A New Year for New Orleans

2006 was a year full of challenge and opportunity, but through it all God's grace was more than sufficient. Back in the fall of the previous year, one of my closest friends, James ("Jay") Ingram and I discussed our plans for New Year's. I had been thinking about incorporating service with vacation travel and when he suggested that we do some volunteer work to assist the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans I knew - God willing - that our year would end and our new year would begin in the Gulf Coast.

This was my first trip to "the N.O." and Jay's fourth, so in addition to doing something meaningful, I also looked forward to experiencing a city with such a rich history and culture. New Orleans is a unique microcosm of American life; full of cultural beauty, deprivation and contradiction. Though the city is still a shadow of what it was, the tourism industry is being revitalized and money is being spent, the streets are being refilled with music and dance even as the homeless roam and thousands of residents remain displaced. The people of the city we encountered are full of faith, hope and hospitality making it possible to create sacred spaces even in the midst of explicit imagery and drunken revelry. When we shared with inquiring residents that we had come to New Orleans to volunteer with Habit for Humanity and celebrate the New Year, we were shown a genuine appreciation and humility that neither of us had experienced before.

We worshiped at Greater St. Stephen's Full Gospel Baptist Church on New Year's Eve, where Bishop Paul Morton is Senior Pastor. We were well received and had an opportunity to interview Elder Constance Carter, First Assistant Pastor and Elder Mark Hurdle, a Marine who has been in New Orleans for several years and is now moving on to another assignment. Elder Hurdle even gave us a ride back to our hotel so that we would not have to catch a cab - yet another demonstration of true hospitality and brotherhood.

It was beautiful to join the other individuals and families who had come to work in the Ninth Ward, which is the most devastated area in the Gulf Coast. We were among a handful of African-Americans who were there, but I must say I was duly impressed with the large numbers of "white"/European brothers and sisters who decided to spend their hard earned money and vacation time to assist in the building of homes, so that the people can come back. There has been overwhelming death and suffering in New Orleans. But, according to the Christian faith, we believe that death is only a precursor to resurrection. Through continued prayers, financial support and service, New Orleans will live again and hopefully more abundantly and equitably than before.

Reflections from James Ingram:

I didn’t know what to expect seeing the N.O. for the first time since June 2004. As I waited for Rod’s plane to land, I prayed that our efforts would be substantive enough to help a city that needed all the humanitarian relief it could get. Most importantly I prayed the man above would use us as conduits, conveying our thoughts and experiences to friends, families, colleagues and even acquaintances upon our return to our respective cities.

Our 5 day stint in New Orleans was a journey filled with educational experiences of a city and a people, shaken but optimistic. I won’t forget the gratitude from people like Troy, a Ward 9 resident, who couldn’t thank us enough for coming down to his city, but specifically, volunteering in his Ward, the hardest hit area of the city.

I won’t forget Liz and Andrew, a couple from Boston who decided to cancel their vacation in Mexico City to do Habitat work. And though Liz and I could often be seen having conversations expressing our discontent with the current President (while her husband and Rod worked), I won’t forget that they taught us how to “truss brace” when we had no earthly idea what that entailed. {As an aside, I did ask the name of the family we were building the house for; I’d be interested in following up with them in a year to see if the infrastructure is still in tact}

In all seriousness, I won’t forget the hope in the eyes and words of the people we interviewed, nor the emotional service we attended at Greater St. Stephen’s Church. Finally, and most importantly, I won’t forget the resolve of a people neglected by all levels of government. MLK Jr. said, “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I can’t think of many who have been more challenged than the residents of New Orleans.

Click on the following links to see video testimonies: 1. Elder Carter 2. Elder Hurdle