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| Hurricane Katrina .... another happy ending! |
| 09.13.05 (4:27 pm) [edit] |
Today My husband was coming home from work and saw an older man walking. He stopped and talked to him and found out he was evacuated from the hurricane. (We live 5-6 hours from New Orleans.) He said someone brought him to a town in Louisiana and then he got another ride to Vidor, Texas. If you have ever heard of this town, it is horrible. It is an ALL white town and highly known for it. This gentleman was black. He said he slept under a bridge in Vidor and the cops found him, arrested him, and brought him to jail(kind of a relief to be out from under the bridge!). Anyway, they took his driver's liscense and gave him and "inmate" card...whatever that is(it doesn't sound good.)He was very upset about that.
Fast forward....he told my husband that he didn't want a shelter, couldn't handle crowds and children. He said he had friends and family in a town prob. 5 hours driving time from here. He was walking and had been for a while. He refused to eat as it would slow him down. He was determined to get to Longview to be with family!
SOOOOO, My husband brought him to our town.(he was an hour south of here when my husband saw him!). He offered him a burger at McDonald's and the man only wanted coffee! SO, he got him some coffee and gave him what little change he had let over. He asked the worker at McDonald's where could he go to see about getting a ride to a bus station (nearest is an hour away!). She said to go to the church around the corner. He took him there and the pastor told my husband he would take care of him!....He was reluctant to stay as he did NOT want to stay in a shelter. He wanted his family!
I called a city official and asked about him. He already had met him and taken him for new clothes. The church paid for him to stay in the local motel for the night and someone is bringing and paying for a bus ticket in the AM!!! He got a warm bath, fresh clothes, and a BED!!! Poor thing, he is 62 and just wants his family. I could not imagine being in his shoes, I am just glad my husband has a big enough heart to stop and check it out. I know it is scary these days, you just have to go with your gut instinct sometimes! Sometimes you never know when you are needed the most. Thank God for what you have and pray for those who have nothing!
Cherie
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| Helping the survivors! |
| 09.08.05 (6:59 am) [edit] |
My friend Regina has been at the shelter all week on the interent. She has been locating family members for the evacuees! She has located I think 5 or six members. One being a 5 year old child that the mommy couldn't locate. (She had evacuated with her God Mother).
I just got an email in that she found another family member. He was not an hour away! Thank God. One more family reunited!
My church is housing 13 evacuees. They were very depressed and kind of kept to themselves. Our pastors wife started visiting with them yesterday and found out why. They were told by a "red cross helper" that they had a month, then had to find somewhere to live. How depressing! I don't think I could find a job and save for a place in a month, could you?? UUGG!!! Our pastors wife told them that it was so untrue. They can stay as long as they need and as long as we have enough supplies to help them. They were so relieved!
One lady is having a baby. She went yesterday to the hospital and they said she HAS to wait at least 2 more weeks as the babies lungs are yet to be fully developed. Poor thing. She looks miserable. THey had cots for them to sleep on. I cannot imagine sleeping on a cot while I am 8.5 months pregnant! I called and offered my queen size air mattress. It is better than my house bed!! Well, someone had brought a regular mattress and they put in on top of a couple of cots. I heard it was in bad shape. Haven't got word back as to if they need the air mattress. I am also getting a rocking chair for her to rock the baby(ME TOO!!!).
THen there is another girl that is pregnant. I haven't met her yet. I heard she is young. She is just 3 months, so not too uncomfortable just yet.
It is just so sad that these ladies have to go through such a joyous time in a shelter. At least they are in a smaller place with few people, and at a place that cares. They are being taken care of nicely. We had 2 come to church service last night and 1 wants to come Sunday(that we've been told)! I'm sure more will come. I pray they all will want to.
If you are reading this, please pray for these families. They are so wide spread and so many that no one REALLY knows how many families are around the country without homes NOW! Most can't locate family members and may never. It is a desperate, sad situation. Keep them in your prayers. Even with the news goes on, these families will still be in shelters and need your help. Just ask around to see what you can do to help. I can only volunteer my time and loan some of my things. When everyone pulls together, like we usually do in the US, then peace will follow!
Thank you again for reading and caring! Praise God for the generous and genuine people who care!!
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| My story of a Katrina blessing! |
| 09.06.05 (4:29 pm) [edit] |
OK, I am not a wealthy individual and cannot give thousands of dollars, so I wanted to help in the only way I can. I have a friend 2 hours from me that had been working a shelter and I told her I wanted to join in. I got off work Friday and drove a little over 2 hours to meet my friend. She has a travel trailer at her business that is around the corner from the shelter, so I thought I could stay the night and come home Sat. morning.
OK, I got there and my friend said the shelter she stayed at was packed and I wouldn't be able to do much, so we went to a different shelter she had heard about. It was a church. We walked in and I said..laughing..."I drove 2 hours to help out...what can I do?" Come to find out, I had met the pastor and his wife before. I had been to their coffee shop! Small world.
Well, there were not many people there. They had taken them to the Friday night ball game. He told me I could help rock the babies. SO, I tried. No one would let me have one. There were close to 15 under the age of 2, maybe more. I decided to sit in on their meeting and listen to how God was working in this shelter. Red Cross was NOT involved, they had a DR. come in a check everyone out and provide prescriptions. The warehouse was filling....purely from word of mouth!
I FINALLY got to hold a baby....and another and another!hehehe!!! I rocked babies till 11:30! WHEW!! The mommies and daddies all came home around 10:30. They all were coming to us and thanking us for helping with their children. It was great. Well, we got up the next morning and went to help serve breakfast. There were very few people awake. I got to visit with those who were awake and alert! OH, there is 94 people in the shelter. ALL RELATED!!! One big family! 77 are from one family and the rest are from another family and they all know each other!AMAZING!
Sat. morning turned into Sat afternoon. I ran some erands in Houston and rushed back. We got back to help with lunch. All there was to do was to visit with the evacuees and make them feel welcomed. So I did! EVERYONE was SOOOOO thrilled to be in Texas. Everyone I spoke with wants to stay in the area and find jobs etc. My friend spent the entire day on the computer searching for loved ones. She found 3 the last I heard. Severla people couldn't locate theier small children. She found a 5 year old girl. It was AWESOME! She was with her God Mother and safe in another state. They will reunite soon. The people were coming and talking to us one by one and telling us their story. Some were heart breaking and some were uplifting. ALL were glad to be here.
A few told us how they lived in sin and couldn't stand it any longer. They said the shelter was better then what most of them came out of. It was a step up for most of them. THey are ready to make a fresh start with no one to judge, no one knows where or what they came from. Just that they are here and ready to make a living! I helped in the warehouse Sat. evening. We were sorting supplies in there. I have never seen such generosity in all of my short life. People STEADILY coming in to ask what is needed and what can they do to help. Just like me, they did not belong to the church. Local companies were coming in one after the other to bring applications in. 5, I think, already found jobs and many more are looking.
We didn't want to leave Sat. (remember I was going to leave Sat afternoon)! We went back to the trailer at 11:30( they made us leave as they lock up at that time). Sunday morning we got up and went back to go to church with them. I walke in and immediately started crying! The fromt row was filled and it was 30 minutes till service began. The evacuees were all on the front row. I had to walk out and compose myself. I went back in and some of them had moved to the back(at least they stayed!!!!!)! Well, service began and it was AWESOME! He talked about unity and judgement. How judgement was about your life, not your color! It was really neat how he handled the service as it was a white community and the evacuees were all black. At the end of the service he did the invitation. He had whoever wanted Christ in their life to look at him while everyone's head was down. Then he had them stand. THEN he said if you are not ashamed to have Christ as your savior please remain standing while everyone lifts their heads. OH MY GOODNESS!!! About 20 of the evacuees were standing. He asked them to come to the front and they came forward. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was truly amazing. God sen them here for a reason. They did not know Jesus, and now they do. THey are on there way to a much better life than they ever imagined! God will lead them in the direction He wants them to go and not where "they" want to go! GOD IS AWESOME!
Well, I stayed about an hour after church and then needed to head home to my own children. It was very hard to leave. I had grown attached to them. I started learning their names and the children! So sad. BUT, everyone says this is such a tragedy! I disagree!! I think is the best thing that could have happened to these 94 people at Eagle Heights in Mont Belvieu, Texas!!!! They got 25 more in Sunday evening and God will begin working with them as well! What a blessing to have been a part of that.
We now have 13 at my own church, so I am helping there. I will always have a place in my heart for those in the shelter in Mont Belvieu! Cedric who can't find his girlfriend, Brittni who is pregnant with her first child and is searching for a doctor to take her, Lucille who was EVERYONE's grandmother!, baby micheal, and many many others I was blessed to meet! What an Awesome God and and a great world we live in. The world may be full of hate, but we didn't see that this weekend!
Well, thanks for reading if you made it this far! I just felt the need to share my weekend!! AND on top of all of those blessings. My friend Michelle is sending the tractor trailer loaded with supplies for the shelters in our county! It's that awesome! We are so excited.
Cherie
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