A letter to my very conservative uncle:
Hi Uncle John,
You asked me to write to you when my brother and I returned from New Orleans to tell you how it is. It's a mess!

David and I returned from Louisiana a week ago. We were supposed to go to Mississippi, but were re-routed at the last minute. We ended up staying in Arabi, Louisiana, which is in St. Bernard's Parish, right next to the lower 9th Ward. St. Bernard's Parish had 100% damage--every single structure in the county was damaged. Most still are.

In Arabi there are still no working traffic lights. There is no electricity, and there are no supermarkets. People walked 15 miles to come to the church we were staying at (Adullum Christian Fellowship in Arabi) for food, water, and clothing. There are some parts of the county that just recieved running water. Others still need to come to the church for bottled water.

On our first day at work, we put drywall up in the church. Most of the walls are still only drywall--or less. Each group had to have two volunteers to work in the "kitchen" each day, to feed the 100 volunteers (that week we had record numbers) and the 400 people who came every day for a hot lunch.

We spent the rest of the week gutting out the home of an elderly man and his son. His wife was in the hospital at the time of the hurricane, and her death is under investigation--they think the doctors euthanized her.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you briefly about the trip. I hope everything is well with you and the family!
talk to you soon,
Kelly