For the fifth year in a row, a group of intrepid volunteers ranging in age from 10 to 72 from Bedford Presbyterian Church braved the heat, humidity, cold, rain, and mud--and gave up their vacation time--to travel to Louisiana for the rebuilding and recovery efforts that continue in the Gulf Region following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The most recent trip, which concluded on February 27, completed the church's five-year commitment to Presbyterian Community Outreach based in Slidell, Louisiana, about 40 minutes from New Orleans.
 
The final trip for the group was bittersweet. Reassuring signs of stability abound with bustling retail activity and new housing. But the area "Will never be rebuilt," according to Bob Clifton of First Presbyterian Church in Slidell, whose facility housed the 43 volunteers in dormitory-style living arrangements. Hundreds of abandoned homes serve as a constant reminder of the thousands of residents who fled the area with no plans to return.
 
"The work this year was in some ways more challenging than in years past," according to Larry Cowen of Bedford, the group's trip leader, "because the folks we were assigned to help were exhausted and on the verge of losing hope. They've been dealing with the aftermath of the hurricanes for five years now, having suffered from various degrees of illness, injury, theft, corruption, or financial setbacks."
 
But by the end of the week, each of the homeowners seemed to go through a transformation--from cynicism to optimism and then gratitude. "Within three days we put a roof over someone's head, made sure she wouldn't get electrocuted when turning a light on in the rain, made her bathroom useable, and made her spare bedroom livable," reports Leah Rajaniemi, a 17-year old senior at Merrimack High School. "When we first arrived at her home she was somewhat skittish. As she got to know us more, she opened up incredibly. Now I am known as, "My-adopted-daughter-from-New Hampshire."
 
Paula Olsen of Bedford reported that their homeowner "was very skeptical in the beginning; and so pleased with the quality of the people, the work and the progress."
 
Five different homes sported new roofs, walls, stairs, electrical, ceilings, insulation, doors, and plumbing thanks to the New Hampshire-based group who left for work at 7:30 a.m. and returned around 5 p.m. each day. Youth from Bedford, Amherst, and Merrimack worked alongside their parents, adult friends and coworkers, offering up construction expertise or simply a willing set of hands. It was an exhausting week for these volunteers, but gratifying to have made significant progress and to receive heartfelt thanks from the homeowners.
 
For now, the Bedford Presbyterian Church plans to remain active in providing disaster recovery and rebuilding services to local families in need and is investigating options outside New Hampshire for a mission trip next year. The sign at the exit of the church parking lot serves as a constant reminder of this congregation's commitment to help others: "YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD."