Thankful for What I Take for Granted

As I sit here in the quiet of the morning, drinking my green tea, I am reminded once again of what my friends in Puerto Rico and Cuba are enduring. One day, their life is filled with the same convinences that I have. Running water, electricity, a home and property in good repair and the next day it is blown away with the wind.

Can you imagine being able to wash your laundry in an electric machine whenever you please one day and then next be reduced to washing by hand with as little water as possible?

Can you imagine being able to have A/C run whenever you need it one day and then next sweltering without it except for a few short hours while you are able to run the generator?

Can you imagine being able to cook food on the stove in however many pans you want, whenever you want, serving up hot food on regular dishes and the next day you have to eat cold beans from the can or serve food on paper plates because it takes too much water to wash the dishes, and too much fuel to run the generator to run the stove?

Can you imagine wandering around the neighborhood looking for pieces of your storage shed, so that you might be able to reconstruct it?

Can you imagine standing in lines for up to eight hours a day just to hopefully have the opportunity to buy a little gas or food and finally getting to the front and being told they ran out?

Can you imagine being days on end without fresh water and watching your supply of drinking water dwindle as the days go forward?

Can imagine realizing that the banks are closed, the ATM machines have run of money, all the stores that are open (and that is precious few) are operating on a cash basis only and your cash is running out?

These are the circumstances my friends are in in Puerto Rico now.  They have it good compared to many whose homes were completely destroyed or so badly damaged they can't live in them.

We take so much for granted until it is taken from us.  I know people both in Cuba and Puerto Rico.  Their circumstances are dire in both places.  Please pray for them and donate money to a worthy charity to help them.  Samaritans Purse, and Mercy Chefs are both worthy charities that are helping people affected by these storms.  You can find them easily with a simple internet search.

Alternatively, if you would like to donate directly to my friends, here are addresses where you can send your donations.

Trinity Reformed Baptist Church

2280 78th Ave. S.E.

Mercer Island, WA 98040-2125 

Mark your donation for Cuba Relief.  This will go to Daniel Perez & his son who have Christian ministries in Cuba.

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If you want to help my friend, Steve Prelgovisk in Puerto Rico, 

You can donate via PayPal and use this email to get the donation to his PayPal account. 

Prelgovisk@yahoo.com

Any donations sent to the PayPal account will be used later for repairs to their church, college and home.  He can not access that money right now since it requires transfer to the bank and the banks are closed. They will need this money, however, for the needs mentioned.  If you want to send them cash for immediate needs, email me and I will send you their address.  mliddings@gmail.com