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An email I just got from Lauren:
I got back from MS last night around 6:30 or so. It was a crazy, but very good week. I gutted two houses, helped paint one, and put drywall up on another. It was very hot, but luckily it wasn't really too humid and the bugs were minimal. We had a really terrific group of volunteers. Even the long term volunteers that are stationed down there expressed more than once that we were a unique group and particuarly great to work with. Everyone got along really well and we all had the same goal in mind, to help as much as we could.
These people really need the help. We were in a bit of an older community so they can't do as much. The real problem is the insurance. Most of the homes we worked in were above the flood zone, so while these people have home owner's insurance, they don't have flood insurance. When the insurance companies came in to assess the damage, they only paid out on what was considered storm damage (i.e. roofs, shutters, siding) and nothing was paid out if it was considered flood damage and they didn't have flood insurance (i.e. water damage).
What makes it worse is these people are so kind and grateful! All they do is want to help and express their appreciation. All I could do was think how little we did in comparison to what needs to be done yet! A part of me really wishes I could stay down there and just keep working. They say thank God for church groups and young people, because without them things would be a lot worse. That's hard to imagine.
But I think we did some good while we were there. It's just not enough. So, yeah, good crazy week. I thought of you.
It's hard to get back into the swing of things today. A lot on my mind, but I guess I have to.
Lauren
-----
The first thing that came to my mind after I read this: GOD, she is such a good person. She's got her faults just like everybody else, but overall, I could try all my life to be a good person and I will never be as good a person as Lauren is.
The second thing that came to mind was posting her email, because there are still a lot of people suffering from the hurricane's effects. Up here in the north we don't realize how bad it is and tend to just go on with our shit, but if there's still enough damage down there to keep church groups busy nine months later, we should kind of take note of that. I'm glad I sent Laur a check to sponsor her in doing this, and I'm a little ashamed that I almost didn't because I'm so caught up in my own thing right now. So if you know good people like Lauren, I encourage you to help them out.
You know, a lot of people I know, myself included, get awfully down on Christians. And yeah, I don't agree with many of the opinions they hold, or with how a lot of the Christians in power in our country are trying to run things. But there are lots and lots of Christians out there who are genuinely good people despite the fact that they disagree with me, and without those good people places like New Orleans would still be underwater. And we go on and on about all the crappy stuff that goes on in Jesus' name, but we talk a lot less about the good things.
So... don't diss Christians on my f-list today. Or do it behind a cut. Thanks.
I got back from MS last night around 6:30 or so. It was a crazy, but very good week. I gutted two houses, helped paint one, and put drywall up on another. It was very hot, but luckily it wasn't really too humid and the bugs were minimal. We had a really terrific group of volunteers. Even the long term volunteers that are stationed down there expressed more than once that we were a unique group and particuarly great to work with. Everyone got along really well and we all had the same goal in mind, to help as much as we could.
These people really need the help. We were in a bit of an older community so they can't do as much. The real problem is the insurance. Most of the homes we worked in were above the flood zone, so while these people have home owner's insurance, they don't have flood insurance. When the insurance companies came in to assess the damage, they only paid out on what was considered storm damage (i.e. roofs, shutters, siding) and nothing was paid out if it was considered flood damage and they didn't have flood insurance (i.e. water damage).
What makes it worse is these people are so kind and grateful! All they do is want to help and express their appreciation. All I could do was think how little we did in comparison to what needs to be done yet! A part of me really wishes I could stay down there and just keep working. They say thank God for church groups and young people, because without them things would be a lot worse. That's hard to imagine.
But I think we did some good while we were there. It's just not enough. So, yeah, good crazy week. I thought of you.
It's hard to get back into the swing of things today. A lot on my mind, but I guess I have to.
Lauren
-----
The first thing that came to my mind after I read this: GOD, she is such a good person. She's got her faults just like everybody else, but overall, I could try all my life to be a good person and I will never be as good a person as Lauren is.
The second thing that came to mind was posting her email, because there are still a lot of people suffering from the hurricane's effects. Up here in the north we don't realize how bad it is and tend to just go on with our shit, but if there's still enough damage down there to keep church groups busy nine months later, we should kind of take note of that. I'm glad I sent Laur a check to sponsor her in doing this, and I'm a little ashamed that I almost didn't because I'm so caught up in my own thing right now. So if you know good people like Lauren, I encourage you to help them out.
You know, a lot of people I know, myself included, get awfully down on Christians. And yeah, I don't agree with many of the opinions they hold, or with how a lot of the Christians in power in our country are trying to run things. But there are lots and lots of Christians out there who are genuinely good people despite the fact that they disagree with me, and without those good people places like New Orleans would still be underwater. And we go on and on about all the crappy stuff that goes on in Jesus' name, but we talk a lot less about the good things.
So... don't diss Christians on my f-list today. Or do it behind a cut. Thanks.
