DEADLINE

Yesterday was FEMA's deadline to pay for refugees and homeless people who are living in hotel rooms across the country. 20,000 refugees in 40 states filed for extensions and have until February 13 or March 1. So far, $529 million dollars has been spent to house Katrina victims in hotels across the country. 5,000 victims did not apply for the extensions, or did not know about them. (source: story on Fox News website.) But that's a lot of people who suddenly find themselves without a home. What do you do if you work for FEMA in Jackson County, Mississippi and you have a line of people in front of you who have no where to go? You call David Kilbern down at the Church of Christ because they have been helping so many people. When I got to the building yesterday afternoon, David had been on the phone with FEMA. They were requesting that we find housing for five families. Incredible, isn't it? The Federal Government can't house these people, and they call US! A couple of these families had infants to care for -and they will be on the street without some kind of help. The temperature last night was to get down to 30. One guy had a broken back and is about to have surgery, but the hospital turned him out until his surgery. Now his hotel has turned him out. These people do not even have cars in which to sleep. I'm wondering if this is happening here in Pascagoula, what's happening across the country? And who are the FEMA folks calling in their neighborhoods? Are there David Kilbern types all over the country doing hurricane relief? Before the day was over, FEMA did find a place for these needy folks. But it was quite a scare for the refugees, and a challenge for us. FOX NEWS is also reporting that there is an airfield in Hope, Arkansas with 10,000 furnished trailers sitting on the ground. They've been there since October. I know there are logistical problems and challenges, but isn't there someone ... anyone ... in the Federal Government who can cut through some red tape and get these homes to hurricane victims who need them? We are hearing about people in Louisiana who are still living under boats and under tarps, five months after the storm. I'm no political pundit, but the frustration level grows when this is not a national news story anymore. Deadlines are set. People have no where to go for help. And empty houses sit on a lot in Arkansas (a rented lot, at the taxpayers expense). There is someone who can do something about this. I don't know who that someone is, but this needs to be addressed soon. Our President had two lines in his State of the Union address about the disaster. While we rebuild another country, a large section of our own country sits in the mud. This is just not acceptable, in my view. If not for the beautiful volunteer spirit of Americans, there is no way to estimate where we would be today. As far as I know, most of the work that has been done to get people back into their homes has been accomplished through volunteer labor, donated materials, and largely through Christian people. This is a testimony to the glory of our King! And this is just the beginning, friends. We are only addressing crisis needs and critical housing needs when we talk about campers and trailers. With the passing of the next four months hurricane season will be upon us once again. If we were to suffer a hit from even a minor hurricane, these campers are not going to be in great condition for living and we'll be starting all over again. Deadlines have been set. Even the extensions aren't for very long. But there are thousands of people facing their own personal deadlines. They are reaching the breaking point. And we must be here to serve and save. A giant "thank you" to everyone who has contributed time, materials, or money to the effort. Please do not stop praying for us. Do not stop volunteering. We cannot abandon the effort now, there is so much left to do. God will see us through.