own, but I have found that when I serve people I begin to see them through different eyes -- eyes that are closer to God's eyes. Even yesterday morning when the work crews were packing their lunches at 6am: one of the volunteers asked me for a different kind of bread and my first response was to feel grumpy. The next moment though, I remembered that she is a person with preferences, just as I am, and that it is part of what makes her unique. And I have always said I celebrate diversity! A good lesson for me. [We now have 3 kinds of sandwich bread.]
I am also here because, like Henry David Thoreau, I want to "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life... and not when I had come to die discover that I had not lived." This world was made wonderful and diverse and I want to see and experience as much as I can in however many years I have in which to do it. So far I have seen huge contrasts in New Orleans, from mansions to ruins, from celebration to devastation. In a way, this city feels like a microcosm of the world.
Tuesday 14 June 2011
The first few days...
First of all I have to print a retraction: that wasn't the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway I drove across on the way to New Orleans, it was the bridge on Interstate 10 -- still pretty impressive, but not anywhere near as long as the Causeway. So last night I drove along Lake Pontchartrain and took a few pictures.
Monday morning was the official start to the work week and my cooking job. Everything has gone smoothly for the first couple of days -- in fact, I am a bit restless because there isn't a lot of work to do this week -- there are only a few volunteers here. Apparently there will be at least 27 people here next week, so I'll be a lot busier. I'm looking forward to that, and also hopefully to getting out to the job sites.
This week the work crews are concentrating on two houses in the Lower Ninth Ward, the area hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. At both sites, exterior work has been completed and interior work is well on its way, meaning that the homeowners will be able to move back in before too long. Both work crews were able to meet the homeowners today and hear their stories.
Friday 10 June 2011
Found my camera cord!
Of course... it was tangled up with all the other cords...
Here are a few pictures from my first night in New Orleans:
And here's the MDS building:
My little car behaved marvellously on the way down and is enjoying a day off.
Here are a few pictures from my first night in New Orleans:
And here's the MDS building:
Arrival in New Orleans
After two days on the road, I arrived in New Orleans last night. The drive went well, though it took longer than I thought it would because of several lengthy road construction delays.
Driving across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was the coolest thing ever! It's one of the longest bridges in the world.
Only it looked more like the second picture -- traffic was jammed up going in the opposite direction. I figured it was only fair after all the traffic jams I'd been stuck in the day before in Kentucky.
I didn't take those pictures; to my dismay, I forgot to bring the cord for uploading pictures from my camera. I've arranged to have it sent to me on UPS, so I'll post pictures in a week or so. Meanwhile there are lots of good images on the internet...
The MDS building is on Hayne Blvd across the road from the levee.
Like many buildings here, it is raised above ground level on stilts. The building houses the office, kitchen, living space for volunteers and staff, equipment, materials and vehicles. As I got out of my car yesterday evening and ascended the front steps, the crew of volunteers and staff were heading out the door to go to the French Quarter for beignets. Of course I had to go along! A great start to my time here.
This morning I have been talking with the current cooks -- a very experienced and competent couple who will be leaving tomorrow morning -- planning next week's menus, and getting myself oriented as much as possible. Later today we will go shopping for food for next week. The group of volunteers next week will be small, so it should be an easy week to 'break in.'
Mornings start with devotions after breakfast. This morning the project director read the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37) and expressed his appreciation for each person here who has chosen to give some weeks or months of their busy lives to serve the people of New Orleans through MDS.
By 7:30 the two crews had loaded their trucks and were on their way to the job sites. The group has concentrated on two sites this week, doing interior work on houses that will soon be ready for move-in. There are several other projects on the go, waiting for weeks when there are more short-term volunteers. I will visit the job sites next week and post pictures when I can.
Driving across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was the coolest thing ever! It's one of the longest bridges in the world.
I didn't take those pictures; to my dismay, I forgot to bring the cord for uploading pictures from my camera. I've arranged to have it sent to me on UPS, so I'll post pictures in a week or so. Meanwhile there are lots of good images on the internet...
The MDS building is on Hayne Blvd across the road from the levee.
Like many buildings here, it is raised above ground level on stilts. The building houses the office, kitchen, living space for volunteers and staff, equipment, materials and vehicles. As I got out of my car yesterday evening and ascended the front steps, the crew of volunteers and staff were heading out the door to go to the French Quarter for beignets. Of course I had to go along! A great start to my time here.
This morning I have been talking with the current cooks -- a very experienced and competent couple who will be leaving tomorrow morning -- planning next week's menus, and getting myself oriented as much as possible. Later today we will go shopping for food for next week. The group of volunteers next week will be small, so it should be an easy week to 'break in.'
Mornings start with devotions after breakfast. This morning the project director read the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10: 30-37) and expressed his appreciation for each person here who has chosen to give some weeks or months of their busy lives to serve the people of New Orleans through MDS.
By 7:30 the two crews had loaded their trucks and were on their way to the job sites. The group has concentrated on two sites this week, doing interior work on houses that will soon be ready for move-in. There are several other projects on the go, waiting for weeks when there are more short-term volunteers. I will visit the job sites next week and post pictures when I can.
Tuesday 7 June 2011
Thoughts about home
I think of people who are suddenly displaced from their homes by natural disasters, who don't have time to look around at what they love and say goodbye. Of people who have had to flee their homes and make their way to another country for refuge. Of the millions of people around the world who are displaced within their own countries -- for example in Palestine, where there is now a second generation growing up in the refugee camps. And I also think of the homeless people in our own country, in our own community. Canada is one of the most affluent countries in the world and it is appalling and tragic that so many people are without homes. I have immense admiration and gratitude for those who are advocates on behalf of the homeless and refugee claimants in our community, as well as for organizations such as Mennonite Disaster Service that work to rebuild people's homes and restore their dignity. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of their work for the next few weeks.
And I so much appreciate this opportunity to look around at what I love, and to look forward to coming home.
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