A Tribute to our Roofing Blitz Homeowners

You took a risk when you let us into your homes and onto your roofs –
A volunteer crew of kids and adults from far away,
Old and young,
Some quite experienced, most not at all.
Graciously, you opened your hurricane-ravaged doors
And your temporary FEMA trailers
And shared your incredible stories of horror and loss.
With faraway looks in your eyes,
You re-lived Katrina for us,
Letting us in as much as you could
To an experience we could hardly fathom.
But you did not dwell on fear and loss,
But spoke of faith,
Testifying of God’s presence in times of trouble.
And then, you spoke of ordinary things –
Flower beds and families and tools and jobs –
Teaching us that life goes on,
So that next time, when it is our turn to face tragedy,
We will remember.
We worked – and laughed – and chatted – and laughed some more,
Roofs going on even as friendships grew deeper.
We entered a broken building as strangers.
We left holy spaces as friends –
Richer, deeper, and strengthened to face our own storms.
Thank you.

Molly Garnett, Quebec Group, Team 3