Day 2 (Monday the 19 th)

The second day of our trip began with an orientation by the staff of Lake Charles Habitat for Humanity. They included a history of the organization in the area, and also an overview of Hurricane Rita and the destruction it brought. The staff pointed out that a lot of the help from around the world has gone to victims of Hurricane Katrina, but those affected by Rita need help as well.

Mid-morning we drove to the work site in DeQuincy, Louisiana, a small community of houses, most of which exhibit signs of extreme wind damage. We learned about "blue roofs," which look like tarps to us, but apparently are fairly resilient replacements for damaged roofs. One guy we met said that they can last upward of twenty years.

The site in DeQuincy had two houses side-by-side, with families eager to move into them as soon as they are completed. We noticed a small trailer in the back yard of a nearby house, that was probably no bigger than a lot of master closets in the Tri-Lakes area. Seeing the curtains on the window, we wondered if somebody was living in that small place. Later, we found out that one of the single moms waiting for that house to be completed was staying in that shed with her wheelchair-bound son. It brought home the circumstances of victims of the storm a year and a half later.

These houses were framed already, and were ready to be sided and roofed Most of the group, especially those with skills like Tom, Dick, and Irene went to work on the tougher projects while the rest of us found ways to help with door installation, clean-up, installing the posts on the front porch, and whatever else we could find. After a day's work, we packed up and headed back to the Volunteer Housing.

Since it was Mardi Gras week, we decided to go out and see what Lake Charles had to offer. A group of us went to the Civic Center and watched the pageant where the Krewes for Mardi Gras show off the elaborate outfits that they will wear in Fat Tuesday's Parade. It was an interesting taste of a unique culture, with some odd but fascinating costumes and traditions. After a quick Cajun dinner of etoufette and butterfly shrimp, we called it a night.

Day 3 (Fat Tuesday the 20 th)

It's Fat Tuesday, and the state is pretty well shut down for the day. Only one Habitat site operated, as many people take this week off to enjoy some relaxation and partying after a long year of work. Because of that, we had to scrape by finding jobs to accomplish for the day at the DeQuincy site. It was mostly the same work, siding, roofing, and things of that nature. We had the chance to interact with the mother and daughter that will move in to one of the houses upon its completion. "She's really excited to have her own room," the mom smiled.

A local restaurant provided a fried chicken lunch both of the days in DeQuincy as a sign of its appreciation for the work of volunteers in the area. Interaction with locals almost always resulted in appreciation of some sort. Even the cashier at the dollar store in town took time away from his Mardi Gras plans to talk about the difference that is being made by volunteers. "Keep sending them our way," he commented.

We showered quickly when we got back to the housing, and got ready to head back to downtown Lake Charles to experience the Krewe of Krewes Parade for Fat Tuesday. Lake Charles is a family town, and luckily for us, did not exhibit the legendary partying that New Orleans is famous for. In fact, many of commented after the parade that it felt al lot like the Monument Fourth of July Parade, a family event that is fun, but also under control.

Our team did enjoy competing for beads, and had a blast watching the floats and soaking in the atmosphere. After a few hour of loud music, screaming, and jumping for the thrown party favors, we were ready for dinner. Again, we opted for the local flavor, finding a place suggested by a couple we met on the way to our car, Cajun Charlie's. A stuffed 500 pound gator greeted us as we walked in, and we enjoyed a buffet of local favorites before turning in for the night.

Days 4-6 (Wednesday the 21 st to Friday the 23 rd)

The real work began with Day 4, as our group and some of the Canadian college students were sent to the site in Sulphur, Louisiana, that had been closed for the holidays. We found two more Habitat houses, one with an occupant already living there, the other waiting completion for a young couple and their four little children. Since one of Habitat's requirements for the house recipients is 300 hours of "sweat equity," we had the pleasure of meeting and working with the family.

This house was ready to be painted inside, and the first day and a half of working there involved priming and painting the house, while working on smaller side projects in between. Once the house had been painted, we got to learn to hang inside doors (thanks to Tom's patient teaching), and Phil used his woodworking skills to make the family beautiful window sills. For the entire day on each of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday was spent fine-tuning the inside of the house, getting it near completion for the young family. On Friday, we really wanted to see our work complete, and we even wound up staying an hour later than planned to try to get there.

The workday on Friday concluded with the family asking us to sign a wall inside the master closet that isn't seen from the outside, so that they could remember us and our work that was meant to bless them forever.

The team concluded the work week with a Mexican dinner in Lake Charles, a fun time to reflect on the week and continue to share in the camaraderie that we had created and nurtured that week.

Day 7 (Saturday the 24 th)

We all flew out of Houston on separate flights, some being delayed several hours by weather in the Midwest, and others leaving earlier or later by design. We had an outstanding week, planned incredibly by Dick, and blessed greatly by God.