 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
It has been 1 week since Irene, and Windermere has just set a new record for hurricane damage. The previous toll was caused by Hurricane Floyd and left the school without power for a full week. We have now surpassed that record as our power lines remain bent and disfigured (as do many on the island).
Hurricane clean-up is exhausting. Its difficult to even know where to begin! Once the winds changed direction after the eye they wreaked havoc on the buildings. We lost everything except the plywood on the girls apartment, and the water damage destroyed the entire interior. Our tool shed was demolished. The walls and roof of it were scattered across the campus, even up to hundreds of feet away!
Gutters and shutters took a substantial beating, and we lost an entire basketball goal. Finally, each rooftop has some measure of damage, from torn ventilation to missing shingles. Normally a mission team could assist in fixing all these project in a matter of days, however we do not have any such resource. Therefore we have taken the philosophy of the Tortoise, “slow and steady.”
We are supposed to start school next week, but that is not looking very likely. Not even all our teachers have returned due to the storm’s devastation and complication. But little by little the campus is returning to normal, even better than normal.
One hidden blessing from a hurricane is its ability to demand upgrade and change. In not-so-subtle-form, a hurricane has a way of pruning the landscape; removing the old and lingering to make space for the new and growing. Much of the campus is now trimmed back and approaching a look of potential for growth. Our toolshed needed to be replaced. Money and complacency have prevented us from taking any action, but now Irene has forced us to look towards remodeling and renovation. It is a hidden blessing.
Our community is steadily getting back on its feet too. The settlement is still without power, although many settlements now have their power restored, ours shouldn’t be too far behind.
During the hurricane, and about right at its most fierce, Emily (who had been drowning out the tempest by listening to her iPod) gave me a song to listen to by Mikeschair. Here it was it said:
LET THE WATERS RISE
Don’t know where to begin,
Like my world’s caving in,
And I try but can’t control my fear,
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes its so hard to pray,
When you feel so far away,
I’m willing to go where you want me to,
God I trust you.
CHORUS
There’s a raging sea right in front of me,
Wants to pull me in,
Bring me to my knees,
Let the waters rise, if you want them to,
I will follow you, I will follow you.
I will swim in the deep,
Because you’ll be next to me,
You’re in the eye of the storm and the calm of the sea,
You’re never out of reach.
God you know where I’ve been,
You were there with me then,
You were faithful before, you’ll be faithful again,
I’m holding you’re hand.
There’s a raging sea right in front of me,
Wants to pull me in,
Bring me to my knees,
Let the waters rise, if you want them to,
I will follow you, I will follow you.
God your love is enough,
You will pull me through,
I’m holding on to you.
God your love is enough,
I will follow you,
I will follow you.
This song speaks to the individual decision to “follow” God because of His faithfulness. Even though we are without water and electricity, and are recovering from much destruction – we see clearly God’s faithfulness, and declare (along with the song), “We will follow God!”