Ruthless hurricane has a lover

【Natural Reflection】1

Severe Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Biloxi, Mississippi.
Wild storms swept through Louisiana, Missouri and Alabama, making it the worst natural disaster in the United States in a century.
Several cities were destroyed, and New Orleans was the hardest hit, with about 80% of the area flooded due to levees bursting.
The property damage in these three states is tens of billions of dollars, and the death toll is very high, which will not be known until the water recedes.

The good and evil of human nature are clearly revealed

Television and newspapers gave extensive coverage of the disaster area. Affected by the shortage of water, food and electricity, the victims cried out for help. Unexpectedly, at this time, mobs set fire to their houses, looted and committed lawless atrocities.

Due to lack of care and medical treatment, elderly patients die on the roadside without anyone to bury them. For a moment, the misery of the victims and the chaos of society made it seem like they were in a poor and backward country.

Fortunately, neighboring Texas took the lead in accepting victims, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also took action. President Bush mobilized the military and national militia to assist in evacuation and maintain law and order, taking a three-pronged approach from sea, land and air; Texas went all out, with state, county, and city government units, private industries, and communities of all races mobilizing all to cooperate. Disaster relief efforts. The city of Houston worked together to transform the Astrodome, Reliant Park and Convention Center into temporary shelters that can immediately accommodate 40,000 people. If it weren't for thousands of volunteers, this wouldn't be possible in a few days.

All states responded one after another, with 37 states participating, repatriating and resettling hundreds of thousands of victims within two weeks. The largest number of people accommodated in official resettlement centers is Texas, with 210,000 people; the mayor of New Orleans and his family are also temporarily living in Dallas.

Material, financial, spiritual, and medical help poured in. Kindness, benevolence, and love can be seen everywhere among the people, which is inspiring and full of hope.

Citizens and groups across the United States, especially Christians and churches, have done countless righteous deeds for the victims. Here, only one family from the Chinese church is used as a representative report. I firmly believe that all kinds of touching deeds have already happened in Christian families and churches everywhere, because the driving force of these good things comes from God’s love. As the Bible says:

"As you have done it to one of the least of these my brothers, you have done it to me." (Matthew 25:35-40)

▲Texas Zhang Youde and Chuan Chuli received more than 60 Chinese victims from New Orleans who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The third and fourth in the third row were Zhang Youde and his wife.

People drown themselves

Zhang Youde and Chuan Chuli are overseas Chinese who grew up in Sarawak, Malaysia. They are usually humble and kind. They live in Katy, a suburb of Houston, and have three daughters. Zhangfu received more than 60 Chinese disaster victims this time.

The author had the honor to visit Zhangfu on the night of September 9, 2005, and meet and talk with twenty compatriots who were victims of the disaster.

The Zhang family was the first family to defect to the Zhang family. When I heard the hurricane was coming, I immediately drove off and arrived at midnight on August 28. The Deng family and the Meng family came out by helicopter on September 3. The helicopter made several trips to and from the roof of Tulane University Hospital, first rescuing patients who had been trapped in water for five days and then picking up staff. They were sent to the Lafayette evacuation center where they were bathed, disinfected, changed, and given injections.

The Deng couple recalled that the center staff asked where they were going to be sent. They had no relatives in the United States and didn't know where to go. Fortunately, they met a Chinese friend, Mr. Meng and his wife, who invited them to go with them. The Zhang family welcomes not only old friends, but also compatriots who have never met before, which is very grateful. Mr. Deng said: "Christians are different and treat others kindly. We now go to church to get to know each other."

The owner, Mr. Zhang, said that his family moved from New Orleans a year and a half ago and joined the West End Chinese Church in Houston. Most of the people who came this time were brothers and sisters from their previous church, the New Orleans Chinese Baptist Living Water Group, as well as their relatives and friends. During the hurricane, contact was quickly made by phone and email. More than sixty people came before and after, ranging in age from two to seventy years old. There can be at most fifty people when dining, and when sleeping, all the space in the house is put to use. Everyone works together, and those who come first take care of and guide those who come later. Brothers and sisters from the West District Chinese Church to which Mr. Zhang belongs also sent food and daily necessities, and helped everyone find apartments.

When the author visited, with the support of all parties, the refugee families living in Zhangfu were gradually getting on track with food, clothing, housing, transportation and their children's education.

Warm the world

Mr. Zhang said: A white neighbor saw many cars parked at his house with Luzhou license plates, so he sent eight sets of cooking pots, each with seven pieces, nine sets of knives, forks and spoons for eight people, and several sets of cups and plates. The discs are all brand new and original. Being generous and helpful warms people’s hearts.

When Mrs. Zhang was picking up her children from school, the police car flashed its lights and stopped because she was upset, unfamiliar with the road, and did not pay attention to the speed signs. When the police officer saw her Luzhou driver's license and license plate, he explained the speed in the school zone in a friendly manner. As a result, she was not fined, only given a warning. The policeman asked if he needed help?

Several victims also said: Sisters from the church accompanied them when looking for an apartment. The apartment manager saw that they were from Luzhou. The background check was simplified and the "annual rent" was changed to "monthly rent", which opened the door to convenience, which was surprising.

psychological reconstruction

Mrs. Meng burst into tears when talking about the disaster she suffered. She said that when she moved into the new house she bought in early August, it flooded within three weeks, and all her savings over the years were wiped out. The author comforted her and believed that the process of sharing her own experience was the beginning of psychological healing. After the disaster, some people were confused at first, but gradually realized that God has preserved our most precious asset—life. They no longer judge God’s love by circumstances and encounters, but evaluate life and circumstances by God’s love. I suggest that you might as well do psychological reconstruction first, and then rebuild your home.

At this time, Mr. Zhang said that the church held a psychological counseling seminar for Mrs. Lin, and more than a dozen people had participated.

Gratitude Graphic Poster

When asked how many people came to care and help, how do you feel?

The victims pointed out that the care and provision of brothers and sisters, the visits and prayers of pastors, and the care and help of the society allowed them to quickly return to normal life. This is God's grace; they are full of gratitude and will cheer up and rebuild their homes. Whole life. They also said that if a natural or man-made disaster occurs elsewhere, they will definitely help because they have experienced suffering and can understand the physical and mental needs of the victims. They suggested that the church could be used as the placement center first, and then distributed to the homes of caring brothers and sisters, so that one or two families would not be burdened heavily.

postscript

When this article was published, the "Katrina" news was no longer a hot topic. But the love of God and the stories of mutual help, mutual trust, mutual support, and mutual love between Christians will never go out of style and will last forever (Houston, September 2005).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can use the comfort God gives us to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Author profile

Sun Guorong, whose pen names are Nianrong and Nianlong. A chemical engineer with a wide range of interests and hobbies, he has served as a volunteer in language, music, photography, video, broadcasting, and writing.