Inspire, Winter 2005

Inspire 25 Dana and their oldest daughter, Chase, came back after a new house was found. Ray said Chase is having the toughest time adjusting to life post-Katrina. “Of the kids, she had the most ‘stuff.’ Also, she had just started attending a community college and was forced to withdraw. She is planning on being a photographer and had many photographs — all of which were destroyed or washed away in the hurricane,” he explained. The other children have weathered the storm better, Ray said. “Zachary is one of the premier soccer players on the coast. He was not as concerned with losing his stuff, but was miserable during the weeks when no soccer was played in the region. The hurricane hit during the middle of his season and his high school soccer conditioning program,” Ray explained. Initially Zachary had heard rumors that one of his teammates had perished during the storm, and he was extremely dismayed with that news. “But many of us down here have learned that rumors are rampant and you have to take all information with a grain of salt until facts are confirmed,” Ray said. “It turned out that none of his classmates or soccer teammates were killed.” Their youngest child has taken the hurricane in stride. Sydney seems unaffected by the loss of things. “She is happy as a lark and has not complained too much. She had to transfer to a new school since her old school was totally destroyed by the storm surge. She even made the A-B honor roll for the first time ever in this new school!” Ray gladly shared. Dana has had a tough time with coping with the hurricane’s aftermath, Ray said. “She is an avid reader and book collector,” he noted. “She had thousands of books. She tried to salvage a few, but with very little success.” Dana also loves playing the piano and was sickened when she saw the remnants of the baby grand piano her father had given her. Despite the loss, Ray added it would have been a lot worse had he not been in the Air Force. “I have a steady job,” he explained. “Many people here not only lost their homes and possessions, but their jobs as well.” In fact, the new house that the Johnsons recently moved into had belonged to someone who had to leave because of job loss. “There are a lot of people in need down here,” Ray added. Ray says that he is thankful to God for the friends and family who helped during this disaster. “Without the support of all of you, we would have struggled much more to make ends meet and ultimately get back to a normal family life,” he shared. To the Cedarville family Ray also extends his heartfelt appreciation. He stated, “I could not believe they sent a monetary gift to help us in this time of need. With that money we were able to purchase beds for our entire family as well as other necessities for the house. When I told my co-workers that my college had sent us money, they were amazed. It was a great opportunity to share about Christ’s love.” Ray is looking forward to meeting some of the CU students who helped raise disaster relief funds when a team is in Biloxi on an assistance mission. “I want to personally thank them for all they’ve done and what a blessing they have been to my family,” he said. The front of the Johnson home “Without the support of all of you, we would have struggled much more to make ends meet and ultimately get back to a normal family life.” The view from the Johnsons’ driveway