The View From Here

Wish I had pictures for this posting. The Coast is showing signs of recovery after the Storm. My view is from the small city in the middle of the coastal area which leaves out many destroyed areas to the West.

Businesses north of the tracks have re-opened in many areas. We wait for service at the pharmacy, restaurants and other service businesses because of the staff shortages. I worry that the few nursing homes don't have enough staff to take care of patients. The large church retirement home will close again and re-build farther north. Other retirement facilities are damaged. Big national stores are open, the smaller stores are having a difficult time.

Several more homes in my neighborhood are gone, torn down because they couldn't be re-built. Other homes are occupied again. Most have work going on in them and we see fewer blue roofs in this immediate area. My repairs are not done as yet because I cannot get a carpenter, a plumber, or an electrician to set foot on this property of if they do come by, I cannot get them to return. Since we are able to live in our house, I have no complaint. The pitiful folks are those with torn out homes and no builders.

People are tired of the trailers given out after the storm. The trailers are tiny, loud, not safe in thunderstorms and make family life a misery. The jolly "we'll do fine!!!" attitude is drifting into feeling nothing about anything.

I received a pal's church newsletter this week. The newsletter is a list of who left the area, new addresses for those who stayed and then a long list of those who no one can find. Think about how it is to do ministry under these circumstances.

I see that Big Seminaries are planning conferences on "Dealing with Disasters" and I wonder WHO DID THEY TALK WITH DOWN HERE? None of my colleagues seem to know who or what or how the Big Sems are offering these events without speaking with us.

At the Presbyterian Women's Birthday Offering dinner last night at LH's church, listening to the President review the past year made me tear up. Even though she made every effort to spin the events into positives, I heard the suffering of lost homes, displaced lives, shattered spirits and death in her voice.
The fact that we gals sat there dressed up and eating salads made the poignancy of the moment overwhelming.

Having said the above, we remain convinced that God is working on our behalf and in our lives in powerful ways to bring about the transformation God has for each of us.

Candidly,
St. Casserole