Weekly Report for Cameron

Spring is a good time to be in southern Louisiana. Azaleas and other shrubs and trees put on quite a show of colors. However, along with those very obvious flowers, there is another tree that is flowering profusely at this time of year.

The live oak, with it's spreading branches, is a symbol of strength and longevity. Many of the oldest specimens were providing shade for gatherings of native peoples long before white settlers arrived. Some were given the name of Treaty Oak, commemorating their role in agreements between tribes or between native people and new settlers from the east. In Cameron Parish, the live oaks mark the best places to build. If you see a line of oak trees across the marsh, then that area used to be a stream bank or the line where the Gulf of Mexico beach front used to be. The soil on those ridges, called cheniers, is a nice mixture of compacted sand and clay and is much more stable than the layers of decaying matter in the marshland. The oldest live oak trees along those ridges have withstood many powerful hurricanes and tend to be anchors for settlements such as Grand Chenier, Oak Grove, Creole, and Cameron.

But now is the season for change and renewal of the live oak trees. The leaves that have clung to the gnarled branches since last year are finally allowed to drop. They are replaced by fine, feathery, olive colored blossoms. It's not as showy as an azalea, but it is a beautiful sight, once you know what to look for.  Soon the shiny new leaves will appear along with the tiny buttons which will grow into acorns.

As we near our last week in Cameron, two groups of short-term volunteers, one from Lancaster county in Pennsylvania and the other from Kansas City, all brought their abilities and energy to serve in Cameron for the week. They worked to bring about change in Cameron Parish. Like the oak trees, the new homes are going through changes. Exterior changes are hard to spot, but a lot of work is being done inside as volunteers make tight the final plumbing connections, get those doors hung just right, and touch up nail holes in the trim around doors and windows. Careful cleaning of windows, cabinets and floors made the new house ready for it's occupants.

This past week we held the dedication of the house for Bob and Brenda in Hackberry. Several family members and neighbors joined the MDS volunteers and some long-term recovery committee members to read the litany, hear the prayers of blessing, and watch as gifts were opened. The emotions ran high as the family started this new season in a new home. Long-term and short-term volunteers were thanked and God was given the glory. The other two houses were also nearing completion and dedications are scheduled for both of those next week. Mr. Bean and Ms. Ina expressed their surprise, excitement, and thanks as each part of the interior was completed. Mr. Mac told everyone that since the elevator was not installed yet, he was going to get up those stairs to see the house. In each of the families, some emotional baggage that had clung to them since these last big storms will finally be released. New hope and encouragement will sprout and hopefully grow into a fruitful family life.

As we gathered for the ceremony to celebrate the completion of the new houses, we were a bit like some of the people who gathered around the old live oak trees. We gathered to mark a change in the community and a new start for it's occupants. In those early gatherings, the oak trees were a lasting symbol of people coming together for peaceful agreements. In our gathering, we pray that these new houses will be a lasting symbol of God's people coming together in obedience and service.

From Cameron Parish: Ren, Shirley, Lowell, Verla, Melford, Martha, Laura and Carl