Rain is coming down... Rita is almost here...

I've been here in Baker Louisiana eight days now. This experience has made me very aware of what happened in New Orleans and the surrounding area. It is so different being here than being in California!

The two shelters I am working with are at a church called Bethany World Prayer Center. My job here has mainly been to help with the children's program. I help kids do homework, entertain them with the guitar, play games and just hang out. So it's kind of like being at camp.

Our team has organized an after-school homework center in one of the shelters and there has been some success there. Unfortunately, not all of the kids have been going to school. Also, some of them are behind in their classes (Louisiana test scores are lower than those in California, so I am told).

So here I am, doing the other half of my job which is to help in the volunteer station. Outside the window, I can see rain falling and tree branches rocking back and forth. The storm isnt severe here in the Baton Rouge area, at least not yet.

The weather is supposed to get worse as the day turns into night.

Hopefully, Rita will not cause as much devastation as Katrina. Who knows.