Here is the brave crew the morning of departure. Them, and all of their stuff for 8 days, including sleeping bags and such in that van. 18 hours drive from NW Penn to New Orleans, LA.
Three of our students in work gear. Brian, Amanda, and Brian. (there was a third Brian as well, LOL!) They wore the ventilator masks to help against mold inhalation and to help ward off the stench. They found bathtubs still full of water, and had to clean out things such as rotted cans of food.
This is my husband Nate doing some dirty work. The homeowners were so appreciative of the help. Nate and the gang worked from 8 till 2 or 4 pm... depending if the kids were still strong enough to keep going, or if they were sleeping on the pavement outside!
The living room in a house they helped clear out.
The kitchen of the same house. What the crew did was clear out everything. Then they stripped out everything, leaving the house with the roof and skeleton. They even ripped out the walls and insulation.
These marks are on all of the houses. The 9/18 indicates the date the crew went through the house. The "GA" indicates the crew that went through. The "0" on the bottom indicates how many bodies were found. We aren't sure what the last number/ symbol means.
Do you see the couch on the roof of this house? Nate also has pictures of a big pot caught in a chimney. But it wouldn't be clear enough for the blog.
This is Taco Bell... notice the blown out windows and stuff still inside. Nate said that there was a whole business community that was much like a ghost town, just stores upon stores empty and abandoned. The only store open was the Home Depot, and even then, the whole store is operating out of the Garden Center.
The kids have come back with a different perspective on things... much more appreciative. Nate is already talking about an Oct or Nov trip (when its cooler) and this time opening it up to the whole church.
I want to encourage you to keep giving to the New Orleans/ Katrina Relief fund, and if you hear of a local trip going, to please consider it for yourself and for your family.
Thanks for taking a peek! Thanks for your prayers and for your encouragement while they were gone! ((HUGS))
19 comments:
wow, thanks so much for posting these pictures! definately puts things into perspecective. god bless your dh and everyone who went.
Wow... powerful pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us Andrea!
OMG! STILL heart-wrenching.
Wow! Thanks so much for posting this!
Awww...I missed your post yesterday. That picture of Nate and Seth is so touching! I can hear the love and fullness in your post! I'm so glad your family is back together!
These pictures today-wow. So powerful and so heartwrenching!
God bless Nate and the kids who went there to help!
How incredible are those photos! They let everyone see how bad it really is down there :( What a blessing your dh and his crew were to those in need!! ((HUGS))
Wow - thanks for posting these!
Still so much devastation and work to be done. Thanks for sharing the pics. They did a wonderful thing.
those photos are powerful and makes me want to go help.
Wow. It's hard to believe that things are still so bad there. Thanks for sharing the pictures so that we can remember that there are still so many people in desperate need of help.
So gut-wrenching. Thank you for sharing these. I'm sure those who went have been changed forever.
I'm so happy that your hubby and the youth went down there to help. I'm crying, now. But, tell him, and have him tell them, that I say "Thanks for being a blessing"
oh, my. Seeing these images breaks my heart. Again, thank you for reminding us how much works still needs to be done.
Wow. It is so amazing that the crew was able to go down there and help out - and even more amazing that things are still in such a state of disrepair. Thanks for sharing Nate's amazing photos!
Just unbelievable that there is still so much to be done. I've had some friends who said they were going to vacation in New Orleans this summer and that just gave me the impression that "all was well" again. Obviously not. Thank you for reminding us.
And thank you Nate and the youth group for serving the people of New Orlean's.
Most of the pictures didn't load for me, but the ones that did...oh my! It's just tragic - and a shame - that in our fine country, this could linger unremedied for as long as it has. Many thanks to those like your dh and those kids, and others like them, for seeing the need and responding.
wow- what powerful pictures. While you still here snippets about Katrina here and there- it is hard to imagine there is still that much devastation.
May we contribute to your group for their next trip?
God bless all of you who helped!
Hugs,
Thena
I find it utterly unbelieveable that there is still so much devastation so long after the incident . Your DH and cleaning crew, and everyone else who is helping down there deserve sainthoods!
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