raising godzillas

I can't believe it's almost over!

Really, can you believe it? I have been on the Mississippi Gulf Coast almost a week, I leave in less than 48 hours and I have not updated you! Ithink part of it is that few words are sufficient to descibe the experience. It is incredible, it is life changing. I truly feel one of the reasons God sent me here was for ME. Is that selfish? But it has given me more confidence in myself than I have had in a long time. I, I who am not really good at anything, can help rebuild and can help give people hope. How is that? Is it not amazing?

I will try to make up for my slacking by giving you some highlights fomr here and there.


Posted: 17 Jan 2006 07:30 Post subject:

Some stats for you: There are 85 THOUSAND people in Soutern Missisippi still homeless from Katrina. People are still getting their FEMA trailers, and there is NOTHING in them. Food stamp applications here are delayed by several months. Christus Victor/Lutheran Episcopal Disaster Response has an average of a family every three minutes coming by every day for food. Every day the run out of things - food, cleaning supplies, blankets and bedding, etc. It's really desperate here still, 4 1/4 months after katrina. Anyway, today we did our first full muck out. We cleaned out a garage that the water had come through so forcefully as to move the car sideways. We had to clean everything out, move the car, get it out, rip out the sheetrock and insulation, and clean it all up. The pile of debris at her curb was enourmous, but what a sense of satisfaction!



Posted: 17 Jan 2006 08:11 Post subject:
. Some things keep popping up in our convos with people: The federal gov't has FAILED FAILED FAILED here. This even from the pulpit. Tell people is is not just N'awlins that was devestated. Mississippi was hit terribly. There is a whole town here, Waveland ( which we want to try to get to) that is basically gone, all gone. It's just...my God. Really. I keep finding myself thinking "next time I come"...how will I do that? I don't know.


Posted: 17 Jan 2006 08:23 Post subject:

Here is a slide show of OS: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=8q2frws.ev7fa6k&Uy=-cum2cx&Ux=0_________________

One thing that keeps popping up in this or that mesaage or devotional is that God didt cause this- God does not cause natural disasters. GOOD things come from God. And do I need to hear that, in light of our personal natural disaster. There is a sign on the wall here:"Katrina was an act of nature. What we do here is an act of God." Say Amen.

posted by gojirama @ 8:43 AM