Katrina - Two Years Later

Two years ago, many people were figuring out how to live through and recover from Katrina. Many more people from around the country and the world watched the events unfold with all of the national networks, like CNN, ABC, NBC, Fox, and CBS providing live coverage of landfall and the destruction. The Weather Channel provided great details of the expected landfall and surge in between the constant commercials and local forecasts. Who would have thought that the effort needed to rebuild is still as important today as right after the storm?

As the storm hit, people answered the call and adjusted their lives to help those in need. The Pearlington Recovery Center is one result of that call. That call still is made. 20 people from our church will be going back to Pearlington, MS in early October. Do you feel the call to go with us? Leave a comment and get involved with us from Summerville, SC.

I sat on a plane from Charleston the other week with some women from New Orleans. They are white and upper-middle class. They contend that everyone who is willing to work has gotten help and that the people who have not rebuilt are waiting for the government to rebuild for them. I think that this impression is pretty widespread. CNN was addressing that impression last night on AC 360. My belief is that the impression may be true for a few. But, the majority of middle to lower-class (the largest share of people flooded and destroyed by Katrina) need some help and hope to get back going. How many of you have the $20K or $30K available to rebuild your house, furnishings, and the time to fight with the insurance companies and other agencies? We as Americans have expected that help with our donations and call to government for action. But, is our expectation being met? You won't find out for sure until you go for yourself. Talk is cheap. They need you to volunteer, to provide hope and help.

To see how important the work is and the need is, check out the following link. They have documented some stories of survivors of Katrina and their lives 2 years later.

MediaStorm - Finding the Way Home

Watching Dean

When you watch Dean, you know that the energy of the storm will have to go somewhere. Dean keeps pulling up the warmth of the water and with no shear to slow it down, it has to grow. You don't want it to hit your house, but you worry for the places and people where it may be going. For instance, I would like a catastrophic storm like Dean has become to hit an error with the ability to prepare and opportunity to recover. Bermuda is a good place. They have money, the building codes, and the government structure to handle a hurricane with minimal loss of life.

I pray for the people of Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. The money in those countries is so small and held by so few that most of the people will have little opportunity to protect themselves, even if they receive a warning. Dean will cut like a buzz saw across Jamaica if the track holds correct. And, unfortunately I almost wish it would hit Texas if it doesn't dissipate. I think that Texas is better equipped to handle Dean than northeast Mexico. The tourist spots on the Yucatan will do OK. Wherever there is money, those people can get away and rebuild.

Go down to New Orleans. People with money have found a way to rebuild. The people that were completely dependent on the government support are still waiting on the government to do the work for them. If they had money, they may have left and not returned. Let's hope that many people can rebuild after Dean comes through. I think that the issue is economics not ethnicity.

That leads to a larger question. We Americans love Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic for vacation when we go to the areas with money. Should we take more responsibility to share our wealth (not just our tourism dollars) to improve the lives of people in the islands around us? We supposedly went into Iraq to remove a dictator that was not good to his people. What about these island countries with a barely functioning government? Our church and others in the Presbytery support a Haiti mission with St. Joseph's home for boys. Rather than grass roots, should our government which has spent $450 billion and counting, help out with a few billion?

Wow, this post took you on a roller coaster.

Montreat Youth Sunday Service

4 of the high school kids from our church that went to the Montreat Youth Conference provided the church service yesterday. They focused on not waiting for the world to change, but to act and that any little thing you do can impact the world. One of the songs shown depicted how much money was spent or could be used in different areas of the world for that particular music vide. That video made our 7-year old son cry because other people are suffering, hungry, sick, poor, etc. I do not think that he could emotionally handle what has happened in Pearlington and the areas around it.

Their service focused on action and they changed the service around quite a bit from the normal Presbyterian service. You weren't watching and listening to the pastor at the service, but were asked to participate in the service. For the Prayers of the People, they suggested coming forward to pray or writing a prayer on posters at the back of the church. Our 7-year old went to the back and wrote in his own handwriting that he prayed for for the poor not to be poor. So, Margaret, Leigh, Harry, and Lauren and Dorothy and Russ and the other helpers, you had a pretty moving service. Can you find a way to keep that energy going and help spread your energy to others?

We face a similar challenge in keeping everyone interested in going back to Pearlington and highlighting the need for help there.

Planning meeting on Sept 8 instead

I am hoping that the third announcement of a time is a charm. Several people thinking ahead (not like me) told me that Sept 1 is Labor Day weekend and that many people will be unavailable for a meeting that night. Therefore, by popular demand, we will move the planning meeting to Sept 8. Now I need to settle on a time and make sure that the time doesn't conflict with college football schedules. The college football season starts Sept 1 and becomes a priority for our family on Saturdays if Auburn is on TV. BTW, Auburn host Kansas State at 7:45 PM ET on ESPNHD Sept 1.

Let me check schedules before I confirm a time. Several people have mentioned being available in the afternoon. For now, let's tentatively set 2 - 4 PM as the meeting time on Sept 8.

Planning Meeting on Sept 1

Now, I may find out if anyone actually reads this blog. I messed up the voting with the poll and had a date listed that I cannot meet. The official signup sheets will be in the church starting on Aug 26 with an announcement made during Minute for Mission. The planning meeting at our house will be Saturday Sept 1 at 5 PM. We will talk about our plans, watch the video from Slidell, and learn who we need to recruit as a cook to make some fantastic SC BBQ to compete with the Texas BBQ that Jane and her group from Texas will be bringing in Oct.

Please let me know if you can attend Sept 1 and if you are interested in going to Pearlington with us from Oct 7 - 13. Space is limited. Last one signing up gets to ride on the roof of the church bus.