May 23 2007
New Orleans Mission Trip day 2
What a day! It is 5:12 CST and John Gammons and I are in the NOBTS student center.  Let me say first that the New Orleans Seminary is a beautiful place. In fact it looks better today then it did when I came for a conference back in 1999. The people here are very helpful and I am now hooked up to the internet thanks to the kind people in the computer lab.
I took 2 hours this morning to finish writing my message for Sunday on Chazown-Finances. I feel very relieved. Our men have been working hard ripping out sheet rock, plaster and replacing 2 x 4’s. Some of the other men have been redoing the electrical wires in the sanctuary and putting in gas pipes.
About 11:00 AM when I finished writing my message it started raining. It hasn’t stopped.  The bell tower at Edgewater is leaking. Honestly, the sanctuary doesn’t need to be renovated it needs to be torn down and rebuilt. But they don’t have the money for that. We were scared that the bell tower was going to collapse on us because the bathroom floor looked like it was about to cave in. I’m not exaggerating these people need a new building. That is why I wrote the post this morning about having an “EXTREME MAKEOVER” for the city of New Orleans. If churches came together and pooled their resources imagine what would happen. The people at Edgewater are truly reaching their community and most of us should be ashamed at what we complain about when you see what they deal with daily.
About 4:00 I looked outside and and the water from the rain was rising. In fact, my computer was still in the office trailer and I noticed that the lights were off. I panicked and found Kevin Lee, the pastor and he said they were going home and were not having church tonight. He opened the office for me and I’m not kidding the water was up to my knees and I’m 6′2″.  Then on the way back to the Seminary campus you can see how high the water is. Kevin said today is New Orleans worst nightmare –heavy rain because the pumps aren’t working properly. This place is still a mess and it is almost 2 years since Katrina. Folks this is the USA and I feel like I’m in a 3rd world country.
On the lighter side we did leave Jason Sampler a nice “Wedding Present” on his deck! 
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5 responses so far
Justin Hase and I have a small video from my apartment balcony during one of the lighter rains… posted at my blog.
Wow…this is a wonderful journal and tells so much. I grew up in Araby, out in St. Bernard Parish, which is about in the shape you mention and photograph. In order to help like so many other individuals, I started The Beatitudes Network- Rebuilding the public libraries of New Orleans at http://www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com. My tour begins in October and all royalties from the sale of my book will go to the New Orleans Public Library Foundation.
If anyone wants me to give a free tour and showcase my book for New Orleans, please see my blog and contact me.
Lyn LeJeune
The Beatitudes Network - Rebuilding the Public Libraries of New Orleans
http://www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com
It angers me that we can spend billions to rebuild Iraq, and our own Gulf Coast looks like the third world after two years. In particular, it angers me that a rainstorm, not a hurricane, just a rainstorm shuts the city down.
I think it is amazing that you and your team haven’t forgotten about New Orleans! You are showing Christ to the people there. I’m praying for you!
[...] broken. But as some of our friends at my church in the Filmore neighborhood learned last week- pumps are only good if they are turned on. Not to mention that someone discovered all those FEMA trailers were [...]