A story from the Astrodome

[hottamaly 1]

This was emailed to me by my good friend and high school buddy in Texas. He and his daughter volenteered to help at the Astrodome and this is just one story related from him. It really hits home. I hope you get something out of it.
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I started by working triage with Shannon...(Goodness I love that girl)...People...more than 10,000 where coming in...as they got to the hospital if you could call it that (best Houston could do on such short notice) they had tags put on them...tags that you could rip off each part as needed. The first tag was green and said "healthy"....the second tag was yellow and said "in transit"...the next tag was red and said "critical" the top tag was black and said "deceased." If you still had your green tag you went to the Astrodome...although I am very pleased with our great city...being inside the Astrodome was like going to hell. At least you had a green tag on you. That's how Shannon spent her day.

After about an hour of triage and tears, I told one of the top guys (his new best friend is Shannon) about the puppets...He got so excited I thought he was gonna wet his pants..Within 10 minutes he had me 6 volunteers (we had orange tags and felt blessed to be there) We set up an area on the second floor of the Astrodome and started puppet shows for the kids...We called it Kids of Katrina...it would take all night to tell a few stories so I will only tell one....

Had about ( I don't know) a bunch of kids...90% black 10% cajun....100% human.. all of them completely still in shock most crying. I was doing shows about how God will never leave you...even in crisis. Within about 30 minutes 90 % of them where laughing I was the only one still crying...We serve an awesome God...

One little boy I noticed up front never laughed...about every hour we took a break...during the breaks I would go around the kids with a puppet (Big ventruliquism puppets). That's when I met Joshua ....If the good Lord let's me live to be a hundred years old I will never forget Joshua and the impact he had on my heart. He was a little white boy that had just turned 7. I sat next to him for awhile ...he would not looked at me or the puppet...I talked to him awhile and asked him what was wrong....He said in his very thick cajun accent ....I lost my dog....then he cried it out...He said I lost my dog.....Now the puppets try to be a little funny ...Jake ...my favorite puppet turned to him and said ...wow...that's sad...but I bet your momma will get you another dog as soon as you have a new place to live....About then his mother came up to me in tears...she said God Bless you for what you are doing...but my son is trying to tell you that "he lost his DAD" .... I have never felt so small before in my life. I have never cried so hard. I had to put the puppet back in the box and walk out of the dome for a few minutes and pray....hard. It's amazing what a good doctor God is....He embraced me...he healed me...then He send me back into talk to Joshua...needless to say Joshua became my helper for the rest of the day....After a few hours God started to heal Joshua too...He told me how his DAD...got everyone in the basket hanging from the helichopeter (that's how he pronounced it) His DAD was reaching for the basket when the roof of their house caved in and the whole house just disappeared. Joshua had just turned 7 years old the night before sleeping on the same roof with his DAD. He told me how his whole family had sang him Happy Birthday on top of the roof and how much he loved his Dad.. Two nights earlier he spent on his Uncle's shoulders in water up to his Uncle's nose....watching the alligators swim around...they could see the eyes every time the search lights from the helichopeters came by. They spent one night in the Superdome in New Orleans. That story I will never share with anyone....because you might loose your faith in the human race if I told you what Joshua said it was like inside the Superdome.
That's gonna stay between Johsua and I. (and of course Jesus).

By the end of the day...Joshua was becoming a pretty good harmonica player and he now owns my favorite harmonicas. I never asked his DAD's name. I didn't know how.

That's just one story....the rest I am trying to forget. I will never forget Johsua as long as I live. And I will never quit thanking God for His mercy he shows my family.

I was born in New Orleans in 1956 on the East Side of the French Quarter. I survived Hurricane Andrew in 1992 in Miami eight miles from the eye of the storm. What I remember the most about that storm is that not one member of my family got a scratch on them. We lost a lot of neat things. But not one drop of blood. That's a whole nuther story....I have pretty much forgotten how to tell.

I grew up in South Houston with the best family in Texas...I remember my DADDY taking us to the Astrodome for ball games. The Astrodome will never look the same to me.

I am crying so hard as I type this email I'm gonna quit typing and go to my comfty dry bed and pray for Joshua and his family. But I spent this time typing so that maybe If you cannot make it to the Astrodome Saturday...you might dig into your pockets and send something to the Red Cross. Joshua and Jesus would appreciate it.

I need some sleep....I'm going back when the sun comes up.

Puppetually Yours in Christ,

Jack

Skydiving gave me a reason to live
I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live

[wontbcaged 0]

Thanks for taking the time to share.

Everyone can help in one way or another.

[WrongWay 0]

All I can say is "wow". Sometimes, through the screens and papers, we forget that these people are not numbers or statistics, nor are they a general group that we call "the victims". This is a much needed reminder that every single person stuck in that situation has a story similar to this, and this is their LIFE.....their reality. Thank you to everyone who is down there making an effort to help these people, and to help make each life better.

Edited to add: The bank I work at now has an open account for Red Cross donations. I would urge everyone here to ask your local banks and businesses to take similar actions to send money and supplies to benefit those who need it.

Wrong Way
D #27371 Mal Manera Rodriguez Cajun Chicken Ø Hellfish #451
The wiser wolf prevails.

[hottamaly 1]

Yes, with this being a good friend doing his part, sure hit home with me. How sad for all that are enduring this. My heart goes out to them.

Skydiving gave me a reason to live
I'm not afraid of what I'll miss when I die...I'm afraid of what I'll miss as I live

[namgrunt 0]

thanks linda

god smiles on YOU


..

59 YEARS,OVERWEIGHT,BALDIND,X-GRUNT
LAST MIL. JUMP VIET-NAM(QUAN-TRI)
www.dzmemories.com

[Sopheavy 0]

Thanks for posting the story, it is very touching.
I am grateful for all that I have in this life and hope that I can bless others who needs some blessing right now. I will be volunteering also at either the Astrodome or the other location too. I have a friend whose been at the Astrodome for 72 plus hours and he said the need is great.

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If you want to see the rainbow, you gotta put up with the storm. God bless! :)

[jumpjunkie2004 0]

Thank you for sharing this with us Linda. So many people are suffering right now. My heart breaks for everyone of them.

My neighbor's father and half sister (9) are among the missing. She last heard from them Monday night.

As the days pass, it's hard to find the words to say.

Jump, Land, Pack, Repeat...

[DickMcMahon 0]

Thanks Linda. I'm printing your story in order to pass it around.

_________________________
Website: Dick’s Stuff

The reason skydivers party so much at the end
of the day is because they're glad they survived.