Bound for Louisiana

It took much time with my wife to discuss the trip to Louisiana. It was about four weeks to be exact. During that that time I saw news clips and stories in the headlines on a regular basis. This lured me even more so to do something. I wanted to help those people in Louisiana. That fact alone convinced my wife and I that I must go. I invited a friend of the family who also happened to be my boss at the time. His Name was Scott DeVore. I worked for him as a general laborer in the area of shingle roofing, which is why we were going down to Louisiana in the first place. I would have left already if it weren't for him debating over and over in his mind if he was going to go or not. But that was okay, this was not an easy decision to make. He too, had children he was leaving behind. His daughter was my wife's niece. That's how I came to know him. Once he made the decision to go we met with his pastor and he connected us to a church in Louisiana where we would stay once we arrived. I had the pastor of our church pray for me and my family. I said goodbye to my wife and children the day before I left, packed what I needed for the trip, made phone calls and prayed. Yes, I prayed. After all, the final destination was only around a thousand miles away and we were driving an older model van. We left at 3:30 a.m. in the morning toward the end of October. It was raining hard and heavy that morning, a little preparation for the weather down south I suppose. I had $35.00 in my pocket and I knew that wouldn't get me far. We were headed to no man's land, strange and unfamiliar territory. Scott and I were both stepping out of our comfort zones no doubt.
Our first stop was somewhere in Northeastern Ohio for a gas fill up before we hit the road. I knew in the back of my mind that this trip was going to be more than I had envisioned. I was excited, yet, at the same time I was doubtful of my decision to leave. One might ask, Did I make this choice out of desperation? Am I going to let my family down? I thought, man if this doesn't work out financially I will have made my wife and I look like fools again. It would be another embarrassing and shameful mistake on my part. I just put it in someone else's hands, if you know what I mean. Prosperity wasn't happening on the home front and I had nothing to lose. Or so I thought.