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.




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