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!