"Taj Mahal" (by David Henry)

Debris from house gutting projects, January 2007.

This had been my first visit to New Orleans, and it has left an indelible mark on me. It's hard to convey in writing the full range of emotions I felt over the course of our week there. I'd volunteered also following 9/11, and in a strange way I found our work in New Orleans quite a bit more unsettling. At 9/11, the whole world was mobilized and every imaginable resource was deployed in response to what had happened. In contrast, the horrendously stricken areas of New Orleans were all poor neighborhoods filled with struggling, ordinary people. Thousands lost everything they had, which often was limited to their home (passed down for generations, often no paperwork) and the simple household possessions they had within them. Many of these people are still waiting for help and are having difficulty finding work in a city that is far from recovered from this disaster.

Our crew from Transfiguration, together with other volunteers, terrific undergrads from Kenyon College and Brown University, gutted six houses, three of which had barely been entered since the storm. In one case the homeowner -- an unforgettable woman, a grandmother, African-American, salt of the earth in every way -- was living in a FEMA trailer directly in front of her wrecked former home. She said many incredible things, including, “God is good. He could’ve taken our lives, instead he took our things. We learned a lot through this about what’s important in life.” Later in the day, pointing to her FEMA trailer, she said, "That's my Taj Mahal. A lot of folks, they don't have no Taj Mahal." She wanted to get all of our names, saying that, "When times is better, I want to have every one of you down here again, and I cook up for you the best southern dinner you ever had. We’ll have so much fun." Somewhat paralyzed, I went back into her devastated little home and plied out a molded wall with a crowbar.

Trip Summary (by David Henry)

One member of our team, David Henry, gave a brief speech on Sunday, January 21, 2007 at Church of the Transfiguration in NYC. His aim was to give an overview of our trip to New Orleans which, though very difficult to do, he very graciously did. The text of his speech appears below. -JO

"It was my privilege to be a part of the group from this parish that went to New Orleans to participate in the disaster relief program organized by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. It was an experience that none of us will ever forget. New Orleans is a puzzling city, with many faces: the gracious mansions, noble colleges and beautiful churches of St. Charles Avenue, the distinctive architecture and playful culture of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter; these coexist alongside the surreal wreckage of the Ninth Ward, the Lower Ninth Ward, Gentilly, St. Bernard’s Parish and other communities that were all but destroyed by the floodwaters brought by Hurricane Katrina. Thousands for whom these communities had been home, often for generations, are still trying to rebuild their lives, with none of the tools or resources to do so. These are the people to whom our time and labor in New Orleans was given.

"Some members of our group worked with crews providing immediate relief such as food, hygiene items and blankets. There were never enough blankets; people with families would ask for two, but could only be given one because there weren’t enough to go around. Often they would put their name on a list and come back the next day hoping to receive a second blanket. This group also worked preparing the evening meal at a soup kitchen operated out of a church dedicated to St. George. We all had dinner here one evening, and it was wonderful to be able to sit down with those we served, and meet and talk with them one-on-one. Sometimes a local jazz ensemble is brought in by St. George’s to play during the meal, adding a special luster to the evening, and at the same time helping musicians who can no longer easily make a living through their art.

"Others within our group, including myself, spent our days working with other volunteers, mostly students from various colleges and universities, on the work of house-gutting. We were dispatched early in the morning from St. Andrew’s Church with a team leader employed by the Diocese to the home that would be our project for the day. These homes had not been entered since the storm, when six to eight feet of water inside the home left it and everything within in ruins. Our job was to remove the contents, then the walls and ceiling, leaving only the exterior walls and studs. Many homeowners cannot do this work themselves, nor can they afford the two to five thousand dollars that contractors charge for this work. Of the six homes we gutted, we met four of the owners. The gratitude and appreciation they expressed to us was deeply moving. These humble houses and the furnishings and possessions within them were everything they had, and the source also of countless memories.

"Our week concluded with a choral Eucharist last Sunday which we shared with the people of New Orleans at Christ Church Cathedral, with Bishop Andrew preaching the sermon. We were so pleased to have him present with us for the last few days of our work. The recessional hymn which closed the service was Christ is the World’s True Light. With beautiful accompaniment by the cathedral organ as the priests, ministers and choir made their way down the nave in procession, this hymn perfectly articulated our deepest aspirations for a better world, a world where that most basic of all principles, that we love one another in Christ, is lived out.

"The Diocese of Louisiana’s Disaster Relief Program is a shining example of how the Church can be, and is, a force for immeasurable good in our world. Churches throughout New Orleans have been providing, without fanfare and with limited funding, the kind of help and relief that might have been expected of government. All of us are grateful for having had this opportunity to put faith into action; some are already making plans to return. The experience overall brings to mind the words of another hymn, O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come."