Shreveport: Day 1
Well, after 15 hours of driving, a few wrong turns, a stop in Texarkana to some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, we’re here in Shreveport.
We are working in the Hirsch Colliseum Red Cross shelter. There are over 1000 refugees here.
Ironically, my job (along with Wendy Rehm) is information services (because that’s what we are good at). We are sitting at computers entering people into “the database” and searching it as people call in. Our task is to connect displaced people. There are a lot of them.
Some of us are working “security” at the gate (letting the right people in and keeping the wrong people out) and the rest of us are working on sorting and distributing toys. All of us have the task of being a “human touch” to the “clients” here. Sitting down and listening and caring.
More later. This was supposed to be quick.
I am so encouraged by you guys. More than anything, I’m reading about how depressed and hopeless these folks are feeling. Many need a reason to have hope more than a meal.
Keep offering both!
I am encouraged and inspired by you guys too. I wish I was there.
But there is a thought in my mind — and I don’t mean this in any way shape or form as a criticism or anything more than a challenge to myself — that shouldn’t we be this motivated every day to save those who are lost, to help those who are hurting? Hopefully, I will be going down in coming weeks.
“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.” (Proverbs 24:11)