A quick update from Thursday...

I dropped Louis off at our Law St project and navigated the narrow streets to the Pauger St. house.
A.J. the plumber was just unloading his truck. The volunteers from Mennonite Disaster Services were running late so I returned to Law St to make plans for raising the laundry room floor. After the storm Mrs. Phillip hired a "contractor" to build a laundry room addition...he threw up a room that was 41/2" lower than here existing house. This step down will be dangerous for Mrs. Phillip's 82 year old hip. Louis and I are going to raise the floor and lay new tile in the area.

Around 10am Mrs. Holloway called and had arrived at her house with MDS and the trailer to move stuff out of the house. By the time I drove to her home the trailer was brimming with things. Mrs. Holloway & I took a shopping trip to Lowes for three light kits the electrician needs to complete his rough-in work. We had a delightful time and conversation as I learned more about her and the challenges she has faced as a single parent of 6 and now a Katrina survivor.

By the time I returned to Law St the sisters had prepared lunch and we enjoyed once again their company as we ate. Each day we learn a bit more of their Katrina story and the stories of those in the community. Several people in their neighborhood lost their lives in the fast rising water as the levees broke and the city flooded. Over the next few weeks I will attempt to gather a few of those stories and post them here.

After lunch Louis continued with his tiling project and I cut out and raised the headers in the three laundry room doors. Around 4pm my phone rang. Mrs. Holloway was with MDS at her storage unit way out on the West Bank. The Mennonites were willing to drive her to her house on Pauger, but did not have time to drive her home. Mrs. Holloway does not drive. She is dependent on others for transportation or hires a cab.

Louis and I cleaned up our tools and drove over to Pauger St a little after 5pm. Mrs. Holloway loaded a few things in the truck and off we went to her apartment over around Magazine and St Andrew. Not being a driver, Mrs. Holloway does not give very good directions. We eventually found her apartment and headed toward St. Bernard Parish a little before 7pm. If the work from yesterday did not tire us, the driving Mrs. Holloway did:) She is a dear woman who has no one she can depend on but her faith and the few friends who will drive her around.

ALL theses ladies have been ripped off and stolen from by unscrupulous men. May those men find mercy from a big God who takes care of the widows and orphans.