New Orleans, Here We Come!

Well, I have hinted at the fact that there have been big changes brewing in our life as of late. I have been skirting the details for two reasons -

1. I envisioned telling each of our friends individually so there would be no injuries as people fainted and

2. I don't have many details in the first place.

I quickly realized that there is no way I can call and tell everyone one on one. I'll call as I can, but there's just a lot going on right now. So, here's the skinny on what's up with us.

If you read the title of this post, you've probably already made the connection between my innuendos of late and this post. If not, I'll go ahead and spell it out for you. Papa has asked us to move to the New Orleans area to help with the recovery efforts. "How?," you may ask. That's a good question, and I'll be glad to let you know as soon as Papa tells me. "When," is probably the next question on your lips. Again, fantastic question. Let me get back to you on that one. "For how long?," may be another issue you're pondering. Once more, excellent query; my answer is I don't know.

At this point, you pretty much know what I know, which is that Papa has asked us to move 6 hours away to an area that has endured horrible devastation and may endure more before the next couple of days are over. I have listened to more mocking comments today than I care repeat here about why people would rebuild that area. I wondered that too until I took more than 5 seconds to think about it. Let me take a few minutes to clarify at least my thoughts on the matter.

First, who says they are safer somewhere else? Think about it, every area of the country is prone to one type of natural phenomena or another - California has earthquakes, the coastal areas have hurricanes, some of the other gifts of Mother Nature are snowstorms, tornadoes, hailstorms, flooding, mudslides, drought, etc. The list could go on and on. I don't hear myriads of questions about why people continue to live in other areas subject to those types of disasters. Personally, I believe if you try to run away from one natural disaster, you'll probably find yourself dealing with another one of a different type. The truth is that you cannot escape the effects that nature - be it hurricane or otherwise - inflicts upon our lives. Besides, I always figured that at least with a hurricane you have a little warning so you can skedaddle before it hits if you need to.

Second, that is their home. If a hurricane hit here and destroyed Baytown, Houston, Galveston, etc, I can pretty much guarantee that people would rebuild. Why? Because this is their home. Should improvements be made to help protect against future disasters? Certainly!

Third, let me just say that St. Bernard Parish (where Dan went on the mission trip and where we feel called) is where Katrina did the most damage. The rebuilding is mostly being done by individuals, church groups, etc. The government is not down there pouring money into rebuilding all these homes. More importantly, many people need someone to pour themselves into rebuilding lives, not just infrastructure.

That is where we come in. Oh, I don't know how much of an impact we will make, but we are certainly going to give it our all. I fully expect that we will see people's lives impacted; some of those lives will be our own. I know it will be hard, and I do not relish the thought of leaving our family (both the spiritual and biological), especially with gas prices so high. However, I know that my Father goes with me wherever we go.

Right now Papa is only giving us one piece of the puzzle at a time. We will keep everyone updated as we move forward. Please be praying that we will make wise decisions as God directs us. Pray that He will open the financial doors that will have to be opened in order for us to go. Please agree with us in seeking His favor and guidance in every step of this adventure.

Well, that about sums it up. Now, you know all that I know (or at least what I think I know). I find myself full of excitement but with a bit of trepidation as we begin this next phase. It will mean trusting Papa as we never have before, which is a little harrowing. However, it will mean trusting Papa as we never have before, which is completely amazing and exhilarating. I look forward to sharing this tremendous adventure with you!

Blessings!