I want to share a story about “Tom”, 71, who lived in Czech Village all his life.  He survived the floods of 1993, but this time the water completely covered the first floor of his small, two-story house in an ethnic neighborhood near downtown Cedar Rapids.  When I met him, we were feeding his neighborhood a mid-day meal every day from the Salvation Army mobile feeding unit.  There were piles of rubbish outside -- a combination of personal items, furniture and major appliances.  His whole neighborhood was in the same condition… like walking into a war zone.  There was a group of young people helping with the “mucking out” of the house which would leave the house uninhabitable; walls were stripped to the studs, and the incredible smell of mold permeated the house.

I found out that he was alone in life; a widower and no children.  Retired for the last 6 years, his home had been paid off and he had a small pension to live on.  The house was uninsured, as were over 80% of his neighbors.  (Most were not considered in a “flood plain”, and did not have flood insurance.)  At 71, he was facing the daunting task of taking out a new loan and rebuilding – a heartbreaking prospect for someone on their own.  

I asked him how this was affecting him.  He was perplexed that this had happened to him, since most often he had seen these things on TV, but never thought it would happen to him.  He was dealing with the fact that he knew that is life would be changed forever.  He was mad at God, the City Fathers and others who might have mitigated his plight. 

My job was to let him talk and “get his feelings out” …to try and normalize his feelings, and come up with some practical help to give him hope for the next step.  This act of coming alongside is called this the “ministry of presence” and it is something that we teach in Hope Force Training Intensives.  This really helped Tom, and he left our conversations with a renewed sense of hope.  

The skills I have acquired from Hope Force, the Salvation Army and other training venues are very practical.  I use them nearly every day with those who are in a personal crisis of their own -- whether it is a loss of a job, involvement in a car accident, a medical crisis, or even a crisis of faith

If you are interested in becoming a chaplain…

 There are some exciting training options that are being developed for emotional and spiritual caregivers in Hope Force International.  For further information, please contact dubyc@hopeforce.org.