Some thoughts from Tuesday

Today was our second day of work this week; the travel, work, sun, and heat all showed on our faces today. But that is only where it showed. Everyone attacked day two with a sense of purpose and, with a days experience on their projects, confidence. A lot of progress was made on the works sites today. A lot of progress was made after work too.

At the conclusion of our work day today, we took another tour of the area. This tour was given by the site leader of Pauger street. Before coming to New Orleans in 2007, Christina was a private investigator. She has used those skills over the years to dig and research the storm and how and why the tragedy was as bad as it was. It is truly a unique and personal point of view that she has developed over the years. The stories of distrust between the residents, especially in the Lower Ninth Ward, and the government were astounding. We later drove down to the industrial canal levee in the Lower Ninth Ward to view the site first hand. One of the most impactful moments on the tour was a stop at an abandoned house. The house still has a hole cut through the roof where the homeowner used an axe to cut their way out of the attic as the flood waters were about to completely submerge their entire house, roof and all.

The evening was an altogether different experience. Tonight was a night to experience some of the New Orleans culture and spirit. The group was gracious enough to join me in a trip to Preservation Hall in the French Quarter. We had the privilege of listening to a wonderful, traditional jazz performance. Many of these kids probably don't listen to this music on a regular basis, if ever. But tonight, in this city, in this venue, with this group, the spirit of the city was was evident in them.

Tomorrow we continue work on our homes and reach the midpoint of our time here already. I pray we bring "lots of energy, lots of focus" (to borrow a quote from Mason) to our sites tomorrow.

Good night all!

Mr. B