A visitor's first look...

Imagining New Orleans underwater has been like walking through the set of a movie and being unable to imagine what it would have been like to actually live the life of that time. We have seen signs of Katrina’s destruction, but they haven’t always been evident. Instead, they have been subtly hidden: the lack of passengers in the airport, the water lines from the floodwaters on the buildings. All the signs are here, but it’s as if someone has hastily tried to paint over them in an attempt to proclaim New Orleans “fixed.” The truth is nowhere near these superficial assumptions. Today, driving to Bethany UMC, we passed houses that had the Katrina Tattoo still painted on them, the death toll still evident. Passing those solid colors painted on the sides of houses was a shocking reminder of the true destruction that occurred, and a reminder of our purpose. We are here not only to help rebuild houses, but also to be ambassadors. We must tell the story of the true New Orleans, and how much is still to be done. It may be three years later, but half of this magnificent city's inhabitants are still displaced. More are living in FEMA trailers, or, as we saw today, tent camps, in the middle of the French Quarter. The courageous people who have moved back are not only fighting everyday to survive, but many have found it necessary to thank us for our presence. New Orleans is an incredible place, and with our continued support, I have no doubt that its people and its culture will return to its once vibrant status.
Emily Hudspeth