Faith Based Relief - Times Picayune

I don't know what you all thought you were signing up for when we first got into this, but I imagine, like me, you never considered the long term implications. This article is a front page item in the Times Picayune today. I hope you can all take the time to read it, though it is rather long. Some important quotes:

"We feel changed. We'll go back different than we were going in. We've gained much more than we've given," Hoffman said.

For the present, however, "It's impossible to describe waves of compassion that swept through the Gulf region after Katrina," said Jim Towey, [President's Office of Faith Based Initiatives] director. He called the work "historic and heroic."

The Salvation Army has purchased a warehouse in LaPlace to store food for its massive distribution program. "That's a three-year commitment," spokeswoman Capt. Deb Osborn said.

"This is a major, major catastrophic disaster, and it's going to take five years, minimum, maybe a decade, to get people back into shape," said Gordon Knuckey, an official with the United Methodist Committee on Relief. "I know we're settling in for at least five years."

Thirteen Southern Baptist mobile kitchens working in southeast Louisiana are about to reach a landmark of 10 million meals, four times the previous records, set in the Sept. 11 recovery and after last year's cluster of Florida hurricanes, said Robert Reccord of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

Kathy Powers, a staff member at Aurora [Methodist Church] who receives the volunteers, had similar sentiments. "Most people speak of feeling a real compelling call," Powers said. "It's a feeling that this is what God wants me to do, and many say it's so strong they simply cannot say no."

In order to keep answering, our mission requires one thing... More volunteers. Those of us who have gone and many who for very good reasons could not go have felt and continue to hear this call. Absolutely every person who has volunteered that I have talked to since our return has been anxious to go back and heartsick to not be there now.

Life on this planet is practical, however. We can't all up and leave. We have families to support, jobs and employees who count on us, and ministry work locally.

The solution to both problems is to share this experience that we have had. Go when we can, but continually pray for and offer the opportunity to others. This call from God that we are all hearing is to be recruiters and not just doers. If you need any asisstance presenting what we have been doing, seeing, and feeling, where you don't feel you can do so yourselves please contact Brad, Troy, Robin, or I.

Shout it from the mountain tops. God is good! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!

Amen.

Brett White's Video

Brett White, aka "hippie", aka "ministry hobo" build a movie of pics, many of them taken by people from Columbus. If you have broadband, you can find it here. Download will take several minutes. If you're on dialup, don't even try it ;-)

Got Stuff?

So many of you so kindly donated items to be used by our teams while in LA. We thank you for all you have done and for allowing us the use of these items. I know a lot of time and effort has gone into making these items available and in getting them to us. We pray that God will bless your family and expand your boundaries as a direct result of your faith.

The following items remain at the Spring Road Building and are available for pickup most days and during special arrangements:

2 Large Green Tarps
1 portable fold up camp table
12 fold up chairs different colors and sizes
6 folding lawn chairs different colors
8 small propane tanks (filled)
1 blue tent with metal poles
1 sleeping bag – blue outside and red white and blue plaid inside
2 sleeping bags with blue and yellow outsides
1 sleeping bag blue and green outside
1 sleeping bag black
1 green and black air mattress
3 blue air mattresses
1 taupe air mattress
1 small oscillating fan
2 extension cords
2 green and white tents with mosquito mesh sides
Several tools including hammers, crow-bars, and small sledge
1 green and gray cooler on wheels
1 Coleman 1\2 gal cooler

Please make arrangements to come by and pick your items up. Again we appreciate you help.

I also need to inform you that we will be canceling our volunteer trip for Nov 5. We simply had no one sign up for it. We have 3 so far for the first week in December, 6 over Christmas break and several committed for the Jan 14 trip. Please be in prayer about your availability to go and help and spread the word to friends and associates about our work. There is still much to do in LA and MS and they need us. It is our prayer that the DVD’s will help get the word out to some new people to help in our work and in what we are trying to do in our service to our Lord.

He is still at work and He still has a plan …………… we just need to figure out if we are part of it!!!!

Because He first loved us,

Brad

Uncommonly Personal Reporting

Was somehow pleased to hear a professional, hard nosed reporter with the impression we have come away with:

Article

Seeing it in person, I can't seem to wrap my head around it. Even as I read over my notes, I can't believe it.

Maybe it'll get easier.

Somehow I doubt it.

Daniel Sieberg

Florida - Thursday UPDATED @ 11:00PM

UPDATE: I talked this evening with someone from Hialeah Church of Christ on the north side of Miami Florida who had been to Tammany Oaks two weeks ago. While he says it's nothing like Louisiana and Mississippi have been, they are none-the-less short on ICE, Propane for grills, and water. Their biggest resource shortage is gas, but not much we can do about that. Destruction is spotty and some are quite needy while others are just fine. We still need to help the needy ones.

We're going to try to mobilize some supplies to them, but that may be one of two forms. We can collect a lot of stuff here and ship it like we have been, but we are checking to see if it is not faster, more economical, and efficient to purchase bulk supplies from a national supply company and have them dropped at the church.

Other ideas are welcome. You can email me, call at 614-523-3996, or call Brad at the numbers to the right.

Check back for futher updates Friday and look for an email when the plan is solidified.

For up to date news from the area:

The Miami Herald has a blog up that seems to be very current and informative at http://blogs.herald.com/herald_hurricane_reports/. The main site is http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/.

Napels news is here: http://stormedition.naplesnews.com/.

The keys are covered by: http://www.keysnews.com/hurricaneedition/

First Pics from Lake Charles, Louisiana area

Take a look at this slide show that came from our client in Lake Charles Louisiana.

Brad

Promo Video available

Dear Relief Supporters:

Just wanted to let you know that we have created some DVD'’s designed to assist a group in taking a special collection for the ongoing efforts in LA (remember we need an additional $50K), and one to assist in recruiting volunteers to go to LA on one of our work weeks. Both videos are on one DVD and there are both a cappella and instrumental background song version available.

The purpose is to use in the collection of money or the recruitment of new workers. Our efforts are losing momentum but as those of you who have been there know the work is still great. Please, if you can get these in front of some new audiences send me your request complete with your name and address for sending.

Thank you

Brad Hayes