Finding Peace in Puerto Rico
Sue Ingersoll
(Sue and her husband Lewis, recently returned home after serving in Puerto Rico after hurricane Maria.)
Knowing that God set this trip to Puerto Rico in motion gave me peace. The timing was perfect. I had just finished a two-month commitment to do extra help with our young granddaughter. Three days of great training for emergency disaster relief with Salvation Army were finished the last weekend in October. I was able to use the two-day course in Emotional and Spiritual First Aid so often on the trip.
On a Saturday evening, we heard a man who had recently returned from two weeks in Puerto Rico speak. We told the volunteer coordinator that we wanted to go to Puerto Rico. On Sunday, I listened to my inner response as Charlie preached about going on your journey, and in my case, leaving comfort behind. I looked over at Lewis. He was texting his son about water purification.
Monday morning, his daughter called. She booked our tickets and offered us her condo and car in the country to use. A week earlier, we had booked Amtrak tickets for a fun day in Chicago that Tuesday. We took the train Tuesday and stayed overnight with a friend who drove us to O'Hare Wednesday morning. The flight was great and so peaceful; I slept stretched out over three seats.
The four weeks had some definite ups and downs as we tried to follow God in giving out this water treatment. Other people needed reassurance, too. One young man as he was getting ready to leave after two months told me he was doubting whether he had done the right things and could he have done more. He was part of a team that had just shown up on the island as we did. A few days before we left, I couldn't believe it. I was asking myself the same questions. I know God led us here. We said yes. I feel peaceful about that.
Sue Ingersoll is an avid Jazzerciser, mother of 2 +7, Grammie to 24, Hot Mess Sister, Breakfast Club volunteer, retired high school special ed teacher, married to Lewis, and has traveled often to Israel and Europe. She and Lewis do respite for children in foster care and recently trained with Salvation Army for Emergency Disaster Relief. Sue had a wonderful experience in the two-year training at Chiara Center.