Hello Everyone,
…And the race goes on! We had to commute all the way back (about 100 miles) to Costa Mesa because all of our gear was at the host home. We have made a contact through Donovan Torp with the ”Friendships” organization and they had a 28 foot truck (like our set-up truck) front to back full of food. So the rest of the team left at 5:30am (four hours sleep) to return to prepare breakfast and I stayed to ride with the Friendships team, stop at Sam’s Club, and meet them down at the Poomocha fire.
Breakfast served, lunch preparations, food sorting, waste processing…the work seems to never end. There is no joy like the joy of “Our hands sharing God’s heart.” The responders are so very appreciative and they express there genuine gratitude. Some come off the fire line with 16 to 20 hours of hard work behind them. Some come off the line with throats so sore from breathing smoke that they can’t even swallow their soup.
There is a pervasive weariness in the air that is as thick as the smoke. We are tired, too, but our feeding tent is a place of warm welcome, Ginger’s cheeriness and laughter, and really good food.
They are making headway on the fire. We saw many flare-ups on the mountain today but soon a giant air tanker would fly over and drop it’s massive load. Black smoke turns to white smoke…and sometimes back to black a few minutes later. Winds have been favorable and hope is returning to the community. Some of the fire crews have been pulled out ad replaced with military detachments for mop-up operations. We are the only feeders for the military at our command center and we have been told that they will remain for a few more days barring a major turn of events. We may stay with this group until Friday or possibly be re-deployed to another line. Another option is refugee camps at a number of Churches in the area. We will investigate this possibility further for a second team over the next couple of days. More tomorrow.
Kevin Martindale
Enjoy some more photos….
1 response so far ↓
Robert Sousa // October 29, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Hey guys, we’re praying for you. I know there is a “bubble” around you protecting you because you are there doing the work of Jesus for Jesus!
Psa 28:8 The LORD [is] their strength, and he [is] the saving strength of his anointed.
Psa 28:9 Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
Kevin and group, we are praying for you and those you help and those you cannot help here in Monterey, CA.
-ROBIO