HIGHLIGHT: LOUISIANA
Blind River: Among the gum and cypress trees of a swamp sits a little chapel called Our Lady of Blind River, built decades ago by Martha Deroche and her husband, Bobby, after she said she had a vision of Jesus kneeling by a rock. Over the years, people have stopped by in boats or kayaks to pray in the one-room chapel. But floods over the years have damaged the little church, and the couple’s grandson Lance Weber had to close it two years ago out of safety concerns. He’s been working to restore the building and raise it up. Along with necessary repairs, he plans to build a dock specifically for kayakers on the side of the chapel.