Archive for September 23rd, 2006

I need to take this time to acknowledge those who were pivotal in my mission down at the Mississippi gulf coast.

First, thanks to God for the abilities and resources that allowed me to get involved. Thank you for moving my heart to get involved. The sacrafices and experiences will build me into a better person.

Secondly, thank you to my wife who “held down the fort”. Without the support of the other half of my home team, I would not have been able to take vacation time (away from the family) to help out down there. For anyone going on a venture like this, it is vital to have the full support and commitment of your better half. Their job is, in a way, harder than yours. At least you have the distraction of a new experience and work to get you through. They are doing the normal everyday routine — minus a resource. Kudos to my wife.

A huge thank you to my Dad who taught me the skills I used heavily while down there. Who woulda thought many years ago that at age seven, hauling brick in the Texas heat would give me the work ethic to work through the Mississippi heat and humidity. And from there every skill — carpentry, masonry, tiling, flooring, mechanical, problem solving to name a few — has been used extensively. I thank my Dad for sharing these skills with me throughout my life so I could leverage them for a positive impact last week.

And finally, thank you for those who prayed and thought about me and my team last week. I truly believe that we were kept safe and used to God’s glory to help those who needed it. I also very much appreciate those who financially support me and the team going down there. Without your generous contributions, we would not have been as effective.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Well, I made it safely home late last night. And just in time too. An hour or two later, we got hit by some of this year’s nastiest storms. The Louisville metro area is cleaning up floodwaters in areas. Both major freeways — the 64 (east/west) and the 65 (north/south) — were or are closed. And I was on the 65 just hours before. In fact, one person was swept away in their vehicle and drowned on the 65 last night. And there was tornadic activity from northern ‘Bama through Kentuckiana. It is amazing to me that we just went through all that hours before. We were certainly blessed.

So between the numerous lightning strikes, thunder, tornado warnings, heavy rains and winds, it seemed like I was getting a thunderous welcome home. I’m glad I was here for it though to make it easier on my wife. This morning there is some cleanup to do. We got about an inch of water in the basement. And more storms are expected tonight so preparations are a must. And even though I got longer and more unbroken sleep at Camp Victor, it was just so good to be in my own bed.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net