May 20, 2008
It is good to be back in the GRRRReat Rivers Region! Muriel, Max and I joined 20-25
other GRR folks in Baton Rouge last week for the third week of the Habitat for Humanity
Baptist Blitz Build. This is the second year in a row that we have built homes for
families that have been displaced from New Orleans as a result of the devastating
hurricanes in 2005.
Why are we in Baton Rouge and not New Orleans? The infrastructure of New Orleans
is still so devastated that large numbers of volunteers needlessly strain the capacity of
that city and local not-for-profit services. Baton Rouge was a major refuge for persons
fleeing the destruction in New Orleans. New Orleans is still well below its pre-Katrina
population, while Baton Rouge has grown rapidly because of the influx. The 20+ homes
we have built in the last two years have been for families displaced from New Orleans to
Baton Rouge.
Some things were the same as last year, some things were different. Most things were
good. A few things were not so good. But all in all, I have to express my great
appreciation for the wonderful hospitality of the Habitat folks in Baton Rouge and the
competent dedication of Victoria Goff, the National Coordinator of Volunteer Ministries
for the Board of National Ministries.
This year we were building a whole new neighborhood from the ground up. About 20
acres on the South side of Baton Rouge had been given to Habitat. Habitat had already
built several homes on the property. It was really satisfying to be able to see so clearly
the impact of our efforts. What was once an open field is now the setting for about 15
new homes. It is a very nice, modest neighborhood with a good mix of population, lots
of children, and nearby playground and community center.
Once again, the Great Rivers Region sent the largest number of volunteers—over 80.
Dr. Aidsand Wright-Riggins (Executive Director for the Board of National Ministries)
recognized us for our volunteer efforts during the celebration service on the last day of
work. Lots of people have taken notice of the Great Rivers Region because of our
volunteer efforts across the Gulf Coast. Last Fall, at the GRR Mission and Ministry
Banquet during the Annual Meeting, we celebrated those efforts. We received an
award from National Ministries. But for me the breathtaking moment came when I
asked everyone who had been involved with Gulf Coast projects to stand and almost
everyone in the room was on their feet. Wow!!!!
This seems to be turning into one of those annual mission projects for Great Rivers (in
some ways analogous to our international partnership with Costa Rica). I don’t yet
know what will happen next year, but I am confident that something will and that
volunteers from the Great Rivers Region will lead the way once again. These kinds of
projects are one of the ways we prove that we are committed to the whole Gospel of
Jesus Christ.
We began each day with prayer and a safety talk. The Salvation Army prepared
breakfast and lunch on site for us. It really was a great time of camaraderie, not just to
be with so many volunteers, but also to connect with people we met last year at the
Build.
Among the volunteers was a very large number of AmeriCorps young adults. They
were everywhere! On Wednesday I was privileged to lead a crew of these young adults
in putting up siding. At the beginning of the day I had to teach them everything. By the
end of the day – with the wall almost finished – all I did was supervise and solve the
most difficult problems. It was so encouraging to work with these committed,
enthusiastic young adults.
I spent another day with Brian Romanowski (FBC Mahomet) installing cabinets in one
house.
Of course we had the obligatory rain day. Some pretty rough storms moved through the
area, cancelling one work day and making the next one very messy. But everyone was
good natured about it.
I hope you will visit our website (www.abc-grr.org) to see some pictures, read other
reports, and find links to other sites. Begin thinking about next year! Can you go? Can
you encourage someone else to go? Can you help with finances? Are you willing to
pray? Can you get involved with your local Habitat chapter—or some comparable
organization helping low income families build a life?
Archive of Current Thoughts Columns | This Column in PDF format
© American Baptist Churches
of the Great Rivers Region
Permission to copy for noncommercial use is granted
