Hello All:
Thought I’d briefly check-in and fill you in on what’s going on here in Brooklyn in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. First of all, a gazillion thanks, from the bottom of my heart, to all who called, sent text messages, or emailed to express concern and let us know they were praying. We’re still trying to get a gage on the damage but we know that many on the east coast are without power and can expect to be for some time. Here in NYC, the subways are flooded and many tunnels remain closed. Lower Manhattan, where our offices are located, remains inaccessible as the mandatory evacuation has yet to be lifted.
Currently several telecom networks are experiencing outages and we have not been able to communicate by phone with anyone since last night. We live in a neighborhood called Bay Ridge, an area that is very close to the water but above sea level. Thankfully, we did not have to evacuate. We hunkered down and rode it out. By God’s grace, we had electricity and power throughout. Flooding or leaking was minimal. When we emerged from our apartment this morning we learned that most of the damage that occurred in our neighborhood was related to downed trees and branches toppled by strong winds. This is certainly nothing to scoff at – as some of these trees fell onto homes and cars but, to the best of my knowledge, damage is limited and no loss of life has been reported in my neighborhood. Unfortunately, this is not the case for all of NYC, or on the east coast. Many are still feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy and will be for some time. Earlier we ran into one of our elders, who is also a Captain with the New York City Fire Department. First Responders, as you can imagine, have been on overdrive the last few days. He confirmed that there are many individuals and families who have suffered horrible devastation and loss. Would you please remember to pray for all those affected by Hurricane Sandy? Pray for those involved in all the logistics and planning. Pray for those in leadership to make right decisions. As this recovery begins, we will need one thing above all: the grace of God.