Our Savior’s Church
1201 E Broussard Road
Lafayette, LA 70508
Monday September 2, 2016
8:45 AM
First day on the job I have volunteered for, far from home, uncertain about everything except that I want to be here. I leave my rented car in a huge parking lot and walk into the in the spacious foyer of Our Savior’s Church in Lafayette, LA. The foyer is abuzz with volunteers ready to muck out flooded homes. All ages, races, backgrounds, and all ready to pitch in for their own reasons. The space is feels like a force field of positive energy. Smiling faces belie a deep sense of intention and commitment for the work that lies ahead.
This church is organized. Tools, wheelbarrows, power equipment, brooms, mops, gloves, safety masks, ladders in orderly piles. They’ve been at this for a week and have logistics figured out. There are 200 homes on their list...and counting.
9:00 AM
A hush descends over the crowd. Pastor Jacob Aranza welcomes us. In a gesture that will be repeated often during the week, we’ve joined hands in a circle. I feel a bond forming with a hundred people I’ve never met.
Pastor Jacob is a master of capturing the big picture. Like a photographer in a darkroom, he allows the details of the picture to slowly come into focus in the developing process.
During the next ten minutes, he delivers a lovely spiritual and social and cultural blessing for who we are and what we are doing and the people for whom we are doing it.
The gist of it is that the median income for families in the parish is $36,518, males have income of about $36,400 and women about $22,700. About 15% of families are below the poverty line.
“Many in the parish do not have more than $500 in savings and they have no flood insurance. Some have friends to help them out but for many we volunteers and this church are the first opportunity they have to get help and relief from the flood.”
People have offered love and clothing but there’s a sense of urgency.
“If their homes have mildew that becomes mold, they may lose everything. Connect personally with the homeowners or anyone you meet who needs help. Use your words or social media to tell people of the out reach the church is making.”
Pastor Jacob, arms outstretched, swivels to look us all in the eyes. “We are the hands and feet of Jesus doing this work.”
We’re certainly the hands and feet of some good power - friends, neighbors, perfect strangers, good Samaritans, the list goes on. If Pastor Jacob wants to call us the hands and feet of Jesus, I’m fine with that. Looking around at the others, most of whom are members of this non-denominational church, I’m feeling it.
Some might say we’re doing god’s work. A lapsed catholic whose only visits to a church are for weddings and funerals, I feel enveloped in a state of grace. I flew here from Boston to be standing right here. I don’t know if the Big Guy ever mucked out a flooded home but if he did he would have done it with apostles like the ones I’m holding hands with.
“Blessings will come back upon us for doing this humanitarian work,” the pastor says.
For yours truly, that blessing began right then and there.
XXXXXX
Pastor Jacob describes the mission at hand
https://www.facebook.com/oscfamily/videos/vb.114604773611/10154115621483612/?type=2&theater#
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