What Hurricane Harvey Showed Us

We survived Hurricane Harvey then Tropical Storm Harvey well.

We did watch water creep up our driveway and front porch only to recede.

We survived.

Nerves a little frayed but we were okay.

We can’t say that for many people we know personally. Lots of friends and colleagues had to evacuate. A month after the storm and some still haven’t returned to their homes.

There’s so much work to be done in southeast Texas and it’s the kindness of strangers that simply amazes us.

A documentary project sort of fell in our lap after the storm.

We learned of an organization called Vineyard Mercy Response out of New Orleans and they were going to set-up a volunteer base camp at our church near our home. This crew of volunteers specializes in gutting houses. They’ve done it after Hurricane Katrina. They did it after Baton Rouge floods. They did it for the storms in Iowa and now they were going to do the same for Houston.

What’s amazing is that people from around the country connect with the organization so that they can come volunteer. They pay $10 a day to volunteer. They PAY to volunteer. The nominal fee is used to cover their lodging and meals.

So when the base camp was being set up, Elgin and I were amazed at the organization’s quickness to act and get volunteers organized. Our hearts were touched by the people who left New Orleans in order to help. What Hurricane Harvey showed us was the heart and actions of good people who wanted to make a difference in the lives of people they didn’t even know.

Telling the story of these volunteers was a no-brainer and the documentary was born.

The volunteers are the heroes.

We look forward to sharing their story and the people whose lives benefitted from their selfless act.

#WhatDoesMercyLookLike