Ike Hath no Power

Ike has absolutely wrecked devastation across SE Texas. It's been horrible to see the extent of the damage and the people that are displaced. I am sure that many of you have seen the horrible conditions and damage in Galveston and surrounding areas. Our home, The Woodlands, was hit quite hard as the eye of the Ike passed right over us bringing over two hours of 100 mph winds. As the name implies, The Woodlands, is full of dense forests and preserves, making these trees weapons against homes and property. Our home was hit by a tree, but we were fortunate to only have a softball size hole in the roof above our attached garage. The morning after the storm passed with continued pounding rain, it was heartwarming to see all the neighbors banding together with chainsaws in hand, making their way around the neighborhood to cut loose debris blocking the road or obstructing people's ability to get in or out of their home.

I say we were fortunate because there were homes virtually split in half by large trees. In my immediate neighborhood, there were no serious injuries. Just yesterday, as the temperature began to rise, we noticed that James seemed lethargic more than expected. His temperature was close to 101 for almost an hour. We attempted to call MD Anderson and found that they were without power, and we were instructed to go to our local ER. We showed up to Chris and Stephanie's house to see if they could keep Adrianne (as phones have not worked). Thankfully they were home and without incident. As we approached the ER, we were screened before entering as the hospital is working on generators. After blood draws, examination, and x-rays, we found that James has pneumonia. Perfect timing, right. The doctor called MD Anderson and together they said that we had to make sure James slept in AC because the heat and humidity of no power could significantly worsen his illness. Right after this diagnosis and advice, my brother Don called and said that they have power and plenty of AC. God is so good and helped provide respite for us once again. When we arrive home to pack, we found that our amazing neighbors had cut down the tree resting on our roof dragged it away. I was able to put a tarp over the hole and will await for the insurance adjuster to come in the coming weeks to months.

Please pray for James and his well-being. Our trusted friends and doctors at MD Anderson are out of commission right now and we are not sure when they will be available. James is taking an antibiotic, but please pray he is able to fight off this illness. We are thankful for our family and their willingness to house us as long as needed. We are expected to be without power for up to 3 weeks in The Woodlands. Please continue to pray for all of those impacted by Ike. Grocery stores and gas stations have lines that can take hours to get through. One friend noted that this was the 3rd worst storm (in terms of damages and storm severity) in US history. We will keep you updated on James' health. Love, Greg and Joy