Hurricane Katrina Relief Work

The devastation is so hard to imagine until you experience walking through the area or a home. Many of the friends homes had to be completely gutted in order to rebuild them and prevent issues with mold. Through all this the friends have kept a very positive attitude and been encouraging to us. The personal stories that have been told to us, left us in shock, tears and joy. Each story showed how Jehovah's people can keep calm and work through problems. The efforts of the Branch office, Circuit Overseers and Elders prior to the Hurrican arriving, made for success in getting the friends prepared.

Kevin Bingham

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April 15-29, 2006


Walls are stripped of sheet rock and nails
Nails on the ceiling truss must be removed.
All debris must be removed.
Laundry room



The heat and humidity is about 20 degrees above normal for this time of the year and rehydration is vital. Even in the shade it is still hot.
Bro Hullette on the far right has a new set of kitchen cabinets.
Left to right.
Bro. Hullette, Greg Hinkle, John Gillespie,
Kevin Bingham, Forrest Whorley, Mike Wilkerson

Dan installs trim in a bedroom closet.
While in the right image, Mike has found his new car for the drive back to Virginia

Kevin in the kitchen pantry installing molding around the door casing.
The Vickers open their home the Greg and Kevin. They live in LaPlace just west of New Orleans.

Jermaine Mayberry and his son Jay on the front porch of where the guys stayed from the Virginia crew.
If you look at the windows and panels of the first floor, you will notice the waterline where the water stopped rising.
Cars that were flooded and abandoned were towed to the underpasses of the freeways to get them off the streets.

A home in the historic section of the 9th Ward sustains water and wind damage.
Even thought power, water and sewer are operational in parts of the
 9th Ward, it is a ghost town.
This is a light pole that was twisted off during the Hurricane.
The Grackle perched atop this light pole has made its nest and now has babies. We could lay our ear to the pole and hear them chirp.

Greg had a terrible side effect to the Mold Remediation.
So did Diane...
and Jennifer...
and Ron.

Lake Pontchartrain
26 mile across the lake to the other side.
Hard to believe that this morning it was raining drops the size of your fist.
One area received 9 inches of rain in one hour

This is Jake. He is the resident guard, door blocker and keeper of the fridge.
Jake has to stay outside most of the time, but he comes in at night to sleep.

He really enjoys photo ops, so does Greg.

The Last Day

Just before morning worship on the end of our journey.
It is hard to believe that two weeks have passed so quickly.
Our overseer Alan Ryner and his wife Karen
More friends whom we will miss and hope to see again soon.

When the friends leave for home, many hugs and addresses are exchanged.
One more shot with the clan. Greg, Diane, Jennifer, Andrew and Kevin
OK< just one more.
Of course we cannot leave without having fun of mold remdiation again.

Jennifer and Andrew try to block us from leaving.
On the way back home we had to take a photo of this lot full of FEMA trailers in Mississippi.
The lot contained thousands upon thousands of trailers that have not been used.
Many people in New Orleans and the surrounding areas still have no home and no trailer.

In summarizing the whole trip for us, it was more than we expected and not something you will forget. We had no idea the destruction was so widespread, so long lasting and so emotionally draining on people. There is no way to prepare yourself for what you will see, smell and hear. Photos are not the best way to show what has happened to the lives of those in the path of Katrina. The stories from the friends will linger in our minds forever and remind us that all things are subject to "time and unforseen occurrence". (Ecc. 9:11)
If you wish to experience this for nothing more than understanding the human impact, visit the area. If you want to do something to help repair it, volunteer to assist in reconstruction work through your local RBC. You will go into the destruction zone as the person you know and come out as someone different. Many, and I tryly mean many, have dropped their lives back home to move to serve in rebuilding the lives and congregations of those affected by the devastation. I know this sounds strange that they would leave an area of comfort and move to such a volatile storm area, but you have to experience this work to understand why. As I said, you will go in as one person and come back changed.
If you are unable to go, then contribute to the World Wide Work, send material goods, send letters, or support those who can go. This too is part of our sacred service to Jehovah. In June, the Kenner Hub is going to shut down for the hurricane season. Most likely, and the brothers are all ready making plans, they will be back in the fall to start over again. It seems fruitless to some, but we as Jehovah's people find it rewarding,. It also is preparation for the future cleanup work. And, there are so many wonderful experiences of those who have seen our work and now have an interest in who Jehovah is. How nice it will be to see these additional ones come into the loving fold of Jehovah's way of life and serve shoulder to shoulder with his people now and in the future on paradise earth.

Kevin Bingham