ON THE ISLAND
They left the Island in a rush, carrying with them their most treasured possessions stuffed into large black trash bags or other bags large enough to hold as many belongings as possible. Putting their animals in carrying cages or on leashes, they stood in line for a seat on the bus that would take them away from the looming Hurricane Ike to a safe haven in San Antonio.
But some waited until the last minute, watching as the waves grew larger and the sky got darker. As their homes began to fill with water, they hoped that it wasn't too late to get out, and they were rescued by emergency workers still on the Island evacuating hundreds of others who thought they could ride out the storm.
Some were prepared for what they might see when returning to Galveston Island. Others feared for the worst but hoped for the best, knowing only what they had seen on the television sets at the shelter in San Antonio.
All waited anxiously during the five hour ride from San Antonio to Galveston on buses filled with people, their pets anxious to get out and run free, their children just as anxious to be outside playing. The first sight of the Island was not encouraging - yacht, sail and shrimp boats piled atop each other lined the roadsides, pushed well away from their proper places in the harbors by Ike's forceful winds.
Despite the wreckage, imagine the relief each returning evacuee felt when the bus carrying them slowed at its final stop. Imagine the overwhelming sense of comfort upon seeing chaplains from the Victims Relief group and Spiritual Care Officers from The Salvation Army, waiting with wide smiles and open arms. After being requested by the Victims Relief organization to assist in providing emotional support to Galveston residents returning to the Island for the first time last week, Officers of The Salvation Army from all over the United States, Mexico and Canada were at the ready.
"We were blessed with the opportunity to help a number of people off the buses and onto the shuttles that took them back to their homes," said Captain Mike Ramsey, a Salvation Army Officer from Canada. "There were a number of people with a fair amount of difficulty of course since they had brought so many of their personal items along. There was one older lady in particular who we were able to get all her possessions off the bus and escort her right to her house.
"She was so grateful and it was a real blessing."
As bus after bus arrived, hundreds of people made their way out, tired and still unsure of what exactly awaited them. However, their joy upon returning home was obvious and contagious to The Salvation Army Officers, who were surrounded by and a part of many hugs, smiles and laughter. There were sighs of relief and furrowed brows of uncertainty, but also laughing children and dogs pulling at their leashes, reveling in their freedom.
For the many Salvation Army Officers able to be the first people the residents saw when stepping off the bus, it was a huge honor. To lend a caring and loving ear and heart to those who needed to share their stories or to just be hugged was exactly what the Officers were there to do. No two experiences with the residents were alike, yet each was an opportunity, a privilege and a blessing.
"It was really fun being on the canteens going down the streets," said Captain Tracey Czajkowski, Commanding Officer in Waco. "People would come out of their homes and run to catch us like the ice cream truck, and they would line up and we'd help them take food into their homes and talk to them.
"To be in the neighborhoods with the people in their homes was really a blessing to me."
Evacuees returning home are not the only recipients of such emotional and spiritual care. Migrant workers shuttled daily from Houston and based at the University of Texas Medical Branch on Galveston Island have been part of a twice daily revival put on by The Salvation Army at the hospital.
Every day at 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., thousands of workers come running when they hear the sound of a guitar playing and a song sung in their native language. "It is amazing to see the thousands of people running to stand in line for a warm meal," said one of the Salvation Army Officers from Mexico. Officers from Mexico have been leading the revivals, and workers receive food for both the body and soul.
It is an incredible site to see the people reading through the Bibles distributed by The Salvation Army as they wait in line, and to see the workers participating in worship - sometimes even leading it through either a song or a scripture reading.
According to Major James Taylor, Divisional Secretary for The Salvation Army of Texas, more and more agencies, including non-religious agencies, are realizing the need for emotional care following a disaster.
"As far as disaster services, we realize the first thing people react to is their physical condition," he said. "‘I've lost everything.' ‘My house is destroyed.'" But The Salvation Army knows that once the initial shock has worn off, it becomes emotional and spiritual - ‘Why did God let this happen to me?'
"It is then that we are there to reassure them that God is always with them, He never left them and never will leave them, and that they have a hope in Him," Major Taylor said. "God is there to hold us up and restore us."
PART OF ARMY HISTORY
The Salvation Army's providing of emotional and spiritual care dates back to its founding in 1865 by William Booth in the poverty-stricken area of London's East End. Booth took a holistic approach to the organization's ministry - looking at the whole of a person rather than just their physical, emotional, or spiritual needs as separate entities. He realized that first people's physical needs must be met, and then the door is opened to providing for a person's emotional and spiritual needs.
One hundred and forty-three years later, things have not changed. Salvation Army Canteens are deployed to areas of disaster to provide victims with needed nourishment. Sheltering is provided if they have lost their homes, and clean-up kits are supplied if their homes are salvageable. Clothing vouchers and hygiene products also are distributed.
But once all the immediate needs are taken care of, The Salvation Army Officers and disaster workers are able to do what they are called to do - to bring spiritual and emotional healing to disaster victims.
"As we help people recover emotionally and spiritually, then they can begin to look to the future," Major Taylor said.
And it is during disaster times that The Salvation Army has the opportunity to live out its mission in its truest form - to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.