Well, we are back from day two. We spent most of the day back at our house from the first day. Today we put the tin roof on and finished our job. Once again I was impressed with how hard everyone worked to get things done. I posted a picture of our finished job on my Xanga site.
The most moving part of the day was at the end when we went down to Bay St. Louis. This is a town on the Gulf of Mexico near where the eye of Katrina made landfall. As we drove closer and closer to the town we were overwhelmed by the damage. None of the pictures you can see on my Xanga site do justice for what we experienced. It looked like scenes I have seen from after the Hiroshima bombing.
Our assignment was to help an older couple who live about a block from the shore. As a few of our leaders were looking over the situation we had time to walk down to the shore. We passed houses that had been lifted off of their foundations and shifted. We passed empty slabs where all that remained was the concrete porch. We even passed one house where the people that lived there had stayed to ride out the storm. They didn't make it.
When we got to the end of the street near the water we met a family who had finally returned to begin cleaning up. Their house was built on concrete block columns that were at least fifteen feet tall. This house had been built after Camille and was built several feet higher than Camille's storm surge peak. Katrina was much worse and their house is nowhere to be seen. All that remains are the concrete block columns. The family was looking through the few items that lay scattered across their property. They left for the Florida panhandle before Katrina and didn't return until late December. Since then they have been renting a house somewhere else near by. This family lost everything except the things they took with them.
As the students were off looking around, I stood alone for a few minutes to soak in the scene. I was humbled by what I saw and was standing in the midst of. It showed me how small we are and how much we need God.This force of nature has destroyed homes, disintigrated bridges, taken lives, removed trees, and so much more. There are so many lives that have been changed forever. And yet most of us continue to enjoy our homes, our cars, and so much more. We live in comfort while others have no real place to call home. We spend $3 for a coffee, $8 for a movie, or $400 for an iPod, while some families struggle to find a place to sleep at night.Acts 2:44-47 has new meaning.
"And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to theirgroup those who were being saved."
I struggle with the money I spend so freely while others could use that money for real needs. Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head - a place to call home. He was willing to sacrifice all to help others. This week has challenged me to consider how I live and how I use what I have been blessed with.
Please continue to pray for us and especially for families like the one we met today. Pray that God will lead us to loosen our grip on all the things we have so that we can live more like the One we are called to follow.
shine!
Jason
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