Stormy home sentiments
In recent years, media reports of wind disasters, fires, earthquakes and floods have become increasingly frequent and serious. Finally, we faced it once.
Ike is coming
On September 11, 2008, while driving, I listened to the conversation between two radio hosts - not talking about 9/11, only talking about measures to prevent Typhoon - Hurricane Ike has roughly locked in the direction of heading north to Texas, and I live in Galveston, a small island off the coast. Residents near river tributaries and low-lying areas are being evacuated; residents are urged to store water, prepare dry food, cut trees, nail windows, clean outdoor debris, check flashlights, spare batteries, etc. The male host then said something: "When I get home later, I will move the big oven in the backyard into the garage." Wow! Are you serious?
On September 12, when I opened my email, I saw a letter from the church group counseling, reminding everyone to nail down fences and other typhoon prevention measures, and also forwarded the instructions from the senior pastor:
Dear brothers and sisters:
Hurricane Ike is heading towards Houston, and the church is making thorough preparations to maintain personal safety and ministry progress. While we are busy guarding against typhoons, please don’t forget that we are following a Savior who can calm external storms and maintain inner peace! I would like to appeal to brothers and sisters:
1. Pray for God’s peace, mercy and protection in our city, especially those living in low-lying areas.
2. Relying on Christ does not mean that you are exempted from the obligation to manage this land. Please clearly judge the situation and make safety considerations.
3. When a storm comes, everyone’s true colors are best revealed. Our stability, composure, and love will speak louder than a thousand words on a daily basis. Before and after the storm, please be the hands and feet of Jesus at any time and provide help to those in need.
▲September 14, the Mid-Autumn Festival night after Hurricane Ike. We cooled off in the front yard again, and my daughter took out her guitar and sang softly. Quietly, Mr. Luke walked to his daughter and plucked the strings...
The storm rages
Watch Ike's latest reports in front of the TV. Although it is only a Category 2 hurricane, Ike covers a very wide area. After the eye of the storm weakens, it becomes more powerful. In the past week, as of the afternoon of the 12th, more than one million people had followed the government's advice to evacuate dangerous areas. However, there were still people taking photos with the roaring waves by the seawall on the outer island, just like the crowds watching the tide on the Qiantang River. It's just that this wave is not that wave, and it can kill people. Why don't people have a sense of crisis?
In the early morning of the 13th, Ike landed in Gavingston at a speed of 175 kilometers per hour, and soon continued north, heading straight into the greater Houston area. Although the winds weakened after landfall, they still tore down trees, downed fences and destroyed gardens. Many telephone poles were torn down by strong winds, and many tree trunks fell on power cables. In Texas alone, there were 3 million households. Hence the power outage. Especially in downtown Houston, the hurricane rolled up debris like a shotgun, damaging the glass buildings and leaving debris everywhere on the road. It took many days to clear it before traffic could be reopened.
Two weeks after the storm, a quarter of the area is still waiting for power. Families who have restored power are still horrified by TV news reports - Gavingston was hit by huge waves and was completely damaged. In particular, buildings near Crystal Beach were devoured by the hurricane, and pieces of wood were caught in the furniture. Scattered everywhere. Some people described the place as if it had been ravaged by war, and the dilapidated scene was heartbreaking to see. Many people lost their homes, and an estimated 37,000 victims remain in shelters. The government says it will take at least weeks, if not months, to clean up the island.
A friend in need is a friend indeed
In the early morning of the 13th, after a night of wind and rain, I woke up to find several collapsed fences, broken tree trunks, and no electricity at home. At first the wired phone line was connected, but then it was disconnected. The cell phone signal was lost and the water pressure in the tap water began to weaken.
At night, the temperature in China was still around 90 degrees, and it was unbearably hot. In families accustomed to air-conditioning, everyone complained about the heat. Everyone moved a chair and sat outside to enjoy the cool weather and remind each other to be grateful. After the hurricane, many people were left homeless. Those who had houses had broken tiles, leaks, and flooding. But for us, only the fence was blown down and the tree trunks were broken, but the roof was not damaged. We still have a complete house to live in. The parents next door evacuated from Gavingston to Houston. Although their home was flooded, no one was injured. They were also full of gratitude.
The most touching thing is that when this family was inconvenienced, the neighbor diagonally across the street - Mr. Lu Ke in the children's mouth - showed his philanthropic spirit and took out his generator to share it with two or three families. We are his close neighbors, so the food in the refrigerator is temporarily preserved.
Full of gratitude to him, I went to the gas station to buy a gas card gift certificate, hoping to add some gas money to his generator. Unexpectedly, the gas station said that the card could not be swiped because there was no power, and the gas card had no effect. I had no choice but to go home, cook a pot of chicken wings on the gas stove used for outings, and bring some cash to send to his house. He accepted the roasted chicken wings but returned the money. I put the money into his pocket, as the Chinese do when paying for a meal, saying, "It's for the community. At least I can contribute something." (Even if this is my contribution to the community.) He Accepted happily. The next day, I opened the door and saw seven or eight neighboring houses. I saw a thick extension cord in front of my house connected to his generator. Four houses at a time, every four hours, used it in turn. It’s really “family fun”!
September 14th, Mid-Autumn Festival. By the grace of God, the weather is getting cooler. Sometimes dark clouds cover the moon at night, but wherever the wind passes, the clouds clear and the fog disperses, and the moon "shows its face" and smiles. We cooled off in the front yard again. My daughter took out her guitar and sang softly. My husband tied a headband lamp on his forehead and lowered his head to enjoy reading. Quietly, Mr. Luke walked up to his daughter and plucked the strings too; gradually, more neighbors came out. We moved around, formed a small circle, and introduced ourselves. From now on, when greeting you, you can use your first name and last name instead of just saying "Hi!"
After getting to know each other, our scope of activities expanded. During the day, we supplied each other with food, including Chinese rice porridge, Vietnamese carrot cakes, American barbecue, Mexican burritos, etc.; at night, we chatted around the campfire, and the children roasted on the fire. Squid chips and marshmallows, people of all cultural backgrounds learn to accept each other. Soon, we also bought a generator, added equipment to the "power supply station", and the scope of "fraternity" expanded again.
▲I glimpsed a glimmer of light in the dark night from a distance, and a group of "good neighbors" who welcomed us, and a sense of peace that "I'm home" came over me.
go home
Once, I passed the dead city-like schools and streets in the dark night; my heart sank, when will the call come? The moment we turned into our alley, we caught a glimpse of a blazing campfire in the distance and a group of "good neighbors" sitting at the end of the alley to welcome us, and a sense of peace that "we were home" came over us. Finally positioned myself, I belong to this land.
In this land founded on Christianity, it is natural for people to volunteer at ambulance stations and shelters, and to help cook and distribute relief supplies; it is even more trivial for neighbors to take the initiative to share food, electricity, etc. Conservative Asians often only show love to relatives and friends. Now we must learn to transcend shyness and fear of trouble, and bravely send our care to those in need regardless of race.
power failure! Because of Ike's relationship, but also due to power outages, school suspensions, and business interruptions, the busy and locked-up people were forced to take a break and were able to go outdoors and build friendships. As a result, we experienced the friendship between neighbors in a foreign land that we have never experienced before!
Author profile
Yu Zhen is from Taiwan and now lives in Houston. I like to visit places with my family and experience the wonders of the Creator. I am more willing to explore stories that touch lives; to use words to tell His faithfulness from all corners of the world. Taken with my husband at Waterfowl Lake in Canada.