Mission Trip # 16
Mission Trip # 16
Embarking on the 16th Mission trip, students and chaperons and volunteers headed to New Orleans, Louisiana to help restore homes and rejuvenate spirits. Mr. Dante Dalia, along with "Operation Helping Hands" organized the student volunteers to work on home repairs in devastated neighbourhoods. The more than twenty hour bus trip didn't daunt the enthusiasm of the team. Upon arriving we all realized that we were not staying in a hotel, but we still made the best of our accommodations for the week.
The group became aware of the recovery work that had been done up till this date as well as the tremendous amount of work that still needed to be done. The host group, "Operation Helping Hands" is a Catholic organization that was set up to assist the New Orleans communities that were affected by Hurricane Katrina. They were a committed group of individuals who inspired our group to help them reach their goal to rebuild the broken down homes and buildings.
Before leaving St.John's College, there was a prayer service held in the chapel, to motivate and ask for God's guidance to carry out this endeavor. Since we had already established our skill levels, we were placed in groups to help with a variety of jobs. These jobs included, scraping off lead-based paint, painting exterior and interior walls, and carpentry repairs.
The tasks for the week were daunting, but we came together as a team determined to finish. Along with hard work and willpower, the students and supervisors managed to have a blast while helping those in need.
Throughout the week the students got more and more involved with each other. Everyone on the trip became a part of the mission trip family. We laughed, cooked, ate, and enjoyed each other’s company day in and day out when we were not working on the houses. We even celebrated a student’s birthday in the middle of the week.
Although the living conditions were sparse, the students were determined to come together as one and set out for what they signed up to do. Thank you to Mr.Dalia and all the supervisors and teachers that made this possible. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience for all the students who attended. Without your hard work and generosity the trip wouldn't have been made possible
