Goodbye Ezra (for now)

Once again the blogger is "experiencing difficulties" in posting any photos! My apologies but I am rather bound by what it will and will not do on any given day!

The weekend came and went and already we are into another week. Where does the time go?!

Saturday we went into the city. It amazes me how you can travel for about 15 minutes and be in areas where absolutely no damage was done, no flooding and no wind! Everyone goes about their business as if nothing had happened. And then, in the blink of an eye, it's back and it's all you can see. Just boggles ones mind, or atleast mine!

We did find a health food market that we had wanted to go see. Jessica guided us and while we were in there Monty and I felt like we were home. Our hometown is a college town and one where "hippies" sort of landed. We love it there and going into this market we found more "hippies" and realized it was the closest feeling to home we had experienced in a long time!

Monty and I also took some time for ourselves that evening and did some walking in the French Quarter. It was a nice evening, the heat had let up some and there was a beautiful breeze. It was also nice to have a couple of hours for ourselves.

Yesterday was busy with church and the meal after. Dovie prepared Jambalaya which was enjoyed by all. We even had some left to add to the cookout we had for the evening meal. We surprised Ezra with a going away cookout. Ezra is from MN and made 11 trips last year. He brought team after team and this time came on his own for a few weeks. He is leaving today for a mission trip to the Dominican Republic where he will be for 6 weeks. At that time he will head back home and then see what God has in store for him. We have grown quite "attached" to him and will miss him. He has been such a vital part of the worship team for Pastor Teresa and was the one who designed our porch where we are living. Please keep him in your prayers, for safe travel, for a blessed trip and for clear direction for his next chapter in life.

After church and dinner we delivered a truck load of mattress sets to a small church in the lower 9th ward. This church also lost everything and is in the process of rebuilding. The pastor told me the church and the area was under around 29 feet of water! Yes, 29 feet! Impossible to imagine! All it takes is one glance to realize he isn't exagerating! God bless these pastors who are determined to continue God's calling on their lives, even in the midst of loosing everything and everyone!

Today Monty, Diane and the crew are working in a church in St. Bernard's Parish. That area was also demolished in the storm. This church also lost everything and everyone. We are doing what we can to get the sanctuary looking as good as possible for a wedding which is scheduled at the end of this month. Monty is taking photos so hopefully I can get them to post with tomorrows journal.

One couple from the CA team is still here, working at St. Lukes today. They are both electricians and brought their RV. They are staying here in town and wanted to continue working a couple days longer than the rest of their church team. Today they got the 4 huge exhaust fans in the balcony of the church working! This means all the hot air can be blown out of the church and make MUCH less work for the air conditioners! This couple has been such a blessing and a real example of what I "preach" to women; women CAN work in construction and do fantastic work!! You should see Sandra work! Girl Power!!

I do have a special prayer request. My family (father and brother) operate the family farm back in Indiana. They are experiencing a severe drought and in danger of loosing what crops are planted in the fields. The rains have come all around but not on their fields. Having grown up on that farm I realize that ones life revolves around the weather. Realizing that we cannot control the weather but our lives depended on it filled me with mixed emotions. I would like to ask all of you to pray for rain over their fields. My father is one of those men who reached the numerical age of so called "retirement" quite a few years ago but also one of those men who will never retire! God gave him (and my brother) a true love of the land and for that I am thankful! I am also thankful to all of you who will keep them in your prayers!

Hey Daddy and Johnny - - - we have more than enough rain here and will do what we can to get it moving north! Love you all!!!

Until tomorrow . . . Susan and Monty