So
true to the title of my blog, I was once again a physical itinerant camper this
week. With Sandy laying her wrath on New Jersey, Drew kept power until about
nine pm on Monday night. I could have gone home but decided that it was safer
to stay ironically in the University in the Forest. On Tuesday morning the trees
and branches down on campus was incredible. Campus faired well with the
exception of damage to one residential building. Come Tuesday afternoon we where told that we needed to
evacuate campus. The place that they found for us students was a United
Methodist church down the road. I gathered my ‘go bag’ pillow, blankets, a pair
of sturdy shoes, yoga mat and some snacks to stay for an indefinite period of
time.
Loading
up our cars, we formed a caravan down the road and the parade of pepple into
the church looked like we were preparing for a week at summer camp. I stayed in
the Beyonce Suite, or the Single Ladies Suite. We where fed and my friend K,
who works at the church provided me with her inflatable mattress. I was very
excited to not sleep on the floor and was able to provide my yoga mat to
another lady staying with us. It was a little uncomfortable but nothing
compared to the news we where receiving from those around us.
Wednesday
morning everyone wandered around a bit trying to figure out the true lay out of
the land. Fed well for the day my friend S and I walked into town and found so
much damage. The craziest thing I viewed was a lamp post hanging over a power
line. But it was so nice to see that business that where open where sharing
there power and heat, to provide wi-fi and charging stations. We returned back to the church and hung
out for a bit and then received a visit from the new UM Bishop of Greater New
Jersey. Then well he was still in the building the power went out. This rose
some tensions in the building, but we managed. S prepared dinner for us with
her book light as a head lamp in her headband. Clever S.
I
went with K to go gather more blankets to help keep our families with babies
and toddlers warm and then B a president of a student caucus on campus came
with Korean food. Prepared for us by a congregant of a connected church to
Drew. She also was there everyday
to make sure that everyone was well and warm. It was wonderful to see my two colleagues in ministry take ‘thou
authority’, and do ministry in ways the had not planed for.
We
spent Wednesday night in the dark, but this provided opportunity for ‘girl talk’
and some incredibly funny moments. Such as the scared monastic, or a fellow
student fearful of the dark cold sanctuary. She ended up using the Noah system
or the buddy system.
Thursday
morning was tense as we awaited the news if we would be moving to another
church, the town shelter or hunkering down. We had really good pizza for lunch
and then our Dean came and tried to get a read of the crowd. We where told
about an hour latter to pack up as we where moving. But then the wonderful news
came that power was back on at campus!
We where going home!
This
has been a humbling experience for me. Reminding me that we had the Ritz of
shelter situations. We had a building and furniture to return to, well so many people
do not have any of these things to return to. There are so many lessons to be learned and so many
scriptures that relate to this experience, but I felt well cared for and knew
the Spirit to be fully present for our stay.
*The title comes from a hymn that we sing frequently for communion here at school and the verse that sticks out for me is "Let us break bread together on our knees" then a snip-it "with our face to the rising Son, oh Lord have mercy on us"
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