Well, we did it. We registered to receive refugees into our home; and now we wait to be contacted. I think there are others in our neighborhood doing the same. We are hoping that we can get some families with children so they can all attend the neighborhood school together.
We have heard from most of our New Orleans friends. One couple's house was undamaged. They are still home with running water and gas, but no electricity. They are running low on food, so they'll have to leave soon. For now they are staying inside with their guns, since there are roving gangs in the streets.
Another family found out that their house is sitting in 15 feet of water. Fortunately for them they are pretty wealthy, so they were able to buy a house in Baton Rouge. Had to give more than the asking price and pay cash to get it. The husband's brother is an ER doc at one of the hospitals. He and the other hospital personnel are all packing heat in shoulder holsters to defend themselves against the drug addicts suffering from a disrupted supply.
We haven't been able to locate two other friends. They had just finished restoring a century-old house in one of the hardest hit neighborhoods. May God shine his face upon you, Greg and Art.
Let me encourage you to become a haven. You can register here to take a family into your home. If you can't give your home, give something: time, energy, money, etc. Do something that hurts a little. Check the comments here and in the post below for some good ideas from readers.
I'm going to go help load a truck. Have a good weekend.
6 comments:
God bless you. - Jennifer
You're a good man and an inspiration. Keep it up.
They're pouring across the border down here in Arkansas. While looking for needy families on behalf of our church, we overheard someone from the North Little Rock Fire Department report that they're expecting twenty buses late tonight.
I've seen some true beauty, true soul today. I hate that this happened, but I have seen hope and love that I'd never witnessed before because of it. People are opening their hearts and homes. I've never seen anything quite like this before.
We've registered our house, too. I've also contacted the Red Cross in LA to see if we can volunteer at a shelter. We are also waiting now. I am encouraged by the fact that NO seems to be evacuated and their seems to be order. Now would be the time where the anger and frustration of last week would subside and we can get back to our easy life. Don't let this happen! There are still thousands without homes, jobs, a normal life. We cannot rest until those peoples lives have some order. This is nowhere near over.
I applaude all of you who are out there doing something. Keep up the good work!
I'd say something about how great you are, but I know you well enough to know this post isn't about praise. May God give you the resources to care for someone else. I also read your last post, and had to smile to myself. Perhaps this is why you were one of my favorite professors. You think in the same way I do. I read the "bullshit" section on laughed. Why? Because I gave nearly that exact same lecture to Bill Jefferson the year before last. It was over censorship and the stage, not nearly as important in perspective. Living further south and having grown up with Louisiana being a neighbor puts a new light to the buzz of the television. They ARE my neighbor. This isn't some metaphor. Dallas is a frenzy with thousands arriving by the day. Refineries in TX have doubled in production in the matter of days to accomidate losses. The worst is watching the price gouging. All of the area lumber salespeople have doubled the price of lumber, not to gouge the helpless, but because of the number of guys in trucks who are buying it in bulk, then taking it south to sell it for quadrupile it's worth. The insanity of it all is amazing.
Jen M.
Absolutely no one should be praising me. Yes I put my name of the housing list; but if I'm honest, there's a part of me that hopes we don't get a call. I can talk a good game, but when it comes down to it, I'm as afraid of acting on my faith as anyone else.
I think I'll go load some more trucks tomorrow. Partly to help. Partly to assuage my conscience.
If anyone around the Springfield area can take a day or two off work -- Fort Chafee, a military camp near Fort Smith, Ark. (south of Fayetteville) has thousands and thousands of refugees arriving by plane and bus as I type this. They weren't expecting so many and are overwhelmed -- in need of bottled water and baby formula, I understand. I'm sure they'd also welcome willing hands. I don't think it's a Red Cross operation so the rules for volunteering probably aren't as strict (it's hard to believe, but the Red Cross here in Little Rock has actually been turning away both donations and volunteers -- I'm sure they have their reasons, but it's kind of hard to understand when the need is so obviously great). I don't have any contact information but it probably wouldn't be hard to find online. Or hey, come on down to LIttle Rock -- you can sleep on our couch and help out with the families who are staying in our church gym. The wine will be flowing freely when we're off duty. :)
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