LeCompte Christmas Letter

It has been a busy year for sure.  There has been fun, excitement and triumphs, blended with trials and tribulation.  It is difficult to know where to start, so I will start with the most memorable event of the year... Hurricane Ike.

There had already been one hurricane that had threatened to head toward Houston, but as with all of the other major headlines of, "it's going to be a disaster for {insert major city name here}", nothing transpired and all was well in Houston.  That was until the second week of September when Hurricane Ike formed in the Gulf of Mexico.  I had travel plans that week, and continued with my schedule of flying to Dallas for Act of Life.  The hurricane predictions had Ike going anywhere from Mexico to Louisiana, and it only seemed like a remote threat of coming to Houston. 

On the evening of Wednesday 10th, September, I sat in my Dallas hotel room and took a call from Bud who asked if I had seen the news, which I had not.  Bud informed me that Ike was making a beeline for Houston.  Gulp!  We talked about possibilties; should the guys come to Dallas?  Should I get on the next flight home?  Would my flight be cancelled?  I discovered that my flight for the next night was the penultimate flight back to Houston before all others were cancelled.  So I continued with my work and prayed for the best.

The flight home had few passengers.  Who on earth wanted to fly into Houston at that time?  Me! I wanted to get home to my guys.  Flying over the highways in the dark, as we approached Houston, I could see lines of lights as far as the eye could see, from cars that were sat bumper to bumper trying to evacuate the city.  Surreal to say the least.  Did I mention that the date was September 11th?  The seventh anniversary of the WTC terrorist attacks.   I had flown past the WTC towers just two weeks prior to the attack in 2001.  Not only did I have a small fear of flying, an apprehension about flying on the 9/11 anniversary, but I was also flying into a city in the path of a major hurricane.  Talk about testing your faith in God!  I have to say that I was (almost) completely at peace about it all.

So, on the night of September 12th, Bud, Kurtis and I hunkered down in the living room, prayed and tried to get to sleep before it got really nasty.  The winds picked up and were soon howling around the house, bringing intermittant crashes and bangs.  The power managed to stay on until about 2a.m.  Kurtis and Bud slept some, but I stayed awake throughout most of the night and tried to get some cam corder action.

Daylight brought the abililty to see the aftermath, quieter winds, but still pounding rain.   What we saw was just a mass of tree limbs lining the perimeter of our house, and a flooded yard.  What a mess.

We were without power for two weeks and had long trips to try and find supplies, like a chainsaw.  We were okay for food, bottled water and gas - we're always fairly well prepared - but were not prepared for the complete breakdown of operational functions that you normally have in your day to day lives, like running water and air conditioning.  We managed to make hot meals on our gas stove, but options were dwindling.  The Red Cross started to make daily rounds in the second week without power, to bring hot meals and water to anyone who needed it.  They were a very welcome sight.  As power started to come back on, family and friends shared their ameneties with others.  We showered at Bud's dad's house.   We ran a water hose from one neighbor who had water and an electrical extension from another neighbor who had their power restored, so at least we could run the fridge and keep ice.  I did not mention that it was unbearably hot and humid through much of the aftermath.    Kurtis' school was also closed for two weeks.  The kids saw the whole ordeal as a bit of an adventure and probably coped with it all a lot better than the rest of us.

Now here we are three months later with hurricane damage still evident around the city, our seaside town of Galveston almost obliterated, and thousands of people battling with insurance claims.  But you know what?  The whole experience really brought home to us how blessed we are with what we have been given; we cherish our friends and neighbors more now than ever before, and there are things that we do not take for granted any more.  Our church, Sagemont Church, was also instrumental in a huge way for many, many people, including us as this video demonstrates.

If you can't be bothered to watch the YouTube vid, here are some pics.

Well, that was a lot about a small section of our year.  It has to be said that this episode was probably the most stressful time of my entire life, and we got off lightly!

Let's see, what else...

Bud has had a pleasing year with LeCompte Electric Bass.   Business growth has been consistent with more and more people taking an interest in his unique designs, excellent workmanship and the bottom line... a great sound!  This year was LEB's first year at Summer NAMM - a mega national music exhibition where several big names in the industry got their hands on a LeCompte Bass, and Bud was interviewed by Bass Player Magazine - THE bass magazine!  We had an absolute blast hanging out with bass buddies and soaking up the atmosphere in Nashville, Tennessee.  Video and pics of the trip here.

For this trip, Bud and I drove to Mobile, Alabama first, where we dropped off Kurtis with Nana (Bud's mom), and then we drove to Nashville, Tennesee.  The whole trip was almost 2,000 miles, which was fun in the Magnum.  

Here's a taste of the road trip.

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Kurtis had a great school year with good grades, and spelled his way into the spelling bee earlier this year and again for Jan 2009.   He and his friend, Nicolas, entered the talent competition with a Karate routine they had worked on as seen in this video...

Kurtis is now a third degree purple belt, which is the penultimate belt that can be reached at the children's level.  He has to go two seasons at this level before he can test for his red belt, which also includes a red uniform.  We are so pleased that he has percevered with it for this long.  However, now he is asking for a dirt bike...  It seems that the love of two wheels from Bud and myself have made an impression.  We attended a bike show in Houston recently where Kurtis sat on every bike he could get his leg over.  And then last night, he asked if Santa would bring him a dirt bike this year.  Probably not this year Sonny Jim!

From Kurtis

As for me, I have been working hard with Act of Life.  I established a new office space so that I did not have to work from home, and am pleased to be part of the huge growth in the outreach of the ministry.  Times are hard for everyone right now, which does impact Act of Life, and as a non-profit that relies on donations, it is a struggle to keep things afloat.  Having said that, the experience and strength that today's challenges provide will come into their own as time moves on. 

Just yesterday (December 12th), I had a 'women's medical procedure' performed.  Nothing major, but enough that I have to rest for a couple of days.   I had been anemic, which severly impacted my ability to carry out daily tasks as I was (am) constantly fatigued.  The procedure should prevent future anemia and I should slowly start to see an increase in energy.  A complication of the anemia is heart pains that I was given nitrates for, but have not had to use them.  I tried one, but felt so strange that I decided I would avoid using them unless absolutely necessary.   Bud has been an absolute star in taking over the household duties while I rest, including taking Kurtis to the school carnival this morning.  Bud may roll his eyes, but I think he actually enjoyed it as much as Kurtis!

Bud and I have enjoyed taking a few motorcycle rides during the year.  There are some pretty routes outside of Houston, and have ventured into Galveston a few times - before and after the storm.  I still only have about 1,200 miles on the clock though!

Onwards and upwards for 2009.  We are planning more of the same for next year, and are not fearful about the future with the economic uncertainty that surrounds us all at this time.  God has always provided as and when we have been in need.  Often, it has been just what we need, and usually, just when we need it.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, with peace and blessings for 2009.

Bud, Lynda and Kurtis