Separate Vacations

While the kids and I were galavanting about Washington, Edwin was up to more serious work. He spent the week in New Orleans. He put his construction skills to work building walls for a dormitory which will house workers who go to help out. Then he joined the group he was traveling with to muck out houses. All the furniture, carpet, drywall, appliances, ceilings and flooring came out of the houses. Only studs and foundation were left, and even those are looking iffy.

Eerie, amazing, indescribable were all words he used to express what it was like driving through the 9th ward. Hurricane season starts next month and New Orleans has not yet recovered from the devastation Katrina wrought.

Before reconstruction can really take place, so much of what is still standing needs to be torn down, or at least gutted out. The Carrolton Church of Christ and Hilltop Church of Christ are among those who are helping their city come back to life. I'm sure progress must seem slow to those who are there-- a basement cleaned out here, a new wall put up elsewhere. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Let's not forget the people whose lives were derailed by the hurricane. Let's pitch in where we can, pray hard and often, and remember that the job is not yet finished. In fact, it's barely begun.