Upstaged by Matt

Got a phone call from Ana this morning, and I was going to write an entry, but Matt beat me to the punch. Shucks, golly gee.

Just a couple things we wanted to add to the report.

• She is feeling unwell to some degree because she is having trouble staying vegetrian, not to mention vegan. Apparently, everything in the south is made with meat.
• Her phone and computer aren't working flawlessly, such that she hasn't been able to talk to her mom on the phone in four days, or so. This makes her sad.
• She's trying to figure out where to go next, and is asking for your prayers in that. Her options include:
  

  
  -working for Red Cross once they figure out where to put her
  -going to help the AmeriCorps people
  -taking charge over the warehouse she is currently working in as in charge people leave
  -not helping with the shelters in Baton Rouge where she had planned, since they are evacuated
  -not helping Habitat for Humanity until the hurricane season is over

  
  She is planning on staying at the warehouse for another week, and then making a decision of where to move next. Pray for her guidance on that.
• And, finally, she's received the e-mails that folks have sent, and she is encouraged by them. If you don't know, we have a list of folks which are sending prayers to her daily (one person a day), so, if you want to get on the list, let us know.

We love Ana. Please pray for her.

Random Things

There have been some new developments in not only Ana's living style, but her personal appearance as well...

She cut off all of her hair. Well, not all of it, but a significant amount. Like seven inches. She claims that she was "forced into it," but this has been something she's been wanting to try for a while, so can we really believe her all that much? Anyway, less hair is keeping her cooler and allowing her to work harder.

She mentioned that she might be receiving her forklift driving license soon. Not sure how we can use this to our advantage yet, but it's gotta come in handy sometime, having a friend that can drive a forklift. She'll probably just want to show off next time we go to Lowe's or something.

Pray for her rest...she explained that she and several other volunteers that work with her have been sleepwalking...apparently they work so much that they even dream about moving boxes in a giant warehouse. Ana said that the other night she started sleepwalking and only woke up when she ran into a lamp and "busted her lip open." Not sure exactly what that means, but it sounds pretty funny. Her lip is fine.

But it won't be an issue anymore, because as of last night, she has moved out of the lake home she was so generously offered and is living amidst her AmeriCorps friends. She says that the room they stay in is just like a giant warehouse...she can't get away from this thing at all. Anyway, some of her good friends are leaving her today, and going to Baton Rouge to put tarps on houses that have lost their roofs. Her friend Jessie is going to call Ana in the next few days to let her know whether or not they will need her there, too...

Further reports as events develop.

Hurricane Rita

Ana and everyone else down south really need our prayers.

They say that Rita, which is only a Category 1 storm right now, is likely to upgrade to Category 3 (major hurricane status, Katrina was a four) and hit the Gulf Coast within a matter of mere days, possibly burying New Orleans in 15 more inches of rain.

I can't even fathom the implications of this on the Coast. It's bad enough already there, and another hurricane can only worsen the situation.

Specifically, pray that Ana remains safe wherever she is and that the storm misses her. If she is forced to evacuate, pray that she has somewhere else to go where she is needed. We can only trust that God still has many good things in store...

Rest Stops and Blessings

***This is a reconstructed post. It was written 9/20/05***

Ana spent last night at a rest stop, sleeping in Elliott. Then she made the rest of the trip to Mississippi. This was one of the hardest legs of her journey, as she didn't know where she was going to, where she was staying, what she was doing...

But she does, now. She arrived and was treated to dinner by a couple of the workers, and then was given money by them, to use or pass on, as needed. And then was given the reign of the summer house of one of the workers. So, she is housed, fed, and funded.

And, as to the work she's doing, she loves it. For those Webster people familiar with orientation, she said it's like move-in day, all day long. So, it's very tiring, and we're praying for her strength and stamina. But, she loves it. She's one of twenty workers in the Red Cross' distribution center over all of Mississippi and half of Louisiana. The building is a square mile, meaning that she can't see one side from the other. It's a lot of work, and she's loving it. Praise God!

On the Road, Again

***This is a reconstructed post. It was written 9/20/05***

Alright, we got more of a full scoop on these church folks, and it's not looking real good. Apparently at the greeting, Ana was asked what her "salvation story" was, a little awkward, but alright. Then they had a time of worship, and everyone was speaking in tongues; again, a little awkward, not really sure how to handle it. Then comes the bad stuff. Apparently these folks were talking about how a lot of the victims/refugees are "heathens" and other strong words. They seemingly don't have much of a heart to help these "heathens" (yay for Christian love, eh?). Then, during the worship service, their "prophet" comes out to speak. Now, you've got to understand that, up 'til now, Ana's not been able to talk with much of anyone because she's not of a high enough "rank" in the church. Now it gets bad. She can't even look at the prophet, because he's too holy for someone of her low rank.

So... she left. She checked on-line and her request for Jackson was answered and they want her, so she's headed to Jackson, Mississippi and out away from these people. Praise God!

Church, what?

***This is a reconstructed post. It was written 9/20/50***

Ana arrived in Houston to-night. And, apparently, she's a little weary of these church folks that she's been hooked up with. There's something where they don't think she'll want to help Muslims, just because she's a Christian? She doesn't want to be there. We're asking God for guidance here...

And she's off...

***This is a reconstructed post. It was written 09/19/05***

Ana left to-day. Around 11:00am she got in ger car, Elliott, and, having heard nothing from Red Cross of Mississippi, she headed towards Houston. In Houston awaits a church recommended by her friend Peter Nevland, which he knew was doing relief work. She only made half of the journey to-day, driving seven hours to Oklahoma City, where she's staying with an old retired couple who Nikki knows from her childhood. From what I hear they're wonderful people who're treating her well, offering her breakfast and whatnot. Hurray for Ruth & A.C. Praise God!

Ana's spirits are high, though she is somewhat disappointed that she isn't going to Jackson, MS. She would have preferred to go where the need was greater, the available workers fewer. But, she's trusting that God is leading her where she is to be led, since this is His adventure for her and not her own.

We prayed for her last night, which was a great time, and we're all feeling very confident in God's plans for her.