First Hand Look... (Lots of pictures below)

A HUGE pile of debris in the devastated area next to the 17th Street Canal breech in New Orleans. Here you see debris that has been cleared from roadways and piled in one central location. If you look closely you can see a man standing on the pile. This pile is estimated to be about 25 feet high.

I have mentioned how tough it has been for us out here about 30 minutes from New Orleans. Stores are closed early, many haven't opened back up at all. Everywhere we look there are trees down, and blue FEMA roof tarps. But today I went to where the 17th Street Canal breech occured and it was worse than I could have ever imagined. Once you cross the canal you immediately see the debris and a layer of dirt EVERYWHERE. This is no power. Spray painted numbers were visible on each door, indicating whether bodies were found inside when rescuers conducted their search and rescue operation. I even saw one house with a hole in the roof. Apparently, that was someone's means of escape.

I have been delivering boxes of food to needy families in the New Orleans metro area the past few days. Students at my school donated items for Thanksgiving, and another teacher and I have been delivering them. Today one of the homes we delivered to was not far from the famous canal that breeched, so we decided to drive down and see the damage first hand. The other teacher's son was married in Lakeview Christian Center (next to the canal) just weeks before the storm hit. It was a beautiful church, newly renovated. Now it is completely destroyed. Here are a few pictures from inside the building. By the way, my nose still burns from breathing in the mold inside!!


This is the foyer of the church.


A picture of what used to be the sanctuary.


A picture from the foyer looking "through the wall" at the sanctuary.


The mold was everywhere!!

Looking at the devastation today made me realize how fortunate I have been through all of this. I still have a bed to sleep on, a car to drive, and at no time did I fear for my life, or the lives of my family members. Take a minute today and thank the Lord for all that you have. There are many in New Orleans that will be spending Thanksgiving away from family members because they have no home to go to. As you sit down with family members Thursday, don't forget to thank the Lord for His many blessings. We have much to be thankful for...

GOOD NEWS!!

I'm going to be an Aunt!! My baby sister (well, she's 28 lol) just found out Sunday she is pregnant. She and her husband have been married 2 years. This is such great news!! She is my only sister, and my husband is an only child, so, this is my first time. The other day I went shopping at Wal-Mart to buy a few gifts for her. It was so much fun. I've bought gifts for friends who were pregnant, but buying for my future niece or nephew was a GREAT feeling!!!! Congratulations, baby sister!!!! Love you!!!

What happened to normal?

You see it on TV. You hear about it on the news. But until you've been through it, it's hard to imagine. Here we are over 2 months after Hurricane Katrina came through, and not much has changed since.

I am so sorry to talk about this again, but the remnants of Katrina are still very much here. Life is STILL not back to normal. We are still not getting our mail on time. I just received a letter yesterday that was postmarked the day of Katrina, August 29th. Stores are still only open until about 7:00. Debris is still found along our streets. My parents drove through New Orleans last weekend on their way to Tennessee to see my grandmother. If you have ever been to New Orleans, you know it is a very busy city, full of lights at night. My parents drove by after dark and it looked like a ghost town from the interstate. My dad said that he saw maybe 2 homes with lights inside, and even those were candlelit. The debris is incomprehensible out there. My mom's friend and daughter live in a devestated area near New Orleans, and have been missing since the storm. My parents drove by her house and it was just surreal. There were markings on the garage door indicating that the house had been searched but no bodies had been found inside. Her door was busted in. Mom found her name on the Red Cross site a couple of days ago and she is okay. It just blows me away that we are STILL looking for people. So many bodies are unidentified. I have finally come to understand that the rebuilding process in our area will take years. I don't know if New Orleans will EVER be the same. Yes, it was a sinful city in many respects, but also a beautiful city rich in history and culture. I grew up here, about 30 miles south of New Orleans. Everthing I've ever known is different now. I can't explain it. It just doesn't feel like home anymore.

On the other hand, I know that my God is VERY REAL and He still resides in the city of New Orleans. I also know that His grace is sufficient to cover ALL of my needs. Even though the news is probably not talking about Louisiana anymore, please continue to lift our area up in prayer. Things are FAR from over here, and it will be a long time until things are "normal" again - whatever THAT is! :)