SEPA Disaster Updates: News

Flooding Update / July 2

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:07:28 GMT

Across the region Sunday church groups and neighbors joined flood vicitms and emergency workers as they worked to muck out soaked living areas and put their lives back together again.

"I was very impressed and grateful for the way our churches are coordinating and working together," Bishop Claire Burkat said after a day-long look at the damage and recovery efforts along the Delaware River on Saturday, her first day in office.

Lutherans are providing physical assistance and spiritual care and presence to residents who are "discouraged, but not despairing" after three major floods along the Delaware in less than two years. Congregations are particularly focusing on those most at-risk, including the elderly, children, and single-parent families. Pastoral needs in these areas will increase in coming days, she noted.

"As we offer finances, water, bleach and assistance, we can also dig deep and offer the fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control," the bishop said. "Let us offer these fruits for each other, for our families and congregations, and for our communities as together we get through this time of crisis."

Members of St. John's Lutheran Church in Pottstown worshipped in a nearby fire hall this Sunday, then headed over to the church to continue pumping out and cleaning up the first floor of the church and parish hall, which were inundated in this week's flooding. Bishop Burkat is scheduled to visit St. John's and the surrounding neighborhood tomorrow.

Water filled most of the first floor of the parish hall and church at St. John's, Pottstown, and the congregation lost its office equipment and supplies, according to Pr. Burl Latshaw of Emmanuel, Pottstown, Lutheran Disaster Relief point person for the beleagured city along the Schuylkill.

Volunteers from Emmanuel and other local churches have also been working with local residents, some elderly, in cleaning up their homes. Fortunately, this flooding was far less serious than the devastating effects of Hurricane Agnes in 1972, Latshaw said.

In Kennett Square, there were 10 inches of water in the warehouse where United in Faith, a joint Lutheran-Episcopal mission, stored donations for the poor. Volunteers from Teenagers Networking Together and the 4H Program of Chesco came to help for several hours, but 16 contractor-size garbage bags filled with donations for the poor had to be tossed.

From his seat on the back porch of his Wayside Way home in Riegelsville, PA, Bob Lehr can gaze across his yard at the nearby dwelling where he was born nearly 80 years ago. His family has called Riegelsville home for at least four generations. Small wonder that Lehr, his wife, Blanche, and other family members are determined to restore the luster to the simple brick home that was invaded June 29 by flood waters for the third time in the last two years. Indeed, much of the work had been accomplished by Saturday afternoon July 1 when Southeastern Pennsylvania Bishop Claire Burkat and the Lehrs’ Pastor Deb Dawson came calling to offer encouragement. The Lehrs belong to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Riegelsville.

Bishop Burkat spent her first day in office viewing damage along the Delaware from Yardley to Raubsville, and is scheduled to visit Pottstown tomorrow. The Morning Call newspaper of Allentown featured the Lutheran presence in an article in Sunday's editions.

Your help is needed to help residents resume their lives and reclaim their homes. In many areas, work crews are already forming to assist with mucking out and making homes inhabitable once again. Lutheran Disaster Response Partners locally have established point persons for the affected areas: Lower Bucks, Upper Bucks, Phoenixville and Pottstown. If you can assist, contact Linda Frey at 610.847.5775 or email volunteer AT sepa DOT org.

Bleach, cleaning supplies, gloves, brooms and water are also needed for cleanup efforts. Materials can be deposited at Christ Lutheran Church, Kulpsville (clearly marked for local disaster relief, in the breezeway between the church office and garage) or through arrangement with the local coordinators:
Lower Bucks: Sandy Mullican, 215-736-2624, mullicansl@comcast.net
Pottstown: Pastor Burl Latshaw, 610-323-4312, namesakELCA@aol.com
Phoenixville: Lois Kadel, 215-256-4336, lokadel@verizon.net
Upper Bucks: Pastor Bill Rex, 215-804-0863, william.rex@verizon.net

Financial gifts to support local relief efforts can also be made through ELCA Domestic Disaster Relief. For more information visit their web site.

Flooding Update / July 1

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:06:42 GMT

When she was elected nearly two months ago, Bishop Claire Burkat had no idea that her first day in office would involve lunch in a fire hall, prayer in a half-gutted kitchen and lots of mud.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod's new bishop spent July 1 with Lutheran Disaster Response leaders viewing the damage left by the latest rampage of the Delaware River and meeting victims and volunteers attempting to clean up after the flood waters receded.

"The amount of work to do is overwhelming," Burkat said. "I am pleased that we have coordination in place and so many volunteers are stepping in to help."

In Yardley, where several hundred homes were under water at the height of the flood and the water still lapped at the edge of River Road, Burkat joined volunteers from Resurrection, Yardley, and St. John, Lower Makefield, as they helped Candy Carver and other residents of Morgan Road.

The bishop also visited emergency workers staged at Point Pleasant Fire Co. and visited sites in Upper Black Eddy, Riegelsville and Raubsville.

Flooding Update / June 30

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:05:50 GMT

Flooding Update / June 30, 2006

Flood waters are still too high to get into some hard-hit areas to even do damage assessment. People continue to be out of their homes in many areas along the Schuylkill River, including Pottstown, North Coventry, and areas near Phoenixville. Along the Delaware people are displaced from Yardley to Riegelsville in Bucks County, and of course people are affected in New Jersey and points north in Pennsylvania.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit several sites along the Delaware. In Raubsville, where people are wiped out for the third time in two years, I found a number of residents pondering the flood waters washing through the first floor of their homes. Along with their understandable grief and frustration I experienced gratitude -- their thanks that the Church stood with them in their hour of trial.

"When the church people came down, it was beautiful," one man told me (he asked that I not use his name). "Going through this is hard, and it was just so important to us to know we weren't going through this alone."

Photos are online here.

The scenes and the emotions are the same in many communities in our Synod right now. You can be part of that "beautiful" response and stand with people whose lives are turned upside down in several ways:

1. Pray for those affected and for the volunteers, emergency workers and agencies working to assist them. Prayers for this Sunday are available here.

2. Gifts of cash are needed for emergency operations. If your congregation is directly involved you can give directly to those efforts. Lutheran Disaster Relief has set up a response page for Northeast Flooding here. You can make an online gift or learn where to send checks designated for flood relief.

3. Volunteers are not needed today, but will be needed very shortly. If you are able to give some time to help with mucking damaged properties or other support tasks, contact Linda Frey at 610.847.5775 or e-mail volunteer@sepa.org. Linda will put your name on the list for notification as volunteer work groups are mobilized.

4. Keep an eye on our website for specific needs of supplies and equipment at various flooding sites.

Thank you for the support you have shown and will continue to provide as people across our region rebuild their homes and lives.

We have also received word from Bear Creek Camp that despite raging waters on the Bear Creek, appropriate precautions were taken and all campers and staff are dry and safe.

"Give us eyes to see the olive branch as the waters recede, knowing that you have been (and are) with us in the midst of it all."

Amen!

Flooding Update / June 29

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:04:57 GMT

Many areas of our Synod have been affected by severe flooding as the result of several days of heavy rains here and in areas north and west that feed the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. Several of our congregations and clusters are already involved in active evacuation and cleanup efforts, and once the waters recede there will be a huge task of cleanup in many communities.

As officials are assessing the scope of the disaster, Lutheran Disaster Relief is gearing up for the long task of cleanup and rebuilding. There will be many opportunities for you and your congregation to pitch in. LDR is starting to take contact information for individuals and groups who are willing to help with initial cleanup, so that they can quickly mobilize volunteers when needs are made known.

If you are able to volunteer, as an individual or with a group from your church, contact Linda Frey at 610.847.5775 or e-mail volunteer AT sepa DOT org. Leave your name, telephone numbers and email, congregation and any special skills/abilities you have.

Please pray for our sisters and brothers who are weathering what for many is the third flood event of the last two years. Here’s what we know so far about our congregations’ involvement:

- St. John, Pottstown, is in an area with severe flooding, and water damage is reported to the church and parsonage. Pr. Susan Folks has evacuated.

- Resurrection, Yardley is organizing cleanup crews to assist people in the borough of Yardley, which is mostly under water.

- The Palisades Lutheran Cluster has been working with officials on evacuation as the waters continued to rise. Initial assessment indicates that Raubsville, Upper Black Eddy, Point Pleasant and New Hope have significant flooding, while Riegelsville has seen less than expected.

- Low lying areas across the Schuylkill from Phoenixville have been hard hit, and St. John, Phoenixville is preparing to render assistance when waters recede.

- Other areas that have seen significant flooding include Downingtown and areas of Chester County along the Brandywine Creek; portions of West Norriton, Perkasie and Philadelphia, particularly Manayunk, where much of Main Street was under water yesterday.

We are still collecting information and will share updates as they become available. If you are aware of areas of need please contact Bob Fisher at 610.278.7339 or email rfisher AT sepa DOT org.

Flooding Update / June 28

Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:03:58 GMT

FLOOD RESPONSE UPDATE / June 28, 2006, 1:52 p.m.

With record flash flooding along local waterways this morning and river crests along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers expected to be a historic levels later today and tomorrow, Lutheran Disaster Relief Partners are gearing up to assist with relief and recovery efforts.

Here are the needs we are aware of at this moment:

Waters are still rising along the Schuylkill in Pottstown. Pr. Susan Folks of St. John, Pottstown reports being evacuated, and prayers are requested. LDRP reports that the Red Cross is staging at Emmanuel Lutheran Church.
Delaware River flooding is expected to be worse in some areas than the 1955 floods. In Upper Bucks, Pastor Bill Rex, Linda Frey and other LDRP task force members are staffing an emergency operations center assisting with evacuations. In Yardley, the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection is gearing up to assist residents in low lying areas. At Yardley the river is expected to crest 3 feet higher than the serious April 2005 flood.
When the Brandywine Creek spilled its banks in Downingtown, low lying areas of Messiah Lutheran's property flooded and the church has 3 to 4 feet of water in its basement.
The Ft. Washington/Upper Dublin area was hard hit with flooding which did not affect nearby Upper Dublin Lutheran Church or Christ's Lutheran in Oreland.

The worst is not over, as runoff from upstream areas hit with many inches of rain in the last few days makes its way down the major rivers. Please watch our website at www.ministrylink.org for new information as we receive it. If you are aware of other situations affecting ELCA churches, leaders or members, please contact Bob Fisher at rfisher AT sepa DOT org or phone 610.278.7339.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR CONGREGATIONS AFFECTED BY FLOODING OR INVOLVED IN RELIEF EFFORTS:
LDRP wants to know is your church, members or community are affected by this potential disaster. LDRP will host a conference call tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. to hear updates on local flooding and responses and determine next steps. Affected congregations or groups able to mobilize volunteers should call into this conference Thursday, 9:30 a.m. at 1.800.569.1949. The call requires a password, 700418 followed by the # sign.

Strong foundation, shaken world

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 21:35:47 GMT

Day Two

Today as we drove the second leg of the trip I noticed a billboard that proclainmed "Strong Foundation, Shaken World." We were whizzing along the interstate at an amazing clip (the drivers in Mississippi make my driving look like I'm a little old pastor's wife!) I wasn't able to read the entire sign or understand what the sign was advertising. "Strong Foundation, Shaken World..." the words kept rumbling around in my mind all afternoon. I wonder what that sign was about!

We arrived in Pascagoula, MS, around 5:30 P.M. and made a bee line for Sonny and Rainey's beautiful bayou home. As we pulled down the quiet lane to the house we saw Sonny unloading supplies off of his black pick up truck. "Sonny! Do you have supper ready?" I teased. The twinkle in his eye radiated from heart to heart as he recognized me. "Y'all wouldn't want me to lie to ya?" Sonny invited Tom and me into the house to see Rainey. She looked great and was entertaining a friend who had come for a visit. She pulled out those well worn pictures of their home as the waters of Katrina rose and rose and rose, flooding their home of fifty years. Tom sat down on the sofa and was welcomed into the circle of love that has grown since SEPA workcrews first met this family in January. Sonny and I were both anxious to take Tom across the bridge to see the house which had been gutted to its bones in January. The building that greeted us was awash in beautiful hues of yellow, rose, blue, and green! The kitchen walls had new cabinets hung and new ceramic tiles on the floor and newly installed wood flooring in the dining and living rooms. Gone were the vast holes in the floor we had uncovered in January! What an amazing transformation,,, Strong foundation, shaken world....

We left Sonny and Rainey's with the promise to return again, hopefully to help with more of the rebuilding. But first, on to Camp Victor to register and get our gear into the dormitory. We are going to sleep in bunk beds with real mattresses! What a joy that will be! Camp Victor has grown from a small group of church volunteers on a stormy day in August to this incredible operation that today alone had crews working on twenty three houses! Strong foundation, shaken world....

I sit now in a warehouse that has been transformed into an intake center, a distribution center, a dormitory for hundreds of volunteers, a base of operations for the children of God who have taken seriously the gospel imperative to love one another. Strong foundation, shaken world....

I have absolutely no idea what the billboard was advertising, but I am slowing realizing that God has provided for us the strong foundation we need, through Christ, to deal with those things which shake up our world. Strong foundation, shaken world....

I will sleep well tonight, secure in the knowledge that in Christ there is a sure foundation, a cornerstone for living out my faith.

God's Peace,

Lois

Top of the Morning, Tip of the Hat

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 21:34:39 GMT

End of Day One

This is a week I've been looking forward to since last September. My husband, Tom, and I have blocked off three weeks of time to spend together. Week one was a family vacation for us, our children, and two grandsons in Ocean City, New Jersey. The second week is a trip together to Ocean Springs, Mississippi to work together at Camp Victor, the relief and recovery center operated by Lutheran Disaster Response and Christus Victor Lutheran Church. Tom and I have not been able to schedule a trip together until now. And we are both looking forward to working together on the coast.

Last night as Tom and I finished washing our laundry, re-packing our suitcases for week two of our vacation, Tom asked the following question. "What time do you want to leave in the morning?" As many of you know, morning is not a time of day that I'm particularly familiar with - yes, I do wake up, in a manner of speaking in the morning, but I generally do not function for an extended period of time upon waking in the morning. "What do you think?" I hedged my answered carefully. Tom responded, "I was hoping to get on the road by seven." "A.M.?" I queried. "Yes, A.M." Tom replied. Well, we did get on the road in the morning, but it was closer to 11 A.M.! I'll spare you the ugly details, but we finally did get on the road returning to the coast, filled with excitement and anticipation for what the week ahead would hold.

For Tom, this will be his first time back to the coast since he first responded to the emergency following Katrina's onslaught in August. He was among the many first responders, flying to Jackson, MS, then traveling to Biloxi, then Ocean Springs, MS where he learned first hand the needs of the relief centers springing up in Lutheran churches in southern Mississippi. I was unable to get to Mississippi until January and have had the privilege of working with three different crews from Southeastern Pennsylvania churches since then. We both have come to acknowledge the profoundly life altering effect this experience has had on us. We wondered aloud what new insights, emotions, and worries this new trip would open up to us.

As we drove toward Morrisville, Tennessee, the halfway point on our trip, we talked together about what we planned to do. I wanted to get back to visit Sonny and Rainey to check on their progress. If they aren't back in their home yet, I hope to have the chance to work with Sonny again. Also, I'd like to spend some time at the distribution center. The sixth truckload of supplies collected from churches and communities in the SEPA synod through Christ Lutheran Church in Kulpsville is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I think it will be really exciting to help unload those gifts sent from our home church. Tom wants to work on a DVD which will tell the story of Christus Victor Lutheran Church and their amazing response to Hurricane Katrina. He wants to interview volunteers, organizers, and recipients of the food and supplies sent and homeowners who have had workcrews help re-build their homes. We spoke of our long list of things to do, places to go, and soon realized we would never be able to accomplish all the things on our "to-do" list. Our conversation dwindled as we silently sorted through our list trying to prioritize the most important things on our list.

As we drove along the rolling interstates of Tennessee we became aware of folks reading the magnetic sign on the side of our car. Laurie Hart, of Christ Lutheran Church, one of the crew from the April group nick named "Charlie's Angel's" had ordered these magnetic signs that read "Lutheran Disaster Response" with the LDR logo. It is certainly a step up from our previous mode of communication - chalk paint on the windows of our van. No smiley faces this time! But then, smiley faces don't always have to be painted on! A fellow, driving past our car, slowed to read the sign on the driver's side door. As he passed us on the left, he smiled, nodded his head in affirmation and tipped his hat! The smiley faces were on us as we felt the wonderful warm glow of knowing that what we were doing, along with thousands of other volunteers on the coast, mattered to others! Our list of "to do's" no longer seemed to have the importance we had previously assigned it. God's plan for us will unfold - He will use us as He pleases. And it will be good! Really good!

God's Peace,

Lois

Deja vu all over again!

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:33:10 GMT

April 28, 2006

"Oh my goodness! Someone's 1995 tax records are here!" I couldn't believe my eyes as I walked down the road of a Ocean Springs suburban development. We had visited this same development in January and were astounded at the violent aftermath of Katrina on this once quiet coastal cove. The debris field is still there, clothing and bed linens, carpeting and holiday decorations, still hanging as ghostly reminders of that happier time before August 29, 2005. And as I walked through the piles of debris I stooped down to look at the pile of papers in the mud and recognized the W-2 forms that all taxpayers are required to attach to their returns. These returns were for a person named Charles Neel from Louisiana. The returns were filed in April 1995 and all of his personal financial information was there for anyone to see. His income, his deductions, his social security number. Another pending violation of this persons life and property - just waiting for the wrong person to pick up his papers.

There is such a strange feeling of the surreal - bathtubs in the back yard, stairways going nowhere, a pup tent serving as a child's bedroom outside of a FEMA trailer, a life sized Christmas Santa stashed in the ruins his arm sticking out looking like a corpse - stark and surreal - so very hard to comprehend.

I found it hard to believe this development was in virtually the same condition it was in four months ago. It was a deja vu experience, all over again.

Deja Vu has been on my mind lately. I've been in a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young mood lately. You probably picked up on that when you read yesterday's journal entry, Tin Soldiers and Nixon's Coming. Graham Nash, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young are the composers of some of my favorite songs from the 1970's and Deja Vu is probably one of my favorite albums (CDs!) along with Carole King's Tapestry album. The lyrics from the Deja Vu album encapsulate some of the powerful feelings I've been experiencing since coming to Mississippi, "Helpless," "Carry On," "Our House," "Deja Vu," and "Everybody I Love You."

Helpless is how I feel sometimes when confronted with the enormity of this event. We watched a DVD this evening, "Eight Days In Biloxi" compiled by a volunteer from Dublin, Ohio. He spent a week at Bethel Lutheran Church in Biloxi, MS last October and recorded his experience. His photos showed how things looked early on, before so many volunteers came to the Gulf. The destruction was apalling and the visual impact of his video was gut wrenching. He said that Katrina impact was felt on an area the size of all of Great Britain, a new way to put this into perspective.

I feel helpless when confronted by the size of this thing. I feel helpless when I work one-on-one with someone and see their situation and hear the pain in their voice and witness the challenges they face on a daily basis. Then I do the math.... helpless....

Carry On - that's what the people on the coast are doing. There is re-building going on. The number of blue tarps of the roofs of homes is beginning to lessen. The lines at lumber yards and home improvement stores like Lowe's and Home Depot is testimony to the resilience and determination of these folks. These people still go to work (if their jobs are still available to them), they still pay their mortgages, children still go to school, and people still attend church. They carry on....

The sky is clearing and the night

Has gone out

The sun, he come, the world

Is all full of light

Rejoice, rejoice, we have no choice but

To carry on

The fortunes of fables are able

To sing the song

Now witness the quickness with which

We get along

To sing the blues you've got to live the tunes and

Carry on

Love is coming

Love is coming to us all!

And with the help of hundreds of church groups coming here to help re-build, love is coming to us all!

Our House

Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you...

I think (and I feel certain that all of our volunteers think) of Sonny and Rainey's house as our house. We've invested so much of ourselves in re-building that place, working alongside of Sonny day in and day out. Our house is a very, very, very fine house! However, there are no cats in the yard, but quite a few dogs! And yes, life used to be so hard, now everything is easy, 'cause of you... That's you, the person who put those extra dollars in the offering plate to send a work crew to Mississippi... That's you, the person who took personal time off from work to spend your valuable and limited vacation time in Pascagoula re-building a flooded out home.... That's you, who bought extra food, water, bleach, paper towels and toilet paper and sent on a truck to Christus Victor... That's you, who has prayed every day for the safety and well-being of the people here and the long term recovery of these coastal states...

This week our crews also helped a woman named Rose in Biloxi by re-wiring her house, a woman named Galleen in Moss Point by finishing the installation of her siding, a woman name Loan in East Biloxi by painting her walls and ceilings. All of these homes we consider our house...

Everybody I Love You....

Though your heart is an answer

I need your love to get me through

When I tell you I love you

You can believe that it's true

Everybody I love you

Everybody I do!

The bonds of caring and love that have grown between the volunteers, the people of Mississippi, the people at Christus Victor has been an added bonus for those involved in this effort. There is a palpable feeling of the love of Christ in the midst of what we are doing and it is translated in every interaction between volunteer and homeowner, crew member to crew member, and on and on.

Ron Bardman and I went to Lowe's this afternoon. Ron purchased more molding to finish the trim work around Sonny's windows. I purchased switchplate and outlet covers and two smoke detectors. The man checking out ahead of us said, "That's a good sign!" I looked up at him and said, "What's a good sign?" He replied, "You're getting to the end putting up your switchplate covers and that's a good sign." "Yes, you're right! That is a good sign." I had been feeling frustrated all week about Sonny's house. We didn't get the kitchen cabinets installed, we didn't get the third coat of joint compound on the bathroom drywall. I wasn't looking at the big picture though. We have gotten Sonny to the place where all of this is manageable for him. He has hope now, very real hope of seeing this thing through and getting back into his home before hurricane season begins. It's going to be okay!

Sonny made a point of taking us to his sister's house this afternoon before we said goodbye. Sis's home is about four houses away from Sonny's, just up a bit from the bayou. She lives in the home where she and Sonny crew up. They've been in this neighborhood since 1939. A Presbyterian church crew from Oregon just left this afternoon after spending a week fixing up Sonny's sister's home. Sis told us how five different church crews have helped her do the repairs. "It's better now than it was before!" she beamed proudly. The home is a beautiful old southern style home with beautiful high ceilings and lovely architectural features. It really did look quite nice! Once again we heard those words repeated, "If it wasn't for the churches, I don't know what I would have done!" A renewal is happening here and it's not just in the bayou. Church people are starting to get a sense of what the church is about - they are living the gospel imperative that Jesus Christ himself commanded his disciples. Church people are getting out of the pews and getting out into the streets, into the neighborhoods and to those who are hurting... It's deja vu, all over again!

God's Peace,

Lois Kadel

PS: Our crews all leave tomorrow. It's been a wonderful experience with this group of people. Please keep Pastor Bob Doll, Mike Oxenford, Peter Doris, Jan and Ralph Barndt as they all fly out tomorrow. The weather forcasts aren't too promising for air travel! Also keep our drivers in your prayers too as Lee Smeltz, Clyde Beck, Walt and Joanne West, Ron and Marlene Bardman, Debbie High, Deb Freece, and myself travel home by van and motor homes. We are all looking forward to seeing our loved ones again! We've missed you all!

Tin Soldiers and Nixon’s Coming

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:32:37 GMT

April 27, 2006

Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming

We're finally on our own

This summer I hear the drumming

Four dead in Ohio.

“Four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio, four dead in Ohio....” I've heard the lyrics to Neil Young's powerful dirge written in 1970 following the deaths of four college students on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio. I can well remember the impact of those shootings and as we approach the 36th anniversary of that event in May 2006 I grieve for the senseless loss of those young lives.

Four dead in Ohio... I learned this week that 1,604 persons died in Katrina's wake and that just recently the number of lost from the storm has finally dipped under the 1,000 mark. Bodies are still being found, another two were just uncovered in New Orleans earlier this month. In our de-briefing session the other night, Ralph Barndt told us of noticing an article on the bulletin board in the hallway of Christus Victor Lutheran Church.

Dateline - Baton Rouge, LA (AP) Fewer than 1,000 of the 11,600 people reported missing after Hurricane Katrina remain on the list, the state health department said Wednesday. Over the past three weeks, the number was cut from about 1,900 as of March 13 to 987 Tuesday evening. The Family Assistance Center, formerly the Find Family National Call Center, got 11,626 missing persons reports after Hurricane Katrina. It told the Department of Health and Hospitals on Wednesday that 9,804 were found alive and 835 were confirmed deceased. "That is a significant achievement, especially considering that we have had more than 11,000 missing person reports to follow up on," said Dr. Louis Cataldie, state medical examiner and incident commander for the Family Assistance Center. "Fortunately, most of them were found alive and simply had not made contact with their loved ones. Unfortunately, we know that there are some people reported missing who may never be found."

The article lists a website where one can find the list of the missing, www.katrinamissing.dhh.louisiana.gov. I went to the site and felt the same sense of grief I had felt those 36 summers ago as I wept over the four dead in Ohio. We are bombarded by the media with an ever increasing numbers of tragedies. We all see the suicide bombers, terrorists using planes as bombs, tsunami and hurricane victims - on and on and on. We see people dying and we watch the replays - and I wonder, are we becoming so numb to the loss of all of these people? We watch the 11 o'clock news, we see the video, we comment, "Isn't that awful!" and then roll over and go to sleep. The next day dawns and we begin our daily routine. Does it even matter?

I went to the Katrina Missing website and was going to pick a few names to share with you, just to make it a little more real. But then I started to look over the list and felt I had to share it in its entirety.

[view it here: http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/miscdocs/docs-192/Still_Missing/StillMissing_04242006.htm]

White trailers and FEMA vouchers

We're feeling we're all alone

This summer I hear the drumming,

Sixteen hundred four gone on the coast.

Gotta get down to it

people are missing down here

should have been found long ago

What if you knew her

And found her dead on the ground

How can you run when you know?

White trailers and FEMA vouchers

We're feeling we're all alone

This summer I hear the drumming,

Sixteen hundred four gone on the coast.

Gotta get down to it

people are frightened down here

houses are gone and the storms

Will be returning and killing again

How can you run when you know?

White trailers and FEMA vouchers

We're feeling we're all alone

This summer I hear the drumming,

Sixteen hundred four gone on the coast.

Gotta get down to it

rebuilding and stoking the hope

Life will be normal again.

What if this happened to

your Momma, your Pop or your child?

How can you run when you know?

White trailers and FEMA vouchers

We're feeling we're all alone

This summer I hear the drumming,

Sixteen hundred four gone on the coast.

God's Peace,

Lois Kadel

There will be an informational session for anyone interested in joining Hurricane Work Crews this Sunday night, 7:30 pm at Christ Lutheran Church, Kulpsville. Please call the church at 215-256-8738 for information.

I'll have a Mango Margarita, Please!

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:24:42 GMT

April 26, 2006

Last this afternoon our crews returned from their various assignments to have dinner at Christus Victor’s dining room. The volunteers who work in the kitchen do amazing things with the donations that are sent here to feed volunteers and members of the community. We had ham with pineapple sauce, spiced apples, cheddar mash potatoes, carrots, and a wonderful homemade chocolate cake with whipped cream icing. I’ve complained with each trip that I’ve gained five pounds every time I come here. The cooks in the kitchen out do themselves every time!

After dinner we have devotions in the sanctuary. Tonight Pastor Deborah Dawson lead the devotions and she spoke of resurrection. She asked the volunteers, “Where did you see resurrection today?” One woman spoke of clearing out a yard full of debris. Everything was ruined, destroyed by the storm surge. Yet, amid the destruction a sunflower was blooming, it’s bright yellow petals sending a message of hope amidst the devastation. One of our volunteers, Jan Barndt of Little Zion, Telford, spoke of touring around Ocean Springs and going to the now famous Ocean Springs/Biloxi Bridge that used to span across the Gulf of Mexico. The fury of Katrina pancaked that bridge into oblivion. Each and every volunteer who comes to Christus Victor is encouraged to go to the bridge to get a sense of the scope of the damage caused by last summer’s premier hurricane. Slab after slab of concrete was lifted up and slammed down leaving pilings where roadway once stood. Amidst the rubble Jan found wild daisies growing in the concrete. A sign of new life and hope.

Following our evening worship service our group of fourteen met in the chapel to de-brief. Every night we meet together and each person shares a transforming experience or epiphany moment that they had experienced during the day. I usually go through my days here making mental notes of those things that make an impression on me, those things that I’d like to share in my journal or those things that I’ll talk about in our evening de-briefings. Today I just couldn't think of a thing that I felt was interesting or insightful enough to share. Our group started to share their thoughts, feelings of wishing they had begun to get involved sooner. One of our volunteers, Peter Doris of Calvary West Chester shared his feelings of guilt for not responding sooner. Peter is a first time volunteer to the coast. He’s been seeing for himself, first-hand, the devastation and witnessed the personal toll this event has taken on the people of the Gulf Coast. With emotion gripping his voice he expressed his sorrow for not coming sooner. Peter and his wife are parents to four young children and yet, he is here. We have another volunteer, Mike Oxenford, who is father to six, and yet he is here. The volunteers who come to help are all ages. Retirees, college students, young parents, empty nesters - all taking time to come and help.

And I think that's what I’d like to share with you tonight, the volunteers. I’ve been privileged to be here with three different groups now and with each group a wonderful camaraderie develops and we become fast friends. I still think about the group of 25 who came to Mississippi in January and the fun we had together. Then the group of five we dubbed Charlie’s Angels, four women and one man on a mission together. Now this group of fourteen have grown in Christ’s love together, working on a common mission, working with a servant’s heart to heal the pain of Katrina. We’ve come to appreciate and love each other for the gifts we bring to this ministry and we celebrate each other’s abilities and we laugh together at the quirks that make us unique. Tonight we joined together at a local Mexican style eatery for nachos and re-fried beans, salsa, and a cold drink. I ordered a mango margarita looking forward to the icy cold drink and the salt rimmed glass. When all of our beverages and munchies were served we all raised our glasses and said, “Cheers!” as we clinked our drinks together. We laughed together, told stories, and even cried together as we shared our personal journeys together. We have become more than volunteers from Southeastern PA synod, we’ve become friends. More than workers in the kingdom of God, we’ve become brothers and sisters - the children of God. It occurred to me as we laughed together and enjoyed each other’s company, that God does, indeed, work in mysterious ways! Look at this group of people who, just a few short weeks ago didn’t know each other, and now, after a few days working together, were friends. An added bonus to this thing called mission!

In a few minutes, I’ll be crawling into my sleeping bag on my cot in the fellowship hall. I’ll be saying my prayers and falling quickly to sleep, I hope! As I pray, I will be saying a prayer of thanksgiving for these people who have answered God’s call to respond to his children in despair on the coast. Everywhere we go, people say thank you to us for coming. They tell us how important it has been for the thousands of church volunteers to come to the Gulf to help. It happened again tonight as a patron just got up and came over to our table to thank us for coming. She spoke of the many in her neighborhood who suffered utter destruction and then said, “I don't know where we’d be without the church volunteers...”

The reality is the church is needed here and will be for a long time. Today, at breakfast, a representative from LDR spoke briefly at the morning devotions. He spoke of the long-term need for volunteers, supplies, and assistance. He said the reality is our volunteer base follows CNN. Our volunteer base will diminish with the next disaster. This disaster is going to impact this region for the next eight years, at least!

Volunteers are needed at home collecting and sending supplies, spreading awareness of the widespread damage of Katrina, and sending crews to help. We would ask you, as volunteers serving on the frontline today, to consider how you can serve tomorrow.

God’s Peace,

Lois Kadel

Sleepless Nights, Bad Dog Sign, Thunderboomers, and Balm

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:23:54 GMT

April 25, 2006

Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.

There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.

Sleepless in Mississippi - that's what I was thinking of focusing my journal on today - sleeplessness. We are sleeping in a large room with about sixty people all together. We lie on cots which have a thin, plaid covered foam mattress. I've not had any trouble sleeping here in the past, but I did have trouble sleeping last night. I couldn't get comfortable and every time I would move to adjust my position, the cot would squeak and the foam mattress would make a very annoying scrunching sound. I'd immediately stop and lie still in whatever position I was in - fearful that my tossing and turning would awaken those around me. But then I’d be in an even more uncomfortable position and have to move again! The room was also very warm last night and I began to think maybe I should go and get a cool, wet rag to help lower my body temperature. As gently as possible I rolled out of my cot and put my flip flops on. Walking as quietly as one can walk in flip flops I walked past four rows of sleeping people to get to the cooler bathroom and the cold water. Nothing I tried worked! Not even taking a Tylenol PM worked! I spent the night in a nether land halfway between sleep and frustration. Not a great way to start the day!

The temperatures this morning was racing to get to the high of 82 degrees with 80% humidity. We walked outside to go to the tool shed and entered a sauna called The South. Sweat began to pour out of my pores instantaneously and I hadn't even begun to work yet. It was going to be a long day....

Our crews were once again divided. Crews went to Biloxi, the distribution center, and to Pascagoula to Sonny's house. Deb Freece, Debbie High, Jan and Ralph Barndt, Peter Doris, and myself were assigned the job of painting three bedrooms in Sonny and Rainey's home. Walls and ceilings - finally! The paint colors had been chosen, a rosey pink for Rainey’s room, a cool light green for Sonny’s room, and a light sky blue for Paul, Sonny and Rainey’s grandson. But you’d think I’d be excited about this, wouldn't you? But I couldn't shake a sense of frustration and maybe even a little bit of anger. I must confess I had hoped and prayed that we’d be putting the finishing touches on this house this week, and maybe even help Sonny move back in. But that eventuality is still months away. I learned yesterday that no other work crews had been to Sonny's since Charlie’s Angels departed in early March. Sonny and his sons have been trying to put the house back together themselves. I also learned that both sons had also sustained significant storm damage to their homes and had to work on them as well. June 1st still looms precariously in the future as the threat of more hurricanes with the new hurricane season becomes an even more threatening reality. 70,000 homes - 70,000 families - still at risk.

Bad Dog Sign - Dr. John, legendary New Orleans jazz singer and composer croons a song about a bad dog, it goes something like this:

I got the baddest dog. He'll bite anybody.
He bit my little brother,
Took a chunk out of my old sweet little mother
He bit the mailman, he sees him EVERY day.
He takes one look at you, he wanna jump up and play.

Now I ain't got a clue as to what you puttin' down, but
How come my dog don't bark when YOU come around?

My dog is dangerous. Try to set people straight.
I even bought a "bad dog" sign & hung it on the gate.
Now here you come trippin' about a quarter to nine,
Full of that Night Train wine, Trying to slide past the sign.
My dog's layin', noddin' off, ain't payin' you NO mind.

That's MY DOG & when I come home he don't sleep that sound.
How come my dog don't bark when YOU come around?

We ran into a bonified (no pun intended!) junk yard dog today. We knew this dog had a bad attitude, we even warned the new members of our team. Watch out for that black dog, he's got a bad attitude. But there was an old black corvette sitting on the property next to Sonny's house and sometimes, boys will be boys, they've just got to sneak a peak at those mean looking set of wheels. Well, right behind the mean looking Corvette was an even meaner dog who took a bite out of Ralph! A bad dog sign would have been useful today! (Ralph wasn't bitten badly - he runs pretty fast for his demographic!)

In my first journal entry for this trip I wrote, “I don't do thunderstorms!” Well, yes, I do. We had a doozey of a storm this afternoon! While riding back to Christus Victor a pretty strong cold front came through spawning loud thunder, vivid lightening strikes and heavy rain. Debbie and I sat in the back seat of the car, Ralph stayed in the front seat, while the others dodged the rain and challenged fate running to the building. We learned that Ralph had once been struck my lightening, affirming for me my intention not to get out of the car until the storm was well past.

I am tired. I've only been here for a few days, and I'm tired. I'm frustrated too. I want these people back in their homes, we all do. We’ve all come here to make a difference and it’s hard to tell if that is happening. Only 80 volunteers are here this week and there are 100 homes on the waiting list for help at Christus Victor and more people coming daily asking for assistance. The percentages of people experiencing depression, anger, experiencing domestic violence, thoughts of suicide, road rage and other destructive behaviors are increasing. The people on the coast are tired, frustrated, and worried too. They will still be here when we leave on Saturday morning. It is too much....

I came back from dinner tonight and laid down on my cot hoping to feel a little better. I feel soundly asleep. Deb Freece came over and nudged me gently, “Do you want to go to evening devotions?” A voice inside me said, “No, sleep!” I heard my voice say, “Yes, I'll be right with you.” I went to the sanctuary, but kept thinking about my cot. Pastor Robert Doll from Grace Lutheran Church in Hatfield, PA, who finally arrived yesterday after several flight delays, was leading our worship this evening. “I like to sing,” he announced. “Let's sing the first verse to ‘There is a Balm in Giliad.’” Acapella voices rose and sang the words, “Sometimes I feel discouraged and think my works in vain, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again.” I felt as if Pastor Doll was reading my mind, I am discouraged, and I do think this work is in vain.... A gentleman sitting in front of me leaned forward a little, straining to hear Pastor’s words. His tee shirt had these words printed on the back, “Ponder ANEW what the Almighty can do!” You know, it's not the work I am doing, it is not the work our crew is doing or all the volunteers are doing on the coast, but what the Almighty is doing. It’s so interesting the many ways the Holy Spirit conveys that reminder to me, to us. Tonight it was through a tee shirt. As I lay down to sleep tonight, I will say my prayers, and will ponder ANEW what the Almighty can do. I think I'm going to sleep well tonight.

God's Peace,

Lois Kadel

Little Boss and Starfish

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:22:43 GMT

April 24, 2006

Monday mornings in Mississippi can absolutely test the patience of a saint! The beginning of a new work week with new crews, and on this trip new work assignment coordinators, makes the first of the work week crew assignments more than a little bit confusing! But we prevailed and after a few mis-steps we found ourselves on our way to our different assignments. Walt West, Lee Smeltz, and Clyde Beck are re-wiring a home in Biloxi. Ralph Barndt is assigned to the distribution center to help do electrical wiring there and his wife, Jan Barndt is working there to distribute food. Deb Freece, Debbie High, Peter Doris, myself and a crew from the Palisades Lutheran Cluster went to a home in East Biloxi to paint the entire house. At the end of our first workday we met in the dining hall to de-brief our day.

De-briefing is always a wonderful time to share the moments that touched us, agitated us, moved us, or concerned us about the day. I was asked to begin by our team leader, Deb Freece, and I knew immediately which story, out of the many I could have told from the day, I would choose to share. I wanted to tell everyone about “Little Boss.” Little Boss, or Loan Nygun, is a 31 year old Vietnamese woman who is the homeowner of the property we painted in East Biloxi. She came to the United States as a refugee when she was 18 years old along with her mother, father, and five younger siblings. As the oldest child, Loan has felt tremendous responsibility for taking care of her family. After she graduated from high school she immediately went to work for the Biloxi Housing Authority (and she also works a second job in a nail salon). She worked hard enough to be able to purchase a lovely home for her parents seven years ago. It is that home which was flooded to the roof and had to be completely gutted. It is now in the final stages of re-building and Loan's mother is hopeful to be able to return to her home before hurricane season begins. Loan told us of how she has helped two of her siblings go to college. The first sibling to graduate has gone on to graduate school to pursue his Ph.D. The second is a pharmaceutical student, and a third has been accepted at Texas A&M University. There are two younger siblings who Loan intends to put through school. I asked her if she was going to go to college. “Oh, no,” she replied, “My reading is not that good!”

Loan continued to tell of the problems she has encountered with red tape following the hurricane. Inspections, permits, dealing with insurance issues, purchasing supplies - Loan has handled it all! I neglected to mention, Loan is married and has two children, ages 2 and 4! We all commented on how much she has accomplished and how well she has navigated the complicated maze of disaster recovery. She smiled a beautiful smile at us and said, “They call me Little Boss because I get lots done!”

As we went around the circle, each volunteer told of similar stories. Joanne who stayed behind at Christus Victor today to input data for the case workers shared stories of conversations she had with people from the community who come to Christus Victor for lunch. The phone call from someone who told her she needed help burying her son. The heartache sometimes is too much to bear.

Pastor Deborah Dawson, a volunteer from the Palisades Cluster shared in evening devotions tonight, an experience she had at the distribution center. A woman pulled up to the center, needing food and supplies. She mentioned to Pastor Dawson who was working the line that she needed to be at the hospital for a CAT Scan in forty five minutes. “Yes, we’ll be able to get you through in time,” Pastor Dawson assured the woman. “What kind of CAT Scan are you having?” she inquired. “A renal CAT Scan,” was the reply. Pastor Dawson’s eyes began to brim with tears, her face turning crimson as she continued the story, “What's wrong with your kidney?” she asked. “How do you know it’s my kidney?” the woman asked with a surprised look on her face. “Because I had renal cell carcinoma and I’m still here!”

Isn’t it funny how God places us in just the right place at the right time? Just what are the odds? The woman is going to meet with Pastor Dawson on Wednesday after the doctors stage her cancer. She will meet with someone who can offer her hope and assurance. Yes, you can live with one kidney! God is here and God is active - and this sort of thing happens over and over again!

There are only 80 volunteers at Christus Victor this week. This is the lowest number I’ve seen in the times I’ve been here and it concerns me. The white board in the assignment center is full of names of homeowners who still need help. The distribution center is busy everyday with carloads of people who need food. (The truckload of food and supplies that Christ Lutheran, Kulpsville, sent to Christus Victor three weeks ago lasted only four days!) The need here is beyond great - it is critical. Volunteers, supplies, and monetary donations are desperately needed. Towels, linens, paper towels, toilet paper, water, bleach, and food are presently needed at the distribution center. Gift cards for Lowe’s are needed to purchase supplies for the re-build. Volunteers are needed to come to the coast and work. Please help as God leads you and please pray for all on the coast. June 1st brings another set of worries as Hurricane Season 2006 commences.

During our orientation on Saturday night, Amy Beerson, the volunteer coordinator here told the story of the starfish. A little boy was walking along the beach when he encountered hundreds of starfish somehow stranded on the sand. He picked one up and tossed it back into the ocean. He scooped up another and did the same, then another, and another. A man walking down the beach saw what the youngster was up to and he came over and said, “You are never going to get all of these starfish back into the ocean. Throwing those few back isn’t going to make a difference. I don’t know why you bother.” The little boy looked up at the man, then bent back down and picked up another starfish and threw him back into the surf. “It made a difference for him!”

What our little groups are doing here on the coast is like what that little boy did for that one starfish. We are making a difference for that one family we help. There are 70,000 families on the coast who’ve lost their homes. We’ve got a lot more starfish to throw back in the ocean!

God's Peace,

Lois Kadel

Strange and awesome strife

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:03:52 GMT

April 23, 2006

"Hail, the victim undefiled, Al-le-lu-ia!

God and sinners reconciled, Al-le-lu-ia!

When contending death and life, Al-le-lu-ia!

Met in strange and awesome strife, Al-le-lu-ia!"

What a strange and curious day we've had, but oh, what a glorious morning! We worshipped today in the recently restored sanctuary of Christus Victor Lutheran Church. On this first Sunday after Easter the wondrous words, "Christ is risen, alleluia!" echoed up to the rafters. Just a few months ago, on Martin Luther King's birthday weekend, we also worshipped in this holy place. In January the flood soaked carpet had been removed, some drywall had started to be hung by volunteer groups, and none of the usual amenities associated with a worship service were available. Today, however, the lilies of Easter morning graced the altar and the rise behind the altar where the large cross was once again suspended from the ceiling. In August that cross swung precariously back and forth as Katrina called forth her fury on Ocean Springs and beyond.

Following our worship service our group decided to go see Sonny and Rainey Naquin over in Pascagoula. We learned today that no one has been back to work at their home since "Charlie's Angels" left in March. We will be able to return to help them this week, as well as work at the distribution center in Ocean Springs which is being converted into dormitories for future volunteer groups. Sonny and Rainey need to chose the paint colors for their walls, so we stopped at the local Loew's to get color samples for them. Sonny and Rainey were so pleased to see us! Rainey looked and sounded as if she was feeling much better. She got up and walked to the door to answer our knock. It was the first time I've seen her walk since I met her in January. Sonny was working at his house along with a son we hadn't met yet. He planted a big kiss on my cheek when he saw me, and gave a big hug and squeeze to Debbie Freece who had also been with the mucking crew in January. He was so pleased to welcome yet another SEPA crew to his home! There was much laughter, smiling, and warm feelings as Sonny showed the new crew the work that has already been done and the work left to do. We departed from Sonny's home with a promise to return in the morning and get back to work. He asked, "Y'all goin to come in the morning? What time do y'all call morning?" directing his question right at me. "Noon?" he grinned impishly. My reputation of not being a morning person has now reached the Gulf Coast and gained legendary proportions!

We left Sonny's and headed west. Our destination - New Orleans. Both of the previous work crews tried to get to New Orleans but could never pull themselves away from the work at hand. This time we decided to go first before getting involved in our work and what a strange experience it was traveling through the still standing debris and devastation of Katrina at eight months and counting post her arrival. We drove down coastal route 90 toward Biloxi and Gulf Port. It was 82 degrees and sunny today, and also quite humid. As we drove the coastal highway, on the left we saw the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, her sparkling blue waters shimmering, with hints of white caps lapping at the shoreline. We could also see debris poking out of the waters. Trees, cars, refrigerators, furniture and unseen, deep beneath the waters, the remains of some of the missing who were washed out to sea on that fateful day in August.

The strange dichotomy of experiences continued as we watched children flying kites on the left of Highway 90 and cars smashed beyond recognition abandoned along the highway on the right side of the road. Sunbathers spread out on brightly colored beach towels soaked up the noon day sun while homeowners continued to try to sort through their possessions in piles on their lawns. Beach volleyball on the left, demolition on the right. Life and a taste of what had been on the left, death and the end of what had been on the right. Strange and awesome strife - very, very strange....

We drove across a five mile long bridge over the now infamous Lake Pontchartrain. The right side rails on the bridge were no where to be seen, blown into the lake by Katrina. In its place two foot tall concrete barriers stood sentinel, the only thing between a long line of tractor trailers, busses and cars, and the deep waters of Pontchartrain. New Orleans was inundated by the 30 foot plus storm surge of Katrina, flooding homes not only up to the second floor but over the rooftops. Then the levys burst and Lake Pontchartrain ravaged the neighborhoods of New Orleans, rupturing oil storage tanks and filling the waters with toxin waste. In so many of the homes we drove past this afternoon people died... I mean died, they actually died. Dead. Those marks on the doorways, spray-painted by rescue workers searching for survivors, told the sad story. An X with a circle around it and then information written in each open quadrant of the X - the date rescuers finally arrived at the home, the number of people found alive, the number of people found dead, and the identifying information for that particular rescue crew. You can see the water marks on the rooftops and know that the people that sought refuge in the attics of their homes most likely were a statistic listed in a spraypainted X on their doorway a few weeks later.

We drove through parts of the 9th Ward, St. Bernard's Parish. A SEPA work crew from St. Michael's in Sellersville spent a week there in February. Do you realize that the electricity has still not been restored to large portions of the 9th Ward? We drove off of the interstate onto the side streets of the ward. For a few blocks we had the safety net of traffic lights. But as we proceeded futher into the ward we noticed the traffic lights no longer worked and small stop signs were placed in the roadway to signal to drivers. No electricity, no phone service, no place for thousands to live, empty shells of homes standing just as they stood on August 29th. We passed a church whose sign listed services on Sunday, August 28th, the day before life changed forever on the coast. Some of the letters still remained, enough to piece together the message but even more powerful because of the letters that were missing. A hellish wind and driving rain attacked this neighborhood, this county, this community, this state, these states, this entire region. And life goes on....but not here. Under every overpass piles of flooded and hurricane damaged cars have been rescued from their watery graves and piled in heaps waiting to be removed, someday. Boats are also intermingled with the cars, and so are mattresses, furniture, toys - and despair. Strange and awesome strife....

We drove to the French Quarter. I have never been to Louisiana or New Orleans before, although our daughter Liz was in New Orleans for the ELCA youth convention in the 1990's. Talk about strange! Within three blocks of some of the saddest and heartwrenching scenes I have ever witnessed in my life are scenes of merriment, entertainment, and crowds of people seemingly oblivious to what is going on a few streets over. As we drove through the Quarter, our van windows painted with the message, "Katrina Relief Crew, Lutheran Disaster Response, Pennsylvania," we saw people taking pictures of our van! Ummm, pretty strange too. A van full of church people in the French Quarter. Well, maybe not so strange. We are called to demonstrate that Jesus loves us - yes, Jesus loves us! And Jesus' love is grace and action combined. We are called to demonstrate that love, and I hope, and believe, that our van with its message of hope and recovery was indeed, a meeting of the strange and awesome in New Orleans. Aleluia, indeed!

Tomorrow our work begins... Please keep us in your prayers. Please pray also for Pastor Bob Doll and Grace, Hatfield member, Mike Oxenfield who are being put up in a Houston, Texas hotel, waiting for their connecting flight to Biloxi. We expected them this evening, but because of several delays, they won't arrive until late Monday afternoon. Pray also for Pastor Paul Beck, who was supposed to be with our group until unexpected emergency surgery forced him to postpone his trip. And two other members of our crew, Ron and Marlene Bardman, will be arriving tomorrow as they drive their motorhome into Ocean Springs. And pray for the people on the coast. We were reminded in orientation that we get to go home after a week. These people have been living with this disruption and devastion for months on end and there is no end in sight for them. And the hurricane season looms....

God's Peace,

Lois Kadel

Gulf Coast Journal, Pt. III

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:07:56 GMT

Trip Day 6; Work Day 4...

A sign here reads, “Katrina was an act of nature; What we do here is an act of GOD!” and I’ll add... OH, YEAH!

Those words now adorn one of our van windows. The back window says, “Oh Yeah!.” The other side window reads “Christ Lutheran Church, Kulpsville, PA” and “Lutheran Disaster Response.” It is amazing the response that we have gotten as we travel around with our new signage!

Our daily morning routine remained unchanged - breakfast, devotions, work assignments, tool trailer and off to Sonny's.

Spackling continued, but then... Sonny brought us lunch... “Jimmy’s Hot Dogs!!!” For those not familiar with Jimmy’s, you would recognize them as Chile Dogs with the Works!

And then, after lunch we invited Sonny to join us on a tour of the area. He has not been any further than Ocean Springs since the storm hit. We planned to take him along the Route 90 shoreline - Biloxi, Gulfport, Long Beach and Pass Christian - so that he, too, could get a better picture of how the storm impacted others in the area.

Before leaving for our excursion, we completed the second bedroom, and several layers of spackling in the living room, kitchen and hall. We also began to do some work in the third bedroom.

The wall board was installed between the bathroom and kitchen and the initial coat of spackling was completed on that wall. And, yes, additional progress was made on the bathroom. The tub now has faucets and a shower head. Plumbing still needs to be done under the home and some additional wallboard is needed. I expect that the sink, counter tops, and toilet installation will be left for another work crew to complete.

Yes, it was another successful work day.

A few of us stopped by to visit with Sonny’s wife today. She shared some pictures of their home with us that were taken when it was under water. The water level was just below the roof line. The small wooden bridge that is over the bayou in front of their home was floating away and was later pulled back by a boat.

I can’t even imagine what goes through her mind of all that she has lost. You see, she was moved from her home before the storm hit and has not been in her home since. We talked about trying to get her down to the home tomorrow (Friday), but decided it may be best for her to see it when it is finished rather than in its current state.

We left Sonny's home around 3:00, went back to our headquarters for a quick change and we were off. I don't even know how to begin to describe what we saw, but I'll try... building after building, devastation and destruction...

We saw significant damage to several churches and numerous homes... and not just small homes, but large brick homes as well. We saw homes that were literally moved off their foundations and landed well behind them. We saw the remains of a casino barge that used to be in the water, now resting on land on the opposite side of Route 90! We saw homes that were either totally demolished by the storm or have since been condemned and demolished - the foundation was there, as were the front steps, but there was literally nothing else. In some cases, the foundation edge was lined with selected items from the home - dishes, Christmas ornaments, a doll – all signs that a family once lived there and were proud to call it home... and now there is nothing. We saw a home loaded on a trailer as it was being prepared to be moved to another location. We saw an Amish work crew outside a home in Pass Christian - a sign to us of all of the volunteers that have come into the area to assist their neighbors.

In an earlier email, I spoke about the loss of the tax base in many areas. Pass Christian is one of those places. It’s been reported that LESS THAN 10% of Pass Christian's 4500 postal addresses REMAIN!

While we did not get to Waveland, others in our group that did get there in January told us that it is even worse there. They told us that there are no homes left. There are no children playing, no dogs barking, or birds singing. All is quiet there. The community and town are simply gone.

When we got back from our little excursion, we spoke with a woman that is working in the distribution center here this week. She told us that they have already provided food and supplies to over 650 families this week - Monday thru Thursday. That’s over 150 families each day!

It is clear that the need for support to this region continues. If you have the opportunity, find a way that you too can help. I assure you that you will not regret it!

One work day remains for Charlie's Angels. It has been a week that has impacted each and every one of us in so many ways. It has been a time for sharing God's love with his children in their time of need... a time of service to our friend, Sonny, and his wife... a time for building a bond and friendships.

You see, Charlie's Angels gathered together as a team for the first time on Monday, March 13. In some cases, it was the first time some of us even met. Yet now, we have truly become a team. A bond has developed between us... a bond and memories that will remain with us forever... Oh, Yeah!

God's Peace,

Laurie Hart

Shed Philosophy

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 17:06:52 GMT

March 23

This afternoon our crew decided to knock off a few hours early so we could drive on Route 90, the coastal highway in Southern Mississippi, to show Laurie and Charlie some of the brutal effects of Katrina. While talking to Sonny about the hurricane we learned that he had not seen anything outside of the damage to his immediate community so we invited him to join us. We weren’t sure he’d want to see more destruction, but he smiled that weathered smile and said, “Why not?” We all climbed into the minivan around 3:15 and headed back to Christus Victor to clean ourselves up quickly so we could get out while we still had daylight.

While driving out of Ocean Springs towards Biloxi the mood in the car continued to be very jovial. There has been a lot of laughing amongst the crew and Sonny and the happy banter continued for awhile as we approached Biloxi. But that all stopped as we drove along Route 10. Charlie, Laurie, and Sonny began to witness for themselves the things we’ve all been seeing on news reports, newspapers, and from previous trips to the Gulf. Jan, Marge, and I saw again the massive scorched earth devastation that has so completely reconfigured the coastal regions of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida.

The conversation in the van became hushed. Our digital cameras were held at the ready, poised to try and document what we knew we weren’t going to be able to convey to our families and friends back in Pennsylvania. We watched a small group of Amish teens walking on the beach near a re-building project in Pass Christian. We resisted the urge to photograph them out of respect for their religious beliefs. We witnessed families waiting in line for their dinner at God’s Katrina Kitchen, a feeding ministry for the displaced and homeless in one of the most beautiful and formerly upscale beach front areas in Mississippi. Those cluster of tents serving the homeless stood mere blocks away from the multi-million dollar shells of destroyed beach front homes.

Charlie stopped taking pictures. He knew that the snap shots he captured on his camera were inadequate to the task of conveying what has happened here. He said, “The pictures I need are stored in my memory.” We asked Sonny about how he felt after seeing how widespread the destruction was. “I think I’m going to take the next hurricane a little more seriously and not try to be a hero,” was the understated response of our 80 year old friend.

As the sun set and sent a golden shimmer over the Gulf we stood on an overlook surveying the beauty of the sun, the water, and the stark and ugly contrast of the landscape, battered and scarred...

When daylight waned we headed for a little establishment called The Shed. A barbeque place with a flair for the quirky and casual. A large bon fire roared outside and lines of people waited inside to place their order for pulled pork barbeque or baby back ribs. The walls of this off the road bistro were made of corrugated metal and used wood salvaged from piles of old building material left out for trash day. Guests are invited to write on the walls, leaving messages, their names, and date of their visit to The Shed. On a glass window directly behind our table were words painted on the glass about eight feet up declaring, “Katrina Water Line.” Everywhere in the room are words of Shed Philosophy written on little signs and posted on every conceivable un-used spot. Some of these pithy words of wisdom include, “Don't take life too seriously - none of us get out of it alive.” “Take control! Make your ship come in before your dock rots!” “Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.” “A day without sunshine is like - ahh, night!” “Birthdays are like glazed doughnuts.” Sometimes it’s better not to remember how may you've had!”

Our van, parked outside in a very crowded parking lot, had a little bit of philosophy painted on its windows, too. We had seen all the church vans, buses, and pick up trucks with names of churches from all over the country written on them. Some had encouraging messages scrawled on posters or written with chalk paint on the windows. We wanted to share our thoughts of encouragement, too, and let others know we were on the coast, by the grace of God! So we wrote “Lutheran Disaster Response” on one window, “Christ Lutheran Church, Kulpsville, PA” on another, “What Katrina did was an act of nature, what's happening here is an act of God” on a third, and finally, “Oh yeah!” with a smiley face on the rear window. People were reading our, shall we call it, van philosophy, all day long. They saw it as we left the parking lot at Christus Victor, on the road as we traveled to Sonny's house, as we toured Route 90 and Route 10 amidst the rubble and ruin, and in the crowded parking lot at The Shed. As Cajun music played and a throaty blues singer sang, “Sometimes you’ve got to let a little light shine, God knows, sometimes you've go to let a little light shine,” we did....we did.

Tomorrow is our last work day here. We plan to get up early and go right to our work site to try and put in one good long final day. We’d like to see Sonny and Rainey get back in their home by Easter. It's a long shot, but we have a philosophy. We're going to let God be in charge of recover y and it’ll all turn out just right. Oh, yeah!

Lois Kadel

Next Thursday night we’re having an informational meeting for those interested in the next trip to Ocean Springs. If you are interested in learning more come to Christ Lutheran Church at 7:30 pm.

Gulf Coast Journal, Pt. II

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:55:27 GMT

Trip Day 5; Work Day 3

A typical morning... Breakfast, Devotions, Work Assignments, Tool Shed, and on the road to Sonny’s.

My day was spent spackling... 2nd or 3rd coat on nails... I even received some training on taping. I can't say that anyone would hire me any time soon, but I think (or maybe just want to think) that I am improving... by the end of the week, I might be good enough to be labeled a novice!

We were so engrossed in our effort this morning, we missed our morning break! So we had an early lunch and then back to work again. We had a mid afternoon break and then back to work. And THEN Sonny came by and asked if we would like some sodas! We didn't want to disappoint him, of course, so we took another break with him!

Each time Sonny stops by you can see him walking a little taller as he sees his home one step closer to being restored. We have adjusted our goals for the week a bit. We are now hoping to finish spackling two bedrooms and the living room. I am also hoping we can get some of the hall and/or kitchen done, as well. Time will tell. The bathroom now has the tub installed and cleaned up a bit. A large linen closet is being built and is well on its way. We hope to finish that up and to install some wall board on the outside of the bathroom between the kitchen and bathroom. Again, only time will tell.

We received some info on the needs here that you all may be interested in... No matter what you have read or seen to the contrary, there remains a need for supplies... and lots of them.

Some items on the list include:

12”x12”x12” boxes for the distribution of food to the community Bleach for cleaning homes Food and Water Feminine Hygiene Products
There is also the need for volunteers... lots of volunteers... They can come in all shapes and sizes. Volunteers are not only needed to support the community work crews for mucking and rebuilding houses. They are needed to work in the distribution facility (checking in and handing out supplies to the community), the kitchen (to feed all of the very hungry volunteers), and medical clinic. They are needed to help clean the volunteer headquarters; to do data entry, casework / client intake, and general office work.
Volunteers can be short term... a week like I am doing. Or long term, multiple weeks and/or months! It depends on your interest and availability.
They are currently looking for retired contractors who would be willing to work long term... 1 or more months... 60 hour weeks.

And so it goes... I have truly been blessed by this opportunity to serve the people in the Gulf and look forward to a wide variety of ways that I can support this effort going forward.

The motto here is Semper Gumby (Always Flexible)...

And then there is our tag line, "Oh, Yeah!"

God’s Peace,

Laurie