So much to tell and so little time as it was an exhausting day. I will just put some snippets so I remember and will expound later.
I meet a young man at the church that started the website below with some friends to help those in need of a home connect with those who are wanting to share their home. This man is just a little bit younger than me and had such a vision to help others. If you have a home you want to share, please make sure to visit the site!
http://www.shareyourhome.org
Some of the workers at the church accompanied a woman from Algiers who was living in New Orleans down to the River Center, which is where the Red Cross is set up, to help her get some medical care. She was staying with friends over the weekend, but became ill and needed more attention. She has not seen her 16 year old daughter since Monday. Please pray that Nicole will get well and be reunited with her daughter very soon.
There are some relief workers staying at the church. They are leaving everyday not knowing where they will be off to and what they will be doing. Some work for the power company and are helping to restore power to the affected areas. I watched these men get out of their cars and walk into the gym and they are just beat. They are out in the sun all day working some 12/14/16 hour shifts. But they are doing an amazing job. Power was reported in some of the outlying areas of NO yesterday. Pray for them as they are seeing some horrific things and having to put in so much labor in a day, and they just see is as part of their job.
Some of the other relief workers are involved in law enforcement. I really feel safe at the church because we have law enforcement folks rolling in all the time to regroup in addition to those that are being housed there. But some of these people have had the greusome task of collecting those who perished in the disaster. The things they have seen with their own eyes have been horrific. Please keep them in your prayers as well as they go out and do their job and as they process through it in the hours and days to come.
And give thanks for those who are giving literally all they have to those who have none. The parable of the widows purse is illustrated everyday as people give. Today, a man and his daughter arrived from Independence, Ohio in an RV flled to the brim with supplies, water, toys, and so much more that had been collected by the people in their town to bring down to those in need. But not only did they give the supplies, but they signed over the RV to the youth pastor at the church. I will post some pictures tomorrow!
