These past few weeks have been so much fun! We have spent close to 50 hours doing service.
It has been incredible to see our missionary force dressed in yellow shirts and taking the streets of southwest Houston. You can pretty much drive down any street that was effected and see an army of yellow doing work in and out of people's homes.
We started the week by clearing out homes. The first neighborhoods we went to got less than a foot of water in their homes but still most things that were touching the floor had to be removed. Also anything that was made of fabric. From there we had to rip out the drywall...just the bottom 3 feet of it. Knocking out drywall was a blast and a good stress reliever. If I could stand the heat and the exhaustion and dirt it creates I could do it for a living. ha I am totally kidding. I am too weak.
It is terrible because everything gets moldy here just because of humidity. Take a flooded floor and add humidity and your whole house will be moldy in a matter of days. It is terrible. But that is what we are here for. We as well as some other organization are doing all of this service at no charge. We are helping people save thousands of dollars. Which they will need to replace everything that they have lost.
It is especially sad knowing that there still is not enough help. The flood was over two weeks ago and people are still trying to remove their belongings. Driving down the roads is a sad sight to see. I attached some pictures. It is just mountains of furniture and carpet and destroyed items lining the streets.
The last house we were sent to was the worst I have seen. They got over 3 feet of water in their home. I took a picture of the water line. It was above the kitchen counters! Thankfully she had second floor that she could retreat to. She is 81 years old and has lived in that home for 58 years. Thankfully her husband was in the hospital because he cannot climb stairs! She lived right on the corner of Braeswood and the 610 and Brays Bayou is basically her front yard. She has flooded 7 times before this. But never this bad. It is passed saving and is going to be knocked down. Our job was to pack up the things that could be saved. She has A TON of stuff though. My job for the past 4 days was to take all of her fine dishware..which was probably over 1000 dishes and wash them with bleach. We were able to save most of it. She was known for her fabulous dinner parties and her home was very elegant and full of beautiful pieces. It was a pleasure getting to work with her and her family. I have come to have so much love for them.
Due to service not much teaching was done. Because traffic is so terrible it takes us almost an hour most days to get to service even though it is less than 10 miles. We have lost a lot of time that way... But we were still so blessed to see miracles!
V came to church again this past Sunday and bore his testimony! I wish I could have written it down it was so beautiful. He talked about how he has lived his life in so much darkness and had no hope but that it all changed when he met us and decided to read and pray. He knows that there is a God and that belief doesn't come from proof. That we have to have faith and that faith comes a little at a time. He came down and said that he planned on saying something totally different. While bearing his testimony he came to see that he has one. He came to see that this Gospel is true and is blessing him. He accepted a date for July 4th!
Yesterday F came with us to do service which was awesome! He is not available for a work permit yet because he hasn't been here for a year yet but he wants to work so he was so excited about all the service we do in the church. He wants a calling and wants to go out with the Elders. He is adjusting so well into the ward.
My favorite quote from the week.
"Fasting is when you skip two meals...not to loose weight but for God!" - S age 9
I guess that sums it up. Have so much fun at the wedding tomorrow. I know it is going to be a great day! I wish I could be there with y'all but I know that Houston needs me! Doing service has been a great way to spend these past few weeks. We have planted so many seeds and know our church is in the mind of many many people.
I love y'all!
Sister Greaves
It has been incredible to see our missionary force dressed in yellow shirts and taking the streets of southwest Houston. You can pretty much drive down any street that was effected and see an army of yellow doing work in and out of people's homes.
We started the week by clearing out homes. The first neighborhoods we went to got less than a foot of water in their homes but still most things that were touching the floor had to be removed. Also anything that was made of fabric. From there we had to rip out the drywall...just the bottom 3 feet of it. Knocking out drywall was a blast and a good stress reliever. If I could stand the heat and the exhaustion and dirt it creates I could do it for a living. ha I am totally kidding. I am too weak.
It is terrible because everything gets moldy here just because of humidity. Take a flooded floor and add humidity and your whole house will be moldy in a matter of days. It is terrible. But that is what we are here for. We as well as some other organization are doing all of this service at no charge. We are helping people save thousands of dollars. Which they will need to replace everything that they have lost.
It is especially sad knowing that there still is not enough help. The flood was over two weeks ago and people are still trying to remove their belongings. Driving down the roads is a sad sight to see. I attached some pictures. It is just mountains of furniture and carpet and destroyed items lining the streets.
The last house we were sent to was the worst I have seen. They got over 3 feet of water in their home. I took a picture of the water line. It was above the kitchen counters! Thankfully she had second floor that she could retreat to. She is 81 years old and has lived in that home for 58 years. Thankfully her husband was in the hospital because he cannot climb stairs! She lived right on the corner of Braeswood and the 610 and Brays Bayou is basically her front yard. She has flooded 7 times before this. But never this bad. It is passed saving and is going to be knocked down. Our job was to pack up the things that could be saved. She has A TON of stuff though. My job for the past 4 days was to take all of her fine dishware..which was probably over 1000 dishes and wash them with bleach. We were able to save most of it. She was known for her fabulous dinner parties and her home was very elegant and full of beautiful pieces. It was a pleasure getting to work with her and her family. I have come to have so much love for them.
Due to service not much teaching was done. Because traffic is so terrible it takes us almost an hour most days to get to service even though it is less than 10 miles. We have lost a lot of time that way... But we were still so blessed to see miracles!
V came to church again this past Sunday and bore his testimony! I wish I could have written it down it was so beautiful. He talked about how he has lived his life in so much darkness and had no hope but that it all changed when he met us and decided to read and pray. He knows that there is a God and that belief doesn't come from proof. That we have to have faith and that faith comes a little at a time. He came down and said that he planned on saying something totally different. While bearing his testimony he came to see that he has one. He came to see that this Gospel is true and is blessing him. He accepted a date for July 4th!
Yesterday F came with us to do service which was awesome! He is not available for a work permit yet because he hasn't been here for a year yet but he wants to work so he was so excited about all the service we do in the church. He wants a calling and wants to go out with the Elders. He is adjusting so well into the ward.
My favorite quote from the week.
"Fasting is when you skip two meals...not to loose weight but for God!" - S age 9
I guess that sums it up. Have so much fun at the wedding tomorrow. I know it is going to be a great day! I wish I could be there with y'all but I know that Houston needs me! Doing service has been a great way to spend these past few weeks. We have planted so many seeds and know our church is in the mind of many many people.
I love y'all!
Sister Greaves