Last
Monday we had some unexpected friends arrive back in town. The
Epplers have come home from Louisiana and working with FEMA. The
company that they worked for did not renew their contract with FEMA, so
it will expire the end of the year. Prior to knowing this, they
felt like God was telling them to head home. They are glad to be
back, especially before Christmas, however, they are unsure of where
God is leading them next.
Please pray for them as they look into other job options, and thank you for praying for them these past several months.
Please continue to pray for the Epplers who are
still working for FEMA. They are doing well, but also getting homesick
with the holidays here. Last week they received 100 new inspections to do
in the New Orleans area. Andy is going on his own to do the inspections
due to safety reasons, so Sarah and the kids are staying behind each day at the
campground. It's a little hard on her because she gets a little stir crazy
and is missing being at home more.
The family misplaced by Katrina that they were
getting to know pretty well had to find another place to stay, so they headed to
Flordia for a short time until they can rebuild their home in New Orleans.
In the meantime, there are several others that they are getting to know around
the campground. One gal named Pam is really struggling with understanding
why God allowed the hurricane to happen and how she lost everything, including
her animals. Please pray for wisdom for Sarah in encouraging her and
sharing God's love with her.
Andy has become the master cook at the
campground. One insurance adjuster who works all day is providing meat and
Andy usually cooks for several at a time. They find it's easier to
consolidate meals that way and it helps everyone out. They are in a neat
position right now to minister to others around them, but they are also feeling
a little emotionally drained at times being away from home. Please lift
them up in your prayers as you think of them.
Just wanted to give an update on the Eppler family
since a few things have happened recently. A gentleman from the campground they
are in has offered his fifth-wheel to them to stay in and rent (possibly even
buy down the road). This is a huge blessing to them because they have more room
to stay in, have heat and a/c, a fridge/freezer, double sink to do dishes in,
and a shower/bathroom. It is making their time more efficient and their stay a
little easier. They have it parked next to a cabin where a family is staying
that lost everything in Katrina. They've blessed them with friendship and
support, which is really neat.
They took a quick trip to Flordia last week to take
a FEMA trailer down just after Wilma hit. God provided the gas money for the
trip and they were even paid for their time to deliver it which was a blessing.
While they were there, a man walked up to them and insisted on giving them food
even though he was in the midst of his own power outage from the storm. Sarah
said it was a great reminder to her of how the Lord is taking care of them on a
daily basis. They have started receiving pay for the work they are doing for
inspections. They still need payment for the intial registrations they did when
they first arrived, so pray that those funds will be processed
soon.
They are currently fighting colds, so please pray
for a quick recovery. Also pray for their son Jacob, as he was chopping wood
yesterday and cut his foot with an ax. They had to take him to the emergency
room and he received 8 stitches between his third and fourth toes. He's pretty
sore, but handled things well. Pray for a quick healing.
Here are a few prayer requests for the Epplers. Click on Epplers Update to get all the backstory.
1. They are currently waiting on their paycheck from FEMA to arrive, but it is taking longer than expected since some computers were down. They are down to very little money, so pray that their daily needs are met until they are paid and that the check arrives quickly.
PRAISE: Three people have brought them food recently that would have otherwise gone to waste. Sarah told Erika the other morning that she had to eat her cereal or she couldn't have any snacks. After she said that she thought to herself "we don't even have any snacks". Not more than an hour later, a man came up to them with two grocery bags full of chips and cookies and said a base camp was shutting down and wanted to know if they wanted the extra snacks otherwise they'd go to waste. A lot of the food they were given has been non-perishable and they even received some meat from someone else.
2. They have also been teaming up with a family in their campground on meals. This family lost everything with Katrina and are renting an RV to live in hoping FEMA will cover their costs. Pray for this family as Andy and Sarah minister to them through their friendship.
3. They have not received any new inspections to do since last week and are waiting on several pending inspections. This is currently a blessing since they don't have gas money right now for traveling. There is a good possibility, however, that FEMA will pay them a daily rate since they are waiting on new work. Pray that the work comes through at the right time and in a good and safe location.
I know this may seem like an odd request, especially for a blog, but it's for a home schooling family.
As described in my Epplers Update category (click here), we are friends with a home schooling family that has answered the call to go work with FEMA to assist the victims of Katrina, contacting them and doing the paperwork to get them government assistance. They are home schooling from a trailer, but the problem is they are in a budget pop-up camper. They don't have a refrigerator, a toilet or a shower inside. This makes life difficult and it will get worse as the winter comes because they don't have a heater either. This family of 5 needs a new camping trailer that allows them to pick up and move when they need to and doesn't cause a lot of wind resistance behind their truck (gas is expensive enough as it is!). Something like the following picture would be a good soft-side pop-up trailer for them, but they would be just as fine with a hardside pop-up.
They are staying at a campground in Louisiana and they don't have internet access. I'm searching for someone who can help me find a camping trailer with the following amenities:
Pop-up style (could be hard or soft side)
Heater
A/C
Sink
Stove
Refrigerator
Toilet
Shower (inside)
Room for 2 adults and 3 kids.
Ideally, this trailer would be somewhere in the vicinity of Louisiana for easy pickup. If you know of anyone who could possibly help, please e-mail me at dadscorner@gmail.com. I would greatly appreciate your assistance!
The Eppler family is still in Louisiana working for FEMA in the relief efforts for hurricane Katrina/Rita. They waited out the affects of Rita in the church that their trailer was parked at. There were some trees down and wind damage that was done in the area, but they are safe and sound.
They have been traveling 50 miles back and forth each day to Ponchatoula, LA for the past few weeks. Yesterday, they found an opening at a campground just 15 miles from Ponchatoula that they are going to re-locate to. The city of Ponchatoula itself is starting to smell like sewage because of all the people/backup in the city. They are grateful that the campground seems to be nice and has a few ammenities that they can use. They will have the cost of the campground and food now, but they were spending quite a bit on gas each day traveling. They were sad to say goodbye to those they've met at the church, but got contact info from some of them. They are not sure how much longer they will be in Ponchatoula for inspections, but do believe they will be working with FEMA for awhile since the damage was so huge. Please continue to keep them in your prayers and they deal with new circumstances and adjustments each and every day.
I just wanted to give a quick update for those of you who are wondering how the Epplers are doing. God provided a substantial gift for them this week which has been a huge blessing to them in helping cover their expenses until FEMA can start paying them.
They have been traveling the past 3 days to do inspections in a city 40 miles away from where they are staying at the church. One house in particular they couldn't find the house number and then realized their mailbox was in a tree. They are hoping to take some pictures of some of the damage they are seeing. Andy has had some back and leg pain at night, so please pray that they would get the rest they need each day. They are homeschooling in the truck as they travel each day and are grateful for the air conditioning. Andy received free shots yesterday (DTP and hepatitis A &C) as he will need them if he gets sent closer in to New Orleans.
Also continue to pray for Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church where their trailer is parked. They are still feeding refugees, but need provision for those expenses.
We got a call from Sarah today with an update on
how they are doing. They are still camping in the parking lot of Shiloh Baptist
Church in Baton Rouge, LA. They have gotten the computers up and running for
FEMA to start taking applications from those staying at the convention center.
The church is feeding them and 100 other people who are staying there 3 meals a
day which is a huge provision for them right now.
Sarah is using the libray in the church to do
homeschooling which is a blessing because they can get out of the heat. She
says although it's hot there, Houston was a lot worse, especially at night.
They are also adjusting to ants, mosquitos, and unusual bugs. The boys have
caught a lizard and a frog, and Erika has met a little girl named Torrie to play
with. All the children there love to play with their dog Ginger.
There is no shower at the church, but they
are transporting 20 people at a time to use 1 shower. Sarah talked with a woman
on the bus last night that said a pastor in Louisiana gave them their house to
live in because it wasn't being used. She said it needed work, but it has a
screened in porch which is something she has always wanted in a home. She was
so touched that they received a house for free.
Another women they met in the laundry room started
to cry when she found out Sarah and Andy were from Colo. Springs. She said her
father and brother had gone there.
God is providing for them in neat little ways and
they should start getting paid by FEMA within a week or two. They are not sure
how long they'll be in Baton Rouge, so they could be moved to a different state
at any moment. Thank you for keeping them in your prayers.
As I wrote in Thoughts on Hurricane Katrina, we sent a family down to work with FEMA in Houston. They have since moved on to Baton Rouge for field work now that the Governor of Louisiana has allowed FEMA in. Sarah Eppler wrote us on Sunday night and here is her latest update. I will put up further updates as they come and put them in their own category.
It is now Sunday Evening in hot, muggy Houston, TX. This email will be pretty short because I have to go pack. Andrew is helping the company he works for (that contracts for FEMA) set up their computers. He has worked a long day today. He told me the sooner they can get everything networked, the sooner we can start helping people. He called me this evening to tell me to pack up because we're going to Baton Rouge, LA......tonight!! We will be setting up at a church there and the kids and I can help the church there while Andrew does the FEMA stuff.
Please keep us in your prayers. We are using just about the last bit of cash we have to make the 250 mile trip to LA. We are so thankful that the Lord is taking care of our every need. We have people offering us food and almost the shirts off their backs. Right now we're doing okay. We still have the food we brought with us. The kids are being troopers. They keep saying that they know this is what God wants us to do right now. That is a great confirmation for Andrew and I. Since we are leaving here, I'm not sure when I will be able to email again, but since we do have our cell phone working now, we will call when we know more.
God bless you and thank you for everything!!
Sarah Eppler
If you think to pray for them, please do so. Also if you would like to support them, there are some opportunities to do so. Please contact me if you are interested.
