New Orleans- Recovery

Hello again readers,

Since the last blog we completed our volunteer work at the Satchmo housing center. The houses look great with the new paint and we all came home with a healthy dose of "Glad Yellow" all over our skin and clothes. On our last day we did a great deal of landscaping work in the lot behind the apartment complex. We cleared weeds and ivy that had been unattended to since Katrina. Five years later, you can imagine a scene similar to "Jumanji." Our Irish team leader, Sean, was sad to hear the Missouri fight song for the last time before we left.

We spent our evening out for ice cream at "Creole Creamery" with a group of students from the University of Wisconsin. Not satisfied with a snack that was only 1,000 calories, the Mizzou students headed to the French Quarter for more beignets at Cafe du Monde (luckily open 24 hrs a day). So that was a nice way to round out another 10,000 calorie day in the Big Easy. With our bellies full, we spent the next hour or so wandering the Quarter then headed back to the apartment.

Friday morning we woke early, even though it was our day off. We took the trolley and headed straight to the National WWII Museum just west of the French Quarter. For the history buffs on the trip, it was definitely a highlight! They had the original copy of President Roosevelt's national address he gave on December 9, 1941. They had everything from German lugers and enigmas, to propaganda posters. We were even lucky enough to hear stories from a D-Day veteran of the 101st Airborne Division who dropped into Sainte Mere-Eglise at just 19 yrs old. He playfully told us, "We didn't go to war for country or honor, we went for wine and women. We couldn't wait to get to Paris!" After our tour of the main museum, we headed across the street to the new Victory Theater to see the documentary "Beyond Boundaries" by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. It was unbelievable. That museum/movie experience alone made the 13 hr drive totally worth it.

We grabbed lunch in the quarter and hit the shops one last time. Some of us headed back to the museum to see parts we missed when we rushed to make it in time for our movie.

Next we headed west to Audobon park to take in every last sight of the live oaks across from Tulane University. After a two mile lap around the trail, we headed to Camilia's Grill for some very healthy burgers and fries. We of course needed dessert and stopped into Coldstone next door.

We made it back to the apartment with full bellies and a lot of packing to do. Nobody is really looking forward to our 13 hr journey beginning at 5am tomorrow, but at least we will finally have an opportunity to sleep!

Thanks to all who have been keeping up with our trips this week! And a special thanks to all the worried mothers who have been praying for our safety while staying in a not-so-nice part of central city!