In a previous post, I mentioned that a crew from Sequitur Classical Academy were working on mucking an elderly lady’s flooded house today, when they discovered that she had collapsed from a heat stroke, and was near death. My two boys were part of the crew. They all kept her alive until paramedics could arrive, and they ferried the EMTs across the water to the house, as well as led them, and the lady, back across the water to the ambulance. It was a very close call for the lady, who is doing fine tonight in the hospital.

The crew was not able to finish today, but is headed back tomorrow. If you are in the BR area and want to help finish mucking this dear lady’s house, here’s what to do, according to a note just sent out by Brian Daigle, the crew leader and school headmaster:

We will be returning tomorrow morning at 9am. We could use lots of help. Below is the plan and what to bring:

1) Arrive around 9am. You will need to go down the side road next to Ruffino’s (Sotile Dr.) Park in the culdesac.

2) Bring gloves, wheelbarrows, crow bars (to pull up one room of wood flooring), brooms to sweep and buckets to haul drywall. All carpet was pulled today and we knocked out all drywall. We mainly have drywall, sheetrock, and mud to haul. After, we will sweep the floors as cleanly as possible.

3) Be ready to walk through 2-4 feet of water to get to and from the house.

4) Bring plenty of fluids. No power in the house. Very hot.

With enough folks, we can be done by noon. And then we can head to another house. No need to let me know if you’re coming. I hope we have a good crew.

Come help! There’s so much to be done. Tomorrow is a feast day of the Orthodox Church (Old Calendar), so we will be in St. Francisville at liturgy in the morning. None of us will see you there. But if you’re available and eager to help, you know where to go.

I have to say this about today. I knew my kids would be getting a strong education in virtue by being a part of the Sequitur community. I just didn’t expect it to be so intense, and so hands-on. Note well: this is the school headmaster leading these boys. The Greek teacher spent much of the past week as part of the Cajun Navy, rescuing people with his boat. What stunning examples of manly Christian virtue these men are to the boys of the school. Sequitur is breeding men with chests.

I cannot ever remember being so proud of a community of which I am a member. Nora, my nine-year-old daughter, was not with a Sequitur crew today, but was at the Amite Baptist Church with our Starhill neighbor Julie Ralph (who was one of the large crew of West Feliciana women working all week to help our parish) and her kids today, making food for hungry and homeless Livingston Parish people.

When she got home, I asked her what she had learned from the day spent serving those folks.

“That anything can happen,” she said. “And I learned that we really need each other. I love Louisiana. It’s like we’re part of one family.”