Tuesday, September 5, 2017

September 5 – “Boots on the Ground reports”

How about a quick look at boots on the ground today?  Reports are trickling in.  Here are a few of the stories of what we have been experiencing as the Church being the Church lately.

When we were unloading supplies from, well somewhere, we noticed that someone sent adult diapers.  Several of us wondered why in the world someone would have thought to donate something like that.  We found a spot for them and continued with the formidable task at hand.  Now fast forward a bit.  Chris and I were out making some deliveries to people working on their homes.  Yes, the destruction was immense.  We saw literal mountains of trash that had once been sheetrock and carpet and furniture and that beloved quilt from Great Aunt Sue and the precious knick-knack that had represented a boatload of memories from that one special trip of a lifetime.  Cautiously we made our way down streets crowded with vehicles.  Some ruined from flood waters, many others the transportation of countless volunteers in the field helping.  We made our way to the home of a young Mom who grew up at Seaside to check on her and see what she might need.  She insisted she was fine.  It’s kind of a Texas thing, you know.  We are … fine.  In the presence of the greatest destruction many of us have never imagined, we are … fine.  But we pressed her a bit.  “No, really what do you need?”  And the first thing that came to her mind?  “Do you by any chance have access to any adult diapers?  The 80 year old lady who lives next door confided to me that she had a few boxes and lost them all.”  Well, there you go.  Whoever donated those diapers … thank you for listening to the Lord who knew they would be needed.  We gave the young Mom some money and some hugs and moved on.

One of our church members made a horrifying discovery.  He lives in Galveston, so he assumed he had escaped the storm.  Until he realized that unbeknownst to him, water had infiltrated through his window, into the wall behind his bed and into his closet.  By the time he found it, mold was already beginning to form.  His wife was out of town helping her mother replace a refrigerator that had gone out.  He has been unable to get into work because of impassable streets.  Suddenly it occurred to him that he was one of the displaced.  He had no access to money until the end of the week and had to find someplace to move in a hurry.  We were able to cover what he needed money-wise, and he found some items from the donations that met some immediate needs. 

Chris and I went to the church thinking we would pick up some supplies and make our way into Dickinson.  Chris had washed some clothes for one of the folks up there, and I wanted to check on one of the fire fighters who has two small children.  Our little five or ten minute stop stretched into more like three hours.  We ended up staying to greet a family who came in to “shop.”  They were Galvestonians, but their children who live in Beaumont were on their way, evacuating to Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  They were trying to figure out what kinds of things they would need.  Chris and our other volunteers did a great job of speaking calmly and encouragingly to them, assuring them that they could take some things today and then return later for other things once the family arrived and they could assess their situation.  And while we were there I got a text from one of the fire fighters.  He had been in Fort Worth during the storm and was returning with his jeep loaded with supplies.  Wondered if there was a place he could take them to donate.  I assured him we would wait for him. 

We finally managed to get on the road after a stop at WalMart to buy some fans and mosquito spray.  I think we had a bite to eat as well.  I’m not sure about that.  We dropped off the laundry and the diapers and then made a stop at that fire fighter’s house.  They were very grateful for the diapers and the two tiny little stuffed dalmations that I found in the donation pile.  We gave them some money as well for incidentals that may come up.

Please keep the reports of ministry coming in.  They serve to encourage the folks who made donations of money and supplies and prayers.  I already have some more written up, but I’ll save some for next time.

Isaiah 43:2 says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”  Yes, indeed.


Father, thank you again for the Church being the Church the way you intended.  Amen.

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