HOME: By Tawnee Hunter

The senior high youth group (shyg) from New Wilmington Presbyterian Church had the opportunity to revisit New Orleans this past January. Last June, the youth group had gone to rebuild houses in the Big Easy, although their tasks were anything but easy. This January mission trip was an opportunity to revisit and produce works of the people’s stories of New Orleans along with helping kids in the Wilson Charter School to create their own books.

For me, this trip was a unique opportunity to be with our church group, work with elementary children to share their stories, and see New Orleans. It was also a time to broaden my perspective of education and appreciate new cultures. Learning new English (actually, fun New Orleans phrases) was another highlight. Two of the most interesting to try to incorporate during the mission trip were “laissez les bons temps roulez” meaning “let the good times roll” and “lagniappe” meaning “extra-added bonus.” Generosity in both the enjoyment of life and delicious food still seems to be a common theme in New Orleans.

During the afternoon of the second day, our group had the opportunity to tour New Orleans. Driving through the city we saw complex pumping stations, reinforced levees, colorful Habitat for Humanity houses and the bright pink frames of the soon-to-be-restored homes founded by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. We continued on to see ominous Lake Pontchartrain, abandoned low income housing developments, water lines (approximately six feet high) and symbols spray painted on houses noting early rescue attempts. Some of the signs posted by home owners near their homes stating “we’re coming back” and “we will rebuild” were still in view. I began to question why the people of New Orleans would want to rebuild or even entertain the idea of constructing a new home on land that held such memories of trauma and hardship and in reality make no logical sense. But, as we continued on, I started to read the invisible signs in from of the abandoned homes that read, “Hope” and “Home.”

My daughter Leah and her Grandpa Hunter have a yearly conversation that usually begins sometime in the latter part of January (even earlier if the Steelers are not in the playoffs) and ends in April when the sun starts to trickle through the clouds. Leah will begin the diatribe by lamenting, “Of all the warm, sunny places our ancestors could have chosen, why did they settle in Western Pennsylvania?” To which her grandpa will characteristically reply, “When our ancestors came here and experienced the torturous weeks of unrelenting gray skies, they said to themselves, ‘Aye, this is it. Just like home!’”

Home: a word that connotes familiarity and comfort, the camaraderie of friends and love of family. Though during this trip my time was spent using my gifts to help others, I also received a gift. That gift was the awareness of my deep appreciation for my home in New Wilmington. Like the people of New Orleans, I appreciate my home because of the community that surrounds it. My husband and I feel privileged to raise our children and live among friends in New Wilmington; that is truly our “lagniappe.”