It has been a very busy couple of weeks for me and, I am sure, for you! There is so much happening with the MCMC project that it has been difficult to stop and reflect for any extended period of time. Not only are we anticipating final approval from FEMA on our continuation proposal, we are continuing to take care of the day to day business related to the clients we are serving. I appreciate all of your continued participation in the coordination meetings, conference calls, and other collaborative sessions that are taking place. It truly is amazing to observe just how busy everyone is on behalf of others! I have been searching for inspiration, over the last few days, and I finally settled on something that I thought was worthwhile to share. It has to do with serving others.

My family experienced a great loss just over a week ago: my uncle, my mother’s oldest brother, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. It was a great blow to our family, as all of my mother’s siblings were very close and he was the first one of them to be lost. Amid all of the heartache and tears, there was an overwhelming sense that we had lost not only a brother, uncle, father and grandfather, but also a servant. My uncle was first and foremost a servant to our family. He had a servant’s heart bigger than just about anyone I ever knew, with the exception of my grandfather. While we were all gathered in the room to say our final goodbyes, someone told a story about him that summed it up for me, and that is the source of the inspiration for this weekly update. The family member described a time when my uncle was helping her family build their house. He had just been injured a day or two earlier at work, and was required to get stitches in his hand. Nevertheless, he was on the roof of the newly built house helping the other brothers and cousins put on shingles for the new roof. The family member stated that she pleaded with my uncle to come down and let the others finish the job, for he had an injured hand. My uncle calmly stated that he “needed to do his part.” And so he continued, until the job was done. I witnessed my uncle do many things, for many more people than ever did anything for him, and yet he continued serving. Not only did we as a family lose a great servant last week, so did the community in which he lived, even if they didn’t know it, or know him.

You are all servants who continue to do your part, and I thank you for that spirit. That spirit is what is needed now more than ever in this world, not just in this project. As we move to the next phase of our work, let us strive to work together for the good of others. It is the most important legacy that any of us personally, and all of us collectively, can leave behind for those who will evaluate our work when we are done.

Blessings,

Stephen