New Orleans

St. Paul Lutheran Church

1075 Glenwood Ave. Napoleon, OH 43545

Church # (419) 592-3535 Fax # (419) 592-0652

2007-2008 Theme: "Hearts Ablaze"

New Orleans Relief Efforts:

Twenty-eight youth and adults from Northwest Ohio, many of them from St. Paul, trekked to New Orleans over Spring Break, April 1-8. After a 16-hour journey, they made their home in large tents located near Atonement Lutheran Church and School in Metairie, LA. Over 120 individuals lived in this camp, sleeping in large tents with makeshift plywood floors, eating authentic southern fare in the mess hall, utilizing only 8 showers housed in a trailer and enduring the fragrance of port-a-potties. Each morning work crews were sent to various locations throughout the devastated New Orleans neighborhoods to clear household contents, wallboard and flooring from homes. Once empty, each home was sprayed with bleach to deter the growth of additional molds and mildew. It's hard to imagine what the group encountered, but think of your own home. Fill it with water for weeks as high as the ceiling, then as the water recedes, raise the temperatures and let it stand for six months. Think of the places the water would remain, inside pots, pans, containers, and washers and dryers. The crews were outfitted with boots, water-repellant coveralls, head covering, safety goggles, face masks, and latex gloves covered by work gloves. The temperatures for the week reached as high as 88 degrees. Some members of the group stayed in Slidell, LA and spent their days working a distribution line. Regardless of what jobs were carried out, it is important to remember the extend of what is still needed in this area.

Katrina was the largest natural disaster in United States history. The affected territory is the size of the state of Kansas or all of Great Britain. At least 2/3 of the population of New Orleans has been displaced and no longer lives in the area; up to 60% of the city is still without power. Jobs are available, but housing is not. Whole neighborhoods are completely uninhabited at this time. Officials are still deciding which areas of the city will be rebuilt and which will be destroyed. During travel, the group met various other church groups heading to similar job sites. The presence of Christ is evident throughout the area as groups, like this one, reach out to those in need, giving them hope and encouragement. Are the people appreciative of what is being done for them? Our groups were blessed by both home owners and complete strangers bringing lunch to them each day. One of the homeowners writes:

"The words "thank-you" seem so inadequate at a time like this. We were overwhelmed with the generosity you showed us; just as I am certain one look at the disastrous mess you came to clean must have been a huge challenge for you. We are humbled by the sacrifices all of you made for us, complete strangers, to help relieve our pain. Our faith in God has remained unshaken. After Katrina dealt this huge blow, we turned even closer to Him, praying for His will and His help. We know that it was the Lord's divine intervention that sent you to us and thank Him for this everyday."

What can you do at this time? (CLICK HERE) Continue to pray for the victims of Katrina. Continue to support Lutheran Disaster Relief and other organizations with your donations. If you are able, consider making a trip to work in any way possible to reach out to these mourning people. For more information contact Lou Ann Limbird in the church office. There are already plans being made for similar trips in June and July. This relief effort will continue until the area is on its way to recovery which is estimated to take at the least the next 5 years. The group would like to thank all members of St. Paul as well as area organizations and businesses for their monetary and supply donations to make this trip possible. Although the contribution to the huge number of needs was small, what we've done is give hope and encouragement to residents. In turn all were blessed by the opportunity to serve others.

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