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Harvey Reconstruction Meaux Family

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My son, daughter in love and their daughters lost everything in Hurricane Harvey. They live in Lumberton TX where they closed on their 1st house together 40 days before the flood waters covered their home. They had just bought some new furniture and furnishings the week before Harvey hit. Their first mortgage payment was put in the mail just a few days before this began to hit their area.

They did not have flood insurance because they were not in a flood zone. The neighbors next door have lived on that street for 35 years and it had never flooded. No one could have anticipated Harvey's destruction by the Cat 3 winds and the billions of water dropped in Texas.

They will apply for whatever assistance they can, but I am asking you to please donate what you can so they can start rebuilding their 1st home from the ceiling down.

Thank you in advance for helping them go "home" again. If you have time, please read the post that my son posted on FB. I have copied and pasted it below.

Russ Meaux is with Brandi Smith Meaux and 4 others.
22 hrs · Lumberton · 
I read an article earlier today in passing about where is God in times of need…it talked about how we feel sometimes that maybe God didn’t even hear our prayers when we don’t get the answers we wanted. As I was securing my house and getting on a boat to be rescued from the rising waters on Tuesday, one of the last things I said was “Jesus, protect my home.” I didn’t think much of it at the time because it was just what I do…when there’s trouble I’ve learned to call on Jesus. I loaded up and got in the boat and we took what seemed like the longest boat ride of my life. As we got to Brandi’s parents, we had no way of knowing how bad it would get. Brandi and I talked about how IF it did get into the house it would probably be only a few inches and we would wind up having to replace the carpet sooner than we wanted to. As we sat and waited for any indications we held out hope that our house would be spared. I scoured Facebook looking for photos of anything I could find in our neighborhood. I talked to my neighbors who also shared our optimism that we wouldn’t get water in our house. I did this all day Tuesday and all day Wednesday and the reality began to set in. Photos began to come in of the neighborhood next to ours and the water was over the hoods of the cars and rising. We still held hope that maybe our houses were somehow on a little higher ground. Then I found the drone video and saw the pictures I posted last night that showed our house with water up to the eaves and over the roofs of our cars in our whole neighborhood. I gathered myself enough to tell Brandi and we fell apart together and then somehow found the courage to break the news to our daughters. They amazed me with their resolve and resilience. They mourned for a moment and then we joined together in one accord that we would replace all our “Stuff” and rebuild our house. As I've reflected today and fielded 100’s of messages and calls from family and friends letting me know that they were there for us and to let them know how to help, I found myself feeling sorry for myself. I know right?!… in the midst of all the support, how could you feel sorry for yourself. It was because I was thinking of the fact that we lost all of our brand new furniture that was just delivered last week, and my truck that isn’t insured with full coverage because it’s been paid off so long, and all my clothes and all my collectibles and my beautiful mantle clock from my dad, and…and the list goes on and on….EVERYTHING is gone…and I have NO WAY of knowing how I’m going to pay for any of it…and that’s how I started feeling sorry for myself…and then I did what I have done so often in the past, I started talking to God…and the Holy Spirit started imparting a word in me…I said, God, I asked you, in the name of Jesus to protect my home”…and He said I did…and it was like being struck by lightning through my soul…because HE DID!!! You see, our “home” isn’t the house…it’s where we are when we’re together…TOGETHER and safe…I said it some time to someone earlier, I’ve never seen such a sense of community in my life as I have in Lumberton, TX…Texas in general and even my hometown area of Southwest Louisiana…everyone has put all their petty differences of politics, religion, etc. aside and focused on just helping one another. That’s “home” ladies and gentleman. The belongings, vehicles, and homes can be replaced and rebuilt. It will take time but it will happen. But never forget that HOME is where you are and what you make of it. My wonderful in-laws have made sure that we know where HOME is…at least for the time being….so keep praying for us as we will for ourselves…but pray that the glory goes to God and that things happen in such a way that it causes even those that don’t believe to see His Grace and Mercies.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
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Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $100 
    • 6 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Linda Sandefer Cardella
Organizer
Lumberton, TX
Russell Meaux
Beneficiary

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