Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church volunteers completed fourth disaster recovery trip to Houma, Louisiana

March 2009

The Mission Team returned from its trip to Houma, Louisiana, on Saturday evening, physically spent after a week of hard work, but emotionally and spiritually exhilarated by our encounter with God and God’s people.  One of the enduring ironies of mission work is that we always receive more than we give, and this trip was no exception.  Though we go to serve as ambassadors of Christ, we meet Christ in those we serve, and are enriched by Christ’s presence and fellowship.

The Ladue Chapel team worked on four projects while in Louisiana. Photo courtesy of the Ladue Chapel team.

This year our group of twenty-five divided up to work on four different projects.  One group spent two days cleaning out a house that had been flooded and closed up since September, and which was also home to twenty cats.  Another group worked all week in “The Towers,” a HUD housing project, cleaning and painting apartments and helping residents move back in who are just returning after the hurricane last September.  Their gratitude was palpable and embracing.  A third and fourth group worked on two homes that had been flooded, and raised ten feet into the air on pillars to avoid destruction in the future.  The respective owners were brother and sister, both of whom were gracious and hospitable beyond measure, but especially Nolan Voisin, at whose home I was fortunate to have worked.

Nolan is seventy-five years old, and he lost his wife of 52 years just before the storm.  Then he also lost his house, which was two feet under water.  He spent all his savings raising the house up ten feet so he could keep his insurance, and had nothing left to repair the water damage.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance stepped in and volunteers are rebuilding his house.  It’s down to the finish work now, putting in moldings, painting, replacing kitchen cabinets, and wiring in new light fixtures and bathroom fans.  Nolan hopes to move back in next week, even though there is a good bit of work left to complete.

But Nolan is one of the nicest, kindest, generous, gentle and faithful souls you’ll ever meet, and we not only felt privileged to serve him, but also just to meet him, spend time with him, hear his story of heartbreak, and dine with him.  Dining with him was amazing because every day Nolan made lunch for us, and each day was a feast.  We had fresh boiled crawfish and oysters, shrimp and chicken gumbo, ettuffee, and po-boy sandwiches with battered shrimp and oysters.  It was his way of saying thanks.  Some time in June, Nolan is coming to Belleville, Illinois to Our Lady of the Snows shrine as a memorial to his late wife who always wanted to go there, and we hope we can catch up with him when he is here.

Photo courtesy of the Ladue Chapel team.

Finally, there are our brothers and sisters in the faith at the Bayou Blue Presbyterian Church.  It’s a small church with a very big heart.  Each week for the past four years they have hosted the Presbyterian mission teams for dinner, and it too is always a feast.  But the real feast is the Christian fellowship we enjoy when we are with them.  Because of their commitment to mission, the church is growing.

This next Sunday, we will receive the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of the recipients of our gifts.  Give generously.  They are doing great work in behalf of Christ.

Faithfully yours, 
Mark Thomas   
Pastor, Ladue Chapel Presbyterian Church, Ladue, Missouri.