I finally got some sort of report on some freinds from our church and the aid they are trying to do in Louisiana.............and then off to Mississippi from what I hear. A small group but at least someone from my state is trying to help those that need it :
EMT (Emergency Missions Team)
Our first EMT team left October 14 for Slidell, Louisiana. After some ticket problems five members left on Friday. Seven others left on Sat.Oct.15 and flew into in Houston. They had to be picked up by another teammate who drove 8 hours to pick them up. I spoke with Darren Engle the team leader today by phone and he said that the devastation was much worse than what was shown on TV. They saw parts of Mississippi, New Orland's and Louisiana. Darren said, "Our primary jobs will be removing fallen trees and brush from peoples homes. We will also be removing furniture, clothing, bedding, sheetrock, and carpet in preparation for the homes to be rebuilt. We are working with a group called Hilltop Rescue from California. This group has been fantastic! Please pray for strength, travel plans, health, safety, and ministry opportunities. We hope to extend Love and light not only to the people of Slidell, but also to other volunteer workers and church members we will be working along side with."
Our team will also be meeting with two other River Valley members, Cindy Hubbard and Jackie Hamilton. They are site managers for the Red Cross in Louisiana, and only stationed 8 miles away from our team. Darren said the girls would take a couple of days off and come work with them. I spoke with Cindy on Monday and she said that they were feeding 10,000 people a day! Yes, you read it right, 10,000!
Our second team will be leaving Thursday, October 20 and returning Nov 4th. Darren also said that they need Husqvarna chainsaw parts, such as blades and bars. He will send an updated list soon. If anyone would like to donate any of these items, please bring them to the church office.
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