Mission trip to New Orleans: first day of work

Here's the latest update from Meaghan Kelly, writing from New Orleans. This is a follow-up to the first update.

Our first day of work started at 6 a.m., the suggested tactic for beating the heat of the mid to late afternoon here in New Orleans: start early, end early. A good idea essentially, but our group was less than enthusiastic when it came time to waking up. After a couple of cups of coffee and some breakfast, however, we were ready to roll for the day. We gathered the group outside of the front of the church to organize for the day.

We were divided into small armies and sent off to start with our work. One group was assigned the duty of feeding the rest of us for the day. One group was responsible for running some errands, and then pulling weeds and taking down dead trees in the back yard of the church. Another group was given the task of putting up sheet rock in the long hallways of the church. The last group was assigned to painting a second coat on the labyrinth that now covers the floor of the church.

We were given this theme for the day from our baptismal covenant: "will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers?” and asked to reflect on what it means to do this work in the context of Christian community. Right away we began to bump up against challenges: the sheet-rock crew had a steep learning curve and struggled to acquire new skills on the job. The food crew felt frustrated that they weren’t working harder on direct relief efforts. Others grew impatient with periods of idleness as they waited to be directed to another job.

So one thing we started to think and talk about was the whole notion of being “efficient” and “productive”. Were we there to just fix and repair things and minister through our productivity? Or were we there to listen to people’s stories and minister through our presence? And how did we manage as a community when we began feeling impatient and frustrated? These questions were important for us to raise, and discussing the nature of Christian community will be something we continue to do.

At noon, as the sweltering midday heat became unbearable, we retreated into the cool passages of the church. The food group came through with a series of yummy sandwiches, which gave the workers enough energy to put in another hour of arduous work. Afterwards, we were all sweaty and exhausted, and in desperate need of a shower. Despite Bob’s recommendations that we only take a brief “navy” shower, it seemed as though the hordes of sullied workers were never ending.

Finally, everyone was clean and rejuvenated, ready for a mentally challenging spiritual reflection. At the “Palace,” the more luxurious of our two homes, we organized ourselves into small groups. We focused on the struggles and challenges that each individual may have faced since the trip began. Many grew emotional, reflecting upon the poignant feelings evoked in all of us, upon bearing witness, first hand, to the incredible destruction hurricane Katrina brought to New Orleans. Finally, after a long and strenuous day, we gathered in the living room for a rousing group game. The laughter that echoed through the room was much needed. We will continue to seek that necessary balance of fun, work, and reflection as the week progresses.