Saints All

March 16th, Second Day of doing God’s work here in New Orleans (home of the Saints ( more on this later). The weather is delightful. The people are congenial and friendly. They are all uniquely the same (this is a classic). People come here for different reasons and may leave with different outlooks. Some come with high expectations, some will leave with renewed faith.

• One is an expert carpenter upset (but patient as he fixes it) by workmanship that he finds on jobs.
• One is emotionally connected to New Orleans and despite not being a sports fan was wildly excited over the Saints victory over the Colts.
• One delights in serving others, another, needs to be served.

• One runs a multimillion dollar business yet accepts directions from a college freshman.
• One paints all day with a tendinitis in the elbow.
• One organizes and buys tools in anticipation of the need.
• One is going to be a city planner and wonders where the plan is here in New Orleans.
• One found a four leaf clover on the grounds in preparation for St. Patrick’s Day (she is ¾ Irish).
• One has narcolepsy (a sleep disorder) and lives through it to serve.
• One lost her keys and sent the whole camp searching only to find them on the nail by her bunk.

• One is a Catholic who doesn’t think women should be pastors (she is also brave because she told me this after I told her about my pastor wife).
• One wants to work harder.
• One is really sore.
• One knows that just being here sends the message to the community that we care.
• One is a professional Santa Claus.
• One laughs at all my jokes.
• One has been here seven times before and came this time in a wheel chair (she does much needed clerical work).
• One speaks honestly during devotions.

All of them saints of God, and I mean, God helping, to be one too.

Peter Wright, Auburn, NY

Hi all! This is Charlie writing from Olive Tree, New Orleans. What a week it has been so far. There are 87 volunteers here, and come from all over the globe. Groups represent San Rafael, CA, Kansas State University, University of Maryland, western PA, and upstate NY (us). Individuals can be found from Cameroon, China, Ukraine, and Russia. The age runs from older than me to freshman in college, in fact a lot of the people here are kids on spring break, and every one of them is fantastic.

A typical day for me is to get up at 5:30 and shower ( I am first up in our barracks). The showers are in a trailer equipped with showers for men on one end and the other end for women. The middle is a communal sink area for shaving and brushing teeth, etc. Then back to the barracks for getting completely ready and preparing for breakfast at 7. The breakfasts are good and a lot liked home. At 8AM we are on the road heading for our work assignments. Everybody is doing something different, but we have excellent construction assistants showing us what to do and instructing us on how to use the various tools.

Lunch was prepared at breakfast time, each person doing there own, and put in a cooler. Lunch takes about ½ hour and we have a chance to share thoughts and experiences. And then back to work until 4:30, and then our return to Olive Tree.
Dinner is at 6:30, and then devotions and free time. Lights out at 10PM. Does anybody snore? You betcha, but who cares. Sleep comes easy, at least for me. And I feel good.

Thought you might like to know that as I sit here typing there are five college kids playing bongos, guitars and singing. Other groups are talking, and other people sitting around reading. Kim, one of our leaders, is sitting across from me wondering if I will ever get finished. I am.

Have a good night and think of us.