GCWT III

TEAM III AND STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER SHARES
FUMC'S THIRD EXPERIENCE IN NEW ORLEANS
by Jim Krause

The twenty-one member combined Gulf Coast Work Project team from Culver Palms, Church at Ocean Park, and First United Methodist Church returned to California victorious in their projects and committed to the ongoing work of GCWP. It was truly a transformative week for the team members.

We accomplished projects at three sites. The Bethany work included completing the landscape of the church grounds, installing 70 custom- cut windows, completing the interior painting of King Hall, and building the final fence element to enclose the campus. Assignment number two was a painting project at Rayne Memorial UMC, our much-loved hostelry during the first and second team trips. The third assignment was to “gut” the home of a retired Bell South employee. Several extraordinary team members worked with the homeowner all week long, performing a ministry of compassion by listening and sorting, packing and disposing. It was an eerie experience: massive demolition in the midst of a tender salvage operation.

The Bethany 49th anniversary celebration and rededication was a joy to behold. Saturday’s “Taste of New Orleans” feast was in honor of the volunteers who have helped to make Bethany the oasis that it is in a neighborhood still wracked by devastation. The food was superb, the jazz band reminded us that the heart and soul of New Orleans lives on, and the people of Bethany, still working to restore their homes, were as generous and grateful as ever.
Pastor Hadley Edwards reminded us that Sunday was a day of worship and thanksgiving; a day to celebrate victories, large and small; a day to remember the destruction of Katrina and to celebrate the construction of new life, remembering and emulating the words and lessons of Jesus of Nazareth. Rev. Edwards delivered a marvelous sermon that took us from laughter to tears, a sermon that touched the heart as well as the intellect.

As the Steering Committee members who served on Team III, Anson and Leslie Nordby and I cannot adequately express our gratitude and amazement at the attitude, talent, and diligence of the team. Everyone gave their very best without complaint. Team members truly enjoyed being together. We worked hard, laughed uproariously, and shared deeply moving experiences. For anyone looking to have an experiential faith journey, a transformational moment, a view of the Christian life at its very best, or a look at the resiliency of the human spirit, we strongly recommend a week with the Gulf Coast Work Project.