"Stick a fork in it"

Yes, that was the profound advice we recently received from our Pastoral Care professor. We've been working on the project paper for a contract course based on our Mississippi trip with LDR. And working, and working, with no apparent stopping place. You see, everywhere we turn, there is new information being published or posted on-line about disaster response, hurricane recovery, and the questions of "WIGIAT - where is God in all this?" Our professor knows we want to keep looking at the new material, but he also - wisely - knew that we needed to get the project to a stopping point!

For two good examples of this information on-line, check out this link to a photo essay by the NY Times - which just happens to feature Bayou la Batre, where we will be working for the next year AND Ocean Springs, which is where we spent January! I hope there will be more of these photo essays available as they travel further across Route 90 toward New Orleans.
http://ROAD_FEATURE

Or check out this blog from Drew Genszler, Director for Domestic Policy from the LOGA (Lutheran Office of Governmental Affairs) in Washington, DC. He is currently touring the Gulf coast, beginning in New Orleans, and providing a great faith-based look at the situation. http://www.elca.org/advocacy/how/blog.html

Yet another example is the upcoming Bible study, written by Faith and Terence Freithem in the Lutheran Woman Today magazine entitled "Hope in God in Times of Suffering." The introductory article appears in the July/August 2006 issue - the study will appear in the next 10 issues.

At any rate, the difficulty for us has been where, when, and how to stop writing this paper. Following his sage advice, we have finished, printed it out, stuck a plastic fork inside the binder cover, and delivered it to the professor for his review.

In the meantime, new info keeps coming to our attention... Clearly, the paper may be done, but the work on the Gulf continues, just as our internship looms ahead!

BTW, if you want any suggestions on materials to read on this subject, let us know - we have a whole list of great resources!!