Hunkerin' down

Rob and I went to the shelter and made sure everyone was ok. There were 100 people (i think). We lead a prayer and praise surface for those staying at CDG. Many people were able to express their prayers for family and friends. One lady said that she and her husband were driving back into town because after 13 hours they had only travelled 20 miles. They heard on the Spanish radio station that people should look for Lutheran church because they are the only churches inside the loop that are housing people (I don't know that that's true, but that's what the radio station was saying.) She asked what kind of church this was and we told her. She was amazed.
We are here at the loft downtown and the rains have just started.

hmmmm!

I wonder if he saw this coming. Why wasn't he boarding up his window earlier?

Almost done with the house

I am almost done with my house. The couches are up on top of coffee tables, the big screen is on top of two speakers (yeah) and everything else of value is in plastic bags in the attic. Let's just hope the roof doesn't blow off. I am about to go outside to trim some tree limbs that could fly through the windows, and then to carry supplies to the loft downtown. After that I hope to finish reading my book. Again, I am glad I won't be sitting on the highways, which are pretty much a natural bowling alley for nature. Wish I had my brother's boat about now. I could really do some ministry then.

Waiting

Still trying to get supplies and cash to the groups that are heading out of town. Just trying to move around the city is hard with everyone in evacuation mode. I am glad I am staying downtown and don't have to sit in traffic. We will see how it goes.

What will it be?

It is kind of eerie to sit here and wait while everyone is rushing around trying to get out of town. I can't think of a safer place than where we will be staying downtown. I was driving back from the west side this morning and had the freeway all to myself while the opposite side was basically a parking lot. I will wait the storm out and then go see who needs help getting out of their house, etc in Magnolia Park and Denver Harbor. We are ready with a chainsaw, stocks of water and food and Rob's Land Cruiser Discovery. Bring it on!

Imagine

I started to imagine today what impact the church would have on this city if we would operate out of the same compassion that drives us in these days. With the catastrophe of Hurrican Katrina forcing people into our city and onto our doorstep, we are doing things that two weeks ago would have seemed impossible. Everyone now wants to house the homeless at all costs, when two weeks ago we wouldn't. Some Christians operate out of this kind of compassion all the time, while others are awakened only by disaster. All of a sudden we have driven by the desire to just do something. I pray that we can remember this feeling a year from now when there are still people who need a touch from God. This is our Romans 8:28.