The combined group consists of volunteers from Spartanburg, SC, Liberty, SC and Pensacola, FL and they will be working on seven different homes this week.  We find it difficult to sum up what has happened this summer, because every day is so unique and holds a new adventure.  Each staff person, community member, and volunteer has a different story to tell and newly learned skills and lessons to share. We have learned about loving unconditionally.  Within minutes of meeting someone or even just talking to them on the phone, we fall in love with them.  And understanding that Christ's love for us is even greater than that is almost unbelievable.

This past Sunday, one of the pastors spoke about Matthew 13 and how Jesus fed 5,000 people with 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish.  After they ate, there were even leftovers!  In New Orleans, no one is living with abundance, but it is cool to think that Jesus can take those small things and create something so great with it.  We have been so thankful for the number of volunteers who have sacrificed their own time and money to serve the New Orleans community with us.  Because of it, lives have been changed forever.  But as these groups can attest, there is still so much work to be done.  Almost three years later, there are still people living in FEMA trailers, waiting for money to come through, and slowly working on their homes.  We would encourage anyone and everyone to try to help in some way.  We all have been blessed with so much and it is important to bless others with it.  New Orleans is simply an incredible place to serve and share love every day.  We have been given opportunities that we would never dream of, and our lives have definitely been changed forever.  (Written by Liz Kuester and Kate Jennings)

Some people are just now, three years later, getting out of FEMA trailers, while others are still waiting for their house to be finished so they can do the same. Camp Collide is still in need of materials funds so that we can truly help those who are in the most need. Here is a story from one of our staff telling of how people donating their money helped our homeowner.

Mabel Stewart is a 74 year old woman from Violet who stopped by Covenant one day looking for some help.  She brought her 4 year old great-grandson Boston, who was full of so much joy and curiosity. Along with Mabel's sweet and gentle spirit, the two of them captured our hearts immediately. She has had a lot of volunteers to help rebuild her home and it is in good condition.  The one thing she'll tell you continuously is that the Lord has taken care of her family, and she never ceases to thank Him for it.  However, the thing Mabel wished for was screen doors so that she could be connected to her neighborhood.  She wanted to be able to watch Boston play out in the yard and be able to have some light come into the house.  Before the storm they were a part of her home, and after the storm they were only something she could hope for.  For the next couple of weeks we searched with little success throughout New Orleans for screen doors or for discounts on them.  Home Depot finally gave us a $50 discount and we continued to tell Mabel's story to our friends and family. Eventually, a group from Blue Ridge Orthopedics in Seneca, SC, decided to donate the rest of the money for the two doors.  Recently, while Mabel visited family, we installed the screen doors.  Since then, Mrs. Mabel has talked endlessly about how much joy they bring her - she is now able to see out to her neighbors, watch Boston play, and have a little bit of light flood into the house.  More than anything else, for Mabel these doors are a reminder of all that took place in her home before Katrina and all that is to come.

Post by Kate Jennings, Lead Program Coordinator

These groups have already worked on 12 different homes, doing an assortment of things: sheetrock, mudding/taping, painting, ripping out floors, and yardwork (tearing down jungle-like yards).  They have already changed people’s lives by giving them hope and showing them so much love.  And they were some tough workers too!  Aside from working seven hour days, the campers also get to participate in nightly worship activities.  From talking with the campers, I think this time really allowed them to reflect on the purpose of their lives and how God is continually working all around them.      

Through all of this work we are still focused on the fact that it is not about completing the work or getting the job done.  We are here to invest in people’s lives and working on their house is only an avenue to develop a closer relationship with them.  And that we have.  The friendships we have are such a blessing and helps us immerse ourselves into the community further.  The Lord has definitely burdened our heart to love these people and help share with them the joy that is living a life for Jesus and experiencing the love He has for us.

We are looking forward to our next group arriving in July.  The news about our organization has spread and our presence is definitely known here in St. Bernards Parish.  We have partnered with the Community Center and other non-profit organizations and sometimes it seems like our phone never starts ringing.  So far we have an ever-growing list of 92 families or individuals who want our help.  I am so glad that we have found each other and we have the chance to meet all of these people, but also it is quite daunting at times.  Right now we have a lack of volunteers and a lack of materials for homeowners.  Thank you so much for taking time to read.  We hope you have a blessed week!

Since we haven’t had our first group of campers come through, we decided to sharpen our construction/rebuilding skills. We have been working on painting, sheet-rocking, and mudding and taping.

We have already met some incredible homeowners who we are so excited for our campers to meet. And don’t worry, we are being taken care of, we already experienced our first New Orleans style crawfish boil. Yumm! As a staff we have been working really hard to meet people in the community who are in need of help.

We have also partnered with a few other non-profit organizations in the area who we have been working with to get contacts of families who are in need of help. After two weeks we have already accumulated a list of 72 families who are in need of assistance. Right now our biggest need is materials for these families. Some families never received any help or they have run out of money to build their home.

If you are interested in sponsoring a family to help them with a stage of their rebuilding, that would be a huge blessing to these people. This has also been an incredible learning experience so far. Every staff has shared something different that the Lord is teaching them in New Orleans. We have learned about servanthood, love and lots of patience. Also, I think that when you are close to brokenness in the world you are able to see God work so much more.

God is definitely impacting lives down here and we are so excited to be a part of that.