Good Sunday afternoon. We had a powerful worship, fellowship, and message at our Church gathering today. I hope you did as well.

I am writing on this day that we set aside for the Lord and for us to rest. Writing because we are not finished with “When We Don’t Understand”. I know that many who were affected believe the rest of us have moved on with our lives and have forgotten them. We have not! The Lord is reminding multitudes of us to keep you lifted in prayer and support. The Lord prompting me to write about this tragedy 22 days later, and the responses to my first part of this blog are evidence of this.

Therefore, I will continue with a portion of the letter from the President of Schreiner University, Charlie McCormick. Only a portion, because he describes that fatal night that I have already shared in the first part of this writing.

Again, this is copied from the email I received from our cousin Kathy in Kerrville, TX. I will pick up where he describes the events from his vantage point at that time.

“Over the last 24 hours, several people have told me about the 1987 and 2002 floods on the campus.  Those were scary times to be on campus.  Yesterday, though, and based on no logic other than the chaos of wind and rain and river, the campus fared well.  And very quickly, the Schreiner community was able to jump into action.  Creek levels were monitored by Security and Resident Directors; buildings were checked for leaks by Facility staff; and our Western Art Academy students were carefully shepherded by their Director and student mentors.  The Vice Presidents launched “call trees” to make certain everyone in their areas were accounted for (everyone is reported to be safe at this time).  Student Affairs made sure all on-campus students were accounted for, too.  Our food service provider mobilized its team so that it stood up the Diner for full-service throughout the day and for anyone who needed it.  Other staff – and Facilities first among them – prepared the Event Center as a site for community members to shelter.  Our nursing faculty came to campus at a run to address any health concerns.    And slowly but surely we learned the terrible news.  More lives lost.  More people still missing.  Everyone you talked to knew someone who had been lost or who was missing.  And collectively, and with our friends throughout the Hill Country, we grieved the news that our long-time Board member and dear friend, Jane Ragsdale, had passed.  As the day progressed, we were asked if Schreiner could shelter some campers that had been evacuated from their camps.  The women of Schreiner – Danielle, Erica, Cindy, Bri, Anna, Megan, Caitlyn, Cayce, Emma, and Stacy among others – sprang into action and created a space where some very fragile girls who had been through hell could find peace and a place to sleep.  Throughout the night they kept watch, managing the despair of families desperately seeking information on their missing loved ones and the extraordinary reunion of each camper with her family.  Some 50 first responders stayed on campus that evening, too, grabbing a few hours of sleep before leaving again for the rescue and recovery work.   By the time day broke on Saturday, most of the campers had been reunited with their parents, and the first responders were back at work.  Attention turned at once to preparing for the out-of-town linemen who were coming to help and additional support crews that would help Kerrville and the Hill Country try to stitch itself back together.  Processes have now been developed and volunteers secured to manage the check-in and check-out of these heroes for the next several days.  And before the afternoon had barely begun, we learned we were going to be sheltering counselors from still another camp that had been devastated.   I suspect this will be the pace of life for the next several days and maybe the next several weeks.  We will turn this campus into a community resource and tend to our friends and neighbors in their hours of need.  We should expect to pivot and then to pivot again and to plan and prepare only to not need these plans and preparations.  We’ll prepare food for a hundred and feed only ten.  That is the nature of a disaster.   But what an extraordinary opportunity it has been to spend time in the company of and on the phone with and texting alongside the Schreiner community the last 36 hours.  I will never be able to express how proud I am that when the pain was as its peak, one Schreiner person after another responded with compassion and a humanity that is humbling and awesome.  You have my thanks and my admiration.  But more importantly, you have the thanks of this community.  Some days we’d like to forget.”   “But for those we cannot, let us cover the memory of that day with something that redeems it.  The Rev. Dr. Dongwoo Lee, Schreiner’s University Minister, provides us just such a covering through this prayer he wrote for us:”   “God, Be Near: A Prayer in the Midst of Flooding” “God of mercy and steadfast love, we come before you as floodwaters continue to rise and the danger has not yet passed. Our community remains unsettled. Homes are still at risk, roads are uncertain, and many live in anxious waiting. We lift our eyes to you, not because we understand all things, but because you are the One who walks with us through deep waters. Still, we don’t always know how to pray in moments like this, but we know we need you.  We pray for the people of Kerrville and the surrounding areas who are still watching the rivers and skies. Some have already been displaced. Others are preparing for what may come. Lord, we confess that many of us are afraid, unsure of what will come next, and struggling to stay hopeful. Be near to those who feel overwhelmed, especially the elderly, children, and those with nowhere else to turn. Let your presence be a calm in the storm. Let your wisdom guide decisions made in haste. Let your Spirit stir courage in all who serve on the frontlines. For those coordinating emergency efforts, those offering shelter and supplies, and those keeping watch through the night, we ask your strength. Give them clarity and compassion. Help them endure what they cannot predict. Let them know they are not alone. And for all of us, teach us to be attentive and responsive. Help us stay united in heart and in purpose. Let no act of care be too small. Let no neighbor feel forgotten.  In this time of great need, we are grateful for the opportunity to open our doors to the community, offering shelter, meals, and rest. Let this campus be a steady light, not for our sake but as a witness to your love at work among us. May prayer guide what we do. May compassion shape how we serve. And as students, faculty, and staff care for others, may they also experience hope and strength that come from you.  Jesus, you knew what it meant to live among storms. You calmed the waters with a word, and you entered into our fear with your presence. Through your Spirit, remain with us now. As the rain falls and the rivers swell, we place our trust in you. Guard the vulnerable. Strengthen the weary. Lead us not only to safety but toward a deeper compassion for one another.  We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our companion in the flood and our hope beyond it, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen”.  Sincerely,   Charlie McCormick President Schreiner University How could I ever add to this? This prayer describes our God… Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who He is and who we are in Him. Strengthened, empowered, full of compassion, hope, and healing as we each function as parts of His Body. We commonly call it the “hands and feet” of Jesus. And remember, you don’t have to be there to contribute. And with His help, we won’t forget and we won’t stop! The confirmation of this keeps pouring in, so I have more to share in part #3. I do hope you join me, and as always, I pray that what I write will help you through your storms of life. John 16:33 NKJV “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Be of good cheer, in Christ, Reba