This adventure to New Orleans for J-term class was the most amazing, eye-opening experience that I have ever been through. Words cannot express or even come close to describe the things we experienced, the people we met, the destruction we saw, or the smells we smelled. Having a family look you in the face, give you a hug, while crying and tell you that you have brought them new hope and new visions for a positive future is a memory that is priceless.
Most days started by going into a home, not just a house, but a home of a family that their life would appear to be lying in front of them in ruins. The emphasis of it being not only a house but a home was apparent when wedding dresses were found in closets, pictures were still hung on the wall, Winnie the Pooh stuffed animals were still resting on the bed of a small child, and photo albums were scattered in the living room with pages of pictures stuck together from the water. The majority of their belongings, including clothes, appliances, cabinets, and furniture were then carried and placed on the curbside for FEMA to pick up later that day to take the dump. There, however, was a transformation in most of the families throughout the day. As hard as it was to for the families to see their most prized possessions and personal belongings, one load at a time being placed on the curb you could see a glimmer of hope in their eyes for a new future, one filled with promises, a hope for rebuilding, a hope for a better home than before, and a new positive beginning. This was seen in most families but in one particular home owner. At the beginning of the day she was quiet, hesitant to come inside, close to tears, but by the end she was discussing new plans and ideas of new furniture, what colors to paint the wall, what light fixtures need to be installed, and even ideas of creating new rooms in the house.
This trip was an emotional adventure for the homeowners, but for the students as well. Trying to place ourselves in their shoes was impossible. Trying to understand to the fullest what they were going through was impossible. However, what wasn’t impossible was the hard work and building relationships with people only for a day but having these relationships for a lifetime. To quote one of the family members, her and her husband “will be at Randolph-Macon College’s Graduation Ceremony for the next four years, to try to show their thanks and appreciation for our groups work and efforts in New Orleans.”
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