I wasn’t going to post anything about this, but then I remembered what Eric said. To paraphrase, it was something like “It’s a blog, you’re supposed to post what you think and not worry about what others think.”

So it's kind of a long story, but while we were vacationing a couple of weeks ago I was feeling a little guilty about how much fun I was having while so many people were losing everything to hurricane Katrina. I know I don’t need to feel guilty about taking my family on a long-planned and long saved-for vacation, but I was wishing there was something I could do besides just sending money. Well when I got back to work last Friday I read a company e-mail about all that that the company was doing, and it also said that they would pay the salaries of any employees that took time off to help. I still didn't know how I could personally, but when we got to church on Sunday we heard how they had already sent a team down with supplies and equipment to help out, and they were getting ready to send additional teams. The first team went with four trucks and made it down to Kenner, LA in four days (Kenner is about 10 miles west of New Orleans). Our church was conducting fundraisers and collecting used cell phones (that they get from $2 to $250 a piece for!) and they wanted to start sending teams of 10-12 people down to help the people volunteering out of the Kenner Vineyard church. Their church had just built a new 2,000 member facility, and Katrina hit the week before they opened. Fortunately the building wasn't damaged and they immediately started a soup kitchen out of their building and are housing relief teams in the sanctuary. They showed up at the city soup kitchens and the mayor of Kenner turned them all over to the Vineyard members. All of that to say that it opened the doors for our church to connect with them and have access to help out. Our pastor and his son went down with the first group last week and worked in the neighborhoods removing downed trees, carpet, drywall and refrigerators from houses that had been damaged (apparently FEMA has plans to replace all the refrigerators in the area that were without power for over two weeks and can't be salvaged!) Our church said they would use the money from the cell-phone collections to pay for the plane fare for the teams that will be sent down.

So now I had the opportunity to go and help and my son Josh and I both signed up. We went to the sign-up meeting last Thursday night and learned that we had been assigned to the 10/5-10/11 team. They decided that 5-days of hard labor (plus 2 days of travel) are enough for each team, so it's not even an unreasonable amount of time. As much as I'd like to go for longer, I think we'll be ready to come back after a week! We have heard the stories about work in 90% humidity and 90 degree heat, and about how the smell of decay and garbage doesn't come across on CNN. We have also heard about how mold and mud has taken over everything and that the people there just need people willing to help. While our pastor was there they arrested a man that had driven all the way from Minnesota just to loot abandoned houses. Kenner is about 10 miles west of New Orleans and we will have the opportunity to help there and in harder hit areas once they are opened up by FEMA and the National Guard.

I feel like we have the ability to go and help out, so we should go. While I was considering going I kept thinking “Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.” From the reports I have read, they don't want food or supplies donations, but they do need dollars and manpower. I figure since my son Josh is stronger than me now (he can lift more than I can and beats me at arm-wrestling, much to his amusement! ;) we will make a good team.