Tuesday, September 17, 2013

What does moose hunting have to do with disaster recovery?

What does moose hunting have to do with disaster recovery. Well I asked myself the question "how do you rebuild a village?" And the answer was the same as asking how do I harvest this 1200 lbs moose 1.3 miles from camp?"
1. You don't try to do it all in one piece. 
       The average moose has to be butchered into 7 to 8 game bags each weighing anywhere from 75# to 125#. 
Some projects are really simple for recovery: a valve needs to be installed or paint needs to go up. Other projects are really big: lifting a house 3 feet, moving a bathroom from one side of a house to another, etc. The list of needs feels like a thousand moose on the ground, but the principle is still the same. One piece at a time. 
2. Expect to get tired. 
       1.3 miles with a hundred pounds on your back will be tiring. Doing that four times with a 1.3 mile return each will leave a lasting mark on your back and knees. 
Sometimes in life we are presented with challenges that we would rather sleep through. The keys to moving forward when exhaustion comes is to take a breather every now and then, just focus on getting the next goal not the end, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You're going to get tired but rest is coming. 
3. Ask for help. 
    I (by God's great grace) was able to send a text message to Shell to let her know of my success and asked if there were any guys from church who were available to come out to help. Two men responded and came to pack out the last two loads! Which was awesome cause I was physically spent. 
Galena Bible Church has facilitated the recruitment of around 200 volunteers to serve in Galena. The United Methodist Disaster Relief has now sent  50 volunteers to date and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers hit the ground today in Galena. This is outstanding because BIble Church Volunteers end around the fourth of October. And there's still work to be carried out. 

Things you can be praying for:
- pray for GBC recovery leaders who are exhausted. 
- pray for safety and success for hunters who are trying to replace meat that was lost in the May flood. 
- pray that as more complicated decisions are needed to be made about how we respond through the winter that the Lord would grant wisdom to leadership.