Wednesday, September 07, 2005

A Note from Doug Stringer re. Katrina Relief

... to Matt Stevens, in preparation for his trip to Houston tomorrow. Please continue to pray, and give.

Matt, Currently, I am scheduled to be in Laredo Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. This may change, depending upon how things are flowing. We are working through a sorely needed organizational and flow chart, especially who will champion each element. There are numerous simultaneous needs during the immediate crisis Relief stage as you know...especially when we are also needing to transition into the beginning Recovery phase and ultimately the longterm Rebuilding process. As you know the first few days are critical in the crisis portion to just meet some basic needs in the lives of desperate and hurting people. Termed IDP's or Internally Displaced Persons, they are real people with untold suffering, loss and pain. Just getting through this few days has been impossible to describe for those of us who have jumped in to do whatever it takes...how much more indescribible for those who have lost everything...including family members. If were not for some incredible staff, friends, volunteers, etc. it would be without a doubt unbearable. Max, Ruben, Mike Snow, Mike Salazar, Rick Torrison, Tom Moffett, just to name a few ministers who without murmur have jumped in to help sort through the seemingly impossible situations. No one could have ever comprehended or could have been prepared for this devastating time. There are piles of notes, e-mails, requests, nonstop phone calls late into the night...pleas for help from evacuees and victims on this end, plus the requests for any help from those in the hurricane hit areas on that end. The wonderful thing is the way many in the Body are doing whatever they can. The real challenge is to see how many are willing to follow through the initial stages of compassion. Talk to you soon.

Doug

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