A homeless man who stayed in New Orleans throughout Hurricane Katrina says he saw God in the storm... and that the city will rise again. And a famous restaurateur says he wants to start serving meals by tomorrow. They are just two survivors who hope for their city's rebirth in the wake of the deadly storm.
ALEX CHADWICK, host: Meanwhile, back in New Orleans, recovery efforts continue.  Over the      weekend utility crews repaired power lines, police searched for bodies,      and soldiers expanded their patrols into the parts of town that are      drying.  Yesterday at least some of the thousands of workers took time to      look for a deeper meaning. NPR's Martin Kaste reports from New Orleans.</s>Pastor GEORGE YARGIN(ph): (Singing) Amazing grace, how...</s>MARTIN KASTE reporting: On Sunday morning a couple of Baptist volunteer ministers from Texas      climb up into the bed of a black pickup truck and hold an impromptu      memorial service. Preaching to the rescue workers through a bullhorn,      Pastor George Yargin interprets the Katrina disaster as a source of      pride.</s>Pastor GEORGE YARGIN(ph): In the midst of this destruction, you make us proud.  God      bless you, gentlemen.  God bless America.  And may the love of Jesus      Christ bear up your hearts, may it bear up your souls.  And may God make      this place everything that he would have it be.</s>KASTE: For a different take on the spiritual meaning of Katrina, you      need to walk down Canal Street a few hundred feet to where an elderly      man, wearing a chain of three wooden crosses, is picking up litter.      Robert Rogers(ph) was born and raised here, and he rode out the storm in      his apartment, an experience he says filled him with what he calls a good      kind of fear.</s>Mr. ROBERT ROGERS: I felt the presence of God.  I felt the presence of a      power stronger than man, you know--something else, you know.  It's not      just wind.  It's something that controls it, you know?  It really is.      You know, I mean, we calculate everything, but some things we can't      capture.  You can't capture the meaning of it, you know?</s>KASTE: Rogers shares with the Texas preachers a sense that God meant      some good to come out of this destruction.</s>Mr. ROBERT ROGERS: We was in trouble in the city before this happened.  The      city was falling apart.  We had a big homeless rate, you understand?  It      was getting so that nobody--it was getting kind of uncontrollable.  In a      way, I'm glad God did this.  He whipped us because man couldn't turn this      city around, but God done turned it around.  Now we're going to build a      new city.</s>KASTE: And for those who practice New Orleans' unofficial religion, the      faith in good cooking, there is another small sign of hope, the      appearance on Sunday of Paul Prudhomme, one of New Orleans' most famous      chefs, weaving amongst the soldiers on his electric scooter.</s>Mr. PAUL PRUDHOMME (Chef): Thank you so much, sir.  God bless you, sir.</s>Unidentified Man: Thank you now.  It's been a pleasure.</s>KASTE: Prudhomme has come into New Orleans to reopen his restaurant in      the French Quarter, showing just how easy it is for prominent residents      to re-enter this city despite the official lock-down.  He's asking for      special permission to stay here and cook real food for the recovery      workers, something he says he and his crew can start doing in a matter of      days.</s>Mr. PAUL PRUDHOMME (Chef): Our job is feeding people, and that's--we're restless if      we can't do it.</s>KASTE: And, in fact, Prudhomme's famous K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen on      Charter Street appears to have survived the storm in good condition.  The      last menu is still posted outside.  The bill of fare for Saturday, August      27th, promised, among other dishes, shrimp etouffe, chicken andouille      gumbo and Charter Street gumbo, all reminders of just how much there      still is to hope for here in New Orleans.  Martin Kaste, NPR News, in the      French Quarter.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I'm Alex Chadwick.  There's more coming on DAY TO DAY from NPR      News.