Pastor Mark Hopper

By Pastor Mark Hopper

This month marks the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina that devastated large areas of New Orleans ten years ago.

Katrina was a “super storm,” with powerful winds and a huge tidal surge that overwhelmed the pumping stations and tore holes in the levy system.

The destruction and death caught everyone by surprise.  Almost 1,500 people lost their lives and hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed

Many churches and non-profit organizations have been involved in rebuilding these communities that were under 15 to 20 feet of water.

Over the past few years, our church has joined this nation-wide effort.  Last month I was able to go for the first time to see the destruction and help with the rebuilding.

When we arrived in New Orleans, I was impressed by how green everything is.  Beautiful trees line the City streets and green lawns stood in stark contrast to our draught-stricken landscape in Southern California.

There is no water shortage in Louisiana.  I suggested that everyone on our team fill up as many bottles as possible so we could bring some water back home, but I don’t think airlines will allow you to bring water through the security check points anymore.

I was also overwhelmed by the humidity.  In Southern California, our weather is pretty dry and humidity is low.  But in New Orleans, it is very humid.  We were drenched with sweat all day long as we worked on different rebuilding projects.

My favorite spot in New Orleans was the local CVS Pharmacy, because they had their air conditioning running full blast.  When I walked into their store, it felt like I entered a freezer.  It was great!

I was very impressed with how friendly people were in New Orleans.  We were often greeted with smiles and kind words as we worked in neighborhoods where people have returned after the hurricane.

I am thankful for the opportunity to work alongside many others who are helping to rebuild neighborhoods in New Orleans.  I’ll share more in my next article.

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Ave. Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit http://www.efreedb.org.