There is a lot of change in the air.
Thomas Paine once said "these are times that try men's souls." Here is a little more of his statement entitled "Crisis:"
"December 23, 1776
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; "
His is a comment about service to one's country but it applies more so to service to one's God.
Texas
I spent the middle of last week in Texas City, helping that village on the First Presbyterian Church's grounds get prepared for their first set of volunteers last Friday. There were a few snafu's but Mike, the work site manager and Doug the village manager are doing fine getting it going and pulled it off.
We got a quick drive around the back bay area of Galveston. There are a lot of very wealthy people on the island and it looks like those homes are already done. I got some good photographs of the remaining damage away from those nice neighborhoods. As is usual, there seems to be a lot of folks on the other side of the tracks, and in Texas City's backyard, that need help.
We will accomplish good things there.
Mississippi
One can feel the seesaw tilting. Our church headquarters announced they are closing on the end of April the eastern-most village in Mississippi, Orange Grove in Gulfport. Orange Grove has a lot of clients and client-in-waiting and is the only Village still helping people as far east as Pascagoula. We have hung in there for a while and are now pretty well organized. It is the headquarters village.
I am told the reason is that the church on whose grounds the village stands is closing and the Presbytery who holds title to the property wants to sell it. I haven't heard whether or not anyone asked the Presbytery if an alternative to closing the village is in the cards or pursued an alternative with any seriousness. In this steadily decaying economy sometimes a quick sale is a nice dream. There is also some minor issues about temporary land use permits but I am pretty sure these could be resolved quickly.
Of course you all are not volunteering like you used to either and you are the ones that make this whole mission work.
Most of the other aid agencies, Red Cross, Lutherans, Methodists and most ngo's are low or out of money and are about to close up leaving us as one of the only life lines, for a couple months. I can't get over a church turning its back on people are asking for help especially since there is a high likelihood that more funds are coming into the Mississippi area for home owners.
Now it will be up to the honest and dishonest contractors to get those. It will be embarrassing to see these funds come in and not have a presence among the wolves.
They also are closing our office in Gulfport and, I think, moving to New Orleans. One of the staff members wants to move to the New Orleans area anyway so I guess that one is elated. There is no doubt a lot of work in the New Orleans area. And besides, it is closer to the airport...
One of the wags remarked as justification of these closings that you can't help everyone, all disengagements are messy...
The first part is probably true (remember my observation on Matthew 26:6-13 on Day 290?). Planning and compassion and commitment to our covenant of stewardship obviates the last part of that wag's statement. It looks to me like we have some holding the lanterns who fear getting dirty and challenging culture.
Again, remember volunteers to make our relief effort successful.
Mary's Burden
At the same time such things as these transpire, good things happen that show that there are still fine sheep in the world whose willingness to help is an example for all of us.
Two great fellows from the Arkansas Presbytery visited today. They want to establish a continuous start-to-finish relationship with homeowners in order to facilitate a faster completion and to have themselves a sense of closure of their efforts.
We spent the day driving to home owners from Saucier to Pearlington. They finally settled on a woman's home in Waveland. Hers is challenging enough, her need is great, and the technical demands for repair meets the skill level of the anticipated volunteers.
The client is Mary. She's a single working mother who owns the property free and clear with four children, teenagers from 14 to 17 and little boys from 3 to 5. She has a common story, her home was pretty much soaked by Katrina's surge in Waveland. She got lump sum FEMA money but spent it unwisely and now is in a bind. She was nine months pregnant when Katrina hit and gave birth to her youngest a week after the hurricane. Her children can't live with her until her house is repaired.
She's living in a MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency) cottage that is supposed to be repossessed the middle of this month. Waveland will not let people place modular homes on residential property even though the state has ruled such is legal as long as the foundation requirement is met. (City governments can be so compassionate.) Her only alternative is to move up to the Kiln, five or ten miles north up in the back county, or into a subsidized rent apartment.
We will make a difference for her.
Arkansas hopes to have her home done by the end of this year. This client will be one of our last homeowners in Mississippi helped by us if things go the way they seem to be heading.
Pogo, an opossum created by Walt Kelly, a famous cartoonist in the mid-1900's, once opined, "We have met the enemy and he is us." He also said "Even the whitest doves have have feet of clay. " Both phrases remind us of how close we walk to folly.
Please pray for a few more groups like this one from Arkansas, courage in our church leaders, ourselves, and Heaven's proper price to fight the Tyranny of Hell, lest we all take Grace too lightly.
Grace and Peace
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