It's a hot one!

Hello everyone!

We hope you enjoy reading this blog, because it is not easy to post it every night. After driving around several parking lots in Slidell, we finally found one where we can pick up a wireless Internet signal, as the church where we're staying does not have one. So, we have to park the van, and balance the computer on the armrest of the passenger seat in order to barely receive a signal. Just know that it ain't easy!



Today we went to orientation at Aldersgate Methodist Church which is across the street from where we're staying. This church is the headquarters for Northshore Disaster Recovery, with whom we're working this week. We're part of a group of about 300 volunteers this week working on different projects in Slidell. Today we were told how important we (and all the volunteers) are to the recovery effort. Slidell's population has increased from 35,000 to 75,000 since Katrina with virtually no increase in the workforce because most of the new residents are elderly. Workers are so scare that even McDonald's and Burger King pay kids $12 an hour to work behind the counter!

Our worksite is a house on Liberty Street in Slidell. It has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina hit. The lady who owns the house lives across the street in a FEMA trailer with her mother who has Alzheimer's Disease. We did not get to meet the owner since she works during the day.

The house has no electricity or water, so we have to get those two necessities from a next-door neighbor. The neighbor's house was also severely damaged by the hurricane, but she and her husband were able to return to it shortly after Christmas--just a few months after Katrina--and the house looks beautiful. Since volunteers helped them get back into their home, they offer their bathroom and electricity for the volunteers working next door.

We had to do a lot of waiting today for supplies and instructions, but we should not have that problem the rest of the week. Here's what we're doing to the house, in no particular order: scraping up old flooring (very difficult and time consuming); finishing drywall (not to difficult if you know what you're doing, like Drew and Hannah); texturing drywall (should be easy once we get a sprayer that works); priming drywall and ceilings (not difficult). Although most of these things are not difficult, having no air conditioning raises the bar quite a bit. Needless to say, we were ready to hit the showers when the workday was completed! They told us at orientation to drink 8 to 10 bottles of water a day, so we filled up a cooler to refill our bottles.


After we finally got to work on the house, we accomplished quite a bit in few hours. Then, we went back to the church for dinner. The North Carolina group made spaghetti, and we made garlic bread and salad. It was a good meal.

Afterwards, a few of us went to the mall and Starbucks just to get out of the small fellowship hall for a little while. Since it's about 11 now, we need to go back to the church and get some rest! Catch up with us again tomorrow!

The FCC Mission Team

Photo 1: The Northshore Disaster Recovery office flies the state (and country) flags of its volunteers for each week.

Photo 2: This is our group with the North Carolina group outside the church where we're staying.

Photo 3: Our orientation this morning with volunteers from all over the world.

Photo 4: Mary and Dudley survey the situation at the house where we worked today. (I don't think Mary wanted her picture taken.)

Photo 5: Meg does some priming in the house.