Thursday, February 21, 2008

Build an Ark?



There will be no fires tonight. What we really need is an ark or feathers like a duck as this downpour has been going on since before light this morning and the flooding has begun! Even the umbrellas won't hold up as along with the rains come the winds!

Atleast it's not snow!! Sorry to all who live north, or even near the north! :)

The morning started with calls from teams who had planned on working outside today -- they need inside work! No problem --- they were inside homes immediately. I guess there are advantages to the rains.

The rest of this day has been spent with me on the phone attempting to return atleast a small portion of the messages from those calling to get some kind of help in getting back into their homes. Each time I think I have "heard it all" I find myself sadly mistaken. Men who are trying to get assistance for their mothers who won't live in the FEMA trailer sitting in the front yard because those mothers are elderly and "have lived in that home all their lives" to those who just don't even know what to do. I don't think I will ever stop being amazed at the elderly women who are so utterly helpless and still -- after all this time -- don't know where to go or what to do! This is where the Case Management is crucial!! These people who have lost so much, who are running out of anything to run on and anyplace to turn need someone to literally take them by the hand and lead them in the direction of help and hope! Even over the telephone I can hear the smiles come upon their faces, at just the slightest ray of help that leads to the slightest ray of hope!

My stack of calls is endless as they continue calling and I will continue working away at that stack and pray for everything to come into place for each family and each individual.

The morning also had its fair share of planning for the Speed Build for Ms Ollie. We will be making a visit to her next week and hopefully will have photos to share with all of you so you can get to know her better.

The work also stays in progress for Mr Stepfund to get moved out of his home so we can gut it both inside and out next week.

As I sit and look across the room at the dry erase board on the wall with all the people listed who need help, who are in different stages of being helped, I see the number standing at 184 active cases! Now THAT is alot of homes to try and keep track of!!! And like I said, the listing grows daily. There are those that have been done and are closed and those are the ones who give us hope that someday this will all get done! And we pray that someday will come before !!! the next storm comes!

We thank all those who have a heart for this mission, for the people and for our country. All of this is happening in our own back yards and we have to wonder when it will happen again and who will be effected -- and then who will be helping?

Blessings to all and a special blessing to our dear friend Joe who buried his mother this afternoon. Joe -- we love you and miss you and Stacey more than you know!! We pray God's peace rests over you, under you and all around you!

Until next time . . . Susan and Monty

PS To "some guy named Dave" --- THANK YOU!!!!!!! We love you!!!!

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