Work. “Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.”
There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.
~Henry FordOur church mission team went to New Orleans in 2010 and 2011 to help with the ongoing efforts to rebuild homes after Katrina. Over those two years, we worked on four homes and a daycare center. It was immensely satisfying work. It was especially gratifying when we met the homeowners and families, the daycare center director, teachers and adorable children, who benefitted from the work we did. They were so thankful and excited to have the work progress.I have three photos from one home we worked on. Three friends and I spent the entire week sanding and re-mudding the daughter’s bedroom. A shady contractor had done a terrible drywall job, leaving 1/4″- 1/2″ thick, lumpy drywall mud in places in the home; then left with the homeowner’s money without finishing the work to repair the entire home.This photo shows my friend applying new drywall mud after we’d sanded the entire bedroom and patched many places the previous contractor had not.
The homeowner showed us where the water level from Katrina came well above the window sill. The family had slept in this, their new home, only one night before Katrina hit and they had to evacuate.….
In this photo you can see my friends in the background and me (foreground), sanding drywall.Drywall dustbowl!
In the photo below, my friends are chiseling and chopping mortar off bricks and then stacking them for reuse.
…..
For a week I did some of the hardest physical work I’ve ever done. I feel very blessed to be able to help those in need in New Orleans.
Thanks for viewing…
Judy
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It`s really Nice to work with friends like you shown here Judy, Good job 🙂
Thanks Jake!
What a wonderful entry Judy! I can imagine how fulfilling this must have been.
It was, Madhu. It was a very humbling and rewarding experience. I’d do it again in a minute, even though I was exhausted each day…it was a “good feeling” of tiredness!
Hard work indeed. You don’t think of how many muscles you use while doing manual labour until you do it. You are a BUSY woman. Wow. Congratulations on a job well done.
Thank you, Tess. I know what you mean! The church we stayed in had dormitory style rooms on the second floor. I can’t begin to tell you how hard it was to get up those last steps each evening! We had to squat and bend so much when sanding drywall it took a toll on my knees! 😉
How very wonderful. You will all be blessed for giving so unconditionally. 🙂
That is so sweet. Thank you zelmare.
Hard work that is very meaningful too. Nice post.
Thank you, Judy. It was a wonderful experience.
What a lovely thing to do. They were hit so hard and still haven’t completely recovered, and probably never will. They have come a long way though. Good for you Judy and certainly fits the challenge. Margie
Thank you, Margie. It was very rewarding and humbling. You’re right. There are so many more that still need help. The churches have now run out of funds, and they were the last organizations left helping. Now individual groups may pick up some of the projects, but in the meantime we have Joplin, Birmingham, etc….with devastation of their own.
What a great post for the theme Judy…good on you for getting involved. We need more like you in this world
Thank you, Jo! It was such a good feeling..
Wow, this is great Judy ! It must be so rewarding to be able to help others in situation like this and also to help by other means than money. The world need more people like you and your friends, you have all my admiration !
Thank you, Jocelyn! It was a wonderful time all the way around. Lots of smiles! 😉
Well done to you and your friend Judy.
Thank you, Jim. It was an extraordinary time. A week full of physical labor, but also feelings of helping those who have waited so long for assistance. Very good feelings.