Greetings from Southern Louisiana

Go here to see more Hurricane pics: http://scripturist.org/2005_08_28_archive.html

Greetings from Southern Louisiana, October 27, 2005

What a ride we’ve taken in the last few months. From early relief efforts related to hurricane Katrina to our own experience with hurricane Rita we have experienced a crazy autumn. As of today Forest Park Church along with its many partners all around the United States have been able to provide basic housekeeping essentials to over 500 families left homeless by the storm season and thousands received basis supplies through our work in shelters.

For many, directly south of Crowley on the coast, the fall of 2005 will forever change their lives. Entire communities, some well inland, were flooded or completely washed away by the powerful winds and storm surge. Communities like Cameron, Pecan Island, and Grand Chenier are faced with the task of rebuilding nearly the entire town as all that remains are the foundations where homes and businesses once stood.

This week marks the eight week we have been providing direct assistance through our relief center set up here at the church. Thousands have received aid from towns and Churches all across the United States. Your generosity is something we will never forget and together we say THANK YOU. The members here at the Church have worked tirelessly to do what they can to support our relief effort as well, with many working daily consoling, determining needs, making deliveries, and keeping the relief machine rolling. We will begin to shut down direct assistance at the end of this week, but will continue to provide aid in various forms to those in need.

In addition to the relief work here we have had an opportunity to serve other Churches and Christians in the area as well. Three families in our church lost their homes in the last storm and we stand by them as they rebuild and move on. The Roberts Cove Church of Christ has a relief shelter set up at their building. We helped in their efforts by purchasing showers, and a new stove for their kitchen in addition to monetary assistance. The South City Church in Lake Charles was directly affected by the storm and we were glad to join with a church from Harlan IN to make temporary repairs to their building and members homes as well.

We now look toward the future, to be there when the storm is a memory and the first Holiday season is approaching. Once again I want to thank you all for your interest, support, and prayers during this time of extraordinary ministry and ask you to continue to these efforts in your prayers!


Thanks and God Bless,
Forest Park Church of Christ
www.forestparkchurch.org

AND....

October 26 Update on Mandeville and Slidell

Here's the latest:
We are still getting requests in Mandeville to cut trees and clear properties. We have about 20 jobs lined up to do. Jeanne says we can still use some heavy lifting equipment. We didn't have any last week, but some is coming next week More businesses are open, although hours are limited due to insufficient workforce. Walmart is still closing about 7:00 P.M. and most fast food places are drive through only. But it seems to be slowly improving.

Recent groups here include a group of college young people working with Keith Wood of IDES (www.ides.org): eighteen from Roanoke Bible College in North Carolina, eight from Manhattan Christian College, six people from Mechanicsville and Suffolk, Virginia, and three from Indiana. Oakcrest Christian in Shreveport sent six folks here week before last; they brought lots of supplies, gave our ladies a break in the kitchen, besides going out and cutting trees. Plus it was nice to have Ted Hardan lead worship in the evening with his guitar. Cookson Hills sent four adults from Oklahoma, and we had a repeat visit by the good folks at East Win Christian Church in Memphis, Tennessee. There were also four people from the Glendale Christian Church in Springfield, Missouri and seven from the Lake Mount Church of Christ in New Waterford, Ohio.

There have also been groups staying in the Christian Church building in Slidell: A group of 30 from fifteen Christian Churches in Pennsylvania, a group from First Christian in Rolla, Missouri and five from the Kingsway Christian Church in Omaha, Nebraska.Last week our Mandeville church property also was host to a group of ladies (and spouses) from Russell Christian Church in Kentucky, who set up a tent city on our lawn. They went to Metairie to help Journey Christian Church in the office and helped clean out a flooded home.

We (MCC) currently have a group from Illinois (Chambersburg, Springfield and Ashland). Also, just arrived last night, some RV'ers from Arcadia Christian Church in Indiana. We thank all these wonderful people for their help (and I apologize if I have forgotten to mention some).

Progress in Slidell:
The building looks beautiful. The new dry wall is in place and has been textured and painted. The stage area and baptistery have been rebuilt and installed. Some cabinets have been installed in restrooms. When tile and carpet are installed it will look like a new building! Our thanks to all who have helped get the building back into useable shape. It has been a lot of work done well and in relatively short time.

The church is open to the community. Anyone needing food or supplies is invited to come by the church and get food or other supplies that may be available.

Ministry Challenge in Slidell: a call for more volunteers

All the homes in the neighborhoods surrounding the Slidell church building have been flooded. Many people will not receive enough money to pay for restoring their homes. We think now is a great ministry opportunity to help these folks. Some with money are now replacing dry wall. Most are still waiting on insurance settlements. We have discussed the possibility of IDES purchasing insulation and sheetrock for a lot of homes in Slidell.

We could use teams of four to do the sheetrock installation and follow them with a couple persons to mud and tape and sand. Only the lower four feet of wall need to be reinstalled and we will use 4'x8' sheets that are easier to handle. We would replace electric receptacles and insulate before installing the sheetrock, and there would be a need for someone to prime after the dry wall has been taped and sanded. We would not want to texture or paint the finish coat.

It would require someone to keep on top of the scheduling of people and ordering of materials. But we could do as many houses as we have volunteers over the next several months. This would help those who are short on reconstruction money and make quite an impact on the Christian Church outreach to their neighborhood.If you are interested in helping with this project please respond to this email.

I will forward your interest to Bill Read and Joe Major and we will discuss how to proceed. We will check on local availability of adequate supplies and it will be critical to coordinate acquisition of these supplies with the work schedules of volunteers. If you wish to contact Bill Read directly, you may email him at ucim@yahoo.com or call him on his cell phone: 985 869-3259. If anyone would like to help coordinate this project I am sure Bill would appreciate the help, since he is bi-vocational and also works full time for the Post Office.

Tree Cutters Needed in Orange Texas!
I spoke with Bobby Granger this week. Bobby is minister of the West Orange Christian Church in Orange, Texas. Orange is located on Interstate 10 near the Louisiana border. He is still without power and land phone lines due to Hurricane Rita and they need some help cutting and moving trees in his area. If you can help please call Bobby on his cell phone: 409 988-9583.

When power and phone service is restored you can contact Bobby by email at bandpgranger@wmconnect.com.

Thanks again to everyone for their overwhelming support. I am planning to get a lot of thank you notes out soon!

Mandeville Christian Church
http://mcchurricanerelief.org/

You Can Help: www.ides.org