Sorry for the long delay in posting. It's been a little crazy down here.

Many are still trying to get back to some normalcy after Isaac, but it hasn’t been easy.  A couple of my friends were flooded out and the clean-up is devastatingly hard for seniors trying to go it alone.  A friend and I helped but I can tell you in this heat it is a killer.

One friend in Bush, La has a beautiful view of a river and a raised house.  She was lucky the water did not enter the house only the garages, laundry room and under the house.  About 5 feet of water came and left much, sand, snakes and lots of ruined appliances.  All the things you store in a garage, you can just imagine, had to be thrown out.  She had trees down, but they miss hitting any of the structures.

 

 



Laundry Room water line.

 





 

Magnolia Tree with some of limbs cut off.

Another friend’s house in Lacombe, La. was completely flooded, she is 81 and he is 80.  This job is way too big for them; they need young people who can tackle this job.  (They are not the folks in the article below).

Just for information, neither of these houses flooded in Katrina and that storm was a Category 3, Isaac was only a Category 1, go figure!  I have heard some thoughtless comments made on the news and internet saying, why don’t these people move from these storm areas?  My answer is, why do people live in Tornado Alley, or on a Fault line in California or at the foot of a Volcano, or in Forest Fire areas?   No matter where you live there is going to be weather or some other calamity that could befall you that is out of your control.  Home is home!

 

Here is an excerpt from my friend Mandy off the EFCA Touch Global Blog. She and her family came down from Wisconsin after Katrina and stayed two years. They lived in my house while I was working out of state. She came down alone for Isaac’s clean-up. She and her husband, Jon are missionaries with EFCA Touch Global.

 

Touch Global helped me after Katrina, one day I will tell the story, it was like a miracle. I too was a victim of fraud after Katrina, checking credentials and references were no guarantee of an honest contractor. They were slick in their dealings. A $3500 pill is still hard to swallow. Since, retiring I volunteer with Touch Global doing computer input for them.  Special caring people, a mission started in the aftermath of Katrina and now helping worldwide.

 From the EFCA'S Touch Global Blog by Mandy, it couldn't had been said better:

← CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

Touching Lives Eternally…in Slidell

14Sep

 

 

 

Jerry St. Pierre prayed with the family alongside team members

 



Imagine this. The only home you’ve ever known is flooded by Hurricane Katrina. After the tremendous stress, overwhelming cost, and attempt to restore life as it once was you finally decide to hire a licensed contractor to raise your home. The decision seems like a sound one because this is, and always will be, home. The contractor brings out the equipment and prepares to raise your home providing you that sense of security you longed for just in case the unthinkable happens…your home is once more in the path of a storm. Soon after, you realize he is not coming back. After numerous calls you start to panic then you learn that an employee working under the licensed contractor has run with what little finances you had. Such was the story of Diane and Leo. Oh, and by the way, they’re approaching 80 years old.

 

Den and Kitchen

 

Diane and Leo live in Slidell, Louisiana and following damage from Hurricane Katrina and heartbreak from contractor fraud, their home was flooded by Hurricane Isaac. An added difficulty for this elderly couple is that most of their family sustained damage as well.

As a team arrived to assist in the content removal of Diane and Leo’s flooded home, our partner church planter, Jerry St. Pierre prayed with the family alongside team members. Diane and Leo were overwhelmed by the tangible expression of Christ’s love in their lives through TouchGlobal.

At TouchGlobal, this is what makes us excited to go to work each day. Touching one life eternally for the kingdom of God is our goal and the hope that keeps us going. It is the hope and the joy of Christ that flows from our hearts onto those who have never received God’s love. To Diane and Leo, Jesus was present at their home; with your help he will continue to be seen in southern Louisiana and throughout the world.

 

Diane overcome with gratitude

 

There were 12 incredible volunteers last week, and we are so grateful for the lives that were touched through their faith and good works. They were a tangible expression of the gospel, but WE NEED YOUR HELP. There are thousands of families affected by Hurricane Issac and we need volunteers to serve in Louisiana. Are you being called?

• SERVE for a week, a month, or longer! Email tgteams@efca.org WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
• PRAY for the ministry. Pray for finances, strategic partnerships, new staff, and strength for the people of Louisiana during this difficult time
• GIVE to the ministry. Right now we are in need of gift cards for Lowes, Home Depot, and Walmart to support the ministry. Also, you can give to the Hurricane Relief Fund by designating account 3969

Touch one life…eternally.

Isaac has left the area!!!!!!!!!!!!

Power back on finally, yesterday!  I have a generator (gas powered) so I was able to crank up the frig and a small TV with a DVD player so the kids could watch movies. 

 

Getting fuel for the generator was a royal pain and lots of waiting in long lines.  Seeing how many of you are on solar power I am going to look into to finding a way to go solar on that generator.  I read something on,  rvsue and her canine crew, about a man in who had a repair truck with generators and he was solar.   Any suggestion would be helpful.

 

Cable back on about an hour ago, now I have TV, Phone and INTERNET!!!!  Yea!!

 

All is well at my house and my daughter’s house in Folsom.  Small branches all over the yard but nothing too big, I will think about cleaning it up next week, need to recuperate from this stress a bit. 

 

Isaac came in Tuesday evening and it stayed until Thursday morning.  Rain, rain and more rain, and the wind relentless, it blew about 30 to 35 mph with gust about 60 to 70mph for all that time. 

We four stayed busy playing board games and cards by candlelight.  Pizza was the food of the day. I am afraid my vegan lifestyle when out the window.  It just was not possible to be particular about food at this time.  I don’t care what you were told, but cookies will calm you down in an emergency.

Did I mention there were 6, yes, six dogs in the house counting my 2.  Every time I let my dogs out the wind would pick up and I would have to walk out in the yard with them before they would go.

Although, the storm has passed this area and I am safe and sound, some areas close by, about 25 miles away are still being threating by floods because of broken and breached locks and dams.  Please keep these folks in your prayers.

Thanks for all the well wishes, it was greatly appreciated.

I’ll close now so I can read the all emails that have stacked up since my internet was out.

Be safe out there.  Blessings to all.