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Q: Share with us what you
experienced on your trip. How did it compare to what you anticipated
and were prepared for?
Robyn: We were originally to be
deployed at St. Bernard's Parish, the hardest hit area of New
Orleans. We were told we would serve as counselors, and perhaps work
as case managers, helping the most needy. I felt a sense of anxiety
about this because I do not have a background in counseling
(although I am a mother of four). I prayed that the Lord would put
me where I could be useful. Due to Hurricane Rita, we were not able
to go to St. Bernard's Parish. We learned the word "fluid"
from the staff of CityTeam, as that is what we needed to be as
situations changed.
We spent our first night in a shelter in Baton Rouge, but we soon
learned that we would be sent to Metarie, near New Orleans. The
drive through this area was shocking. This was our first look at the
disaster, and it was one of the least hit parts of the city.
Our team was from two other churches, and we quickly believed
that the Lord ordained that we be together. Their amazing faith and
unceasing work helped me through the sadness and despair of the
situation. Ultimately, we were placed in a food distribution center
in Victory Assembly Church, a church under the umbrella of the
Assembly of God (ironically the church I had grown up in). We spent
our days outside in the heat and humidity. We took orders from the
evacuees in their cars as they lined up to receive food, water and
other supplies. This job was special because we talked to so many
people -- about 1,000 cars per day! I was amazed by the grace and
kindness of those who had lost so much. The presence of the Lord was
in that place, and I feel so blessed to have been there. I have
never experienced so much suffering, and many times I had to say
that I would pray, and then I would walk away and cry. I felt such a
sense of despair, and at the same time, I felt such hope from the
resilience of the human spirit. It renewed my faith and my awareness
of God's miracles that surround us all the time.
Q: As others from the SFC
community consider or prepare to go to the Gulf Coast, what advice
would you share with them?
Robyn: I would encourage anyone
who can go to do so. The need is bigger than any of us, but not
bigger than the Lord. I felt He placed us exactly where we needed to
be to do His work. Although I came away with the sense that there
was much more to do, I also came to see that many hands make light
work. I do believe that we are called to be the legs of the Lord,
and it is imperative that we help.
Q: How has your time spent
serving in the Gulf Coast changed you?
Robyn: I feel that I returned a
different person in my walk with the Lord. The things that seemed so
important are insignificant in the face of human suffering. I still
see the tear-filled eyes of so many who lost everything, yet still
thanked us for being there...there were those who needed a kind
word, a prayer, or just a bottle of cold water. Most of all, I could
see the power of God in the most dire of circumstances, and what I
know for sure is that He is with us ALWAYS. |
