WWL, Texas – When the last struggling family left the WWW Civic Center seeking information about their children at the end of Tuesday, the dry heat that engulfed a small town gave way to an extraordinary storm.
Stephen Garcia, who recently learned of the death of his 9 -year -old daughter, Ellie, said the heavy raindrops were a sign from God.
“The rain shows me you did it … Home !!! I will always love you, baby !!! “Garcia wrote in Post to Facebook after midnight Which caused thousands of reactions.
For two days politicians, journalists and law enforcement officials gathered in Uvalde. They took out all the vacant hotel rooms, emptied the shelves of the local HEB supermarket, and studied the difficulty of shooting at the second deadliest school in U.S. history.
The massacre of 19 fourth-grade students and two of their conservative teachers emphasized the need to strengthen school safety and mental health. Liberals wondered if the country was big enough to allow young people to fire high -powered guns. For other commentators, this is another example of law enforcement failure.
Residents of this predominantly Latino and working -class city of more than 15,000 people do not disagree with any theory about what happened – or what should be done to prevent such bloodshed.
But in a close society where everyone has lost a loved one or met someone who has lost them, pain – even for many – is too good to imagine.
“Just what you can’t believe, you don’t understand what’s going on,” said Millie Garcia, who helps manage the school district’s warehouse. “Why are you asking me this small town?”
Garcia and Javier Perez, who supply food and supplies to school district canteens, watched Robbie Elementary School from behind the police perimeter on Tuesday.
They both studied as children. Garcia never left town, and Perez spent part of his adult life in Colorado before falling in love with the community that re-raised him.
Usually a week, Perez delivers food to Robb Elementary when the hunt happens. But by the end of the school year, Thursday, the building needs less food than usual.
“What will happen to the generation – the younger generation?” Perez asked. “Crazy.”
Instead of deciding on a clear answer, Perez and the other Uvalde residents felt comforted in each other and in their faith. Many Facebook mourners have turned their profile pictures into Texas graphics and words “Prayers for the Guardian” Balloon, or coyote, with a small picture of the city’s high school mascot. The other waltz adopted the slogan: “We owe a strong waltz”.
On Wednesday night, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) joined religious leaders and about 1,000 grieving residents to pray at a market outside the city.
The Rev. Tony Gruben, pastor of the Baptist Church, read from Psalm 46: “God is our refuge and our strength, our continued help in the face of adversity”.
Gruben told HuffPost that he chose this section because it talks about the humility and insecurity that the entire city feels.
“God is still there. He never left us. “He’s the one with whom we can find our strength and find shelter, because it’s very difficult for us,” Gruben said. “I’m very bad. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to say or do”.
Sam Garza, a young Methodist pastor who spoke to Gruben after the vigil, said that King David, a biblical figure who seems to be the author of the Bible Psalms, suffered the tragic deaths of two son.
“He wrote these words because he found them in his heart,” said Garza, who spent the entire day calling on bereaved families. “And I know that many hearts need to find the healing that God can offer.”
DJ Larson, a reborn FedEx pilot with three daughters, has already found peace in this message. Larson, a friend of Stephen Garcia and other parents who have lost their children, said he appreciates the ability to pray with the public at the fairs.
“There’s a lot of chaos here – a lot of murder and a lot more,” Garcia said. “All these people in Uvalde, gather.”
Larson said he wants to see stricter safety in public schools, but he doesn’t have a firm opinion on gun regulations.
“I’m not focused on the news right now,” Larson said. “I do it normally, but not yet, so I can’t really respond to the best of my ability.”
Referring to politicians, he added: “God gives them wisdom. “It’s up to them what they do.”
Source: Huffpost
