Thanksgiving snuck up on us rather quickly! Our whole plan was to spend it with some friends. We have met a lot of great people here in VA! The night before Thanksgiving Eve roled out the punches! Clara, our sweet, youngest daughter started coughing. Actually, barking like a seal! Ya, you know what I mean. I quickly began my research on Croup!
Croup is a respiratory disorder found in children. It is usually caused by a virus, such as influenza. It causes edema in the layrnx and pulmonary tubes. This swelling causes narrowing which presents the 'barking seal cough' and wheezing during respirations. The more calm you can keep the child, the less severe the cough and other symptoms. Remember that this disease can be very contagious, not so much for adults, but for other infants.
Relief during the main stages of symptoms, cold air (outside) or even a moist room (turn on the shower and allow the hot water to create a steam room). Provide a humidifier while the infant is sleeping, the little they do slumber during such distress.
Anywho, we ended up staying home for Thanksgiving. We had our own little meal together. Actually, it was pretty fun just to spent time together as a family! Also, Abby threw it all together quickly and amazingly!
The last three days of my week long break, I spent with a great group of people: The Mormon Helping Hands!
Friday morning, 50 or so local members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints loaded up on a bus and headed for Brooklyn, NY. The first night there we ventured out and walked the streets and eat some Brooklyn pizza and other food. We found an awesome book store that was difficult to walk through because the books were all stacked as if a hoarder lived there! It was neat just to view!
We spent the night in a local church building. We divided up, the women in the lower floor and the men on the upper floor. The next morning, we gathered on the bus again and headed to Coney Island. Stopping in Gerritsen Beach, we divided up into groups (in fact, we had other buses stop here as well we estimated 140 workers and the Stake President told us that there was about 400 - 500 individuals serving in the surrounding areas!) and hit up homes that had been damaged by the Sandy storm.
Here is the first home! Everyone pitched in and we quickly gutted this house within an hour! (The house is bigger than just this room...)
Her home was filled with mold! It's amazing how fast that stuff grows!
This image is to show how high the water level was! Most of the cars were abandoned! A local told us that the water came in and hit the engine causing the windows to drop, this allowed the storm to flood the vehicles!
This weekend of service was extremely rewarding! We, as an Elder's Quorum and church group truly grew together!
As we were walking between service projects, people would come out of the 'wood work' and would ask us to help them. Or they would suggest a neighbor. Even though FEMA had a tent there, people would tell us that FEMA referred them to us!
These images represent how their streets looked! Clean up is very slow!
In fact, the locals voiced that they had felt forgotten!
Here is another wonderful lady. She was so grateful! Here husband is a stroke victim and was unable to support his family. As we were gutting out the basement, 600$ fell from the ceiling! We immediately turned it over to the owners.
These last few images are of a wonderful couple! They desperately needed help. Living right on the coast, their home was deeply damaged! We gutted the entire basement, including a window, sheetrock, subfloor and carpet! They were so gracious in providing us with local pizza!
The ocean comes between these homes like a street. Many homes, boats and other equipment have been ruined! Those 2 x 4's in the picture are holding up a wall of a home!
During those three days, I learned an amazing amount! People everywhere have been affected by Sandy! I am so thankful for ALL that have spent time, money and of their selves in providing aid for these victims! Honestly, this weekend has been one of the most memorable! Built friendships, not only with guys from my church, but we strangers in NY!
Mosiah 2:17 "...that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God."
I knew you have some stories to tell. Thanks for doing such a great service.