\nLast night, some former housemates of mine went with Laura and me to \nI've been pondering things Laura and I can do to help in the relief efforts. We can certainly give money to the American Red Cross<\/a>. Last night, some former housemates of mine went with Laura and me to hear people recount their experiences with relief efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana. At first, I did not want to look at still more pictures of the disaster … Continue reading
\nhear people recount their experiences with relief efforts in
\nMississippi and Louisiana. At first, I did not want to look at still
\nmore pictures of the disaster area but found myself emotionally
\nimmersed in the muck and destruction. (I plan to take a look at Flickr: Photos tagged with katrina<\/a> for further local coverage of the recovery efforts.) I learned that a major part of the volunteer effort has gone to \"mud-outs<\/a>\"
\nthe stomach-wrenching and labor-intensive process of removing the
\nfurnishings from houses damaged by flood waters. Seeing pictures and
\nvideos of workers wearing respirators, boots, and gloves and standing
\nbeside walls covered with the biggest mold spots I had ever seen
\nbrought home how hard the work was. There are more students heading
\ndown to New Orleans in March. <\/p>\n
\nWe can also support the students who are going on the trip directly. I
\nneed to remind myself not to forget prayer, which is often the last
\nthing in which I engage, alas. Finally, I'm part of a community of
\nfolks who care about issues such as the ongoing relief efforts around
\nthe hurricanes. I can do my part to keep them informed and motivated to
\nwork together. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"