Flood Update

Our dear friends and family,

We are feeling the loving arms of our heavenly father through this crazy time!!! It is such a challenge being the recipient of ministry rather than being the ones ministering. However, it has been an amazing journey watching the body of Christ rise up and take care of the whole situation.

We have had incredible amounts of help in our home! There are no words that can truly express how grateful we are to those who have come in and gotten muddy and even possibly sick while helping us through this huge mess. The most of the mud is gone!!! YEAH!!! There are still tell tale signs of mud everywhere, but they too are slowly disappearing.

We got our car back yesterday and it is running!!!! Our dear friend Nanding jumped right on it and we have it back. The external damage from the wall falling on it was really minor! It’s almost as though the LORD had his hand on it as it gently lay down on our car. There are some dents and scratches, but very, very minor. The seats are clean but drying and we are trying to expedite the process with some light bulbs inside the car. We won’t be driving it for a few days in order to give it time to dry.

We have three young boys coming to help break up the wall and start getting that cleaned up. We are paying them to do the work, and it is so awesome to be able to help them provide an honest wage for their family.

We have an electrician coming today to check our appliances (washer, dryer, freezer, stove and ref) and then we will know more what we have to deal with there. All of our small appliances have been taken in to the shop for cleaning and hopefully repair. Of course, there are multitudes of small appliances in all the shops, so it could be a while.

We have new couch cushions and mattress on order and they will be done in a few weeks. The wood furniture has all been scrubbed and dried. The cloth couch has been scrubbed and washed, not sure what the outcome of that one will be, but we gave it a good attempt.

The blisters on the walls have subsided some, but a lot of those blisters popped. It is really amazing thinking about the simplicity of cleaning up a cement wall as compared to a sheet rock wall! The walls will all need to be re-painted.

We pulled the pantry out from under the stairs because it was all press-board that expanded and stunk REALLY bad! BLECK! We also had to rip out some of the uprises on the stairs. All the doors are ruined and will need to be replaced.

We think the kitchen cabinets will need to be pulled out also because they have been through four floods, but have never soaked for 36 hours before.

We have decided that we will not go back in the house. We do not yet know what we will do. We will have some sort of temporary housing during the remaining 10 weeks of this term, and then make decisions when we return here in May of next year. We will have to pack up our stuff and figure out what to do with it in the mean time. Please pray for very clear direction in this.

It is amazing to watch other people respond to the flood. Just in our neighborhood as I drive back to our house, I see piles and piles of garbage. All stuff that used to be something assumed as necessary. Some places I see it just tossed into a heap. Some places I see it stacked orderly. Some places I see children rummaging through it to find something they could sell, or use themselves. Some places I see old men or women collecting wood pieces, either for firewood or for re-building. Some houses are meticulously washing and cleaning everything. Other places are discarding everything and starting over. Most everyone has gotten their car running, at least to a certain degree.

The grocery stores are settling down, and the lines are not quite so long. There isn’t the panic in the air that there was last week. The stores are still low on some foods. I noticed yesterday that the cheap food is completely picked over and there is none left. However, there is plenty of the imported stuff. No one can afford it now.

The kids have all gone back to school. The people have all gone back to work, and it’s almost like nothing happened. But you look around and it’s obvious that something happened. I saw a lady walking down the street yesterday wrapped in a sheet.

Remember the old saying about Timex watches? “It takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin!’” That’s what Philippi no people are like. The majority of the people in this area were affected by the flooding, and everyone is just doing their part, getting things put back together. I know so many people are really hurting because of lost loved ones. I have heard many heart breaking stories. But, I have also heard a lot of great stories about people helping others, and of people calling out to God and finding Him. I’ve seen people reach out and help. I’ve seen people offer themselves and their money. AMAZING! There are a lot of people/organizations giving food donations. It is fun to drive somewhere and see a mob of people and realize that someone is passing out food. It can be dangerous, but it is happening.

One of the things I see myself and many others battling is discouragement. I know that Satan is having a great time discouraging people. 1 Peter 5:8 says “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” BUT, Eric read to me another verse Monday morning that has really encouraged me and given me a great boost…Jer 20:11 “But the LORD stands beside me like a great warrior. Before Him my persecutors will stumble.” Satan is my persecutor, and I am watching him stumble and fall.

Please pray for all of us to remember that our LORD does stand right beside us like the great warrior. That is awesome! Unfortunately, there are a lot of folks who don’t know that.