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FHL Baton Rouge Relief Trip
By Janet Schwind, FHL

On Sept. 26, 2005, 22 people from the FHL community set out on an adventure to take a message of faith, hope and love to those who lost everything in the path of a ruthless hurricane. Folks joined from at least 8 local churches, united in their passion to reach out and make a difference.

Armed with camping gear, chainsaws and a semi-truck full of donated food, we made the 17-hour drive to Baton Rouge, LA which would be our home for the next 6 days.

We knew what our mission was, but we didn’t know exactly what each day would bring. We trusted God to lead our way every morning.

The days brought a wide variety of work to do and people to touch. Some days were spent unloading, sorting, and packing all of the donated food and personal products that arrived on semi-trucks daily. The generosity of this nation is unbelievable as witnessed by the large volume of donations. Our team formed human chains to load and unload the goods. It was a nice workout that really stretched some of us physically; the satisfying exhausted feeling at the end of the day made for good sleeping.

Another day was spent at a distribution center in Kenner, a town 20 miles NW of New Orleans. Under the hot Louisiana sun, we set up tents and organized our products. Hour after hour, cars lined up and pulled through our grocery store to collect all the free food and water they needed. As they stopped at each food station, we had the opportunity to talk with many. We also distributed hand-written personal letters from 5th and 6th graders in the Indianapolis area. Many said they would frame and keep the letters as a cherished possession. Hearts were tender as the weight of extreme loss and trauma remained fresh. Many people were so grateful and could not believe that we would come all the way from Indiana just to lend them a hand. We saw many tears that day, not just of loss but of comfort and even joy at our presence there.

Some of us had the chance to visit the shelter in Baton Rouge, the town’s conference center, which housed about 900 evacuees. Once inside, the Red Cross assigned us to help make lunch for the residents, alongside other volunteers from New York and some locals. Outside and across the street was the FEMA building where people had to stand in line for long hours to apply for federal aid. We provided them with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on several occasions, and gave them the opportunity to talk about what they’ve been through. You could see what a relief it was for them to tell their stories and to know someone cared about them.

Other days had our groups doing cleanup work in towns like Slidell and Metairie just outside of New Orleans. Flooding here was the main issue as house after house stood gutted of their contents. We took our chainsaws to fallen trees, making yards safe and clean again. We scrubbed mold and washed dishes and mopped floors and mowed yards. The task of cleaning up seemed overwhelming, even impossible, to many storm victims. But our team of 22 showed them that when we unite in love, anything is possible.

Back at camp each evening, the team would gather under the big white tent for dinner and fellowship time. It was a sweet time of making new friends, as we found ourselves surrounded by many other wonderful volunteers from other places like Cincinnati, Chicago, Philadelphia, Ohio and even one guy from San Francisco. Throughout the course of the week, more than 100 people camped and worked alongside each other with the same mission in their hearts. It was truly a taste of what God must mean when he talks about the body of Christ. Each of us brought something unique and valuable to the team, encouraging one another and deepening our relationships. And the blessings were not only for the Katrina victims. We found that the more we gave, the greater we were blessed.

The story continues as the victims of Katrina and Rita still try to recover and find a place of hope from which to start anew. Faith, Hope and Love will continue to be with them on their journey. Find out about our next trip Dec. 3 when we bring a bit of Christmas to the people of Louisiana.

There will also be a young adult/youth trip on Dec. 26. Please visit http://www.fhlcommunity.org/ for more information or call Merlin Gonzales at 317-372-7222




Testimonials
"Just to be able to reach out and physically touch these people, and share the hope of our Father...that was the greatest blessing to me!!"

~ Wendy Gutreuter,
Vineyard Community Church, Indianapolis

“I saw the body of Christ in action at the campground in Baton Rouge. I feel New Orleans and Louisiana will be a different place because of the involvement of the Body of Christ in its reconstruction! I came back with a strong desire to pray for New Orleans and to tell people to do so, so New Orleans becomes a beacon in this country. Millions around the world have visited the old New Orleans. Can you imagine the new New Orleans with a Christian foundation? What a witness to the world!!!”

~ Vicky Andrade,
Grace Community Church, Indianapolis



“In the end I had mowed almost 6 lawns- it was easy and I wasn't sweating, I was having fun. It was right after I had finished the second yard, which had incredibly long grass, that anyone said anything about it. The mailman walked up to me, crying pretty hard, and said: "Thank you for making my life easier. Thank you for making my job a little less hard." I gotta be honest, I never once even ever thought of the mailman and how he walks on the grass....”

~McKinna Beresford,
Northview Christian Church, Carmel, IN


“I must admit I was a bit wary knowing no one as I stepped out in faith for the journey down south. This week I have spent countless hours with fellow Christians from Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Georgia, and California...and I must tell you how blessed my week has been. I love watching each individual and seeing in them the heart of Christ -- each created distinctly different in their fruits of the spirit...and creating a complete body of Christ when we all work together. God hand-picked some amazing people for this week...people that I am honored to call my brothers and sisters in Christ.”

~Beth Edwards
East 91st Street Christian Church, Indianapolis

posted by fhlinternational @ 6:11 PM