DUMC - JAN 2007 NEW ORLEANS VIM TRIP

JAN 2007 NEW ORLEANS LA VIM TRIP SUMMARY

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Reflections by Blair Smith 01.23.07: Thanks to all of the DUMC family for helping to make the trip to New Orleans (N.O.) a success. There were 23 of us in all, a 24th, a cousin of Joann’s, having dropped out due to illness.

Blair, Joann, Damon and Damon’s friend, Mo headed south on Thursday, Jan. 4th, and arrived in N.O. on the 5th. We checked out a roofing job and then dropped by the Eastbank Storm Station (EBSS). Damon and Mo did what they could to help out with roofing while Blair and Joann then went on to visit friends in Lafayette.

On Saturday the 6th most of the team departed for N.O. from Davidsonville in the “new” DUMC mini-bus (named “Goldie” by Jo and named both the "Champagne Short Bus" and "I'm not riding back in that thing" by Tim) and the Vales’s van, relying heavily on “Natalie”, Frank’s GPS system for navigation. They arrived in N.O. the evening of Sunday the 7th at Munholland UMC in Metairie. Later, 3 others arrived by air. That evening the folks at the church gave us a welcoming dinner. Also there were 15 VIM participants from 7 churches in PG County. The 38 of us had separate quarters in the church, but shared the 6 showers.

With the exception of the roofing team and those who arrived by air later on Monday, the rest of us attended an orientation at the EBSS. Then it was off to the job sites. Our largest team was charged with mucking and gutting. They finished a house begun by an earlier team, and then proceeded to strip 3 other houses down to the studs! (Ask Frank or Tim about roaches, rats or snakes.)

Viola, owner of the house where the roofers worked, was so appreciative of their efforts that she twice brought them lunches of fried chicken, red beans and rice and cornbread. She owned a little ramshackle restaurant “in the hood” as she called it.

The teenage sons of Shelia, the owner of the house where our drywallers labored, had previously mucked and gutted their home. Jim and Tom affected many structural repairs while the rest of that team prepped, cut, installed and mudded drywall.

**** Update on Shelia and her family 02/27/07 from Vonda Vales: "Two crews have been there since we left in January. They finished the spackling, and removed the kitchen cabinets and dry walled behind them and put up a new kitchen ceiling. The kitchen sub floor needs to be finished and she is waiting for appliances. A new water heater was installed and the gas leak fixed. She is thrilled because the crew last week painted the entire house in a Sherman Williams "Blonde" and it looks beautiful and brings life back into the house! She thinks she will be able to move back in in about a month. After we were there, it was 3 weeks before the next crew came so it has been slow but sure progress. Shelia asked me to express her gratitude and love for all the help given her. She and her sons are so happy to see her house come alive again and can't wait to move from the trailer into their home!"

The 4th DUMC team was absolutely crucial to all of our efforts. They prepared and cleaned up our meals, picked up and dropped off folks at job sites and the airport, and made runs for supplies and paperwork at the EBSS and other locations. They knew the city well by the end of the week. They also burned up an entire tank of fuel, about 400 miles of city driving! Often up at 5am, they usually didn’t get to relax until late in the evening.

Damon and Mo left us Thursday evening, Erik Friday afternoon, Gerry and Scott Saturday morning, and Tim, Georgia, Amie and Cathie Sunday morning. Roger and Vonda went on to Texas. The rest of the team headed for home in the mini-bus and Blair & Joann’s SUV at 5:45 am Sunday morning, with an overnight in Greenville, SC. “Goldie” had a flat which was repaired 1st thing Monday morning, and we arrived safely at DUMC about 6:00 pm. Tired, but with a sense of satisfaction for helping to do God’s work, the team truly lived up to its directive and motto from Nehemiah 2:18, “Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.”

Reflections on an unusual encounter by Tim McArdle 01.23.07: The 2007 New Orleans VIM mucking/gutting team was greeted with an unusual surprise visitor close to lunchtime on Wednesday, January 10 while working on the Canal Blvd house. While vigorously at work Rusty shouted from out side of our house for someone who spoke Spanish as our visitor was speaking Spanish to him. Being fluent in that language I volunteered promptly to help out. I was greeted warmly by a gentleman and we proceeded to carry on a conversation during which I noticed a number of curious flaws in his Spanish language skills. I became a little cautious at this point as I was certain many scams were taking place in our work zones. I asked a fairly difficult question and it was at this time the gentleman began to speak English and introduce himself as a Reverend from the 9th Ward who noticed our church bus and wished to stop by and pay his respects and speak a bit about what has transpired in his home city. While having an auspicious beginning to say the least, Reverend Charles Garrison (inset #1) was very well spoken and heartfelt in his words about his home. We all stopped our work to listen to his words as he recited a couple of poems to us; one of which he autographed and presented to us (see inset #2) dedicated to DUMC. He said a prayer for our team, our church, and a wish that more of us come to the aid of his city. His second poem which we do not have a copy of was tremendously poignant as well and spoke about a New Orleans of his childhood. One that wasn’t driven by the debauchery that it is today but one that was about family, music, and food. I’ve written to the Reverend to try to get a copy of this poem and if we get one I will submit it here and in a future Lamplighter should we receive it. We still don’t know why he began his encounter with us in Spanish – that will perhaps remain one of the trip’s many amazing mysteries!!!

JAN 2007 NEW ORLEANS VIM TRIP TEAM GALLERY
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