From: Barb Kavouras Sent: Thursday, April 25, 2002 9:36 AM To: Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness Subject: CLIMB: Chaplain's Field Report Wednesday 4-24-02 Chaplain's Field Report Staten Island, NY Fresh Kills Landfill Wednesday April 24, 2002 Dear Friends, Today was a good day. Nothing extraordinary to report but a few highlights are in order. The weather was beautiful for New York this time of year, it was a brilliant day in the mid 50's. I opened the NYPD roll calls with Psalm 3 and a prayer from the Lutheran Book of Prayer to which I've alluded in the past. This little booklet published in 1951 has prayers for many occasions. While there are a few clunkers, mostly in terms of being legalistic, most of them are top notch. Since the human spiritual condition never changes our prayers need not fluctuate either, especially to suit modern sensibilities. Though I've grown to love the King James English, I do update it *very slightly* for nearly everyone except older people who I feel certain would be familiar with it. Note what a fine Gospel proclamation this prayer gives, and how apropos to people who sift through remains for a living. "Again, O Heavenly Father, You have granted me strength to rise to the tasks of the day. I thank you for your mercy and love. Without Your power upholding me I would be unable to live. Give me a spirit of gratitude for all Your gifts. Above all, dear Father, keep me grateful for the gift of the forgiveness of all my sins through the merits of Jesus Christ, Your Son and my Savior. Grant that whatever need, whatever sorrow might beset my day, my faith in this forgiveness may remain steadfast and firm. Let no grief or pain, no doubt or gloom, come between me and the certainty of Your love. If it be Your purpose to try me this day with difficulties for the body or the heart, grant that by your Spirit I might conquer in this trial and hold fast to your mercy, knowing that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory You have in store for me. Make your Word my joy, Your counsel my guide, Your presence my peace. In Jesus' name, Amen. After the prayer, Lt. Bruce Vovino reminded the troops of many of the safety rules as there have been a few injuries, mostly fractures and the like. They were also routinely reminded of things such as looking into any shoes that are found lest there be feet or parts of feet inside - it's not your normal day at the office, working here isn't. I did suit up and go into the fields today to greet the agents and detectives there. To go into the 'hot zones' it's necessary to put on a full Tyvek suit (you can see a picture of that at the website listed below), respirator, latex gloves beneath work gloves, eye cover and hardhat. Additionally boots are available for those who don't want to decontaminate their workboots each day. The volume has greatly decreased since last Fall but there were still more than a few sad things to be found among the brick and the mortar. Things such as office supplies, drivers licenses, keys, badly torn articles of clothing, silverware - many things. When coming back inside, the Tyvek suit goes into a special plastic bag and discarded. Large heavy-weight garbage bags are handed out each day so that people can take home their personal clothes without contaminating their cars. As you leave the dump there's a wash station and each car is rinsed off by two or three men with power washers. Though there were no remarkable stories in my specific conversations with folks I did hand out a good bit of sound literature which will feed the soul, and each person I met or even waved to, seemed genuinely pleased to have a pastor present. I learned today that this operation is winding down. There are a number of estimates anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. Once the final sifter completes it's last load there will be a few final steps. Fresh Kills is an abandoned land fill that has been covered over and piped for the purpose of recovering methane gas. Before the debris of the Towers was brought here several layers of foundation were poured, I'm not sure the reason. When all is complete the contractors will dig up that layer and some distance lower besides and sift it in order to find anything that might have been pressed down. In addition they will go to each and every barge used to transport the debris and dig out the sharp inner corners by hand since the machinery unloading them can't get into those places. There are levels upon levels of thought and care (and politics) that have gone into this work and I do worry about those who have made it their life. I don't know if they'll ever get over it either physically or emotionally. There is concern about respiratory disease for people who've been here from the beginning and in my mind a serious apprehension for "post traumatic stress disorder" when they leave the work and the people who've become closer than family to them. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend" (John 15:13). Here is a worthy subject for prayer. Please don't forget these people. I hope and pray that our Service tomorrow will go a long way in comforting, healing and strengthening the souls of these extraordinary public servants. The Service is entitled "In the Valley of Dry Bones" and depends heavily on Ezekiel 37:1-14. From what I hear, the whole operation will cease and all directed to the mess hall for church. I'll report more on that tomorrow as well as provide you with a copy of the Service and sermon. I will encourage the people to keep the Service and hymn sheet and take a manuscript of the sermon for future meditation. The hymns alone are priceless, especially "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" which is one of the purest (and most beautiful) presentations of the Gospel I've ever seen. Roll call will open with Luther's morning prayers and Jesus's calming of the storm from Matthew, with a few brief words reminding them that as the Ruler of wind and wave saved His disciples, He will also calm the storms of their lives caused by sin, death and the devil. Till tomorrow then, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Rev. Dean Kavouras, Chaplain FBI Cleveland Division Cleveland Safety Forces http://safetychaplain.tripod.com/ "Jesus lives the victory's won, death no longer can appall me. Jesus lives death's reign is done, from the grave Christ will recall me. Brighter scenes will then commence, this shall be my confidence." TLH 201. + + + Confessional Lutherans in Missionary Boldness + + + The CLIMB e-letter brings you unedited, uncut reports directly from the mission field, whether in South America, Africa, Europe, inner-city, rural, or collegiate America, or military installations and battle sites around the world. 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