
One thing surprising to me is that I find myself not really talking a whole lot about my experience down in Mississippi. Words can not convey what it was like or what we saw. Some people say "you can't imagine the devastation" but I think most people can. We have seen it plastered all over TV in so many different ways. Film footage of the area is not like being there but it does give you a pretty good idea of what things actually look like.
The thing that got me was there are people actually living among the piles of rubble and trash. There are so few places for kids to play because of all the debris and trash. It is EVERYWHERE. Broken glass, wire, discarded roofing nails from careless crews. But the kids have no where else to go play. Most are living in tiny 18' campers, so it is not like they can stay inside and out of the mess. Even for the adults it has to be so wearisome, looking out everyday on piles of trash and broken houses, dead and splintered trees. You have to be able to look for beauty in the little things or the destruction can immediately overwhelm you. I was there for a week. The residents who stayed (600 out of 6000) have been living like that for 6 months.
It was gratifying to bring a little hope, and a whole lot of prayer. It is the only thing that gets you through down there and the most amazing thing is that God is working all over in that area, in ways he is not able to work anywhere else. The brokeness provides a door for him to come in a rebuild lives, families and bring his love and healing in so many ways. I am so thankful to have been even a tiny part of that.
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