ReConstruct in Louisiana

When the first hurricane hit, ReConstruct staff along with just about everyone else in the nation struggled with what to do.  “Are you guys going down there?”  “What’s your plan?” were just two of the many questions we were asked and found ourselves trying to answer in the best possible way.  And then we found our first answer…shower trailers.

After Hurricane Katrina did her damage, tens of thousands of evacuees went to Baton Rouge.  The Chapel on the Campus, a church that has attended ReConstruct projects the past two summers, started housing medical staff who are serving in the clinics for displaced residents on the Gulf Coast.  The Chapel members, having used our shower trailers the past two summers contacted us about bringing one down.  We arrived in Baton Rouge the Friday after Katrina hit and set up the first of our two shower trailers.

The second shower trailer was soon on reserve for the Red Cross in Nashville, however after they made alternate plans, we immediately started looking elsewhere.  Another church that had been to ReConstruct this summer was in Slidell.  After contacting them, they discovered a shelter in Bogalusa, La, a small town 60 miles north of New Orleans.  The shelter, housing around 45 people for almost three weeks, had only a water hose for showers.  A water hose wasn’t much, but paired with our second shower trailer it allowed the evacuees and medical staff to enjoy a hot shower.

What is a shower trailer?  ReConstruct shower trailers are 28’ enclosed trailers with 6 individual shower stalls, 2 laundry sinks and 2 50-gallon water heaters.  But after a hard day of roofing and painting in the Tennessee summer heat they’re best described by the revived eyes and refreshed smiles of ReConstruct participants as they leave them.  The shower trailers are definitely unique and we are so excited about the unique way God decided to use them this fall.

The trailers are the aforementioned “first answer” for ReConstruct.  We are currently planning a spring break project for 2006 in Louisiana.  A lot of the details are unknown, but what we do know is we are called to go, and after visiting towns like Bogalusa, there are a lot of places we can help.  Pray for ReConstruct as we continually seek God’s will in this situation, and continue to pray for all the families affected by the hurricanes.

Matthew 9:36-38