MSIA Ministers, Jennifer Thompson Miller and Marti Miller, have been volunteering at the Austin Convention Center, and send their stories of serving and loving the Hurricane Katrina evacuees.
I have said several times that I could write a book on my experiences of service to displaced New Orleans residents at the Austin Convention Center. So here are a few thoughts & descriptions of my experiences with this amazing service.
Marti & I decided to go down to the Convention Center on Sunday afternoon. Evacuees had arrived on Saturday, and by the time we got there, all of them had had a medical check up, a shower, several meals, clean clothes, and a place to sleep, complete with bedding & mattress. The first day people were suffused with a big sense of relief and the beginnings of shock about what they had been through. Almost everyone at our Convention Center was evacuated from the New Orleans Convention Center or from the highway overpasses.
I spent that day and, a few following, walking through the floor of the Convention Center talking with people, checking to see if they had everything that they needed, listening to stories, calling in the Light, and loving everyone. I have to report that this has been the most intense, demanding ministry I have experienced to date. It’s not that I have found the stories to be emotionally wrenching, for the most part, it’s more that I found myself listening at a very high level to both the person, to myself, and to Spirit inside to know what to say or do next. A very high level of attunement, focus, & honoring of myself and Spirit.
All the stories I listened to were both horrific & uplifting. Most of the evacuees had a perspective of gratitude as well as an ability and willingness to move to their next steps. Some were experiencing frustration with getting to their next resources — social security checks, a relative airlifted to another city, concern over an animal left behind. I know that this is being facilitated more easily over the past few days, but basically the system of services is being invented and reinvented by the minute, so some frustration is going to happen no matter what. The willingness of the staff and volunteers at the Convention Center has done a lot to assist individuals & families, and the frustration I truly believe has been lessened as a result.
I have to acknowledge the energy, resources, commitment, & dedication of the staff of the City of Austin. The entire operation at the convention center was handled, organized, & implemented by City employees, who had about 24 hours notice that our community was receiving 5,000 evacuees. Starting on Friday afternoon, they planned & manifested all the sleeping facilities, food, showers (which were built on the Convention Center’s loading dock), and supplies needed. On Saturday, planes landed at the airport every 30-45 minutes, carrying loads of evacuees. Without any experience of this kind, City staff watched the incoming numbers rise and were ready for the arriving buses. The entire top City administrative staff moved their offices to the Convention Center (including the Mayor) & for the most part, they are still there.
In addition, the medical triage and ongoing clinics, all City staff & resources, are truly impressive. Every incoming person received a medical check up, and those on medication were facilitated to get their meds quickly. Right now the Convention Center is housing a complete medical clinic, with podiatry, optometry, diabetes care, & every other specialty you can think of.
I also gratefully acknowledge the efforts & activities of the Red Cross, who coordinates volunteers, provided supplies, and worked closely with the City staff to set up the shelter.
Another wonderful part is the heartfelt outpouring of the City’s residents. The City had to open and close donation centers several times just to manage the enormous influx of donated clothes, water, food, & other requested items. At one point, the line of cars dropping off donations outside the collection center was reported to be a mile long.
Marti & I entered the volunteer service through the Chaplain’s Office. This ministerial service is coordinated by a newly-formed Texas Interfaith Disaster Response group, and the activities are overseen by the City of Austin Police Chaplain’s Office. We have both served as ministerial counselors with evacuees and as administrative volunteers in the Chaplain’s office. For me, the first couple of days were quite an inner shift as I (one more time) came out of the “closet” with my ministry. To sit in a group of ministers and pastors of all kinds with the inner authority of Spirit and my own ordination blessing was quite powerful. I cannot really express how very grateful I am for all the tools and teachings of the Travelers. We are so blessed with excellent training, both inwardly & outwardly, to be able to walk among human tragedy and remain in Spiritual altitude with the love of God expressing. I am equally grateful for the Big Battery of support that comes with the MSIA ministry. Without all of you, we wouldn’t be able to do it. You are all present with us in every minute!
In loving service,
with Love, Light, & Sound
Jennifer
I too have been moved by the evacuees and the volunteers that have crossed my path. It has been truly an uplifting experience. I feel very honored that I have been able to go as a minister through the Chaplain Services. It has been an opportunity to not only minister to the evacuees, but also to the ministers of different churches. The one thing that is obvious to me is that we are all keeping our eye on God.
In the first days of going, my main ministry was to make sure people had what they needed. There was one woman who was deaf that conveyed to me that she wanted a Bible and a rosary, which were being supplied. When I came back to give her these items, her face lit up like I had just handed her the most precious gift. On another occasion, I was handing out the schedule for church services that were being offered. I handed it to a man, he looked at it and said, “I wish I had some glasses so I could read this.” Well, now that I am past that age, I have a pair of reading glasses with me all the time, I took them out of my pocket and gave them to him. He was so grateful to be able to read. He motioned to give them back to me, but I told him to keep them. After all, I had more at home!
I am grateful that I have been a part of the ministry that has gone on at the Convention Center. However, I have had a double blessing. Since I don’t like driving downtown, I have chosen to take the bus downtown. Just sitting on the bus and planting a Light column, and clearing out negativity is a joy. I have learned more about my own personal ministry. I am grateful that I have been a part of it all.
Baruch Bashan,
Marti Miller
Other articles from MSIAers and their experiences of hurricane Katrina
A Message From MSIA’s Spiritual Director John Morton About Hurricane Katrina.
The Winds of Change and a Baptism of Renewal and Hope.
Poems by Children at the Cajundome Shelter for Hurricane Katrina Evacuees.
Loving Care of Evacuees from New Orleans.
