Final Post from Lizaaaaa Jonessss.

It's 12:43. I'm still awake and it's a Saturday morning. We're getting up at 3, so I'm pulling an all nighter. I decided to write on the blog - for the last time- and treat our followers to my point of view, which I like to call Liza Vision. Just kidding. Well, this week has be spectacular, for a variety of reasons.
A: it's been emotional on some of us. There have been many talks about how much people have lost and trying to relate to what people go through down here. The best part, which is also the worst, is that we can't. It's just been a struggle of feelings towards others, feelings of hostility. Lack of sleep and heat have effected some of our moods. We snap, and we have our tiffs... but it's stupid to fight when the real reason that we're down here is to help and connect with god spiritually.
B: Spiritually, it's been eye opening. We went to a lovely service Sunday morning, and Reverend Susan talked about how much we make choices in a day. We make choices all the time, some over 1,000 a day. I personally make alot of choices, and one of them is how I see god. I saw god one day, when my group met our home owners. Shaun and Carla, who is a paraplegic woman, turned to this organization after being turned down by groups everywhere. They met at 19, and although Carla's condition is getting worse, they still love each other. Love is basically the only thing keeping them together. We all learned that Carla was told that she wasn't going to live past 30... I see god in here because she's 45. She's kept her faith throughout the entire hurricane and throughout her lifetime. Although she can barely speak, and you have to listen really well to understand her, she's a miracle. God's grace.
Lastly, C: Physically, we've all had our set backs. Why, on Wednesday Brooks and I had to switch with Greta and Anna because they were to tired to do anything on they're sight. When Brooks and I got to the house, we could see why they were so tired. This work used alot of physical strength, because we had to destroy a tiled floor - using sledge hammers and chisels- which required time and patients. This trip has really got the best of some people. It's been work that I'm not use to back home. It's just been a little tricky, because you wake up the next morning sore and with some new bruises. We all are safe, but sometimes we just get hit in the areas we're we least expect it.

-- We've all learned something new, and I know I speak for everyone when I say that our memories here are going to last forever. I know that we're preparing to use our new skills back home (Or at least I will, ha.) I wish this could be longer, and It's been alot of fun... Working with a group as good as ours doesn't come often. It's a privilege to be down here helping along side of people that you love. I can't wait to tell more about our journey, but until then I bid you a do.


Goodnight and God Bless New Orleans.

Closing Ceremony-- Abby

I have to say today was one of the best yet saddest day yet. Although we are leaving at 3 am (not too thrilled), we had so much fun! First off, right as everyone finished at their work sites, it down poured! Today I was at Mrs. Russell's and Amanda's site b/c they needed more help, so when it rained we all started cheering and yelling. We ran up and down the sidewalk and jumped in puddles (remind you we are sweaty and wearing work boots). Finally, we got everyone to lay down on the road (with Amanda and Mrs. Russell watching). The street was steaming hot while the rain was cool, which was a nice treat. Neighbors were out laughing and the fed-ex man was honking and dancing right along with us in his truck. We have a million pics too! And when the van rounded the corner to get us, they saw all of us laying there (once again with people watching). Next, we went to this huge general store, which jake didn't like much cause all the food there contained nuts. But still we got to try alligator jerky!!!!!! Its amazing to be honest! After returning from that little adventure, all the kids cooked dinner for the adults for a change. We made chicken cutlets, french fries, salad, corn, and more. That was real fun and Tori and I got really good at frying. Well more like she was amazing and tried to teach me, but i still walked away with a few burns =[. Lastly, the adults renewed our baptisms. They all made special prayers for each of us, mentioning our qualities, and baptized us with water from the Mississippi river. AMAZING! Tears started flowing as the teens in returned baptized the adults. We ended the day with s'mores and a few laughs. Good Night and we will see you all tomorrow!!

-Abbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbyyyyyyyyyy

Michelle is SAD :[

Hey everyone!

Today was our last day. Everyone has had a really great week. I miss everyone at home, but i am extremely downhearted that we are leaving. I can't wait to see people when we get home, but i am sure that i will be sleeping for about 48 hours after i get off the plane =D

Can't wait to tell you all about my complex few days

Love you

Michelle <3

P.S. Lauren Sacrey has a postcard coming in the mail :)

Last Day! :-(

Good morning! We are gearing up for our last day of work! We have LOTS planned for today so it's going to be crazy! But we're very excited to get one last day of work in. Just a reminder, our final flight home is Northwest Flight 1178 departing Detroit at 1:35PM and arriving in Hartford at 3:22PM. If you want to check if we are on time or late, please either check online or call Maria Lucarelli. Thanks so much for helping us get here and keep up with us! We'll post some more later today!
-Amanda

Shoobidoo bop bop.

So hey there, DRCC peeps. This is Kate M finally typing her first blog entry because, well, I HAD A GREAT DAY. I'm assigned to Mr. Sacrey's and Ms. Hardy's group, along with Abby, Tori, Jake and Kurt. We finished flooring the living room, kitchen and dining room, which was a huge accomplishment -- but that's yesterday's news. Today was far, far better. At least I think so. If you ignore some minor set backs.
Today was interesting in the way that nothing was really planned. It was pretty much chaos for the first few hours; no one knew where to go, our group lost Mr. Sacrey to another group so he could teach them how to floor in their house. Well, gosh, now what are we supposed to do? We had finished our project and the only thing left to do in the house is set the tile in the bathroom. Lemme just take the time to say that this guy's bathroom is SUPER CONFUSING. All weird angles and spackle and stuff on the floor, the floor itself uneven, and hardly any room to work. About two people could fit in their and work semi-comfortably. Plus, we had lost Abby and Tori to other groups or something... not really sure what happened there, but it ended up that Jake, Kurt, Ms. Hardy and I were the only ones left. Kurt and Jake were assigned to operate the wet saw to cut the tile... So I was assigned the fun fun fun task of mapping out the tile, marking the cuts, basically making it fit in the weird-angled bathroom. I wasn't sure if I could do it.
BUT GUESS WHAT I DID.
With help, of course, from everyone there. I didn't use the wet saw but that ended up working out okay for me. I ended up having a lot of fun trying to figure out how to get all the pieces to fit, though I'm sure I was probably more aggravating to everyone else (a lot of the stuff I marked for cutting had to be recut or remarked. ALL PART OF THE LEARNING PROCESS.)
In the end, most of the bathroom had been tiled. None of it is permanent, of course; it's all just cut and placed dry on the floor. And chances are we won't finish... Either way, I'm really happy with the way the bathroom is beginning to look, and STOKED that I got to really contribute to helping restore Will's home.
And that's it! See you all on Sunday when we're back!
Kate M.

P.S. Shout out to the family back home, even though I'm not sure if ya'll are reading this. Oh, and Steven and Carly are my favorite brosters.

Hello from Janna!

Hello families at home, in Deep River and throughout Connecticut! This is Janna writing from the First Christian Church in Slidell. For the past week, we have been putting blood, sweat and tears into our rebuilding efforts - literally. I was fortunate to be put in a group with Greta and Marjorie, Steven, Carly, Anna, Melissa and Amanda. I feel absolutely blessed that our group has been formed the way it was - we have really come together as a team and I couldn't ask for a more fun environment.
We haven't lost track of our real mission, however - our two treks into the city really showed us how devastated the area really is. Four years after Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, there are a plethora of homes that remain in dire condition, uninhabited and dangerous. On many front walls you can still see the spray-painted 'X' that the disaster response team left after the initial search - the date of the search, the initials of the search team, any problems found in the house, and the number of bodies recovered. The entire van held its breath as we passed the first house that had a body count. On some houses we would see the '0' count, but there would be other signs: "FW: one cat, no dogs." (one dead cat had been found in the house.) We were able to walk around and abandoned project building in the lower ninth ward, and some of what we found really hit home. There was a watch, a pearl necklace, a moldy teddy bear, key rings, credit cards and small ceramic objects scattered around the site, among others. It really hit us that this has been allowed to continue for four whole years, while most of the country hasn't spared a thought about New Orleans since the months following August 29th, 2005. Not only did this shock and devastate our group, but it really motivated us to work hard for the 5 days we had left.
We have split our group into three smaller teams, each of us assigned a work place for the week. All of them are homes that were severely damaged during the storm, and all are close to being finished. In my particular group, we are working on a home in a neighborhood where most homes have already been repaired. The homeowner was displaced and now lives out of state, so we haven't gotten a chance to meet him. Even though this was a bit of a disappointment, we were still energized and completely stoked to pick up our paintbrushes and sledgehammers to begin work. Our first job consisted of painted the ceilings - tape, rollers, the whole enchilada - as well as the demolition of a tile floor in the main living room. The group before - five college boys, may I add - had given up halfway through the process because they were 'too tired.' We immediately got to work, smashing the tiles with great vitality and energy, only stopping when I realized a chip of tile had become lodged in my leg and I desperately needed a band-aid. Needless to say, that oh-so-great energy we had talked about had waned considerably during the evening, but we still attacked the floor with what we had left. On this day, though, everyone else in our group - save Melissa - had also been on the receiving end of flying tile. We began a club, if you will, called the 'Blood Gang.' Our newest inductees include Mike S and Liza, with Brooks recieving an honorary title after hitting his finger with a hammer. (And they say the heat hasn't gotten to our heads!)
Wednesday was quite the 'hump day,' where most of us hit our mental and emotional walls - hard. Instead of our vigorous smashing, we could be seen - pathetically - sitting on the floor, tapping the small section that was left with sullen faces and sweat dripping down our nose. Quite a sad scene. Luckily, we were sent two saviors - Liza and Brooks - to come and refresh all of us. With their help, we finally were able to finish destroying the tile! It was a great feeling. Our 'helpers' here - Blane, T.J. and Clint - secretly confided to us that they never thought we would be able to finish the tile. Most of the youths they get around here tend to sit around instead of working. What a moment!
Today, we started to lay down laminate flooring at our site. Although we did face problems - our generator not starting, our electric saw breaking, our hammers falling apart - we still managed to weed-whack and rake leaves in the meantime. We even were able to meet Guy, the shy neighbor who hasn't shown his face to any of the groups before us. Laminate flooring has brought about its own obsticles, but I'm confident that its something we will be able to complete in the small amount of time we have left.
Many in our group have voiced their opinion that they haven't felt as if they were making a difference. There are so many houses still in need of repair, and its estimated not to be finished for another 7 years. I, however, see this in a different light. If we just take a step back, we would remember who we are - high school students. Not carpenters, not contracters, not painters - just a bunch of kids with no particular construction skills. If we look - really look - at all the work we've done, I can't help but be impressed. We've painted walls and ceilings, spackled corners, laid flooring, and used heavy equipment. Personally, I think thats amazing.
And just because we didn't rebuild the entire city doesn't mean we failed in our mission. Meeting homeowners, neighbors, and churchgoers has been a great expirience for both parties involved. It's been demanding but rewarding work, and I know that it was worth it to owners of the homes we are working on. Underneith the floor we have just laid, you can find the initials of everyone who contributed to the house along with 'DRCC '09.' We have left our mark on the city, even if it exists only under wooden pannels on the concrete foundation of a lonely home. Unlike our trip here, our impact will outlast our stay and maybe into other lifetimes. Hopefully, our memories will too.

Love and God Bless,
Janna

P.S. Hello to Mom, Dad, Kaywee, Maya, Devy and Eric. I miss you!

Keep it short and sweet.

Today was a very short day. We woke up at... 6:50, to song and dance by Tori. Thanks girl. We had to get out of the house very early, because today is our "recharge" day. To start it off, we had many good things happen today. One group made it possible (Abby, Tori, Kurt, Jake and Kate) for a man to get his floor done, which he had been waiting 3 years for. He can start moving in his house within a couple of weeks. That's pretty amazing to be part of that project. Another group had finished hanging another door on the house, and finished some trimmings. Shelby and Megan got to Caulk (spelling?) The last group had a couple of volunteers help out. Some kids were feeling tired, so they swapped work sites with each other. People got to see other job sites and help out when needed. We came home to shower very quickly, so that we can get to the French Quarter. It was SOOOOO cool!!!!!! There was a flea market, and a farmers market and all different shops. People sold coasters, Mardi Gra masks, jewelry and more. Everything was so alive, it was so nice to see some of the local shops and foods. We went out to dinner at a place where Emily knows the owner. It was a sporty restaurant which had nice service and food. I recommend the 'Fried green tomato and shrimp Po-Boy' It's delicious. We ended our day with some much needed fun. Bowling and dancing. We all played 2 games of bowling, and around our 2nd game, people started to show up for a dancing class. Naturally, we joined in to have a good time... and got kicked out haha. Everything is so much fun here, it's a shame it's the middle of the week. More tomorrow, lights out!

Problems with Pictures

We're having problems putting up pics in a slideshow, they want to put every picture in it instead of separating them! So until we learn to fix it, all the pictures we want to post are in all of the slideshows. Sorry! :-(

Megs and shelbs...grouty girls!

for whom it may concern:
we are in ben's group and its super fun! yesterday we learned to grout walls in the shower and the bathroom floor with emily. first we mixed the grout and accidentally poured wayyyy too much water in. it was bad. then we had the wrong tools to spread it on so we had to use scrap pieces of trim. when that stopped working we just used our hands (no gloves by the way) and our faces helped a lot too! haha we got really messy but it was a great way to find our inner child. we worked really hard and got the job done in 2 and a half hours even though it was supposed to take 2 days! it looks fantastical! today we learned how to use the chop saw. it was a little scary so we compromised with brooks and let him keep his awesome job and we measured and aided him so that nothing at all ever went wrong! then we used a nail gun to put the trim on the windows and we painted them! they looked really good and we got all the living room/ kitchen windows done! the other people in our group got the doors in so those two rooms look amazing! ben was great too! he fixed a stop sign in the middle of the road during some pretty heavy traffic! DANGEROUSSS!!! we had a great day and were looking forward to the days to come!

Love megan and shelby!!!!

p.s. a shout out to ashley campbell! we miss you!
p.s.s. im watching my screen size. love ben

Emily's group - Liza, Melanie, Cody and Michelle

Today, we went to our work site for the second time. It was much more fun, because yesterday was our learning day. So today, we actually knew what we were doing. It rained for all of yesterday so it's been unusually cool. It started off with a thunder storm this morning, which woke most people but didn't last for long. It continued to pour throughout the day, but stopped around lunch, and it's been nothing but sunshine and sticky weather! Our work group is combined with Ben's group (Shelby, Megan, Brooks, Chelsea and Chris) So we all have our jobs. Our house is mostly finished, it has all the paint and flooring that's needed. But we've been doing the molding around the living area, bedroom and windows. Ben's taught us to hang doors, so today we hung 2. We haven't met the owner yet, she's a quadriplegic so the very nice ramp in the front of her house is greatly needed. Today, we learned how to use a jam saw. We also used nail guns for EVERYTHING we did. But don't worry, we're safe (: It's really incredible about the feeling you get even for painting over the nail holes in the molding. It feels like you actually helped someone to make sure they have this for the rest of their lives (hopefully) Tori's singing right now, and we're getting ready for the potluck dinner tonight for the church. It's been a great day, everyones tired from working so hard. Success.

Love, Liza Jones.

P.S. To Liza's mom, she broke her bracket and would like you to call the dentist (: thanks mom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Abby V.

Hey! Everything is amazing here. We've been blessed with rain the last few days so it's fairly cool. I'm at a work site with Jake, Kurt, Kate, Tori, Mrs. Hardy, Mr. Sacrey, and myself. We are working on a 50 year old mans house named Will. He built his house by himself and works in construction. His cousin only speaks spanish and as a result is shy around us, but we try to squeeze in a few words to him (en espanol) when he helps us. We are flooring and tiling. He told us he has been waiting 3 years for these floors and is so excited for them. He even helps us out and gives us construction tips! Also, he gave us his name, number, and address, and said next summer he is hosting a party for all those who worked on his house as a thank you. He has a very small, muddy backyard where you can clearly see destruction from the storm. Out back are 2 huge dogs named Bear and Blacky. Bear is a hearding dog while Blacky is a German Shepard from Germany. He also has chickens, turkey, a duck, AND an 8 month old bull! The bull's name its Boy and was raised as a dog. He will come right up to you and lick your hands and loves to be scratched. So far, we have laid down laminate flooring in his living room and part of his kitchen and dining room. We should finish the rest tomorrow and start tiling the bathroom. All of us are comfortable using jig saws, table saws, and other power tools. Soon, we will learn how to use a wet saw on the tiles. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we are all having fun! I will try and post pictures of my site and the bull =] Thanks for all the love and support!! -abby....PS- hi mommy, daddy, will, and dwave!!!!


FIRST 6 PICS ARE FROM GRETA'S WORK SITE

1st pic- Amanda's trip
2nd pic- Amanda's trip
3rd pic- CT Rules
4th pic- Mrs. Hardy, Mr. Sacrey, Jake, Will, Kate, Abby, Tori, and Kurt
5th pic- We did this! Next is dining room, kitchen, and bathroom
6th pic- Blacky
7th pic- "Boy" goes for a walk like a dog
8th pic- Abby being licked by "Boy"
9th pic- Bear
10th pic- "boy" kissing Will
11th pic-Will and "Boy"
12th pic- WE ARE DEMO DIVAS (with a few guys)
13th pic- Everyone was quiet as we looked through windows of houses
14th pic- Water level
15th pic- Glass
16th pic- Moldy teddy bear
17th pic- Sidewalk
18th pic- Markers that show which houses were checked
19th pic- Destroyed house with black mold everywhere
20th pic- Tour of destruction 4 years later

UPDATE: Today (July 8th) we finally finished the floors!! Next we are tiling the bathroom. During the night, some of the birds at the owners house had babies. We had a cute surprise today when we went to the site and say 3 baby turkeys and 1 chick. Plus we hand fed the bull watermelon =] Right now everyone is getting ready for the night out. We are going to a restaurant that has a bowling ally in it! More info soon...

Our Internet was Down!

Sorry to all the worried parents and friends out there, but we had a string of thunderstorms and the internet went down! Everyone is safe and sound.  (And tired and sore!)  We are all working hard and finding it very rewarding.  We are learning to cut and hang trim, lay laminate floors, tile and grout, Spackle, and . . . . much to some of our delight, DEMO!!  Andrea's keeping us well fed, supplied and cared for -- Things are good!!  We are heading out to work sites again now after coming in for lunch and rest/cool off.  More later.  

Very Exhausting Day...

We had an awesome but exhausting day! We will post tomorrow night after our first day of work. So check back tomorrow for 2 days worth of news!!!

WE'RE HERE!!!!!

After a LONG day of traveling, we finally made it! And we only lost 1 bag! We got here last night around midnight and were greeted by Marvin, a man from First Christian Church, and TJ, our group leader for the week for Disciples Disaster Recovery. The boys went across the street to the Methodist church while the girls stayed here and set up camp. Right now, we're getting ready for church then heading out for a tour of the devastated areas and then down to the French Quarter! Talk to y'all later!

Thanks to all who came yesterday morning for the great send off from DR! -- A extra hug and thanks to Heidi for the thoughtful, caring and inspirational treat bags and notes!!  Those are the things that will energize us and carry us through our challenges this week.  

And We're Off!!!

Tomorrow morning we're leaving for New Orleans! It's hard to believe it's already here! Thank you all for your support in helping us get here; we wouldn't be able to do all of this good work if it wasn't for you! God Bless!