What's Up Down South

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

This was a letter sent to me from down on the gulf coast:

Teams visiting: Last week's listing of North Carolina volunteers should have included folks from Pinetown Church of Christ, Everett's Cross Roads Church of Christ, Rosemary Church of Christ and First Christian in Washington. Some of these men are staying over this week; we thank Kent Gurganus for preaching for us on Sunday in Mandeville.We also thank the group from the Southland Christian Church in Springfield, MO, who were here last week. We thank them for a new refrigerator and for a new pressure washer!

We also thank the team from Beardstown, Illinois, who have adopted us as prayer partners and worked in Slidell and led services for the Slidell Church on Sunday morning and led a wonderful session at the Mandeville Church on Sunday evening. Recent arrivals include thirty from Oaklandon Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN and four from the church in Bremerton, WA.

These are staying at the Christian Church of Slidell and helping in a big way there. Also helping in Slidell and ministering to the community is a group (nine I think) from the Northside Christian Church in Yorktown, VA.

A crew will arrive tomorrow from the Monterey Church of Christ in Monterey, LA.Helping in Mandeville are these new arrivals: six from Oakcrest Christian in Shreveport (two will be cooking this week) and four adults from Cookson Hills Christian School. We also thank some hard working college students from Columbus State University in Columbus Georgia (Cougars for Christ): they have done some wonderful work hauling trees to curb in Mandeville, mucking out flooded houses in Slidell and helping us clean out and organize the supplies in our garage at MCC.

We really get attached to all these wonderful people and hate to see them go. But when they leave there are more wonderful people to replace them. It almost seems to me to be something like the Cane Ridge Revival. People just keep on coming and keep on sending us supplies and money. We are in awe of the wonderfulness of God and God's people!

We had folks in church Sunday as a result of the testimony and good works by our volunteers. It was rather incredible that two of the visiting ladies knew each other: they were college roommates many years ago and hadn't seen each other since! (And both knew one of our members - like reunion time!)

I went to Slidell for the first time in quite a while. Last time I saw the church building it was peering through the window and seeing the muddy mess inside. This time it was a bustling beehive of activity as the Oaklandon crew and Bremington crew was rebuilding the stage, hanging doors, painting and pressure washing.The crew from Yorktown was making distributions of supplies to the neighborhood around the building.

Today a crew from the Monterey Church of Christ (LA) will arrive to texture the new sheet rock so it can be painted. We just spoke with Paul Avery yesterday about it and he said he would be here today. WoW! Thank you Paul and also to Billy Wallace for volunteering him!The Slidell Church has been meeting onsite. The first Sunday they met outside the building. The next week they met inside, but with no AC. Then they met with AC and now it looks and feels (and smells) terrific inside. The stage is being rebuilt, new doors are being hung, two new showers have been installed, utility sinks constructed, and the outside is being pressure washed. There were 61 in attendance Sunday: thirty-six local and some local visitors.There is still lots of work to be done!

The tree cutting in Mandeville could go on for a while, but I think we are beginning to see an end. You could cut in the forest forever, but we are mainly trying to get trees cleared from the immediate vicinity of houses and small yards (not acreages). We had one couple come by the church today with our calling card in hand and asking for help; they had been out of town and just returned to Mandeville.

The biggest and overwhelming current need is for Slidell. The neighborhoods around the church building are disaster scenes: peoples' ruined belongings all piled high at the curb in front of every home. The Northside Church in Virginia came prepared to go door to door and distribute boxes of food and supplies to some residents there. I am sure there are still many houses there that need to mucked out (stuff thrown out and sheet rock cut out - the mold grows up the wall and the stuff has to be removed and mold killed with bleach). There is an opportunity to help a lot of people who need help over there.

Please continue to pray for us. Joe Major, our minister, works full time for Lockheed Martin and he has to go back to work today. He has done a heroic job on our hurricane recovery outreach and quite frankly I am not sure how we can get along without him. I know Jeanne is quite capable and has also done a good job of scheduling crews and materials, but we will miss Joe's scouting and planning and interfacing with all of our volunteers.

Bill Read, minister at Slidell also has a full time job with the Post Office. He too is doing yeoman work at the church over there. I had a good visit with him yesterday and he is excited about all the good that is being accomplished and the possibilities for greater outreach. It occurs to me that we could really use a loan of paid staff to help us ride the crest of this wave God has given us. There are so many opportunities for evangelism: the fields are ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. I know I have read that in Scripture and nowhere have I seen a situation where that is more applicable that our little churches in Mandeville and Slidell. I am sure it is also true in New Orleans, where people are just now getting back in there and face a monumental task. We have quite a mission field right here in the USA.

There are terrific job opportunities here. A fast food chain is advertising sign on bonuses (up to $6000). I've seen restaurants advertising $15 per hour. If you are skilled tradesman I think you could make a good living here over the next couple of years. If some of you want to move here even for a short duration you could make a very positive impact for our churches in the Gulf Coast region.

Before I forget again: Thank you to the Whitewater Christian Church in Cincinnati (formerly Westwood-Cheviot Church of Christ) for donation of a copy machine for Mandeville. Also thanks to the Westview Christian Church in Shreveport for a POD storage unit for the church in Mandeville and Slidell. And thank you IDES for the use of the "Gator". And thank you East Win Christian Church in Memphis, TN for the trailer.

I am still trying to confirm need resulting from Hurricane Rita. We have confirmed that the South City Christian Church in Lake Charles lost its roof. World Mission Builders will be there in November to help and I think some from Indiana may be there now. I don't know the status of Community Christian Church building in Lake Charles, but have heard its roof may also be damaged. I have spoken with Bobby Granger, minister in Orange, TX who advises there are many trees down there. Jack Harris in Jennings, LA said there were many trees down there and they have been busy helping their members clean up after the storm. Forgive me for being sketchy: communication is difficult in the days immediately following hurricanes.

Thanks again to all of you for your support and prayers.

http://www.mcchurricanerelief.org/mandeville.htm