A touch-up after over two decades

When a woman showed up at his back door a few years ago, Kenneth Bertrand was confused.

“She asked me if I remembered her,” said Bertrand with a smile. “I just shook my head and told her ‘no.’”

It had been a long time — more than 20 years — since Bertrand had seen Cisha Ledet. The last time he saw her, Ledet was still going by her maiden name of Leger ... and she was only in eighth grade.

 Ledet was part of a group of children from Northside Christian School in 1988 when her teacher, Rev. Miles Lilly, brought them to paint the side of Bertrands barn. The three-word message the kids painted that day reads “God Is Love.”

Most people in Acadia Parish who travel along I-10 are very familiar with it.

“My husband (Zyedco musician Corey Ledet) said that he used to use it like a milemarker when he was traveling to Iota,” said Ciisha. “He couldn’t believe that I was one of the people who painted it.”

Bertrand said that when Cisha came back a few years ago to ask about repainting their message, he was more than happy to let her.

“I thought it was pretty neat that she brought her kids to help this time,” he said. “That message has given a lot of pleasure to a lot of people.”

Bertramd says that he often sees people parked alongside I-10 taking pictures of his barn.

“I just try to get out of the way,” he joked.

The message has inspired people in many ways, according to Kenneth’s wife, Pat.

“One woman who contacted us said that she had been working on a small book called “God Is Good” that provided people with daily inspirational messages,” she said. “She said that she had been procrastinating completing it until she read the message one day while she was driving. She said that motivated her to finish the book.”

The barn has seen a few tough times over the years.

“During a hurricane one year the piece of siding with the ‘L’ on it blew off and was on the side of the interstate,” said Kenneth. “Luckily I was able to find it and put it back up.”

Cisha said bringing her children back to work on the same message that she and her classmates painted was a special feeling.

“I thought it was great that they got to paint it the same as I did,” she said.

When Cisha was asked if there was a chance that she may return one day as a grandmother, she couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Well my kids have already said that they’re going to keep it going, so probably so.”