News From The Front

I just got 2 emails from Rev. Andy, my cousins husband. My Cousin, Lynn is in Baton Rouge doing some relief work with Lutheran Charaties (photos and updates).

Here are 2 emails from here. One is from Thurs., Sept 8, and one is from this morning.

Thurday 9/8

Dear Andy,

Hi - Finally getting the last 6 people out into the field. Patience is the name of the game and change is the order of the day.

The hopitality is amazing - just had lunch with a displaced preK teacher whose husband is a synod worker - they have been evacuated since the Hurricane (to Houston) - their Lutheran School is closed and she was quite concerned about her students who she didn't know where her students were. She was allowed to come back to see her home today - but they have to be out by 6 pm. She was happy that they had not sustainged water damage. She had to clean out the rotting food from her refrigerator and people have been advised to bury their rotting food!

People are wandering the streets looking for food and clothing. We have a group on a work crew - a hospital group and a large group at the "Miracle Center" where the last of the evacuees are being brought. A local pastor runs the center. Next door to Trinity is a Baptist Church that the Red Cross is running a food distribution center. Thousands of meals are being served twice a day. I met the Baptist pastor helping with the distribution - and on top of all they are doing they are feeding our volunteers! Everyone is truly working together.

We have got things fairly well organized for our group for now. Changes are continuous based on the calls we receive to help. This church has been amazing! I visited the school at lunch time. They have received 63 new students this week. They have all received new uniforms, and look like they were fitting in well. The cutest little pre-schooler was having a major meltdown and when I asked if it was because of being displaced, I was told that she had been attending preschool the past three weeks here, and was having a difficult time adjusting to her new class size of 12 from a class of 22!

The guys unloaded the semi of medical supplies today at Covington-Slidell. Everywhere is in need of so many things.

Thanks for the prayers - please continue. I have never been so frightened as I was last night driving the last couple of hours into Baton Rouge. There is a mandatory curfew from 10 - 5, and no gas available after 10. We had 400 gallons of gas on the trailor, but stopping was risky because of our precious cargo. We had to stop and wait for a car that was running low, and we had to move three times so people did not realize what we had in our trailor. Finally made it in at 1:30 am and we were up and going at 5 today. We're on our way out to a hospital center now so will close for now. Hope to get a chance to update soon.

Love, Lynn

Friday Morning or Late Thursday night

Good Morning!

It's 11:00 and I'm about done for the night.

Our one medical team came back with incredible stories from the storm refugees. There is rampant pink eye, and various other diseases sprouting up. There is not enough medicine to meet the needs.

Part of our group is staying in a motor home in Covington. They are on a chain saw mission. They took our cook Ernesto along and are living in a motor home a parishioner donated. It sounds like that area was extremely hard hit. They are attempting to get other motor homes to make a camp for people to stay in. It is far from here so we won't see them until we get ready to leave. My driver, Scott is there so hopefully he'll decide to come back and pick me up.

I will be working at a shelter tomorrow from 7 - 7. The needs are tremendous and there is plenty of work to be done. At least we are doing what we came to do.

Went on a food run tonight. Stores were closed after 8. Finally, found an open WalMart. It was packed with people. Armed policeman at the door - and empty food isles!!! No milk or eggs. People had baskets full of food.
I assume these are people that have finally found housing and have had to start over. It took us over an hour to check out.

5:30 comes early. I'll call you tomorrow night. I love you. Lynn

Please pray for Lynn and everyone helping out.