Uptown Station, New Orleans, Day 2

I guess I slept pretty well considering there were 20 other guys in the room. I didn't notice any snoring. That probably means that I was snoring so loudly that I kept the rest of them up.

I woke several times during the night and finally rolled out for good at 530am. I read a bit and talked to folks and got my tools ready to go to work.

Bob Jeppson fixed everyone a nice breakfast of biscuits and gravy and eggs and waffles. Rachel Hailey gave the devotional. It was about how easy it is to forget about needy people when you go back home to your cushy life. She encouraged us to remember the needy, and to learn to live lives that demonstrated that we were stewards of God's blessings, not owners.

We got out to the job sit about 8am. Our team of 22 was split into three groups. I was assigned to a group that was hanging and finishing sheetrock at Miss Judy's house. Miss Judy has been out of her house for 2 years and it is just now starting to look like a house again.

I taped and mudded all day. Well, we quit at 130 to see some sights.

Others at Miss Judy's house today were Mike and Sherri Odell, Bob Burns Janice Torbert, Stephanie Williams, Jerry Meisenheimer and Chris Nance, Jr.

Miss Judy is so very excited to see her home coming back together. She came in and talked to me and cried. I cried too. It was such a blessing to help her.

At 130 we ate lunch and went back to the uptown station to take showers. I was pooped out.

After we cleaned up, we split up into different cars and saw some sights. The group I was with saw the lower ninth ward and the garden district. We met up at Jackson Square at 430. There were some street vendors there and I bought my sweet wife a present.

At 6pm we met for a nice dinner at Conni Thomas' apartment clubhouse. You may remember that Conni and her son Christopher, and Marva Mitchell visited our church in February and talked to the folks about what was happening in New Orleans.

We had a nice visit with Conni and one of the other ministers from the area. All of our team was very interested in the stories that they told about recovery efforts.

After dinner, we are back at the uptown station, it is 845 and I am pooped out. We are supposed to go into work early tomorrow.....7am start.

I saw and got to visit with Tom and Jodi Goddard who are down here with the WCC Matthew 28 project for 30 days. They are really excited about what they are doing down here and have some great stories to tell. I know that these 30 days have been a very special experience for them.

Tom said to me tonight, "it's just hard to believe that in one day you could lose your home, your car, your neighborhood, your church, your school and your job."

We have no idea.

Its still a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.