Weekend in Houston for Hurricane Harvey Relief

If you haven't heard of the incredible relief efforts put forth by The Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints every time there is a natural disaster, let me assure you, their efforts are large.  Members of our community were invited to Houston this past weekend to help clean up the devastation from Hurricane Harvey.  While there were about 30 people just from our neighborhood congregation, there were hundreds from throughout the state who all gave of their time to help out and there will be more weekends like this.  You can read about the organization, Mormon Helping Hands, to see about what they do around the entire world here.


So Jesus and I decided to go too!  Jesus has some generous family in Houston who we could stay with and even watch our kids while we worked.  The night before leaving however, we got our assignment that we would be gutting houses, removing destroyed furniture, pulling flooded installation from the walls, etc. and I realized it wasn't a good activity for a pregnant lady like myself.  So while Jesus did the manual labor, his aunt and I hit the grocery store to make sandwiches for the volunteers so I at least could do something.


When I asked Jesus about his experience and what he saw there, he summed it up with the word "destruction." He told me that you could see the water line against the walls in the homes to where the water would have reached his knees.  He told me about every destroyed couch that they carried to the curb for disposal being soaked and still full of water making it many times heavier than normal. 


Here are the photos of what we saw on the streets all over Houston, of people that lost so much and will now take so long to rebuild.  Jesus also told me of a great community spirit as the home owners still had strength to joke around about what they had gone through and at least had all of their neighbors in the same situation all working together.

We also arrived in Houston a day early so we took Jesus's aunt and uncle to NASA! It was his uncle's life-long dream and we had never been. The best word I have for touring here is "fascinating." Because of the hurricane, they cut admission prices in half, had free parking and proceeds from admission went to Hurricane Relief. 

A 747 carrying a space shuttle

Riding the tram for the tour to see Mission control, where they build and the actual buildings where employees and astronauts work.

Joaquin and I touching a moon rock

My little pilots

Mission control

Later in the weekend, Jesus's cousins, Karen and Uki, took us to their favorite spot for frozen custard in Houston and you can't pass that up.  Apple pie sundae anyone?  We are also so grateful to these two for letting us have their apartment for the weekend while they stayed with their parents.  Talk about a hook up!

My last little story from our weekend speaks to the "joy" of being a mom.  The day that Jesus went to help with the hurricane, was the day I finally decided to take KJ to the doctor.  She had been battling a cold for a few days but when she lost her voice, coughed like a seal all night and started wheezing, it was time to bring her in!  She has a virus and croup (the seal-like cough) so they gave her a steroid and a breathing treatment to get her wheezing to stop.  We had to stay at the doctor for two hours for observation to make sure it worked and it did!  We are home now and she's still sick but she seems much better.  Now Joaquin has begun that rough sounding cough and I hope this virus leaves our little family soon!  Both kids are happily tucked in their beds for the night and we will pray for a heathier week!  But first, look how cute she is during her little breathing treatment.