GTT Day 3 STENCH

WOW...no one could really prepare me for this day!

The first house we had already been mostly cleaned by Barbara's son and his friends.  Besides tearing up a floor in one room, we boxed up belongings that had been rescued. But talking with Barbara about her rescue, shock, and grief so touched my heart. We prayed together for peace, joy in this difficult journey, thankfulness for God's unfailing love, and for guidance for where she would go next.

Throughout the day, common themes emerged:
"The water came up so fast!"
The people we help all have a story and it's a sad one.
All the belongings are just things, but there is an emotional attachment and memory tied to them.
People feel their loss greatly, but they also feel guilty for feeling badly about their loss because so many other people around them have also lost so much.
Everyone is so appreciative of the help.
There is a sense of despair of not even knowing what to do next because it is all so overwhelming.
Most people still have some humor left which makes a very bad situation more bearable.

The second house we cleaned out can be best described with one word...STENCH.
As we cleaned out the master bedroom, pulling out once plush carper on top of a thick pad, the woman told us that the septic tank right outside the window was the first to flood into the room.  With that, I walked right back to the truck and put on an extra pair of waterproof gloves. We already had our heavy duty masks and goggles on. After we had hauled everything out of  the bedroom, (imagine everything in YOUR bedroom being under 5 feet of water!), we cleaned out the laundry room and the kitchen. No amount of poopie diapers, (and heaven knows I've changed many), out- houses and camping potties, or dog poop and cat urine, can prepare a person for the smell of a refrigerator/freezer full of rotting meat filled with maggots. In addition to the horrible stench in the house of sitting septic water, and rotten meat, I was pushed right up to my limit pulling pots and pan out of the cupboards filled with stinky water with "stuff" in it.  Every time I pulled out a pan, bugs also came running out of the cupboard. My double waterproof gloves could not protect me from that. This family is living upstairs in this home right now! At the end of the afternoon, I felt incredibly privileged to come home to my host's beautiful, clean home and a delicious, hot meal.


Sam really thinks we need to bring back Hurricane Harvey water to study in biology; he thinks it will beat WI pond water.

Thanking God for:
waterproof boots
opportunity to talk and pray with these families
so many volunteers
wheel barrels
Chlorox wipes
clean, dry, sweet smelling bed to sleep in tonight
the other members on our team-love Texans
AND SO MUCH MORE!

GTT Day 2 Just Enough

Tuesday, Day 2

Morning run for Sam & I with Brother/Uncle Bill. Temperature: hot & humid!! (When we drove into TX yesterday the temperature reading on the car was 99 degrees!) Can we survive working in this heat & humidity?

Sam & I went to  Concordia Lutheran High School where I got the opportunity to speak at chapel & Sam got the chance to do improv in one of Lisa Fitzgerald's (my niece)  impressive classroom. Many of the girls would like Sam to attend Concordia Lutheran High School. ;)

Because our trip to TX was unexpected, we needed to gather supplies.  When we left Janesville on Friday, our plan was to spend the weekend in NE with Daniel & travel back home.  However on the trip, I read several emails from different organizations calling for people to help with Hurricane Harvey clean-up starting this week. Here are some links if you are interested in helping. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-harvey/?utm_source=Ggl&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=m_YGHH-B17V_HHSP-LP&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr6GPw4yT1gIVg5N-Ch3VoQi3EAAYASAAEgJuPPD_BwE#
http://www.concordialutheranchurch.com/engage/events/hurricane-relief
https://www.trinityklein.org/harvey-relief/
After filling out about 1500 forms from different organizations, Julie Tucker, from Concordia, San Antonio, helped arrange for us a spot  on a team at Trinity Lutheran Klein, Spring, TX. Neither Sam, nor I had packed for hurricane clean up when we left for NE. Lisa and her family, and Bill and Carol were able to supply us with several things we needed. At Walmart, there were 2 pr of goggles left, 2 masks left, a pair of rubber boots left in my size & they even had steel toes; Sam got water proof, steel toed work boots. JUST ENOUGH  for what we needed!!

We had too-brief of a supper time with Brother Bill & Carol, and Lisa & Christoper & family, and then Sam & I headed off to Houston, hoping we could avoid flooded roads. Thankfully we arrived at our wonderful host family's home, Carrie, Eric, & Melissa Oblinger, safe and sound!

Thanking God for:
JUST ENOUGH supplies
family
opportunity to be in TX
delicious brownies
safe travels
AND SO MUCH MORE!