Team 6 - Wednesday Update

Greeting from warm Mandeville, LA. We arrived around noon today without incident. As usual, we had a warm and wonderful reception from the gang at the University CoC in Tuscaloosa and got a great rest last night. We left Tuscaloosa about 8:15 this am and as we came closer to our destination, I was filled with a turmoil of emotion. I was recognizing some familiar sites, but things were a little different. Some signs of progress can be seen.
The sides of the roadway are pretty much cleared, but as we got close to the cities, the ever-familiar blue roofs remained. They were everywhere. The highway signs were practically all repaired, but homes and businesses were still just as I left them in October. It is as if nothing had been done. I guess I was expecting more.

Caiti Morris reminded me that possibly the reason so many businesses were in disrepair still was quite possibly due to the fact that people were too busy trying to get their homes repaired that their work places suffered. She is probably right. As we went to a few stores to get some supplies, signs abounded that they were still operating on skeleton crews and limited supply STILL!!

The greater New Orleans area is an area of about 4 million people and it is estimated that only about 300,000 people have returned to their homes. The continued need is quite overwhelming.

We are going into N.O. tomorrow to begin de-mucking operations at another inner city church building. This will probably be our assignment for the remainder of the week.

As I reflected on my emotions today, I was taken to how God must feel with my life. He has given me everything I need for life and Godliness, however, I sometimes get preoccupied on my own agendas and the real work suffers. As a result he looks at me sometimes I am sure and says, "I was expecting more by now". But He just loves on me and helps me up where I am. I am so grateful for His love, His grace, His mercy and His salvation!

Thank you for your support and continued prayer.
Love 'Em Like Jesus,
Troy Blair,
Youth Minister
Northland Church of Christ
www.ncocfamily.org
tblair@ncocfamily.org