Information Related to "A Little Help in a Big Storm"
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A Little Help in a Big Storm By Hector M. Earle An outpouring of concern brings a community together in distant Newfoundland after the tragic events in New York.
was reading the classic book by Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to my sixth graders when suddenly we were interrupted by the sound of jet engines overhead. Rushing to the windows we saw three low-flying jumbo jets in the skies above our school. Seeing planes overhead is not a new sight for the residents in our area of Newfoundland since we are located not too far from Gander's international airport. But on this day these aircraft were unusually low and they appeared to be in a holding pattern waiting to land. By this time my students were all excited and as any sixth grade teacher knows, once you have "lost" your students, it's hard to get their attention back again. Therefore I decided the best thing to do was to stop the reading and check with some of my colleagues to see if anyone knew what was going on. In the hallway I was informed by another teacher that the World Trade Center in New York City was hit by two passenger airliners and another had crashed into the Pentagon. Suddenly, the routines of our little K-12 school of about 300 students and 23 teachers was a buzz with the reports that these disasters may have been the result of a terrorist attack on our neighbor to the south. The news came hard and fast as we learned from radio and television reports that another plane was down in western Pennsylvania and there could be more disasters to come. Needless to say, a sinking sick feeling of shock and horror swept through our school. Teachers were trying to cope with the news as best they could while others were trying to keep order in their classrooms.
On the intercom the principal summoned me to come to my office (I am the assistant principal) and quickly arranged for another teacher to fill in for me. In the outer office I saw senior high school students coming and going with dozens of questions and wondering what was going to happen next. Nobody was in any mood for classes. The principal and I decided that the best thing to do was to have all of our high school students assemble in the gym and watch the news of the disasters unfold on one of the leading American news channels. The images of those two planes crashing into the twin towers will be forever seared into our minds. Some wept, while others held hands in support of one another. I whispered a word of prayer as my mind focused on the last day "perilous times" the apostle Paul spoke of in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The next day all residents in the surrounding area rallied in support of these stranded passengers. Suddenly five schools were shut down and makeshift shelters were set up. Free hotel rooms were made available and people opened up their homes to welcome anyone who needed a hot meal, a good bath and a place to stay. Our school was designated as a supply center and towels, soap, blankets, pillows and a host of life's other necessities poured in and was quickly delivered to the sites in Gander. Hundreds of volunteers converged on the schools to bring in all the necessary supplies and food to make the passengers feel as comfortable as possible. Also, free telephone and Internet services were provided to the passengers to get in contact with loved ones, while counseling and clergy support was set up to assist anyone traumatized by the tragedy.
There is an old saying, "Those who help others, help themselves." Certainly this held true for us in the events that surrounded the September 11 tragedy. In our attempt to help these stranded passengers feel a little more at home in the midst of trouble in their homeland, we brought ourselves together in the spirit of oneness and community. I can't help but think that when the perilous last-day events prophesied in the Scriptures are over, and Christ returns to set up His Kingdom, we will all be together as one in the wonderful world to come. Until then, let us continue to love our neighbors as ourselves with outgoing concern toward others. Copyright 2001 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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