Many of you know that I am a member of and was a student minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Galveston Island, where Hurricane Ike is currently making landfall. Last weekend, I visited Galveston and my home church, on my way to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio.
I took a few pictures of that trip, and I want to share those photos with you. I am afraid that the pictures we will be seeing of this Island I love in these next few days will be of destruction and devastation. I pray that it is not as bad as I fear it may be. I pray that the UU Fellowship in Galveston, which was built with hurricanes in mind, survives the storm. I pray that all of the inhabitants of Galveston, but particularly our fellow UU’s are safe, and that their homes survive.
It is more than a little surreal for me. Last Saturday night, I sat at the Spot on the Seawall and had a hamburger and fries, missing my island home. Now, there are reporters standing near that same place, with the water lapping over the seawall and across Seawall Blvd.
On the trip to Galveston, I backtracked the same path Sandy and I took when we evacuated from Hurricane Rita. Surreal.
Please keep this Island community in your thoughts and prayers.
A view of the main entrance to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Galveston County.
The Butterfly Garden at the UU Fellowship of Galveston County.
The UU Fellowship of Galveston Sanctuary
What the beach and seawall looked like last Saturday.
A better look at the Galveston Island Seawall last Saturday.
Our old neighborhood in Galveston.
Our favorite restaurant on Seawall Blvd. in Galveston, which is facing the Gulf of Mexico.
A picture of a cruise ship docked in Galveston harbor, with an oil industry ship docked to the right and the Texas Tall Ship the ELISSA docked to the left. Taken from in front of the Harbor Hotel.
A picture of the ELISSA with a cruise ship in the background. I worked for the Galveston Historical Foundation for awhile, and the plan is to leave the ELISSA secured as best they can, and pray it survives any storm. The ELISSA is an 1887 Iron Barque that the Galveston Historical Foundation brought to Galveston and restored. It would be horrible to lose this unique piece of our history.
But I’d rather lose the ELISSA than lose any lives… Please keep the Island and its inhabitants in your thoughts and prayers.
Yours in Faith,
David
Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced that the University of Texas Medical Branch, UTMB, has two feet of water in its lobby. The UU Fellowship of Galveston County is near UTMB (less than a quarter mile) and much lower to the ground… so that almost guarantees the church has suffered some flooding at the very least.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Yours in Faith,
David
My thoughts are with the members of the Galveston area community and those along the Texas coastal areas.
I spoke to my friend Christina today and friends of her who had to stay at UTMB said they had nine feet of water on the first floor of the hospital. The Carriage House apartments, where we lived, catty-corner to the fellowship was completely flooded on all the ground floor apartments.
A message on the Galveston Church Website…
Post hurricane IKE message to members and friends:
Most members have been contacted and were found to be safe although some of us have suffered some damages.
The fellowship building is basically untouched, no wind or flood damage.
We are receiving lots of calls from both district and local UU’s, as well as the national office, offering help. They also send us positive thoughts and energy.
From Susan Persons, president and UUFCG Board of Directors.
Amen and Hallelujah! All rumors to the contrary (even ones on the UUA Website… my home church is fine! Hip, Hip, Horray!
I hope the homes of the members are either fine or easily repairable… and that my island home can recover.
Yours in Faith,
David
That’s great to hear! 🙂