September 1 – “This Galveston/Texas spirit”

In typical Galveston/Texas fashion, post storm clean-out efforts have begun in earnest.  People are rapidly sweeping out water, pulling up carpet, tearing out sheetrock, and assessing what, if any, furniture can be salvaged.  On the other side of the coin, coordination efforts have reached a fever pitch as well.  Calls for help in cleaning out houses are already coming in, and the available, local volunteer base is taxed to beyond its limits.  A large volume of need and not enough locals to meet it.  Why?  Because people simply don’t wait around for help to show up from afar.  We pitch in and get started and get the job done.  This Galveston/Texas spirit is indomitable. 

I spent most of my day yesterday on the phone and the internet trying to match up needs and resources.  The Galveston pastors’ prayer group, Christ Together, is heading up efforts to set up work teams to help folks on the mainland with those initial mucking out chores.  Some Seasiders went into Dickinson neighborhoods with ice chests full of water and sandwich-making supplies.  They fed quite a few homeowners they came across.  As of last night they have replenished their stock, already made three carloads of sandwiches, and plan to head out again today into three neighborhoods instead of just one.  A trailer of relief supplies is due in this evening from Oklahoma.  A truckload of supplies will be on its way here from North Texas, and believe it or not, a planeload of supplies will be arriving on Saturday.  I have been accumulating data on where best to apply those supplies when they do arrive.  Apparently donations of cash are on their way as well, so Seaside will be able to be a bit more creative with how we can minister. 

I am joining a few local pastors for a meeting today.  The message read that we will be meeting with “the NAMB (North American Mission Board of the Baptists) disaster guru.”  He is coming to check out a possible staging site for their disaster relief forces.  They would coordinate work teams through their site that will deploy on the mainland.  Most of the teams will stay at the site, and overflow will be housed at Seaside’s retreat center.  Best I can tell we have reservations already made for the next two weekends that we would have to deal with, but other than that we should be good to go. 

The Boyer’s are moving out of our house today.  They were invited by a friend in Dickinson to stay there.  Way closer to their house, so they can be on site more quickly each day and get to work.  We are sure going to miss having them around.  It has been fun engaging in late-night regaling of Kelly and Heather with stories of our courtship and marriage.  How about penciling them in on your prayer lists for the foreseeable future?  They can sure use it and will most certainly appreciate it.

Yes … again … 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Father, walk beside the Boyers on the journey they have begun.  It is not nearly over.  Amen.