Update From Gretna part II:

Life in Gretna is slowly returning to normal. Homeowners have been allowed to return, businesses have started to open up, and the city has said that the water is now safe to drink. However there are still people with out food, water, and basic personal hygiene products, almost every yard has a fallen tree, and with storms approaching, there are still many damaged roofs with out temporary covering.

Yesterday I spent all day distributing food, ice, and water. There was a seemingly endless lines of people in cars, on bikes, and on foot, for food and basic necessities. Some of these folks had never left Gretna and had been eating Government MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) for several days, while others had just returned to town. They found out what a couple of weeks with out electricity will do to food left in the refrigerator. They all needed food, water, and ice. Some were clearly poor, while others were obviously very well off; Katrina has been the equalizer, they all need food, and the only place to get it in Gretna is the distribution line.

Today, the Pennsylvania National Guard had taken complete control of food distribution, so I moved on to the Chainsaw Gang, sometimes referred to as the chain gang. We are clearing up neighborhoods, by cutting up fallen trees. This job is immense. There are so many trees that have fallen it seems like it would take an eternity to clear them all.

There is still one more core group that I have not been involved with, which is the roofing crew. These guys are going to houses with damaged roofs, and securing tarps to protect from further damage. Unfortunately this job is also immense. If it rains this weekend, there will be several homes that will be further damaged.

I have grown to love my fellow volunteers. These are an amazing group of people. They are all selfless, caring, funny, and genuine human beings. I will be sad when I’m forced to part their company. Since my last post, we have had another group from Texas and a group from Los Angeles join us. By next week they are expecting over 100 volunteers here at the School of Urban Missions.

Sorry for the long post. I’m continuing to take some great pictures, which I hope to share with you once, I get back. I’ll try to give yall an update in the next few day, if I can. Until then, thanks for your prayers.

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