Week 33, post 1: Bayou Grace update

Here is an update from Bayou Grace -- our organization. It's not personally me, but it gives excellent perspective on what's going on here. Let me know if you want to be added to a regular email of it...

Week of July 31—August 4, 2006


Camp Noah Success!
The two Camp Noah summer camps were a success. Both the camp at The Father’s House in Pointe aux Chenes and at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Theriot had full enrollment! Site coordinators and many parents and community members expressed their happiness with the Camp Noah curriculum and how much this camp was a blessing for children. These all-day camps were a relief for youth who continue to live the daily reality of disaster relief.

Bayou Grace and the community thank the volunteers from Pennsylvania and Minnesota for taking the time to volunteer for these camps. Disaster relief has been going on non-stop for over ten months now. These camps provided some much needed outreach not only for the youth but for the adults as well.

More Special Guests!
The Illini continue to bless Bayou Grace! Yet another team from around The Windy City is coming soon to volunteer its time and efforts. The group of up to twenty volunteers will arrive from St. Luke’s Lutheran Church on August 6th. They will be staying the week. In the group will be the pastor, two Stephen ministers, a nursing student, and a foreman. These volunteers will be staying at the new Bayou Grace volunteer site at the Chauvin Gym and will be working at the warehouse with Elaine Savoie, Courtney Pellegrin-Howell, and with Mennonite Disaster Service. Please pray for their safe travel.

How You Can Assist
• Electricians, plumbers and construction volunteers are needed! For construction, you do not have to be experienced. You can join another work crew. You can volunteer with either TRAC or Mennonite Disaster Service. Volunteers are needed Monday—Friday.

• Volunteers are needed to help give out distribution through the Bayou Grace warehouse. The warehouse is open two days a week. Some people do not have transportation and need their items delivered to them. If you can help bring distribution to people in need, this would help a family tremendously.

• Family Advocate/Case Manager Elaine Savoie also welcomes accompaniment on her home visits. This is a great way to serve and to meet people whom Bayou Grace is serving.

Please contact Bayou Grace Program Director Courtney Pellegrin-Howell @ 217-0068 if you have questions regarding any of the above.

DON’T FORGET WEEKLY MEETINGS
AT THE CHAUVIN GYM EVERY TUESDAY
TO RAISE COASTAL EROSION AWARENESS ET AL.
DINNER STARTS AT 6:00 P.M.


Peace, Warren.

week 32, post 3: The Old Man and his Dog

I've acquired a sidekick while I'm down here: Sissy is a 2y.o. Jack Russell Terrier. She is not my dog, but she's on loan for the time being. She belongs to Andrew, my former host. Sissy and I travel most everywhere. She's in training as an assistant therapist, and is getting good at reading feelings -- especially mine -- and she's getting good at greeting others. She loves to give gifts to everyone -- kisses and lots of white hair to decorate their clothing. Here's a picture of Sissy and me on our way...
Peace, Warren.

week 32, post 2: Community Based Counseling

"Warren, this is ______. I'm at the doctor's office in ________. He's running behind and I can't make it back to ______________ in time for my appointment." Warren: "Well, I have to be back at the church in Houma by 6. You're close to there now. So we're going to pass each other coming and going." C: We can meet at the Mac Donald's in _______________. Can we do that?" W: "I'm okay with that if you are."

So we met at the MacDonald's, a less than ideal location, but we had a pretty good session nonetheless. We blocked out the distractions and followed up on some issues we'd opened up over the last several sessions.

By Freudian/medical theory, operating under such conditions is simply unacceptable -- not done! Well, Freud's theory is flawed, and we're doing the best we can with what we can. Actually, "community-based counseling" is now cutting-edge theory and practice. Seeing the clients in context, integrating counseling with medical care, education and casework, is where it's at nowadays. This client is motivated -- that's the most telling factor of all. She works hard in our sessions. Even with distractions, we get to here-and-now impasses, the therapeutic moment, and she sticks with it and progress is made.

It would be better -- I think -- if I could see clients in a nice, safe, quiet, well-appointed office with a nice receptionist, etc. That's what I always wanted, at least. But maybe I'm just old now. Maybe what I'm doing is really the most productive -- cutting edge, even.

I'm not proud of me. But I sure can be proud of some of my clients. They're hard at work. And they're growing.

Congratulations are in order to another hard worker -- Floyd Landis, who won this year's Tour de France with a stunning come-from-behind victory when defeat was all but certain. Well done, Floyd.

Peace, Warren.

week 32, post 1: The old man and the sea

It was a good day. And this is a pretty good picture -- taken by Ken Linn, the Kayak Guide. Maybe this is supposed to by my "Old Man and the Sea" picture.

Week 31, post 2: beauty

Two weeks ago yesterday, Ken and I went fishing for a little while after work down at Grand Isle. We went out on our kayaks and were hunting redfish. We found a few but fishing was slow. Then on our way to another area I suggested we work an area near a rock jetty. Trout. We got into the trout and were catching one after another. They were mostly runts, 10" or so, but we stayed busy. I'm guessing we caught 20-30 fish between us.
Then I heard a "pssh!" behind me. Dolphins! A family of about 7 dolphins were just behind me/us! I took my hand and patted the water and they came to investigate. They were about 15' from me. They stayed about 20 minutes, feeding on trout, playing, rolling near me. So magical and wondrous! I could've slipped out of the kayak and gone swimming with them.
A little later the sky turned an incredible brilliance of pinks, reds, oranges, yellows and blues with the sunset.
Of course I have no pictures -- left the camera in the truck -- but I have an image burned in my memory and this wonderful story of beauty to tell. Whether it's the marsh, the swamp or the seashore, this is truly a beautiful place.
Ken is a man of spiritual awareness, too, so we just paused to pray -- to thank the creator for this wonderful experience we were blessed to share. I don't know that we were being religious -- but we were conscious of the presence of the holy, for sure.
Peace, Warren.

week 31, post 1: A Navajo Prayer

I want to share with you in two parts; the first a Navajo prayer that I have carried with me for probably 15+ years:

Now Talking God
With your feet I walk,
I walk with your limbs,
I carry forth your body.

For me your mind thinks,
Your voice speaks for me

Beauty is before me,
And beauty is behind me,
Above and below me hovers the beautiful.

I am surrounded by it,
I am immersed in it

In my youth I am aware of it,
And in old age
I shall walk quietly
The beautiful trail

Tomorrow or later this week I'll post again with a companion to the prayer.
Peace, Warren.