All these years, we have been visiting Beecher, doing insulation, hanging drywall, running wire, making and installing gutters, cleaning out debris (and fighting off fire ants by thebzillions in the yard, fixing doors and windows, a refurbishing grates, painting doors and trim, and all manner of other “stuff”. touring that time, we read countless messages written by mission groups on the exposed wood beams and joists, contemplated what it would be like when it was finished, pondered and worried if we ever would be back to normal, or what counts for normal post Katrina… We saw only a couple of Beecher members during that time, and had no real sense of what they were like..
Today we found out. we had learned that the church was finished and that the congregation was going to begin worshipping in the church building again last August. We couldnt be with them on that day, but we made big plans to come to New Orleans early for our mission trip in October to see if we could attend church on Sunday, and we did that…
Wow. The building looks amazing.
All those walls we drywalled and taped are now pristine white. The trim is all in, the doors are hung and all have knobs. But the real amazing thing was that we saw the people for the first time. An alive vibrant community working to rebuild itself in a still shattered neighborhood with a spirit of joy. They say they are blessed. We are the ones blessed to be among them today.