Giving Hope
Over the next week or two I hope to reflect on several of the various aspects of our trip to Lakeshore, Mississippi, and the Gulf coast. Looking back, we can still recall the faces of those whose lives we interacted with and hopefully impacted in some small way while there.
Our first task brought us to the home of a husband and wife who had six children. The structure had been partially damaged by a fire not long before the hurricane. Katrina's winds and storm surge then swept through, submerging the entire home and destroying virtually everything inside.
Upon entering the living room area, we were just stunned at what we saw. Each room was piled high with wet, mildewed, and burned items, many of which were unrecognizable. The odor was unpleasant, to say the least. The damage was such that most of our guys wondered if attempting to remove the debris was even worth the effort, as the house itself appeared beyond rescue.
Despite the outward appearance, we were told by those directing our efforts there that the owners' greatest need was to be given hope. This was as crucial as our physical assistance, since their dream was to save the basic structure even though nearly everything inside was gone.
With that knowledge, we began to remove mountains of wet and burned garbage that used to be precious memories. We sorted through old ruined photo albums, smashed baby dolls, tarnished trophies and drenched Bibles, realizing that each one represented a special memory and something that could never be replaced.
After a full, and very hot, day and a half, we were able to strip the structure down to the internal wooden studs. We removed the walls, ceilings, insulation, wiring, vents and every single appliance into a huge mound in a long ditch near the street.
Our first glimpse of the woman of the home had been seeing her crying in her small car, overwhelmed at what her life had become. As we finished up our work, their FEMA trailer arrived and was installed in the front yard. This would give the husband and father the time he needed to rebuild the family home, which was now almost ready through what we had done.
It was only then when we saw that "hope" begin to appear on the face of this mother of six.
At our departure I took a group picture (the other seven of our team, plus the father and one son) and the family promised to send photos of the future reconstruction process.
We were also able to say goodbye and gaze upon the face of young Cody who perhaps also sensed that he would now someday soon return to the bedroom that had been suddenly snatched from him 2 months earlier.
Again words are not sufficient to relate an experience like this. But we pray that our actions that day gave that glimmer of hope to just one family. And we trust that we sufficiently showed the love of Christ in tangible way, as we sought to "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice."
Our first task brought us to the home of a husband and wife who had six children. The structure had been partially damaged by a fire not long before the hurricane. Katrina's winds and storm surge then swept through, submerging the entire home and destroying virtually everything inside.
Upon entering the living room area, we were just stunned at what we saw. Each room was piled high with wet, mildewed, and burned items, many of which were unrecognizable. The odor was unpleasant, to say the least. The damage was such that most of our guys wondered if attempting to remove the debris was even worth the effort, as the house itself appeared beyond rescue.
Despite the outward appearance, we were told by those directing our efforts there that the owners' greatest need was to be given hope. This was as crucial as our physical assistance, since their dream was to save the basic structure even though nearly everything inside was gone.
With that knowledge, we began to remove mountains of wet and burned garbage that used to be precious memories. We sorted through old ruined photo albums, smashed baby dolls, tarnished trophies and drenched Bibles, realizing that each one represented a special memory and something that could never be replaced.
After a full, and very hot, day and a half, we were able to strip the structure down to the internal wooden studs. We removed the walls, ceilings, insulation, wiring, vents and every single appliance into a huge mound in a long ditch near the street.
Our first glimpse of the woman of the home had been seeing her crying in her small car, overwhelmed at what her life had become. As we finished up our work, their FEMA trailer arrived and was installed in the front yard. This would give the husband and father the time he needed to rebuild the family home, which was now almost ready through what we had done.
It was only then when we saw that "hope" begin to appear on the face of this mother of six.
At our departure I took a group picture (the other seven of our team, plus the father and one son) and the family promised to send photos of the future reconstruction process.
We were also able to say goodbye and gaze upon the face of young Cody who perhaps also sensed that he would now someday soon return to the bedroom that had been suddenly snatched from him 2 months earlier.
Again words are not sufficient to relate an experience like this. But we pray that our actions that day gave that glimmer of hope to just one family. And we trust that we sufficiently showed the love of Christ in tangible way, as we sought to "weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice."
posted by Pastor Bill | 5:13 AM
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