So, after a week in New Orleans I have seen and heard things I never thought I would. Some things which I may have preferred not to see… and others that made me want to stay in New Orleans for the rest of my life. It’s hard to pick which things you want to emphasize to the people we share our stories with. Yes, perhaps moments on Bourbon Street were quite memorable, but we can’t only talk about Bourbon street as it is only one street, in the great city that is New Orleans, LA.
I felt so many emotions during this week, from high levels of excitement and happiness, to devastation, depression, and confusion. Driving around the 9th Ward, seeing the houses that still had Xs on them, all of the empty lots, houses that were destroyed and decaying, that you knew, were once home to someone, really got to me. Seeing the amount of destruction that still exists 5 years after Hurricane Katrina, is honestly depressing, and makes you wonder, and honestly doubt, if the city will ever return to its original conditions. Seeing some of the results of this trauma up close, makes you realize how much so many parts of our world are truly in need of healing.
The lifestyle of the volunteers we worked with was a world outside our own. These “professional volunteers” work all day, come home, kick back at night with their friends have a few drinks, get up the next morning and do it again. They don’t seem to run a schedule, time doesn’t seem to be of much importance, they don’t seem to worry, and really seem to live by the slogan Renee came up with, with Racheal, Shanna and I, “ Don’t get salty, we’ll figure it out”.
Bourbon street was an adventure that pictures and words cannot begin to give justice. It’s something you have to experience for yourself.
As far as music and food go, New Orleans lived up to its expectations. There was live music almost everywhere we went, in bars, or on street corners, or in the parades during Mardi Gras. Music was everywhere. Bignets were amazing! As was Dots Diner and the shrimp po-boy I had on our last day.
Some of the other highlights of my trip were seeing the alligator in the swamp by the tree farm, Mike’s southern hospitality at the tree farm, breakfast at the common grounds house (raisin bran and soy milk with an orange or a banana) everymorning, PB&J sandwiches every day for lunch, wearing capris, t-shirts, and flipflops, mudding, late nights on the patio with my classmates, the French quarter/French market, meeting the volunteers from common grounds (wish we could have talked with them more) Zach’s phrases and his ever present smile, Mike learning all our names as well as working one handed, I was impressed all around, Denise, Boris, and.. Boris’s hair, Tiger, the rest of the volunteers whose names I can’t remember, Church with Pastor Keane, Kings Cake, Mardi Gras world, the parade of the Muses, catching beads, Renee honking her way through the busy streets, bill darting over the seats in the van to tackle Brooke, being outside, even though we were doing yardwork, it was great, drywalling, mudding and taping almost the entire house, dinner every night…….
I could write a book about all our experiences but really, New Orleans is just something you have to experience for yourself. No words or pictures can fully describe what we experienced this week. I am thankful that I was able to experience it, and to be a part of this trip. And although we were fortunate to get the best of both worlds, being able to volunteers as well as be tourists, I think we should remember this quote that my grandma sent me:
"The true measure of our journey through life does not lie in how many souvenirs we can purchase along the way but in how many lives we stop to touch."
So although we came back with masks, cups, coins, musezuelas and handfuls of beads, the true value of our trip lies in what we take from our experiences, the service did, the people we met, and the difference they (the majority of the people in New Orleans whom we spoke with) believed we made, no matter how small at times it may have seemed to us.
- Kim Hesse
Monday, March 14, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Week in Review
I am on the 18 hour return trip from New Orleans after successfully co-leading a Interdisciplinary Studies class on a service trip. We were able to help rebuild the lower 9th Ward and surrounding communities as they continue to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. It was amazing to see how much is still needed to be done as a result of a storm that impacted the area over five years ago. People are still paying rent and mortgages on properties that half a decade later are still uninhabitable. This fact seems shocking, and at first glance it is, but one needs to understand the complexity of the situation and the sheer damage caused to the infrastructure of the city, its resources, and to some degree the will of the people.
The 11 members of the class worked extremely hard for five days to beautify the area, restore the coastline, and repair damaged houses. The repairs to the homes generally consisted of dry walling, taping, and mudding. Although, the group did not get the “pleasure” of sanding. The knowledge gained and skills learned will pay dividends for a lifetime. More importantly, the appreciation for life and the ability to better understand and communicate with people of all types will be of great value to the group. I could see dispositions change over the course of the trip and am confident that the members of the class will take the lessons learned and apply them the rest of their lifetimes.
A rough estimate would be collectively the class provided 400 hours of service during the trip. We were able to plant hundreds of trees and made the internal framework of a house look more like a home. However, the 400 hours of donated time was only a very small fraction of what is needed as part of the rebuilding process. We worked tirelessly on the house and it now looks like something someone could inhabit, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The work was exhausting and required great detail, but the personal gratification received from living out the college’s mission and our own internal desires was worth every bead of sweat, every sore muscle, and in some cases even a few drops of blood.
I noted the excitement students felt as they prepared to go home, but this excitement soon diminished as it was realized that they were leaving NOLA. Some will be back (trips are already being planned), but others will never return to the city. This ambiguity left the class with uncertainty and doubt. All felt they had unfinished work to do. This “emptiness” was due to an internal calling to finish what was started and to expand the efforts. I believe this feeling will stay with the class and will serve to motivate them to participate again in similar projects and experiences.
Thank you to all for sharing the experience with me and those who followed vicariously through this blog.
-Bill
The 11 members of the class worked extremely hard for five days to beautify the area, restore the coastline, and repair damaged houses. The repairs to the homes generally consisted of dry walling, taping, and mudding. Although, the group did not get the “pleasure” of sanding. The knowledge gained and skills learned will pay dividends for a lifetime. More importantly, the appreciation for life and the ability to better understand and communicate with people of all types will be of great value to the group. I could see dispositions change over the course of the trip and am confident that the members of the class will take the lessons learned and apply them the rest of their lifetimes.
A rough estimate would be collectively the class provided 400 hours of service during the trip. We were able to plant hundreds of trees and made the internal framework of a house look more like a home. However, the 400 hours of donated time was only a very small fraction of what is needed as part of the rebuilding process. We worked tirelessly on the house and it now looks like something someone could inhabit, but there is still a lot of work to be done. The work was exhausting and required great detail, but the personal gratification received from living out the college’s mission and our own internal desires was worth every bead of sweat, every sore muscle, and in some cases even a few drops of blood.
I noted the excitement students felt as they prepared to go home, but this excitement soon diminished as it was realized that they were leaving NOLA. Some will be back (trips are already being planned), but others will never return to the city. This ambiguity left the class with uncertainty and doubt. All felt they had unfinished work to do. This “emptiness” was due to an internal calling to finish what was started and to expand the efforts. I believe this feeling will stay with the class and will serve to motivate them to participate again in similar projects and experiences.
Thank you to all for sharing the experience with me and those who followed vicariously through this blog.
-Bill
Friday, March 4, 2011
This Week...
So. The week is over and we leave tomorrow. I have to admit that this has been the most amazing week ever and that I am so grateful and appreciative of the people we got to know and interact with as well as those we helped in our service with Common Ground Relief. Working with the other volunteers and helping rebuild the house we worked on this week was an awesome experience that I will never forget. I also can't believe we got that much accomplished in 4 days! We completely dry-walled and almost finished mudding the house! Also, I have never had so many people come up to our group and thank us for what we are doing and let us know how great of a job we are doing and that we are really helping others in need. That was probably the most rewarding aspect of this trip: Not that we did hard work, but that others who were from the area were so grateful even though we weren't personally helping them-we were helping others! I know this experience has helped broaden how I look at peoples in poverty and those who are stricken with disaster that need help recovering because they may not have the resources to do it alone, and I will definitely be going on another service trip soon!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Deep Thought Provoking Question....
Last night during our reflection Bill touched on our work ethic. He made the comment that we all put aside our differences and came together to work towards a "common goal." This got me thinking, this statement is really true in our case because I feel like we get "shit" done once we get going, but then why can't the world work like this? Why is it so hard for the world to work towards a common goal? The answer may be simple, but the foundation to the question needs to be thought out.....
Time/ Community
My Two-Cents Spin-
Life can be messy for us college students but we have nothing to truly worry about accept a higher tuition. Today, I tried put my self in the shoes of the "resident" we are working on in NOLA . I'm not even close.....
*The government has left the citizens to finish, unfinished work. I work now to put copper wire back in my house because it has been stolen two times, I just hope it does not happen again. I had to buy a dog to protect my house from robbers. A dog I cant take good care of because I work and live outside of the area. I have to work to pay for drywall, window, doors, and even more. I would like a new car too but the house comes first because I'm paying for rent. I would move but this is my HOME, this is where my job is, this is where my family/ friends live. My grandfather built this house or the one that was here. I just want this nightmare to end.* Just an idea of a small bit of what our home owner does/ may have on their mind every day. This is my third trip down to this area and rebuilding is going so slow that another storm could hit and it would look no different, almost! I am about to give up on this government helping the common person not because its political but because its the right thing to do. But out of the fog Nola's culture is alive and well, THANK GOD!!!
Life can be messy for us college students but we have nothing to truly worry about accept a higher tuition. Today, I tried put my self in the shoes of the "resident" we are working on in NOLA . I'm not even close.....
*The government has left the citizens to finish, unfinished work. I work now to put copper wire back in my house because it has been stolen two times, I just hope it does not happen again. I had to buy a dog to protect my house from robbers. A dog I cant take good care of because I work and live outside of the area. I have to work to pay for drywall, window, doors, and even more. I would like a new car too but the house comes first because I'm paying for rent. I would move but this is my HOME, this is where my job is, this is where my family/ friends live. My grandfather built this house or the one that was here. I just want this nightmare to end.* Just an idea of a small bit of what our home owner does/ may have on their mind every day. This is my third trip down to this area and rebuilding is going so slow that another storm could hit and it would look no different, almost! I am about to give up on this government helping the common person not because its political but because its the right thing to do. But out of the fog Nola's culture is alive and well, THANK GOD!!!
Whatever's Clever!
The first day working on the house was definitely exhausting. I woke up sore this morning but excited for another day of work.
Before we left for the site, another group arrived at Common Ground from New Jersey. It was nice to see new faces, but a few of us did not want them to go to work with us. We are not anti-social, we just took ownership of our work.
I have been very humbled by the work we have been doing and the work we have been doing as a team. The skills we are learning are extremely valuable. I thought about what I would be doing if I did not come here over Winter Break, and I could not think of anything more rewarding or beneficial! I have enjoyed every minute!
Today we went back to the same house and made so much progress! We finished dry-walling and began to mud and tape. I enjoy mudding and taping more than dry-walling. I missed Boras today. He went and worked on a different house, but he was very patient with me yesterday.
During lunch, a neighbor woman talked to us. She is staying with her parents in New Orleans, but she said that she does not like it here. She blamed the destruction on the Army Corps of Engineers. She could not believe that the Common Ground people were all volunteers. After they explained to her what Common Ground Relief is, she said something that struck me. She said that people do not know how to do good. I disagree. I think that people just do not make the time to "do good." I believe that we are so concerned about planning for the future and self-advancement that we lose sight of what is important - helping a brother in a time of need. New Orleans is still in a time of need.
As a group we have talked about the different lifestyle the Common Ground volunteers live. To begin, they are selfless. They strive for perfection and are so motivated. I wonder how they find motivation day in and day out. The work is long and tiring, and sometimes it seems like there is no end, but I have learned an important lesson while we have been here. The attitude of the workers, and sermon we heard on Sunday, keeps sending me the same message - do not worry. In the words of Zach, "whatever's clever!" I spend so much time worry about every detail and continuing to improve, that it is just as important to simplify and slow down... They live off of the relationships that they have.
I missed seeing the neighbor kids today! We did not get back until late tonight, so I am sure they were already inside for dinner. I have had a great time so far. I honestly do not know where the time goes. I am looking forward to the parade of the Muses tomorrow night. We already saw some of the floats when we went to Mardi Gras World on Sunday. This "krewe" is all women, and they are known for throwing shoes.
I cannot get over how beautiful the weather has been! It only rained on Monday for a small part of the morning. I cannot pinpoint my favorite part of our time here, but I have enjoyed getting closer as a class!
Brooke
Before we left for the site, another group arrived at Common Ground from New Jersey. It was nice to see new faces, but a few of us did not want them to go to work with us. We are not anti-social, we just took ownership of our work.
I have been very humbled by the work we have been doing and the work we have been doing as a team. The skills we are learning are extremely valuable. I thought about what I would be doing if I did not come here over Winter Break, and I could not think of anything more rewarding or beneficial! I have enjoyed every minute!
Today we went back to the same house and made so much progress! We finished dry-walling and began to mud and tape. I enjoy mudding and taping more than dry-walling. I missed Boras today. He went and worked on a different house, but he was very patient with me yesterday.
During lunch, a neighbor woman talked to us. She is staying with her parents in New Orleans, but she said that she does not like it here. She blamed the destruction on the Army Corps of Engineers. She could not believe that the Common Ground people were all volunteers. After they explained to her what Common Ground Relief is, she said something that struck me. She said that people do not know how to do good. I disagree. I think that people just do not make the time to "do good." I believe that we are so concerned about planning for the future and self-advancement that we lose sight of what is important - helping a brother in a time of need. New Orleans is still in a time of need.
As a group we have talked about the different lifestyle the Common Ground volunteers live. To begin, they are selfless. They strive for perfection and are so motivated. I wonder how they find motivation day in and day out. The work is long and tiring, and sometimes it seems like there is no end, but I have learned an important lesson while we have been here. The attitude of the workers, and sermon we heard on Sunday, keeps sending me the same message - do not worry. In the words of Zach, "whatever's clever!" I spend so much time worry about every detail and continuing to improve, that it is just as important to simplify and slow down... They live off of the relationships that they have.
I missed seeing the neighbor kids today! We did not get back until late tonight, so I am sure they were already inside for dinner. I have had a great time so far. I honestly do not know where the time goes. I am looking forward to the parade of the Muses tomorrow night. We already saw some of the floats when we went to Mardi Gras World on Sunday. This "krewe" is all women, and they are known for throwing shoes.
I cannot get over how beautiful the weather has been! It only rained on Monday for a small part of the morning. I cannot pinpoint my favorite part of our time here, but I have enjoyed getting closer as a class!
Brooke
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Where to begin...
So, a lot has happened since Friday at four when we left cold, snowy Waverly, IA and headed south to New Orleans, Louisiana.
After spending the night in the Hubbard House in East St. Louis, we were off on a 12 hour car ride to NOLA. The ride was long, but sleeping helped pass the time. After getting lost in the city, we finally made it to Common Ground Relief's location in the lower ninth ward. We got settled in, and hung out.
Sunday was a busy day of fitting in as much of New Orleans as possible. We took a driving tour of the city seeing the different areas affected. It was crazy to see how many houses were still around with X's and in complete shambles. Pictures can not even begin to show the destruction and the impact of Katrina and its lingering effects. I couldn't imagine living through it, but it made me wish I had been able to go to New Orleans pre-Katrina. Our group had the opportunity to attend mass at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Sunday morning. This was an incredible experience. Being raised Catholic, going to a different church was interesting. The church members were so into church and had incredibly strong faith. I was really moved. After mass we were treated to an excellent lunch of potatoes, fried chicken, and vegetables. After church, we headed down the street to watch some Mardi Gras parades. NOLA parades differ greatly from those parades in Iowa. We toured the Mardi Gras museum and walked around the city, and tried beignets (like funnel cake). We all also got to try "Cajun food." The jumbalaya was really good, but very spicy. What is New Orleans without Bourbon Street? We took our time walking the many blocks of Bourbon Street and seeing some...interesting sights. The excitement was incredible. After a late night of exploring, experiencing, and talking we all headed to bed.
Monday morning we were up and at 'em heading to the Chevron Tree farm. Here we helped two workers plant trees that will grow into larger trees and transported to other parks and places in Louisiana. Working here was interesting. It seemed that Common Ground expected the task to take all day. We finished in two hours. With some of the extra time, we went on an alligator hunt...and found THREE! It was the highlight of week considering it's what I've been wanting to do since arriving. We were directed to go back to our base and get another task. Our second job for the day was yardwork around Common Ground houses. The boys, being the manly men they are, dug concrete blocks out of the ground (groups who had been here a year ago tried doing this and couldn't). We finished early here as well, which meant an early end to the work day. Our evening was filled hanging out and spending a lot of time with the kids next door. We played football, volleyball, soccer, catch, and raced for a good two hours. One little girl shared a lot about the family, even about leaving and coming back after Katrina. After another late night of talking, laughing, and what not, we headed to bed.
Today, we headed to a house in the upper ninth ward to do drywalling. I had little to no experience with power tools and drywalling, but I'm a little better now. The group worked so well and the house is almost completely drywalled. We learned from Myke, that the resident is in New Orleans and still paying rent on her property and her and her husband are just waiting to get back. Myke and the whole crew (Zach and Boris) were incredibly helpful, patient, and fun to work with. I was able to learn how to drywall and even ran a circular saw. It was interesting, on the other side of the house (the house was like a condo; it's called a double shotgun house) there was a dog kept in a kennel. We learned he was there as a sort of security system; the resident had had her piping stolen twice while she was trying to rebuild, and the dog was there to scare off possible burglars. It made me so sad, because the dog was there day in and day out all alone locked in a kennel. The crew from Common Ground may be laid back, but they are incredibly hard working individuals, and they love what they do. Tonight Chad, Brooke and I made dinner (spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread). It was decent. The group really just chills together and we all seem to get along really well...some of us are wondering where class will go when the trip is over. Haha. Well...that's about it for now!
After spending the night in the Hubbard House in East St. Louis, we were off on a 12 hour car ride to NOLA. The ride was long, but sleeping helped pass the time. After getting lost in the city, we finally made it to Common Ground Relief's location in the lower ninth ward. We got settled in, and hung out.
Sunday was a busy day of fitting in as much of New Orleans as possible. We took a driving tour of the city seeing the different areas affected. It was crazy to see how many houses were still around with X's and in complete shambles. Pictures can not even begin to show the destruction and the impact of Katrina and its lingering effects. I couldn't imagine living through it, but it made me wish I had been able to go to New Orleans pre-Katrina. Our group had the opportunity to attend mass at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Sunday morning. This was an incredible experience. Being raised Catholic, going to a different church was interesting. The church members were so into church and had incredibly strong faith. I was really moved. After mass we were treated to an excellent lunch of potatoes, fried chicken, and vegetables. After church, we headed down the street to watch some Mardi Gras parades. NOLA parades differ greatly from those parades in Iowa. We toured the Mardi Gras museum and walked around the city, and tried beignets (like funnel cake). We all also got to try "Cajun food." The jumbalaya was really good, but very spicy. What is New Orleans without Bourbon Street? We took our time walking the many blocks of Bourbon Street and seeing some...interesting sights. The excitement was incredible. After a late night of exploring, experiencing, and talking we all headed to bed.
Monday morning we were up and at 'em heading to the Chevron Tree farm. Here we helped two workers plant trees that will grow into larger trees and transported to other parks and places in Louisiana. Working here was interesting. It seemed that Common Ground expected the task to take all day. We finished in two hours. With some of the extra time, we went on an alligator hunt...and found THREE! It was the highlight of week considering it's what I've been wanting to do since arriving. We were directed to go back to our base and get another task. Our second job for the day was yardwork around Common Ground houses. The boys, being the manly men they are, dug concrete blocks out of the ground (groups who had been here a year ago tried doing this and couldn't). We finished early here as well, which meant an early end to the work day. Our evening was filled hanging out and spending a lot of time with the kids next door. We played football, volleyball, soccer, catch, and raced for a good two hours. One little girl shared a lot about the family, even about leaving and coming back after Katrina. After another late night of talking, laughing, and what not, we headed to bed.
Today, we headed to a house in the upper ninth ward to do drywalling. I had little to no experience with power tools and drywalling, but I'm a little better now. The group worked so well and the house is almost completely drywalled. We learned from Myke, that the resident is in New Orleans and still paying rent on her property and her and her husband are just waiting to get back. Myke and the whole crew (Zach and Boris) were incredibly helpful, patient, and fun to work with. I was able to learn how to drywall and even ran a circular saw. It was interesting, on the other side of the house (the house was like a condo; it's called a double shotgun house) there was a dog kept in a kennel. We learned he was there as a sort of security system; the resident had had her piping stolen twice while she was trying to rebuild, and the dog was there to scare off possible burglars. It made me so sad, because the dog was there day in and day out all alone locked in a kennel. The crew from Common Ground may be laid back, but they are incredibly hard working individuals, and they love what they do. Tonight Chad, Brooke and I made dinner (spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread). It was decent. The group really just chills together and we all seem to get along really well...some of us are wondering where class will go when the trip is over. Haha. Well...that's about it for now!
Teamwork 101
Today we spent the entire day dry walling a house with which Common Ground is affiliated. The house was flooded five years ago when the levees were breached due to Hurricane Katrina. It has been some time since I last dry walled and after a little retraining and being arranged in teams we were off. It was interesting to observe a dog kenneled up in a large enclosure inside the house. It was explained that on at least two separate occasions after the electrical wiring had been installed the house had been burglarized. The thieves ripped out all of the wiring. They destroyed 10K worth of work and resources for $300 worth of copper wire. Therefore, the owner of the house leaves a dog behind for security reasons and stops by regularly to attend to it.
It has been amazing to watch and be a part of the service group as a teacher and as a “peer”. The team work has been unbelievable from weeding gardens, to pulling out concrete footings, food preparation, and now dry walling. It is amazing to see a group of people who really didn’t know each other come together so easily and naturally. I think this transition is so fluid because we are working towards the same goal. There are personality conflicts and different belief systems amongst the group members, but that has not stopped them from learning from each other and adjusting to these “differences”. The uniting factor is that we have the same goal. We all believe in that goal and are doing our part to reach it. It is pleasing to watch students take leadership roles during one task and then serve a supporting role in another. They also are eager to learn and teach each other and are open to suggestions. The parents of this group of students must be very proud of the fine young men and women they have raised. Wartburg ought to be proud of how they are representing themselves and the institution. The students should be proud of what they have accomplished and the solid base that has been created from which to build.
This service-trip could end today and it would be successful on so many levels…luckily we have three days left. Three days to make a larger impact on NOLA, to develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with each other, to acquire new skills and additional knowledge, and to continue to evolve as people and citizens. We ARE living lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of our faith and learning. I know that I am learning and growing as much as the students and am blessed to have the opportunity to co-lead this trip.
It has been amazing to watch and be a part of the service group as a teacher and as a “peer”. The team work has been unbelievable from weeding gardens, to pulling out concrete footings, food preparation, and now dry walling. It is amazing to see a group of people who really didn’t know each other come together so easily and naturally. I think this transition is so fluid because we are working towards the same goal. There are personality conflicts and different belief systems amongst the group members, but that has not stopped them from learning from each other and adjusting to these “differences”. The uniting factor is that we have the same goal. We all believe in that goal and are doing our part to reach it. It is pleasing to watch students take leadership roles during one task and then serve a supporting role in another. They also are eager to learn and teach each other and are open to suggestions. The parents of this group of students must be very proud of the fine young men and women they have raised. Wartburg ought to be proud of how they are representing themselves and the institution. The students should be proud of what they have accomplished and the solid base that has been created from which to build.
This service-trip could end today and it would be successful on so many levels…luckily we have three days left. Three days to make a larger impact on NOLA, to develop deeper and more meaningful relationships with each other, to acquire new skills and additional knowledge, and to continue to evolve as people and citizens. We ARE living lives of leadership and service as a spirited expression of our faith and learning. I know that I am learning and growing as much as the students and am blessed to have the opportunity to co-lead this trip.
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