The Katrina Project Diaries

Going Just a Little Deeper

Terry — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:30:26 +0000

I feel what has been written to date about the February trip is shallow stuff — Worked for Miss Pat, a great team, great people from all over the country… all nice, all good, all blah, blah, blah…

So, OK —- What is the deeper stuff of this trip; of all the team trips? Why do teams go to New Orleans and come back tired, exhausted for sure; but also excited and hyped?

What I think is going on is the excitement that comes from being in the middle of a movement of God. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t think God is parked in New Orleans and can’t be found in central Pennsylvania. But, I do think that after an event like Katrina many people have come to rely more on God. They are more tuned into His power, His direction and His love (more about His Love at another time).

Pastor Michael likes to tell the story of how he spent weeks putting together a wonderful 70 page plan for Trinity Church – It charted the course of Trinity Church for years to come. And, most surprising, all the church leadership signed off on it almost without question. A beautiful plan for growth. That was completed a week or so before Katrina. Plans of men change.

Pastor Michael now can talk for hours about God’s plan. How he has seen God move (time after time); how he has seen the body of Christ be the Body of Christ (time after time); how provision has come (time after time). Read his letters if you don’t get what I’m talking about. (click the Trinity Church link).

But the point is – God is being God and the people are recognizing and responding to it.

So – the difference here vs. there? God is being God here too – He’s not different in Louisiana. But, are we responding? Do we seek His provision on a daily basis? Are we being the “Church” by going out/into the community to serve, to love… or do we sit and wait for people to come in and join us? Life Giving Saturday is a start at going out; but sustaining it, growing it and investing in relationships is hard, very hard work.

I hope to add to this in the coming days. (What is our responsibility to the poor? What does the excitement of “New Orleans” look like when we get home? … )

Comment!

A Great Team!

Terry — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:37:13 +0000

I want to thank the team I traveled and worked with this past week. They are a great group of people who all had a willingness to be challenged on this trip and to do whatever was asked of them. Thank you.

Cherri ….

Rachel (a.k.a. Bill and R.J. ) …

Don …

And – Me (Terry)

February 20 “Question of the Day” answered…

Terry — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:27:51 +0000

This past week in New Orleans where I was working with the poor in inner city neighborhoods, there was much discussion about – as Christians, what is our responsibility to the poor, the needy, the oppressed? What is the believers role in society?

In the February 20 post “Question of the Day” I asked; according to Ezekiel, what were the sins of Sodom? I didn’t get any replies to the questions. So….

In answer to my question – I (and I would guess most of you too) think of things like the sexual sins, their lack of godliness or other such things. However, that is not what stood out to Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 16:49-50 (NIV) 49 ” ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. 50 They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.

The Question

Terry — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:12:56 +0000

Terry has been asking us “What has God taught you this week”? After two years, the enormity of the need in New Orleans still overwhelms you. On every block houses sit empty, gutted of their contents. It’s normal to see people living on the second floor of a house while the first floor sits empty with gaping holes in the side. Other’s live in trailers squeezed into the yards of a shattered house. The lucky ones live in RVs, many remain in FEMA trailers.

We spent four days working on Miss Pat’s house. Although we accomplished much it will be months before she can move out of her trailer. Through the combined efforts of Trinity and Castle Rock Church’s another 10 to 15 homes are being refurbished. But there are tens of thousands of homes remaining. The work of rebuilding will take decades.

What has God taught me this week? The answer for me will be a long time in coming. I leave New Orleans with mixed feelings. I want to stay and see Miss Pat back in her home. But I know that its time to return home and leave the job to others. I guess that for now my answer is a simple one. We serve where the opportunity presents itself, one soul and one day at a time.

DON

Finishing up

143d — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:47:58 +0000

So we’re making some major progress at Miss Pat’s house. Yesterday, we finished up the landing for the steps and began placing the steps. Today, we actually finished the upper level of steps and are building the lower level platform/supporters for the bottom set of stairs. Unfortunately though, Miss Pats had to leave us today to go visit family in Mobile, Alabama. We’re all doing great, a little sore, but we’re doing just fine.