Today was our last day working on a house with Pheonix of New Orleans. On Monday, we walked into a house that had been gutted because flood water had caused it’s insides to mold after Katrina. Today, we left a house that had all new drywall. It was really starting to look like a place someone would call home. Actually, that someone would be Sergent Johnson, who we met earlier this week. He seemed extremely happy with what we had done for him, and had a lot of wisdom to offer about positive thinking and having faith. Coincidentally, the lessons that he had for us rang true with much of what we have learned about this week; despite their circumstances, the people of New Orleans are some of the most hopeful and positive people I have ever met. After each person told us their story, be it waiting out the hurricane because their husband couldn’t leave work, post-Katrina issues of domestic violence, not seeing any meaningful change in the corrupt governing forces, or other issues such as wetland devastation and the oil spill, they would always, without fail, go back to something like “but I would never leave New Orleans because…” In other words, no matter how many forces working against New Orleans exist, people always seem to think that staying would outweigh leaving. They all seem to be saying and living the idea that New Orleans just isn’t like anywhere else. I could only hope to feel so passionate about my community! I think it is wonderful that people here are so open with one another and really value togetherness and just having a good time. I think the people of New Orleans, maybe because they have had to face so many hardships, are really a people that we can learn a lot from.