Serving Santa Fe - the meals

 As you read this, I hope you will reflect on how glorious it is when we work together and let Jesus Shine.
 I felt like this for much of my life: God has given me a front row seat to watch him work.  
  The Wednesday Breakfast & Lunch delivery was not any different.  Serving a hurting and scared group has it's own set of challenges and delivering two meals of this size (640 people) to 5 locations in Santa Fe presented one set of challenges, but knowing that they had become wary of all outsiders was another.
   Late Friday night, I came up with a menu.  It was a simple menu, so that a single church could provide 1 item from the list, either homemade or from a restaurant and it would all work.  By that night, I had a single church commit to breakfast.  By noon the next day, I had a single church commit to lunch.
   By Monday, I was on the phone with someone who was explaining to me that Santa Fe was now in protective mode and wary of all outsiders.  This is a normal reaction to a traumatic event.  
  Initially, I had thought we would be able to serve them the meal, but now it was almost a drop it at the door and run thing.  I was not looking forward to letting my meal providers know about this change.  I know they were looking forward to serving these people personally and losing that component, could mean losing a meal provider.  
  I was grateful when I let them know about the changes and both groups were still willing to provide the meal. Thank you, Lord!
  Because of the protective mode of the district, I now came up with a plan to have only one contact per location to minimize the district's contact with the outsiders which would hopefully contribute to a feeling of safety.  This means I would be asking a single person to delivery to one location at 7:30 am and then again at 11 am, approximately 4 to 5 hours of their time.  I also arranged for us to meet for breakfast, just for the delivery people to have a chance to connect and compare stories.
  Tuesday about 5 pm, I receive a call from Luke - my Chick-fil-A contact.  He would be emailing me a schedule with all the driver's information for each delivery.  And they would also be delivering all the gift bags.  Gift bags!?  If I managed to choke out those words, I would be surprised.  I was totally caught off guard with this one.  The gift bags I had not gotten approval to do?    
  This can not be said enough times:  Eat at Chick-fil-A!  I watched Chick-fil-A deliver twice on the day of the shooting!  I don't know what the arrangements were for the payment of the meals, but what a great job!
  About 8:45 pm, I get the schedule from Chick-fil-A.  It is a intricate dance to get Chick-fil-A meal boxes from 5 different locations, gift bags from one location - all to be delivered at the same time as breakfast, so to provide as few outside interactions to our Santa Fe people.  (The sandwiches will be delivered hot, at lunch time.)
  At 9:38 pm, I get a text from my Santa Fe contact.  They have just realized that they asked for a 7:30 am breakfast delivery, but no one would be at the locations until at least 8 am.  We need to move all breakfast deliveries back to 8 or 8:15 am.
   With dread, I contact Luke, who cheerfully responds to this need.  I can't tell you that I am as positive.  I am stunned, but it is a lesson once again, that crisis and chaos go hand in hand.  If you are going to help people in crisis, be prepared for chaos, be prepared to be flexible, especially at the last minute.
  At 2:30 am, the fine folks from Bronco Burrito in Galveston starting cooking enough enormous Breakfast Burritos to feed 640 people.  Eat at Bronco Burrito!  
  At 7:30 am, I realize the people from the Breakfast church are praying in the HEB parking lot.  I drive across the street to join them.  Apparently, they had just finished, but circled up and prayed again, to please me.  I'm sure I needed prayer, I needed to be reminded that I have a Father who listens to me, is madly in love with me and is ever present with me.
  By 7:45 am, we are all pretty much at our stations, prepared to deliver food in a drop and run way, if necessary.  Prepared to pray or anything else, if possible.
  By 8:30 or so, 5 of us are sitting down for breakfast. (Breakfast was paid for by another church.)  The stories are incredible - of surprisingly open reception, of team members being asked to pray with individuals and for meals.  
  There was one team member whose story wasn't as encouraging.  He delivered breakfast and apparently, the retired teachers from that school, also delivered breakfast.  Which really made for a spread, but also made our breakfast almost totally unnecessary, which is how this guy felt.  Especially, when after he delivered breakfast, he was escorted off campus by the local sheriff.  
  This guy did not show up for the breakfast meeting, but this is why that meeting was so important.  Serving people in traumatic situations can be traumatic to those who serve.  
  Those of us at breakfast left about 10:30 to get back to our stations to deliver lunch.  After the lunch delivery, we left for our work places.  
  The final story before I close this is another meal delivery person ended up staying at his school until after 1 pm.  He was asked to stay and eat with them and pray for the meal.  He visited and prayed with people for over 2 hours.  
  When we say YES to God and service, we never know what will happen.
  
   
  
         
  
  

Santa Fe - Recovery

  Since my short service in Santa Fe, I have been going there quite regularly.  On one of drives in, all the sudden, it struck me: How long after this before you would feel safe in your school?  How long after a shooting at a school in your district, would it take before you felt safe sending your children to school?  

  Like any trauma, recovery is a long process.  We are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.  How long for Santa Fe?

  I'm sure there were parents whose high school children went back for 3 days, 10 days after the shooting.  For them, 10 days was too short and 3 days was way too long.  

  Pray for Santa Fe.