On Saturday a group of us from our Church spent last Saturday in Bridge City, TX helping those who were flooded by Hurricane Ike. There were probably 200-300 volunteers from our area who drove about two hours east of Houston to help those who are still clearing the mess left by the storm. Until the mess has been cleared, there can be no rebuilding.
The overwhelming storm surge left tremendous flooding in areas that might have otherwise fared well. Other than a faint water line about halfway up the first story of the houses, the outside structures of these homes looked relatively normal. On the inside, however, there
is a much different story: Rotting wood, sheet rock, insulation, food and other items left behind; Mold growing up the sides of walls and furniture; Cups, pots, and bread makers inside china hutches and on shelves full of water.We met at our church building at 5 a.m. then drove the 2+ hour trip to receive work orders. We found our assignments and promptly put ourselves to work. We worked throughout the day "mucking out houses". This is a process that involves removing flooring (carpet, linoleum, tile and wood, etc.), sheet rock, furniture, insulation, cabinetry, and so forth. Much of the items are moldy and rotten, requiring us to wear protective breathing masks.
It was a bit
tersweet experience to sit with one of the homeowners and talk with her about her losses and hopes. It was heartwarming to see how unshaken her faith is. She spoke of rebuilding her home, and that she sees an opportunity to design her home the way she wants it. What a great example.Many in the area kept up their humor, posting clever signs ("for sale", "everything must go", "don't loot or we'll shoot", etc.) We also witnessed children in water fights and laughing. For a
ll the problems these good people are facing, they are incredibly resilient.As my friend Brad Green, who was one of the volunteers from our congregation put it, "The devastation is overwhelming. Imagine 5 feet of sea-water inside your home.... and then to see everything you own sitting at the curbside about to be hauled away. Many tears were shed. Please keep the good folks of this area in your prayers."
My faith was strengthened and my heart warmed by this experience.Thanks to Brad for the pictures in this blog.
4 comments:
I'm so glad you blogged about this. I love the first picture in your post. The "seniors" looked like they worked you young'uns under the table. I'm sure there's more to this pic than what meets the eye. I know that all five of you are amazing men. I just hope I can be as strong and resilient as Bro. Green, Koop and LeFoll when I'm their age.
My sister's in-laws live in Seabrook, and they had more than 5 ft of water in their homes. Complete devastation- it's crazy. (You can see the pictures from their home on my sister Sarah's blog- the link is on my side bar.) You are lucky that you are able to provide such great service to many of these people. Thanks :)
Wow, seeing those pictures really shows what the damage was. I can only imagine what an enormous effort this is to clean up. Once the hurricane is out of the news, it's easy to forget about all the aftermath. Good for you and all the other volunteers.
ps - enjoyed the signs. It's nice to see that people still have their sense of humor as well as faith in the face of all the loss
Good for you Jason. David went with a group from our area to southern Louisianna. (He says he'll blog about that sometime too) Every time there is a major hurricane, wards in our area are asked to help. Apparently some didn't have a good experience a few years ago and have refused to return. Sad. Glad you sacraficed your time and energy to be of service. It's so important - and great missionary work!
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