I started this blog to keep my church, friends and family updated on my year volunteering in Katrina recovery with the Presbyterian Church (USA). I've now signed on for a second year working in disaster recovery and another year living in Mississippi. It's getting good....

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Hope and Good News

Yesterday I was full of good news and couldn't wait to blog about it!

I've been trying to help a young man complete some community service hours and wasn't having any luck finding work- and yesterday, after a month of waiting, it worked out.

I met a homeless man, who's friends had taken advantage of him, who'd lost his job, who'd lost all his money and needed a bus ticket home to PA to get back to family and find some help- and yesterday, despite several serious road blocks, it worked out.

I've been wanting to feel closer to God in this building- this church, this office, this volunteer hostel that is my home, my work, my community. Last night I attended the healing service run by our Episcopal friends who are temporarily worshiping here at HPC and then spent the end of the night and the wee hours of this morning singing Christmas hymns by the light of our advent wreath with a couple of my roommates. I think Linda thought I had sad tears, but really I was crying because I finally felt God's presence in this church. I was so moved during the healing service, with the weight of the past three months, really of the past year and three months, starting to show signs of lifting off of this structure. I cried in joy, knowing for the first time since I arrived- really knowing- that God was in this building. He is in these people: the community service worker, the volunteers, the homeless folks, the pastors and priests, the staff, the cat, the cockroaches, the six of us GCM volunteers and the whole bunch of mess that strolls in and out of these doors daily. I had wanted to believe that all along, but I just couldn't feel it- yesterday, it worked out.

This morning I awoke to the news that our tool trailer had been broken into last night. Someone stole all of the power tools, compressors, and light tripods; very expensive equipment. Two days ago, this news may have crushed me. But today, I have hope. I have hope that our insurance will cover the loss. I have hope that we'll have the funding to replace the equipment. I have hope that the police will find answers to the increasing crime concerns of this community. I have hope that we can help enough people in this community so that there won't be a need to use theft as a means of getting by. And I have hope that God's love will get us through all our days- the good, the bad and the ugly.

With love and hope,
Erin

P.S.- Dad arrives tomorrow- please join me in praying for his safe travel. -E

1 comment:

Linda said...

e-
i'm so glad that you are full of hope. and that you can feel God here!
and i think i've learned that i can't pretend to know what your tears are about!
glad to be your roomie!
linda