New Orleans Mission Trip - January 2008

A couple of videos from Keelie

2008-02-25T18:48:00.001-08:00

Keelie taped a couple things from our trip - the first being a "The Sunny Side of Life" by the North Shore Ramblers.

The second being a brief view of what we saw in the Lower Ninth Ward.

Thanks Keelie!

What happens next?

2008-01-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

Some have asked what the future will be of support for Katrina victims through Lutheran Disaster Response in the future. Here is an answer I received just yesterday in my e-mail.

January 25, 2008

LDR Begins Next Phase of Disaster Response along U.S. Gulf Coast
08-005-MRC

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- This spring Lutheran Disaster Response
(LDR) will move into its next phase of recovery work along the
U.S. Gulf Coast. LDR will support the work of local "long-term
recovery committees" that will serve the needs of people and
restore communities devastated by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and
Wilma along the Gulf Coast.
This is a normal transition in all disaster recovery work,
according to the Rev. Kevin A. Massey, acting director, Lutheran
Disaster Response -- a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church-
Missouri Synod.
Massey said the transition to supporting the efforts of
locally organized committees usually happens earlier in the
process, but the "unprecedented nature of the 2005 hurricanes
called for action far different from what is normal for our
organization and our many partners."
The traditional style of disaster response is a
collaborative concept of locally operated, long-term recovery
committees, "a model that has served communities historically and
recently in places like Rushford, Minn., Findlay, Ohio, and
Northwood, N.D.," said Massey. "As recovery along the Gulf Coast
reaches a phase where work must continue with ever-diminishing
resources we are preparing, along with many of our partner
organizations, to gradually transition to this model over the
coming months."
Long-term recovery committees are nonprofit organizations
that serve as headquarters for continued disaster response along
the Gulf Coast. They will bring together local leaders, such as
pastors and LDR coordinators, to contribute resources to a wider
group and broaden their influence on community restoration, said
Massey.
"For a Lutheran volunteer, it means working side-by-side
with volunteers from other faith groups and community groups
under the umbrella of a collaborative community effort. Be
assured that support in the form of volunteers and financial
contributions will be needed along the Gulf Coast for many years
to come," he said.
To support these local disaster response initiatives, the
ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal will issue an appeal for
more funds in February.
Through the appeal, LDR "will be able to shift (its)
emphasis from independent operations and begin to make key
investments in the formation and activity of local long-term
recovery committees along the Gulf Coast. When Hurricane Katrina
first struck, the generosity of the Lutheran response was
overwhelming. Now we hope you will join us in a renewed
commitment to our sisters and brothers who remain in great need,"
Massey said.
Soon after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma struck the
Gulf Coast in 2005, Lutherans gave more than $27 million to
support relief and recovery operations. LDR coordinated the work
of 36,000 volunteers who gave more than 1.6 million hours in
gutting out and repairing more than 10,000 homes. Of the
volunteers, more than 2,000 were college and university students
who volunteered under the "What a Relief!" alternative spring
break effort.

Katrina Aid Today
LDR received more than $7 million through "Katrina Aid
Today" -- a national case management consortium administered by
the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the United Methodist
Committee on Relief. The consortium's work will end March 31.
Through Katrina Aid Today, Lutheran Disaster Response case
workers helped more than 11,000 families gain access to more than
$20 million in assistance, said Massey. LDR met and surpassed
its goal in case management work through the consortium, he said.
"We are so very proud of the work that Lutheran Disaster
Response affiliates have accomplished through this program, and
we are honored to have been one of nine national partners in the
consortium," Massey said.

DOMESTIC DISASTERS:
Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid
survivors of major disasters inside the United States, Puerto
Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, please include:
ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764,
Chicago, Illinois 60694-1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via Internet: http://www.ELCA.org/disaster

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog

Day 5

2008-01-26T07:26:00.000-08:00

Time has come to say Good-bye to our hosts, and to say hello to our families at home. We headed out to our work-sites for the final day of work, to finish up what we could, and to give those who come after us a good place to continue.

There is a bit of frustration in not seeing the jobs through to the end, but just as God saw it best for us to be here at this time in this place, we trust God has things well in hand, and things will get done.

Our day began with Beneighs - a wonderful fried dough served in a bag of powdered sugar - messy but good! Then off to work.

Barb and Jay Luft were back on the job site, feeling much better, thank you! We painted, dry-walled, installed plumbing and tubs, and much more.

We wished our hosts God's blessings, and they, in turn wished us the same. Belinda wrote thank you notes to each one of the workers at her home, and bought a King's Cake home for lunch - a Mardi Gras tradition here in New Orleans. Hugs and thank yous were shared by all.

Jack Bokesch made wooden hearts with "Luke 6:31" scrolled on them - "Do unto others, as you would have them do to unto you." He gave each of us two of them - one to wear, and one to share. By the end of the week, our home-owners all had them, as well as the pastor of the church where we stayed, our hosts at the center, the woman cleaning bathrooms at the airport and our flight attendant!

We packed up back at our home base, we received our load of Mardi Gras beads from our center hosts and headed out in a nasty rain storm. We got to the airport (those of us flying) and saw our flight was delayed... but by the time we boarded, they had made up time, and we were only a few minutes late. As we landed in Columbus, the flight attendant announced that there were 15 members of St. Paul Lutheran Church on board coming back from working with those who continue to need assistance after Katrina - it was so nice of her to share that with everyone on the plane.

We arrived home safely, but keep our driving crew in our prayers, as they are still on the road this Saturday morning.

All in all, a great trip. As one of our members said, "I don't think the word 'fun' describes it." No - the reality of the storm and its aftermath continues to define the area and the people. Yet, there is hope. And there is reward for the efforts put forth. Another member told me it was the most rewarding week of his life.

We will do this again!

A member of our group took this picture - drywall dust and mud! He said he liked this picture, because it shows that we not only left our footprints, but we left a little bit more. God bless those who came and worked, and may God continue to bless those whose houses we worked on this week.

Peace
Pastor Charlie Woodward

GROUP PICTURE

2008-01-25T04:33:00.000-08:00

Here we are!

Day 4

2008-01-25T04:17:00.001-08:00

Thursday was a cold, rainy day in New Orleans, but that did not dampen the spirits of the people whose houses we are working on this week. Since we are all working on drywall, we all have mudded the walls with drywall compound, and we hope that it will dry fast so we can sand it and apply another coat of compound… but the moist air and cool temperatures are not allowing that process to move very quickly! The other factor is that none of the houses we are working on have heat, let alone electricity in the home. The electricity that is being utilized for our work is being run in through extension cords throughout the house. Restroom facilities are the fast food place down the street or the homeowner’s FEMA trailer. Water is the hose out back for our group. Tom Michael finished up the plumbing at the house he was working at yesterday, so they will soon be able to have the water in their home! Work continues to progress very well at all the job sites, and for that, all of us are happy, as well as the recipients of our labors.

I asked Pastor Barb of Peace Lutheran in Slidell (this is the church that is housing us this week) how families are chosen for the work to be done on their homes. She informed me that people apply directly to Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) for aid and assistance, and that there are caseworkers who review their needs and assets to determine what can be done. Currently, LDR here is low on funds, and is unable to provide much in the way of material supplies, so many of the homes that are being worked on are people who can afford to purchase the supplies for the work to be done. This money is either from their own savings or insurance settlements. The financial crunch LDR is experiencing is something many organizations and businesses are feeling. After 2 and a half years, New Orleans is no longer front page news, and there are other things that are more appealing for financial support. That being said, LDR has made a 12 year commitment to work in this area! The method, mode and configuration of that support will continue to change as the needs and resources change.

So our work has been primarily to provide labor for the work, and the homeowner has provided the supplies. There is a sense of ownership and pride that goes together with that, and we have all experienced the joy of our hosts, whose homes are better off than when we arrived on Monday. All of us have made new friendships with our hosts. Personally, I had a wonderful conversation with Louis, the man whose house we have worked on this week. Louis has two children close in age to mine. His son is going to college to be an engineer, and his daughter is in Junior High. He has helped his dad get back into the house he grew up in just a few blocks away, and helped his sister get back into her home. Now it is time for him to get his home fixed up. Yes, the neighborhood has changed, and things will never be the same, but there is hope for tomorrow.

Belinda and her daughter are so thankful for the work being done on their home – she beams every day, and was so excited that for the first time since the storm, she can lock the door to her house. Early in the week, she was shy, and did not say much to the group, and kind of peeked in on the work as it went along. As the week has progressed, her joy and enthusiasm has grown. She bought the work crew a huge hot sausage sandwich at her favorite place on Thursday, and told the people making it “this is for my friends from Ohio who are working on my home – so wash your hands before you make this sandwich!”

Hilton and his family are so grateful for the work being done, and even though the communication is difficult with their hearing loss, they are able to communicate joy and laughter. Sharon shared how much she has enjoyed getting to know the family, and how funny Hilton can be, teasing his family members and sharing a laugh with others. He was so excited that the gate to his property works once again, and that the progress on the bathroom, walls and wiring are coming along, thanks to the magic of Tom Michael.

At the end of the day, we gathered together to head out to once again tour the areas that were hardest hit from the storm. It was both disturbing and hopeful. The tour began in the neighborhoods where we are working this week. Several homes are being worked on, and there is progress being made in Chalmette/St Bernard Parish.

At the same time, several homes have been demolished and all that remains are the slabs, and on some you can still see the tile floors that used to be kitchens, bedrooms, etc. As we moved into the 9^th Ward, the number of homes and properties that are being
worked on dropped dramatically, yet there are a few houses that are coming along.

In the midst of the devastation, there is a glimmer, small that it is, of hope. For some of us, we saw the lack of progress and the incredible amount of work that still needs to be done.

For others of us, the signs we saw are hopeful, and there is progress. For all of us, the magnitude of it all still is terribly awesome. There is still a lot of work to do, and we hope and pray for those who build, and for their families, and for their future.

We got separated on the way back to our home base, and that was a bit nerve-wracking for a few of us. But, by the grace of God, we made it back. We went out for dinner and had a wonderful meal (I am still full, and it has been over eight hours). A funny conversation happened with one of our members at the restaurant – as we waited for tables here, she asked one of the locals what was good here at the restaurant. She heard the man say, “It’s stag night.” She said, “What is good on the MENU?” Same answer. She looked around and didn’t see a lot of single men

standing around, and said, “What is good to EAT here on the menu?” Finally the local said, with their southern accent, “Stag, in comes with a baked potato, and salad!” It was STEAK, not STAG! Ah the communication problems.

We have one more day of work, then we are on our way home. I will have another entry to update what happens this last day. We have grown closer to each other, and each day we have seen the hand of God. We continue to laugh and rejoice that God has given us the opportunity to serve, and through it we have been blessed!

We look forward to seeing you all soon – we pray that our journeys are safe and our homecomings joyous!

Day 3 Mrs. Iseringhausen

2008-01-23T18:44:00.001-08:00

Hello Lincoln Elementary!
I hope you are having a great week!

I have three pictures to share with you today.

The first picture is of a jam session we had last night. A lot of local musicians came to the center where we are staying and brought their guitars, dulcimers, banjos, violins and mandolins. Everyone sang and laughed and had a great time after a hard day of work. It was fun!

The second picture is of me and my new friend Hilton.

His house, in the last picture, is the one I have been working on for the last two days. You can see the trailer that he and his family have been living in for two years in his front yard. He is sooooo excited that we are helping fix his house. Hilton is completely deaf, but we have somehow found a way to communicate with a mixture of hand signals and writing. He is very funny and has lived in New Orleans his whole life.

Well, I will be back in school on Monday, and I will share with you then what the end of my week was like!

Talk to you then!

Day 3

2008-01-23T17:27:00.000-08:00

Today was a good day for all! First of all, I want to let you know that Barb Luft is feeling much better - in fact, she is up and is talking with me right now. She thanks you all for your prayers. She spent the day back here at the center, and the rest did her well.

Our week has begun each day the same - starting at the volunteer center. Here is a picture of Kitty, and you can see the center is surrounded by barbed wire - a lot of security is needed.

A few updates on work - Tom Fisher/Gary Cook work group installed a garage door in the garage and an archway in the house. They got a lot done, and the homeowner is so thankful for the work being done.

Tom Michael's group got a lot done on the bathroom, and things are moving along. They are celebrating with dinner out at Camille's Cafe'.

Barry Slack's group is on the second coat of drywall mud, and are feeling the progress is great. Here Keelie and Marilyn ready to sand. The other picture is of Louis, our homeowner, and good friend.

I think the thing we are all experiencing is the joy and appreciation of the people whose houses we are working on. They are all wonderful, and are so wonderful to open their homes to us. The other thing we notice daily is how defining Katrina continues to be for everyone. This is the moment that changed their lives for ever. But their attitude seems to be summed up in the song I shared in yesterday's entry - "Breathe in, breathe out, move on."

Tomorrow, we plan to leave the work sites a little early so we can tour the area, and see what Katrina has left behind. We then are going out for dinner.

You have noticed that Sharon Iseringhausen has been adding posts - they are for her grade school classes - to see what their teacher is doing down here!

LAST NIGHT was the North Shore Ramblers. Here is a picture of our Jam Session.

Pictures continue to be shared to the right>>>>>>>>>>

More to come - thanks for the prayers!

Peace
Pastor Charlie

Day 2

2008-01-22T20:21:00.001-08:00

The sun came out today, and the temperature got up to near 70 degrees - NOW we know why we came to work in January (reports of snow back home made us smile!).

We got up and moving early, and were on the road by 7:30 am. All of us made our way back to the volunteer center to pick up supplies for the work day. Then we were on to our sites. All of our groups are doing drywall, and all of us are at different stages. At the house where I am working, the drywall has all been installed, and our job has been taping and mudding - tomorrow it is sanding and more mudding. A big house with ten foot high ceilings, so we have a lot of work to do. The house we are working in St. Bernard Parish, and the homeowner said there was nearly eight feet of water in it for a couple weeks. He came back, but sent his wife and two kids to Alabama, where they still live. He has been living in a FEMA trailer for all this time, and is finally getting some assistance. He told me, "If it were just me, I would have no problem making decisions and following through with them. But with a wife and kids, wondering what is best for them, their schooling, the neighborhood, the uncertainty, I ask myself every day, 'Am I doing the right thing?'" And yet, he does it with a smile on his face - God bless Him!

I said earlier that we ALL made our way to the work sites - that is not true. Barb Luft is sick - a very bad case of "Type A Flu" - highly contagious, so has been moved to a trailer here at the church - please keep Barb in your prayers.

Another of our work crews has been working with a family that is a mother and young daughter, whose smile brightens the world. They are so thankful for the work being done, including a new door, replacing the sliding glass door that has had six inches of water in it since the storm. Tom Fisher and Gary Cook worked together to get her a new door, and handed her the keys at the end of the day - what a great gift to give and to receive.

The mother noticed that our group "prays a lot" - since she came home from the store and the group was in the middle of its devotions. She wanted to know what denomination of churches we belong to, and thought maybe she might get back to church!

The third group is working on remodeling a bathroom while getting the walls back up so that they can have handicap access. Some challenges have risen up, but Tom Michael and his wonderful gift of finding solutions to whatever comes up is on top of it. The family they work with have two adults who are deaf, which has caused some communication issues, but with patience and understanding and listening even when words are not shared, the work is coming along.

Today was Matt Jurrus' 29th birthday. We are thankful we were able to celebrate that with him today!

Tonight we participated again in the North Shore Ramblers - a group of musicians who get together once a week at the church to jam. They have been together for about 10 years, and when Katrina hit, their location to meet was gone, so they moved to the church. Whoever wants to join in can. Lowell Martindale, Bob Erckert and I joined in with guitars. The group takes turns going around the circle picking songs to sing. Together with some really wonderful stories told by one of the locals, we had a great two hours of songs.

Below is a song that we sang tonight by Jimmy Buffett. I am sure there is a sermon in here somewhere - its title is "Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On." Wow - a three point sermon - what pastor wouldn't love that.

And again, a slideshow of pictures from the past day or so are in a slideshow in the right section of this blog near the top. If you want to see larger versions of them, click on the slideshow, and it will take you to a website.

We await Steve Moyer's arrival soon - that will put us at 20. We miss you all, and lift you in our prayers. We are having a great time, and are laughing a lot!

Peace
Pastor Charlie
BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT, MOVE ON
I bought a cheap watch from the crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesn't use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"

Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And if I had trouble the warranty said:
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

(Chorus)
And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain leaking through the door, tides at war

If a hurricane doesn't leave you dead
It will make you strong
Don't try to explain it just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

And it rained
It was nothing really new
And it blew
Seen all that before
And it poured
The earth began to strain
Pontchartrain buried the 9th ward to the 2nd floor

According to my watch, the time is now
The past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on

Don't try to explain it, just bow your head
Breathe in, Breathe Out, Move on....

Day 2 from Mrs. Iseringhausen

2008-01-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Hello Lincoln Elementary!
This is Aliyah and her dog Princess. She is eight years old and in the third grade. For two years she has lived in a trailer in front of her house because Hurricane Katrina filled her house with four feet of water and ruined everything inside. Her house is one we are working on so that she and her mom can live in it again.

This is a picture of the kind of trailer the government gives to the people that do not have a safe house left. Inside this trailer lives a family with five people and their five little dogs. They have also lived in it for over two years.

I worked on a different house today that had NINE FEET of water in it after the Hurricane was done. That means that the only thing that was out of the water was the roof. On the street where we worked today, only about one out of every ten houses has anyone left living in it. Most of the houses are empty because the families could not fix everything that needed to be done.

Today I painted three bedrooms, three closets, a hallway and a living room. I am very tired, but it feels good to help these people out.

I will talk to you again tomorrow!

Day 1

2008-01-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Slidell and New Orleans!

To give you a quick update on our travels, the flying group made it to the airport in good time, but our plane did not! Mike Iseringhausen decided to catch some sleep before we boarded.

We were delayed about an hour, and yet the flight was uneventful, and we got to the center by 12 midnight central time. We then were up a little after 5 am, so we could get breakfast, pack our lunches and head out the door.

We drove about 30 minutes south toward New Orleans to the Bethlehem Volunteer Center. Cars from all over the country were in the parking lot, and some 150-200 volunteers were being sent out from there to work. People are being housed there as well. Some pictures here are of the murals different groups have painted over the past 2 plus years of working through this place.

Our orientation was led by the coordinator of the center, who warned us of the wildlife, the weather and the importance of staying hydrated. There are quite a few things to watch out for, as we "voluntourists" come to help out and see what is going on.

We were told to keep track of our hours, as the work that we do is credited toward the amount the government has paid for the clean-up work in the area. They figure the work being done at $17.50 per hour, and through the volunteer center we are working through with Lutheran Disaster Response, over $4 million has been earned.

Once our orientation was complete, we divided up into three groups - in the days to come, we will give more detail to our work on the blog. If you cannot wait, the key word is "drywall." Lots and lots of drywall.

The work we are doing is with families that are finally, two and a half years later, are getting work done on their homes. We are working closer to the city than our last two times down here.
We have all had good experiences meeting with the people we are working with, and it will be a good week.

We meet tonight in a few minutes, and I am anxious to hear others stories. I hope to share much of these stories with you as well.

On the weather front - no snow down here, but it is cold. BUT, tomorrow is supposed to be in the 60's.

To the RIGHT >>>>>>>
You will find slideshows of pictures from each day! We will update them with the many cameras capturing images down here. Take a few minutes and check them out.

God's blessings to you all!

Pastor Charlie

From Mrs. Iseringhausen

2008-01-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Lincoln Elementary!
Here is a map that shows where I am in Louisiana--just below Lake Ponchartrain. This is the lake that caused a lot of the flood damage during Hurricane Katrina.

This picture shows how high the water was for a long time after the flood. See how the gate is rusted about half way up! This gate is in the yard of the house I am working on.

This is a picture of the neighborhood where I am working. You can see how the hurricane took off the roof. In the background is another house that is also empty because no one has come to fix it yet.

Today I worked on sanding drywall in the house. I have to wear a mask to keep myself safe.

Talk to you again tomorrow

The trip has begun...

2008-01-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

At 7 am this morning, Saturday, January 19, a few of us gathered to send off the drivers to New Orleans. Three of them, Tom Michael, Jack Bokesch and Tim Colna, piled into the vehicle, together with some tools some of our workers cannot do without! We offered our prayers and sent them off with cookies and best wishes.

I received a phone call about 6 pm that they had made to Birmingham, Alabama, and there is 4 inches of snow there! So much for the warm weather week we were hoping for! They are spending the night there, and will be our first wave attack on Slidell.

Jay and Barb Luft have been traveling, and will join us there as well.

The rest of us (listed below) will be flying out Sunday evening at 8 pm, to arrive about 9:30 central time in Gulfport/Biloxi, MS airport. We will then drive the 45 miles to Slidell, LA to spend our nights at Peace Lutheran.

The rest of the group:
Tom Fisher
Gary Cook
Sharon Iseringhausen
Mike Iseringhausen
Kitty Arndt
Barry Slack
Matt Jurrus
Keelie Klostermeier
Marilyn Debelius
Lowell Martindale
Tom Cady
Bob Erckert
Bill Ney
and me, Pastor Charlie Woodward

More to come soon!

Peace
PC

Here We Go!

2008-01-14T15:51:00.000-08:00

20 of us will be traveling to Louisiana on January 20th. 5 will be driving, and the rest of us are depending on the quality travel of Skybus! We got a good deal on plane tickets, and our hope and prayer is that all will go well, and we will arrive safely and ready for work come January 21st!

We are staying at Peace Lutheran Church in Slidell (web link in right column - slideshow has pictures of the site as well). Our group stayed there back in March, and it proved to be a great location and wonderful facility. We look forward to spending time with the good people of Peace again, and know that our home base will feel just like that!

Our work will be done out of the Bethlehem Volunteer Center - east of New Orleans and just North of Chalmette - where we worked at a church our first trip down in 2005. So far, we know little details of the work we are to do, but we do know that it will likely involve drywall!

We fly out Sunday Night, January 20th at about 8 pm. Our work day begins at 7:30 the next morning. We will give you an update after our day is complete.

Peace
Pastor Charlie Woodward