Survey Pictures from Iowa

I was able to make arrangements this week at the NACC conference with Antioch Christian Church in Cedar Rapids to host our July 27 team. We currently have a dozen people committed to go and another 6-10 maybes. We will be augmenting the work the congregation has already been doing in their community to help their neighbors recover from the historic flooding all along the region's rivers. To join this team, please email me or call Melinda McGuire at 614-523-3996, our home phone.

Hilltop Rescue will be setting up camp a couple hours downstream in Burlington, Iowa. Mark Robbins who we know from working in Bayou LaBatre is in that area now. While Burlington had little flooding, many smaller towns near by, both in Iowa and across the river in Illinois have been flooded. Some are still inaccessible. They have found this to be a good central point with a partner church active already in the relief effort.

This is a slow motion, moving disaster. As the wave has flowed downstream, more areas have flooded and continue to flood. Volunteers will be needed over the coming months to work along behind the damage to clean out houses and affect repairs as far as the damage eventually goes.

National media has already dropped this story for the most part. Mark sent out pictures this morning, however, from the area where he has been surveying this week and I'm including them in this blog entry for your information.

More to come as this effort continues.

Servants Unite!

John McGuire

Move that date back a week

Change in plan (the only certainty in disaster relief). We're moving that date back a week for the first team to go into Iowa. New schedule is to leave Sunday, July 27 after church and return Saturday August 2.

I hope that helps you to go on the trip too! Email or call my cell (614-404-8610) if you can.

Look for us at the NACC

The North American Christian Convention is in Cincinnati this year, Tuesday through Thursday this week. If you are there, come see us at booth 1027 between the entrances from the exhibit hall to the main hall!

IOWA IS ON!

The recovery effort in Cedar Rapids is up and running. We will be sending our first team in, Sunday July 20 leaving after church. They will return Saturday July 26. Adam Metz of Alum Creek Church of Christ will be leading the team. Adam is a youth leader who has taken several trips to New Orleans with us.

To join this team, please send me an email. More information will be coming over the next week.

What to bring information is identical to what we have needed for New Orleans work. You can find that information on the Volunteer link at www.servantsunite.org.

More teams will likely follow! They will require team leads and funding for fuel and van rentals. If you can't make this trip, but can do a later date, please let me know and I'll publicize prospective dates through the list and the blog.

Other than volunteering, here's what Servants Unite needs from you.

• Prayers - My home church, Westerville Christian, had Servants Unite on our prayer list for focused intercession Wednesday this week. Thursday we got a private donation of $2,000! Pray for volunteers, funding, good work, and that God will use us to touch others as Christ's hands and feet.
• Donations - Response to this takes money. Volunteers on recent trips have been paying much of the bill out of pocket. Servants Unite's mission is to organize those who may not have found missions attractive previously and often that's due to fundraising. The more we have donated to cover expenses, the more people will find God's presence through service.
• Leaders - Adam has stepped forward to lead this team out, but we need other team leads to help organize and manage teams in the field. Please call or email to discuss the opportunities Servants Unite has for this and future responses.

Thanks for continuing to support out mission together as well as the hurting victims of natural disasters.

Servants Unite!

John McGuire