More Pictures

Hey guys in New Orleans, thanks for the update. Nice to hear from you Pastor Jay. Isn't amazing how media works. Who would have ever thought that my story would have made it to the Baptist Press, isn't it cool how God works. I have posted more pictures for all to see. Hope they aren't the same as before, sorry for the same pictures that I posted earlier.

Blessings
Rocky

Haven't forgotten

Here are a few more pictures that are from New Orleans. Soon check out www.simplemissions.com, a site dedicated to those that wish the opportunity to serve.

Blessings

Rocky

Disturbing

Tonight I recieved an e-mail from a friend of mine in New Orleans, and he said that as of Wednesday the American Red Cross would no longer be supplying meals to the workers and people of the area located in and around New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. This place serves around 500+ meals a day. Those numbers are staggering, but thats just what they do. Please pray that the food will be provided, and that they have continued sucess with the clean up. They also mentioned that there was not change in the neighbourhoods around NOBTS, still need may hands to help with the clean up. If anyone out there reading this blog would like to help, please attach a line or two in the comment section, and we can talk. As promised, here a few new pictures.

Blessings
Rocky

Busy day

Every time I attend Sunday service since returning home from New Orleans, I can't help but think of a little church in New Orleans, called "Church on the Quad". It was started by Barry "Hoot" Busby, from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and is located on the seminary property, and its name was derived from a group of campus police attend the service on Quads. Sometimes there were not enough people to hold church service inside so the service was moved outside around a fire pit, and everyone was and is welcome. Today I attended all three of our services to up-date the people that sponsored me, on my journey to assist in New Orleans. I can't help but compare the difference between churches, when I attended in New Orleans there were approx. 6 people at the service, what a comparison between then and now. But I couldn't help but feel the warmth in such a small church, what an awesome feeling. To you guys @ the seminary, God Bless you, for the work that you do, day in and day out. Tomorrow there will be new pictures, but tonite, sorry.

Blessings
Rocky

The end of the week

Well, the end of the week. Hard to believe that just a week ago, I was getting ready to leave New Orleans. Like I said earlier, what a difficult week it has been. During my stay @ New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary I alomg with some of my partners were interviewed by CBS Channel 4 News, I believe by Sally Ann Robison. Anyway, I recieved a call from CBS news the other evening, wantng to now if I would a coopy of the show. So today 2 copies arrived at our home. As well, tonight a friend from New Orleans e-mailed to say that the program is at www.wwltv.com, go the right side of the monitor, follow down till you come to Eyewitness News Videos, then "Theological seminary vows to re-open" check it out. Anyway, soon more pictures.

Blessings
Rocky

Pictures from New Orleans

Hope that these pictures get thru, as I don't really know what I'm doing. I will post some more only if these ones are OK. Had an interview with the Star Phoenix yesterday, about my experiences in New Orleans, and today it appeared in the paper. Man can those reporters get things mixed up. I recieved an e-mail from my friend in New Orleans tonight, man do I miss those guys. That has been the hardest part of this week, being away from friends that were made. Although I only had met them and spent a week with those people, I feel that I knew them forever. It's been difficult. Anyway, please stay tuned as I will start to post some pictures.

Blessings
Rocky

Getting adjusted

First day back to work, and what a tough day it has been. I have had a hard time getting my head around the fact that I'm not still in New Orleans. It feels as though my mind and body are still in New Orleans. I can't believe people that I have spoken to since I have returned home, because the Hurricane is not still on CNN and CBC people think that everything is back to normal. Quite the opposite, things are just starting to be cleaned up. What the people of South Louisiana need is man power, it appears that food and money are now secondary to assistance. If there is anyone that is thinking of travelling to that area, please contact me, as I have many contacts in the area that could be assistance.

Blessings
Rocky

Home

A little late at getting around to posting this entry, but things happen. Never arrived until really late last night, so sorry about the entry. Today is a sad day for me, as my body and mind are still in New Orleans with the people that I have become friends with over the past week. It really hard to leave when the people that you care for want you to put your suitcase back in the Campus and call your wife to tell her that your staying. The people that I am speaking about were from a Christian drug rehab program that had their Church destroyed by the hurricane, and were staying and working at the New Orleans Baptist The. Seminary (NOBTS). They really became attached to me over the course of the week, so its rather hard today, knowing that they are there and I am here. But until the lord leads me back, thats the way it is. It's not in my hands to decide. What a change in climate, yesterday when I left New Orleans it was 75 D (F) and when I arrived home it was 30 d (F), cold. Nasty cold.

Blessings

Rocky

This is it (again)

I really must have been tired last evening, as I said that last night was my last posting from New Orleans. Well anyway, tonight is the last one, or at least for a while. I will continue to make entries to my blog and keep you all posted as to my goings on. Only this time all the people that I have met in New Orleans will be following as well. So again, to all the people that prayed for myself and my family, sponsored me, and sent along greeting and comments, THANK YOU. To all the people that I have met from Louisiana, Kentucky, California, Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina,Texas, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Mexico, GOD BLESS YOU ALL and thanks. Thanks for letting me be a part of your lives for a week.

Blessings
Rocky

Tired

Well I think that this is the earliest that I have ever entered on my Blog. We are all getting very tired, or at least some of us. Tired from actually working but emotionally tired as well. As I said earlier, this has been the hardest week of my life. But as far as physical work goes, there are some people that do the work, and others that just think they do. Its amazing how there is little difference between Canadians and Americans. This week is slowly drawing to a close, tommorow will be my last entry from New Orleans, as I am scheduled to catch a PM flight back to Canada. It will be a very sad time for not only myself, but for the rest of the folks that I have met this week. I will turely miss everyone here. I have been asked to come back, to help, but also possibly to attend the seminary. That would be so cool. We'll see. Had an interview with a CBS TV crew this morning, they were doing Hurricane coverage. They apparently want to me because I was from Canada. Rather different, but fun just the same. Anyway, to all that have been following my blog, Thank You for responding, it has been so nice to see and hear from you all. To all those that have been praying for me and people here in South Louisiana, GOD BLESS.

Blessings

Rocky

Another hot day

Well another day has come and gone. Not much different than previous. Some of our friends from Mississippi left for home today, so we need to find more people to help. The work is very tiring and hot, but very very rewarding. I have met so many neat people from all other the USA, all here for one purpose, to help the folks from New Orleans. Tonite was the first time that I actually got to see downtown New Orleans, very different @ night. Went out for supper with friends that I have met @ the seminary. Earlier today I had the opportunity to see "Ground Zero" the spot in the canal that actually broke that caused the flooding. The houses in the area look as though a nuclear bomb had hit them. Just the 2x4 are standing from some of the homes, there are cars in trees, large boats on the freeway. Its a horrible site, one that I will never forget.

Blessings

Rocky

Another day

Great day today, much improved over yesterday. The temp. here still remains very hot, approx. 25 C or 80 F. We worked with a group a young people from somewhere in Alabama today, they were a little overwhelmed, just as I was yesterday. Everyone that has done the job that we are doing now has felt the same way. Anyway, great day, great people, great food, GOD is so good.

Blessings

Rocky

What a day

Well, what a day. This has been without a doubt one of the toughest days of my life. No one will ever know exactly what it feels like to throw someones life out a window. Today we were cleaning out students rooms on campus, very very difficult. People left ever thing in order to flee Katrina, and I mean everything. Every single hand full a stuff thrown out reminded me of my daughters and their stuff, anyway, it is just to hard to even explain. Maybe on another posting I will be able to share more.

Blessings
Rocky

WOW

Wow, what a day. New Orleans in the daytime. I don't think that I will ever be able to describe the full impact that this has had on me. Or at least not for quite a long time. The scene is played out over the entire city, block after block, house after house. DESTRUCTION. The city smells like a giant garbage dump. Personal belongings and all kinds of stuff line the streets, and every street. This stuff has now sat on the street for nearly two months and the temperature today was in the 80's, or 25 deg. C Cars are pilled one on top of the other, and other vechiles are left on the side of the road. People drive them to higher ground once a storm is coming, only this time they didn't expect to have this much water. What the hurricane did not destroy, vandals have taken. Have you ever stopped to think about what makes people do the things that do ? Yesterday I was picked up @ the airport by Pastor Jay and a gentlemnan from Arizona. He was a former US soldier having served in Vietnam, and his comment was this is very similar to the environment in Vietnam during the war. For those people that think that this city is open for business and good to go, just becasue its not covered as much on CNN, the work is only beginning.

Blessings

Rocky

Made It

Well, after many hours on the aircraft, I'm finally here. What a site. The very first thing that you see as you fly into New Orleans is blue traps, covering the roofs of almost every home, or at least the one's that I have seen so far. What a terrible feeling to see the debris and junk left over from the hurricane. This is the first time that I have cried in a long long time. So, so sad. To actually think that people had once lived here, and to see there belongings piled up along the side of the road. I have just arrived, more or less, and have already seen more than I had expected. It is now night time in New Orleans, and what a erie feeling. Very, very little power thru out the entire city, and thank God that the facility where I am staying has power, only one of a hand full of places that does. There are armed guards at the entrance to my facility, also the New York State Police, New Orleans City Police and Louisiana State Police are situated in the same building. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Blessings

Rocky

Made It

Well, after many hours on the aircraft, I'm finally here. What a site. The very first thing that you see as you fly into New Orleans is blue traps, covering the roofs of almost every home, or at least the one's that I have seen so far. What a terrible feeling to see the debris and junk left over from the hurricane. This is the first time that I have cried in a long long time. So, so sad. To actually think that people had once lived here, and to see there belongings piled up along the side of the road. I have just arrived, more or less, and have already seen more than I had expected. It is now night time in New Orleans, and what a erie feeling. Very, very little power thru out the entire city, and thank God that the facility where I am staying has power, only one of a hand full of places that does. There are armed guards at the entrance to my facility, also the New York State Police, New Orleans City Police and Louisiana State Police are situated in the same building. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Blessings

Rocky

Final Night @ home

Well this will be my last entry until after I arrive in New Orleans tomorrow. I have been told that communications are still very primitive, so I don't know just how much I will be able to get out. Hopefully things are working better than what people say they are. I just finished speaking with the folks in New Orleans, and they say that the area that I am going to be going to is still a major disaster zone. Much work to do.

Blessings

Rocky