I am writing this from my room at the Providence Guest House across the street from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. I am here visiting a friend, Kevin, whom I have not seen since the week after Katrina. While Amber and I have been back several times since the storm, it is still hard to process all that I have seen. The window in my room looks out over Gentilly Blvd. This was once a busy street with cars, city buses, and people. Now there are far fewer people. In the two days I have been here, I have only seen two city buses pass by the school. You would normally have seen at least four during any given hour. There are still houses and apartments that bear the scars of the storm. Several that I passed on thway in have holes in the roof where people had to climb out. One building still has the word “Help” on the roof. The other striking feature is the silence. It is hard to believe that a city that was once so full of life now hardly makes a sound. I don’t know how anyone could live in survival mode for almost two years. I can’t return to the place I called “Home” for four years without crying. To say that in some places it still looks like it happened yesterday is an understatement. And unless you see it with your own eyes it’s hard to understand. Please remember the city in your prayers. Also remember all of those you work and minister in New Orleans. Pray for the seminary and that God will continue to use them as a beacon of hope in city that in many places is still without hope. I love the city and I am thankful for my time here. May continue to bless all of those who come to help.
