January 20, 2007 9:23 AM
Biloxi post-Katrina relief
Following my post of Ben doing relief work in Biloxi, Mississippi, Jarred posted this comment:
Is there any chance you might get Ben to share some of his experiences doing the relief work? I'd love to hear more about it, putting a more personal image on the great work I know is going on in the Biloxi area.My brother-in-law has been stationed at Keesler AFB since about a year before Katrina struck, so the topic is of some personal interest to me. As various family members have travelled down to Biloxi to see my sister and her family since Katrina (my trip this past September is the most recent), we've gotten to see "snapshots" throughout the whole rebuilding process. It's been truly amazing.
What is also amazing (and being "mostly liberal," I admit it gives me pains to admit it) is the difference between how the states of Mississippi and Louisiana have handled the rebuilding effort and what condition they're each in as a result. Because Louisiana has primarily insisted on waiting for federal aid, they're not nearly as recovered from Katrina as Mississippi, who has taken a "let's jump in and do what we can right now" approach. During my visit in September, we also made a trip to the New Orleans zoo, and I was able to observe this difference for myself.
I am always so grateful when someone of either political persuasion - liberal or conservative - shows a willingness to think outside the box.
Because I believe that the government taking over charity work has had a very detrimental effect on our culture (I was a poor white kid in an all-black neighborhood in Washington DC in the 50's and I saw the strength of the black family before Johnson's "Great Society" program undermined the role of the father and the church), I was sad to see how the people of New Orleans reacted to Katrina - with loud demands and ingratitude and a lack of initiative. As someone who pulled herself out of a terrible background - including the kind of poverty where your family doesn't own a car or TV and sometimes not enough to eat (not the way poverty is defined in this country today) I know that anyone can rise above their circumstances in this country and I resent people continuing to hold themselves back while blaming others. I wrote a lot about this during the crisis - you can read everything under my category Post-Katrina.
I also fault wealthy Christians who spend so much money on themselves and give so little to those in need. It is painful to see them build their treasures on earth. Painful to see them never stretching beyond their comfort zone.
Anyway, I forwarded Jarred's question to Ben (at Liberty) and to his girlfriend Anna (at a state university), who also was in the group who went to Biloxi over their Christmas break. Haven't heard yet from Ben, but here is Anna's reply:
I often find myself battling past seeing what the world sees to see what is the actual reality of Jesus in the here and now. In Biloxi, my vision of Jesus was clear. With a landscape of physical ruin, the people of Biloxi had little in the ways of worldly comforts to cling to. Sadly we could see how evil was making its offer of drug deals and prostitution. But in many cases, especially with the people we were privileged to work with, it was faith that made the bigger claim. These people possessed such a profound trust that God was going to take care of their deepest needs.
The people’s dependence was not in vain. God is not silent in Biloxi. He is providing daily. The community is slowly but surely rising. We were on a team of about fifty people working through an organization started by the Beaverton Four Square Church of Oregon. We lived together under the steps of a stadium with another 100 or so Christians from another organization. Together we made up “the Village.” God’s provision in many forms of his glory was present as the 150 of us had our first meal together at 7:00 promptly after the bell. We were morning people, and the not so morning people (Ben has a charming persona when he wakes up). We were skilled and very unskilled. Male and female, young and old (my favorite couple was hitting their late 70’s!). We were all, by the strength and grace of God, willing.
The thing I liked best about the operation was the program wasn’t really about the work. It was about people and the relationships between people and their relationships between God. When the residents of the particular houses arrived to the sites, we would stop work, speak with them, and more importantly listen to the stories they had to share. I was particularly touched after we listened to a single mom share her concerns about how her boys were dealing emotionally with the disaster. Our supervisor led us all in prayer for Annette and her boys and God’s overwhelming presence in the room led Annette to tears. As we finished she quickly wiped her tears and asked our opinion on a paint color to divert attention away from herself. Jesus was so clear in that moment where we stood holding hands in a half built, empty house lifting up our hearts to him.
As Ben and I took off from the Biloxi gulf Port airport, we pressed our heads against the tiny airplane window to see what was covered by clouds during our arrival. The plane curled up into the sky and we were suddenly able to see a clear view of the Biloxi Peninsula. We managed to make out specific places where we stayed and worked. As the sun beautifully flickered off the water and we could see the whole of Biloxi in our view, I was struck by a vision of God’s glory rising. It is a vision that I’ve been able to carry with me back to school. I am alive knowing that the same Jesus that was in Biloxi is here with me now working in the same powerful way.
“And now theses three remain; faith, hope and love.”
Yes, I do love that girl! You can see why.
Ben and Anna (known by their friends as Benanna) were so moved by their experience that they've decided to continue going there whenever they can until the work of rebuilding is done. There is still a lot to do.
Posted in Family, Post-Katrina | Permalink
