Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008, Galveston, Texas, 2:40 a.m. (can't sleep; mind too full)~

Dear Journal~

Louisiana here.  Can't sleep; mind too full. 

You can't believe the destruction here.  Debris everywhere, as far as the eye can see.  Trying to help the sick, injured, dying; over 2,000 people have been found, rescued, but we still have a long way to go. 

So many heartwrenching stories, about how people waited out the storm, realizing too late that they should have heeded the evacuation orders, or bemoaning the fact that they couldn't get out due to lack of money, transportation, etc.  They all talk about the powerful winds, the extremely heavy rains, the full fury of the hurricane as it slammed into Galveston like a giant fist.

In midst of all this heartbreak, there's some room for joy:  yesterday, a woman found in the remains of her house gave birth to a beautiful little baby boy; both mama and baby are fine, and both have been airlifted to a hospital in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.  Last I heard, they are still doing well.  Baby has been named Trevor Ike.  Cute little thing.

We knew it would be bad before arriving here; we just didn't know how bad.  Looks like a nuclear bomb went off in the middle of Galveston; Galveston is a shell of her former self, and having visited Galveston several times in the past with my family, it breaks my heart.  She is unrecognizable, broken, hurting.

All we can do is try to comfort, fix broken limbs, offer support in the way of hugs, healing words, prayer, try to ease the fear of those on their way to checking out, hopefully make a difference. 

We are staying at one of the few undamaged parts of Galveston, at a seedy little motel with intermittent power.  One minute we have it, the next, pffft!  It goes out.  Very aggravating.  Right now we have it, so I am able to type this down on my laptop.  If you don't hear from me, now you know why.  Either I'm helping with storm victims, or else we have lost power. 

I plan on being here at least several more days to a week, the way it looks now.  The job is too big to get done in just a few days; we need more time. 

I miss my husband, my kids; wonder what they are doing as I think about them.  (Probably sleeping now; it's only two fifty one in the morning, not even daylight yet.)  Wonder what the animals are doing; dogs are probably sleeping, but the cats are probably up, getting into mischief, as cats are known to do in the middle of the night.

Thinking about my family causes tears to prick at my eyes.  I suddenly wish I were back home in Tennessee, in the comfort of my own home, my own bed, instead of lying here in a poorly lit motel room with roaches crawling on the ceiling, a television that only picks up Spanish-speaking channels, or a window view of debris, destruction from the recent hurricane.

Well, I face a very long day later on, so I might as well try to get as much sleep in as I can.  I will write in here again another day; hopefully, by then, I'll be wingin' my way back home to Nashville.  Until then, this is Louie saying so long and God bless!  Just continue to keep me in prayer; I can really use them!  Thanks!

~Love, your friend in Tennessee by way of Galveston, Texas, Louie May. :(