Since I’ve posted here last, there has been much relief about my family’s particular situation but also much grieving to do for so many friends and ministry colleagues in New Orleans.

Here goes…

GOING BACK IN TO METAIRIE On Saturday, September 3 we saw the wonderful web page with decent photos of the area, giving further credibility to the reports that we were high and dry. We made plans to enter Metairie (the suburb just west of New Orleans—and the critical 17th Street Canal breach).

We delayed our plans from entering on Labor Day (Monday the 6th) because of reports of traffic gridlock from news reporters and friends in Destrehan who made it in after long delays.

We (Marlene, myself and my in-laws, Ronnie and Bernadette) left at 4:15 am and traveled past Baton Rouge fairly smoothly. We hit one stretch where it took us an hour to drive 3 miles (where all traffic was leaving the interstate to be diverted onto US Highway 61). We were never stopped for IDs, but there was a presence of police, EMT vehicles and National Guardsmen all along the way.

As we arrived over the “overpass” near the New Orleans airport (about 10 miles‘; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>10 miles’; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>10 miles west of my home) I began to feel my chest tighten as I saw the signs of Katrina’s presence. Wind damage to awnings, overhangs and trees was very evident. Power lines were down; there was no electricity. The airport (15 miles west of New Orleans proper) remains a medical relief site. Some buildings—apartment complexes, homes, businesses– had their brick walls blown off of the walls and landed on vehicles parked nearby

Riding on usually-crowded thoroughfares at 8:30 in the morning and seeing only five cars is an eerie site. It’s an odd feeling to drive down neighborhood streets where children shoot hoops in the street and have to swerve, but this time for power lines and huge oak and pine trees littered across the streets. Still we were able to get to our home.

ASSESSING THE (NON-)DAMAGE
Our home is fine. There was no flooding , window or roof damge. We had a few shingles blown off the roof. We had a few holes in some screens over windows but no broken windows. We DID lose a small metal shed on our property, which was anchored into the slab…all the contents (bikes, tools, BBQ pit) remained but the shed itself was nowhere to be found. We had a large tree limb down in my yard but nothing on power lines or the roof.

The major issue is stench in my laundry room‘; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>laundry room’; return true;” onmouseout=”window.status='’; return true;”>laundry room from where our freezer defrosted, and in my kitchen (the refrigerator). My mother-in-law and Marlene (my wife) had surgical masks filled with Bounce fabric softener sheets to deal with the smell. We buried the rotten food in my yard (per government instructions). I compared it to rotten rice dressing marinating in really bad shrimp etouffee (if you don’t know what I am talking about, you don’t want to know).

We packed up clothes (we are told we can’t return for a month to allow clean up crews to do their thing), important papers, medicines, laptops and whatever else we could fit in 2 vehicles. We left Metairie at 2:30 and arrived back in Lafayette around 6 pm. (Baton Rouge was the place where tough traffic).

PRAYERS STILL NEEDED
Please continue to offer prayers…

–first of thanks for the blessings my immediate family has received. (I am amazed…2 miles east of me–7 feet of water in homes. 2 miles south of me– water waist deep in homes, 5 miles west of me—8 inches of water in homes.)

–for friends who have lost everything…and whose frustration grows as answers and relief do not come abundantly or rapidly.

–for children and adults “who want their old lives” back and can’t get them.

More reflections soon.

They cried to the Lord in their distress; from their straits he rescued them.
He hushed the storm to a gentle breeze, and the billows of the storm were stilled;
They rejoiced that they were calmed, and he brought them to their desired haven.
Psalm 107, 28-30 (NAB)