Today I continue my persuit of fund raising for my recruiting mission. I am heading up to the Nashville area and perhaps to Lexington, Kentucky to speak with different congregations about Hurricane Katrina recovery and our need for volunteers.
What I'm discovering is that many ministers, elders and church staff are sceptical about letting strangers speak to their congregation or even individual members in some cases. From what I understand churches across the US are totally bombarded with requests for support, financial or otherwise. I have carefully thought out a nice presentation / speech that is not only informative but funny. Not to mention the time spent on posters and stuff. Honestly I was hoping for a better response as it's such an important mission. These are not only our neighbors and fellow Americans but these are our brothers and sisters in Christ! New Orleans, New Orleans, New Orleans.... I've been there folks and I have to tell ya that Pascagoula takes the cake! And it's 75 miles away!!!! New Orleans was hit and also needs help but it does not come close to comparing with the devestation in Mississippi! I cant believe how much focus that city is getting when people down the road are worse off! ARG
So my heart is committed to this mission however the lack of media attention of the Mississippi Gul Coast has effected the respose by the American people.
My father told me when I was young that I should never do anything unless you do it to the best of my ability. "Never do anything half way"! And usually when I commit to something I not only make it happen but I do it so well I turn heads. This however has dropped my morale considerably. Ever feel like your spinning your wheels? lol
The people here need help and I dont want to give up on them. Still more than 6000 FEMA trailers here in Pascagoula. Thats 6k families that are homeless. All of them lost pretty much everything they own. How bad can my problems really be??? So I keep my chin held high, pray alot and continue to drive on!
With just over a week to go I am substantially short of my financial goal. As of right now I dont think I can afford the trip. Even if I get to Nashville and talk to all 121 churches there, I have nowhere to stay and cannot afford housing let alone food and gas. The rest of today I will be burning up the phone and looking for financial support. Wish me luck!