Feeling a lot like Moses!
Posted by Robert Fisher on November 7, 2006
Lois Kadel starts a new series of reports from her latest trip to the Gulf Coast…
November 5, 2006
Morning came very early today. Denise Dundore poked her head into the room I was sharing with Camille Previtt, and whispered in an oddly cheerful voice, “Good morning! Time to get up! It’s 5:30!” Apparently Denise is one of the few members of Christ Lutheran Church who is not aware that morning is not my friend. I stumbled into the bathroom and tried to organize my thoughts. I felt disoriented and disorganized – not an uncommon feeling for me at that time of day. I was also feeling a sense of anticipation and excitement. By days end we would be in Ocean Springs, Mississippi and I would be able to see how much progress has been made on the Gulf Coast since we were last there in late June and early July. We were staying in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the home of Kelli and Fred, the daughter and son-in-law of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church member Joan Gauker. Our two male volunteers, Bill Dunn and Ted Riesz, were staying with Joan’s son Kurt and daughter-in-law Elizabeth, two houses away.
Elizabeth was making a very early breakfast for us and we were soon feasting at a beautifully set table laden with sweet breads, bagels, muffins, jellies, jams, cream cheese, eggs, cheese, ham, orange juice, coffee, and fruit. Kelli, Fred, Elizabeth and Kurt had gone out of their way to extend the gift of hospitality to us. We felt rested, restored, and most welcomed as we began the second leg of our trip. We left their driveway at 7:15 am, heading south. Ten more hours and we would arrive at our destination!
As we motored out on the interstate I hummed Willie Nelson’s, “On the Road Again! It felt so good to be en route! My experience has been by day two, work crew teams begin to become more comfortable with each other. That was certainly the case with this group. Our conversation flowed easily and laughter was amply interspersed as stories were exchanged. This is going to be another great team – I continue to be amazed at how so many different people, from so many diverse walks of life can come together and spend a very intimate week together, working together, eating together, figuring out solutions to problems together, and actively living out the gospel far outside of their comfort zones. Ted, an engineer, is our team leader. We got a sense of how things would be with him as our leader at our first planning meeting. Ted had a long list of logistical types of issues to be addressed. He advised us he had determined we could each have 3 cubic feet for our suitcase in the back of the van! I remember laughing out loud and thinking to myself, “What’s a cubic?” Fortunately we were all successful in keeping our luggage to the appropriate size!
By mid-afternoon we had made it to Montgomery, Alabama. The temperature was 72 degrees and we were able to remove our winter jackets! My excitement level was rising as quickly as the thermometer! I couldn’t wait any longer to call Sonny and Rainey and let them know we were on our way! The phone rang several times until Rainey answered. I identified myself and she said, “I was just thinkin’ about you!” I didn’t tell her, but I’ve been thinking about her and Sonny continually since I first met them in January. She confirmed for me what I already suspected, they were living in their restored home! “Why everything is so pretty!” she exclaimed. I asked if they needed anything done. “Why there’s a few little things, but Sonny’s going to fix them.” Rainey’s voice was full of life – so different from the sad and weak affect she had for those many months following Katrina’s assault on her beloved home. We agreed to meet this week and go out to dinner. We’ll probably go to The Shed for some delicious barbeque!
By five pm we were approaching Ocean Springs. Everyone in the van was anxious to see the destruction. Our arrival in Ocean Springs was quite unremarkable. Things on the main drag look quite normal. Businesses open, parking lots filled with shoppers – it could have been a main street in any borough in Montgomery County, PA. I assured everyone that looks are deceiving – there is still much work to be done on the coast! But even I was amazed at how wonderfully normal everything looked!
We disembarked at the warehouse and headed inside. We met Matthew, the volunteer coordinator who showed us about and gave out our bunk assignments. It was exciting to see how the warehouse has grown even more than before. It is the definitive disaster recovery headquarters for the entire Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast. I quickly asked Matthew how many homes were on the list for rebuilding. He replied, “We have 450 homes on the waiting list, and 73 homes actively being worked on. He continued, “We have the largest group of volunteers ever here this week at Camp Victor – over 200 people! We’re going to get a lot done!” A bus load of volunteers arrived as Matthew was speaking. The building was pulsating with vibrancy as each new team arrived. I saw lots of new faces – folks who had that unmistakable look of awe as they entered the warehouse. Camp Victor is one of a kind in the entire United States. There is no other self-contained disaster recovery operation anywhere else! And this all began with a small group of Lutherans without a pastor deciding to live their faith. Amazing!
I started to recognize the faces of volunteers I had met during previous trips. Long term volunteers would light up with a broad beaming smile as they recognized returning volunteers. There were lots of hugs and smiles for everyone!
Ted and I went to the construction office after dinner and waited in a long line to get our assignment for the week. Tony Gagliano, the construction manager, is one of the most personable people you will ever meet. He has a story to tell at all times! Tonight was no exception. Each team leader was greeted with a hearty laugh, a huge smile, and a minimum of three stories each! After a long but entertaining wait, we received Tony’s full attention. Our group of re-building volunteers was going to be small, just Ted, Denise, and me. Tony grabbed a thick stack of folders and said he needed a small team of volunteers to take on his hit list! There are fourteen homes that are almost completelt restored – they have what could be described as a punch list of items that just need to be checked off. We felt that would be an ideal job for our team and we left the office with five homes to work on in the morning!
I can’t adequately describe for you the feeling I have as I have returned to Mississippi. I recall the dark days of 2005 as one by one my father than my mother passed away. I recall lying in my bed praying fervently for God to bring me through this passage of grief and loss. I needed to see God’s glory and his glory I have indeed seen! Christian author, Max Lucado, writes about Moses and his desperation in the wilderness in his book It’s Not About Me. “Show me your glory, God,” Moses begs. Forget a bank, he wants to see Fort Knox. He needs a walk in the vault of God’s wealth. Would you stun me with your strength? Numb me with your wisdom? Steal my breath with a brush of yours? A moment in the spray of the cataract of grace, a glimpse of your glory, God.”
I have glimpsed the glory of God in the ruins of Katrina. In the handiwork of his humble servants who have traveled to this desolate place from around the globe. In the retired workers, strapping on their tool belts and climbing ladders to the dismay of their physicians, I have seen His glory. In the unbridled enthusiasm of college juniors taking their semester breaks to muck out the foulest water logged houses, I have seen His glory. In the face of a member of Christ Lutheran who can’t make the trip but sticks a $20 bill in my hand and asked me to use it to help someone on the coast, I have seen His glory. This place sparkles with the glory of the Lord! I can’t wait to see it shine some more in the morning!
God’s Peace,
Lois Kadel
