Candlewyck Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, sent a group of volunteers to our city recently to work on rebuilding in cooperation with Operation NOAH Rebuild, the local arm of the North American Mission Board. David Reese was the team leader. On their return, he wrote a report to Dr. Bob Lowman, the director of missions for the Metrolina Baptist Association.
It’s very special, and may encourage some of our readers to mobilize a church team to head this way.
“Bob, I wanted to take a moment and fill you in on Candlewyck’s experience being a part of Operation NOAH Rebuild. The accommodations were really unique in that we stayed at a flooded out church that has been converted into dormitory style housing. The rooms were small, but they were intended for sleeping in and that was fine. The food was absolutely the best, we honestly didn’t have one bad meal and there was always plenty. The volunteer cooking team was really great, especially after a hard day of work. They just shared themselves with us and encouraged us tremendously.”
“The mission itself was very life-affecting to all of us. Some on the team had been to South Africa and we felt like we were back walking in the squatter camps only with paved roads. The houses are still in extremely bad conditions and in many cases the spirit of joy seems to have been drained from the people there. It was hard to drive through the communities and to still see the markings on the buildings that represented the inspections for bodies after the storm. I think the one that got to most of us was a church where 18 people died. It is hard to imagine that the people of New Orleans have to see these reminders every day.”
“The first house that our team worked in was to do some painting and trim work for the family so that they could all have their own living areas again. We had been told that they would want to share their stories and to be willing to listen, which we did. This family was two siblings, both married with older children, with the house having a tri-plex arrangement, two upstairs, one down. The sister and her husband and children were safe, but her brother’s wife was being held by the wife’s older son trying to fight the current and she slipped away and they have never found her body. The son has had a complete mental breakdown because he couldn’t hang on to his mom.”
“The next house was a wonderful lady who is a minister and had a small church that basically did outreach to the homeless and those in need, which now has stopped since she lost her church. Her home is being redone and we helped in trim work and sanding floors and hanging doors. Her prayer was that God would complete the work and that she could bring the people back together in a new place to continue the work.”
“We worked 3 days in one house laying sub flooring and then putting down a pergo wood floor trying to get her home ready for an inspection later this month, which if passed she can move back in. The home owners were so gracious and would come by and thank us over and over again.”
“Please encourage any and all of our associational churches to consider being involved in this rebuild. There is so much work to do and it is no longer on the front page of the papers or leading the nightly news. It seems that most people think since the city is up and Mardi Gras is happening then everything is normal. These people need to have some joy and happiness in their lives, and honestly we didn’t see much of that. Imagine going to Home Depot and having armed guards and men lining up hoping to work for some money. Businesses completely wiped off their foundations and whole plazas empty so no work available. Tent cities have formed under the highways because FEMA trailers had to be abandoned due to health issues. That is the daily reality in New Orleans right now. I believe God can have a greater impact on the city if we can share the word of the need and show the love of Christ by being a part of His work to restore not only homes, but lives to His kingdom.”
Thank you, David Reese.
The church that NOAH has turned into a volunteer village is Hopeview Church down below Chalmette. My guess is that most of the rebuild work David’s team was doing was in St. Bernard Parish (in and around Chalmette) by his description.
He’s certainly right that there is so much to do, and the need will be with us a long time. We’re so grateful to the North American Mission Board for Operation NOAH Rebuild, and for all our partners. God alone knows the number of churches and other agencies that have sent teams this way. We are forever indebted, but still greatly in need.
To contact NOAH, go to www.namb.net or phone the NOAH office here in New Orleans 504 362 4604.