[Gulfcoastnews] Following up after 10-4 Galveston Clean-up

[Peggy Contos Hahn]

   Lutheran care impacts lives!

 

 

Your response to Bishop Mike’s call to serve in Galveston, with less than a
week’s notice, has come along side many grieving people in a radical way.
42 congregations- almost 400 people – showed up with gloves, masks, tools
and a lot of heart last Saturday.  Another dozen people joined in the
on-going clean up in Bridge City.  This is the TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod at its
best!  

 

The ELCA has released a new slogan that we have embodied in the past few
days:  God’s Work, Our Hands.  

 

Thank you for your generosity of love, time and resources.  You have
launched a new era of synod life by taking initiative to step into the pain
of other people.  Your response has honored God and inspired us all.

 

For those of you wanting more, and for those who were unable to participate
but are eager to jump in, you should know that this is just the beginning.
When something this important happens, everything else gets re-aligned to
move with the Spirit calling us into action.  So stay tuned for notice in
the next few days of how you can continue or enter into this new way of
being synod that you have started.

 

For now, we need your help with the following:

1)    Check it out:  Go to futurewithhope.org to check out stories and
pictures.  Create a blog for your congregation... 

2)    Stories & pictures:  Email your pictures and stories in one of the
following ways:

-Send the photos to Pastor John Bade at john at futurewithhope.org 

-If the photos are already on another site, send the link information (URL)
to Pastor John  

-Register on the futurewithhope.org photo album
www.futurewithhope.org/photoalbums/register.php.  It's a one-time only
registration -- then log in, and upload the photos

This is the only way we will know how many people were cared for, how many
homes were cleaned out or any other service you did unless you tell us!
Lutherans were all over the Island knocking on doors to help so send us your
stories!  You might reflect on the following questions...

a.   What did you do on Saturday to care for people, homes, churches, etc.?

b.   What happened that has shaped your thinking, stuck in your memory or
affected your prayer life?

c.   Are there things you learned from the people you helped?  How is your
life impacted?

d.   Where did you see God in this experience?

3)    Tools:  Please let us know if you have tools that are not yours.
Also, let us know if you are missing tools!  Already on the list are:  kbar
knife and an antique shovel that we hope to connect to their owners.

4)    Evaluation:  Help us improve our leadership by offering your thoughts
on what would make this a better experience.  Please be constructive and
specific so we can grow as a staff in supporting experiences like this.  We
only had a few days to develop projects for Saturday, but as we move forward
we want to do the best job possible.

 

I have pasted a wonderful reflection from Pastor Kathy Haueisen Cachen below
to inspire you to share your own thoughts! 

  

Please email or call me at 832-594-5016 if you have questions.  Thank you
for making this important commitment as a synod to care for one another.

 

Peggy Contos Hahn

Assistant to the Bishop

TX-LA Gulf Coast Synod

 

Dear Gulf Coast Synod Leaders, 

 

Kathy Haueisen Cashen writing to tell you it was a wonderful day in
Galveston yesterday! 

 

391 folks arrived starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning. Groups registered
and received a free t-shirt for coming. Bishop Mike welcomed and I led a
devotion. Firefighter Anthony, a member of Zion gave safety instructions,
and off everyone went to their tasks.

 

Work was done on all three Galveston congregations, and many homes. Folks
from Faith Dickinson worked at Carlos Peña’s warehouse (ELCA VP). St. Paul’s
was handled by a group from Living Word Katy, St. Paul’s Columbus and some
people from Conoco. The work included hauling things out to the curb,
cleaning things and tearing out flooring and walls. It was hard, dirty work.
At times emotions ran high.

 

My husband John and I took “mold juice” – canisters of mold remediation
solvent from Carlos Peña’s warehouse – to use at Zion (member Rudy
Halverson, Pastor Beth Marie Halverson’s father-in-law is a trooper!), St.
Paul’s (Pastor Sharon Burns  is hanging in there!), the  home of Karen
Campbell (Zion member), a neighbor on Pine Street, and a neighbor of Karen
Tirquit (Zion member), where folks from New Hope Missouri City were working.
Folks from several congregations helped First get ready for their
Oktoberfest, which they are going ahead with, and renaming “Ike’s Overfest!”

 

Crews worked at places like the home of Lutisha Hayes where team from St.
John’s in Bellville were working, at Karen Campbell‘s home, where volunteers
from  Covenant Houston worked, and Gus Allen park where Chris  Marquart and
his  volunteers from Celebration Cypress labored.

 

IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE! Nice job, Peggy and all who helped pull it together in
one short week! Many asked, “When are we going to do this again?” So, we’re
talking about a possible November date, with more time to plan.

 

It was a good day to be a Lutheran. I’m so proud of our ELCA people! We do
darn good work and we do it with good humor and grace and humility and
usually high levels of cooperation. Garrison Keillor would be proud.

 

Pastor Kathy Haueisen Cashen, Rapid Response Team

 

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