October 28, 2012 Hurricane Sandy hammered the state of New Jersey. Because the Storm made landfall over high tide, the storm surge was terrible. A lot of homes along the shore were affected. So last week found 14 volunteers and I headed to a small area in NJ to lend a hand.  I was all excited to travel through Delaware. I’ve officially added another state to my list. (Even if the only way I can say that I put a foot down on Delaware soil, is because I took the liberty to jump out of my van at a toll booth 🙂 )

The area where we were working was really unique. Years ago they came into the marshland along the Little Egg Harbor and created a series of canals. So all over the houses had a street in the front and a canal in the back. Incredible. I noticed there weren’t churches in the area. I guess if everyone works during the week, Sunday is the best time to hit the water.

These ducks had no reserve. They followed us all over. I had to laugh at them lining up beside the girls, just like they were trying to discover what the attraction was 🙂 The lady who owned this property was an unbeliever. She spent a lot if time standing by while I was painting and I had opportunity to talk to her about my Faith. I struggled with what to say to a person who has no questions. She said that Sandy was something that she had no control over.. Truly!

Apparently this was a common scene after the storm. We talked to several of the guys on the “Debris Clean-up Barge”. Everyday for 2 months they’ve scoured the area picking up trash in and along the water ways. The one guy said they are planning to be working for another 6 months. The power of a Hurricane must be incredible.

Every house took in several feet of water. I was impressed with how many people were doing their own work. A spunky group of people!

Meet Herbie. He lived in a house with his owner and the house was beyond filthy. His owner was taken to the hospital, and some of the ladies spent several days cleaning their house. Poor Herbie was frantic to be locked out of most of the house, and frustrated at the strangers in the house, and missing his master.. So he ran back and forth barking and barking. We got word that Herbie’s friend passed away.. What will happen to Herbie?

One morning we drove down to the bay and watched the sunrise. Beautiful!

One of the benefits of working near the water is the fresh seafood. I brought home shrimp, clams, and oysters as a thank you to my family for covering chores for me. I’d never fixed clams before, and so I was asking the lady that ran the seafood shop. She grew up eating them raw.. What do you know- one of the ladies with me gave it a try. She reported that it was delicious. And as far as I know she’s survived 🙂

A breathtaking ending to a great day.. Barnegat Lighthouse..  And the Coastal Guard provided a lot of entertainment by rushing past and coming back in behind a boat with blue lights flashing..

What a fun week! As always I enjoyed the crew I was with, as well as the opportunity to look at life thru a different set of eyes.. I am blessed!!