Newsletter

President Bush visited New Orleans today working on a Habitat house in the 9th ward. "There's lots of progress," he told reporters traveling on Air Force One. "There's still a lot to be done."

"If you're interested in helping the victims of Katrina, interested in helping them get back on their feet, come on down here,"

--President Bush

Well? What are you doing for your summer vacation, summer quarter off, or mission work. In the coming months there will be new opportunities to serve, new disaster victims to help, and new amazing experiences where God is so visible working through us in this mission.

Scheduled trip dates are:
June 3 – Marshall University students from Norway Avenue campus group in Huntington
June 7 – Westerville South International Baccalaureate,
July 1 – New Life, Canal Winchester
July 8 – Linworth UMC and Alum Creek CofC youth groups
July 16 – Westerville Christian Father Son youth trip

Join a trip or build a team for a date that isn't scheduled yet. If you've been down before, we need you to help lead these teams.

We also have three groups collecting supplies and building kits to send into the Katrina disaster area. A group from Ohio State has collected food and funds to send down. A mother daughter group and some coworkers of one of our past volunteers are building cleaning kits to leave with homeowners who’s houses we clean out.

Servants Unite continues to grow into the permanent disaster relief volunteer organization God started after hurricane Katrina. You’ve all been so amazing giving your time and money to help these people we never met before, but have bonded to over the past 8 months. 8 months? This has gone so fast.

Currently Servants Unite is prepared to be a central Ohio communications point and logistics organization when the next hurricane or other disaster arises. Churches in our area can come to us to join a consolidated efficient effort. We can react and respond the next time.

The next level which we have not yet reached is to prepare in advance for the next response. To do so requires volunteers to take on some preparatory tasks now.

• Organize staffed, designated drop-off locations for first response supplies
• Help find quick response volunteers who can go in and help set up relief on short notice
• Inform more churches and church leaders of our efforts
• Lead new teams into the next area in need

We have a good thing going here. We’re doing God’s work and giving Him glory. We’re “getting dirty and helping people”. It’s an easy yoke to keep making this work a priority and answer God’s call when we see such amazing results. Thanks for all you are doing and all you will do to expand our abilities as united servants in the body of Christ.
__________________________________________________________
1 Peter 4:10, Mark 12:30-31, Mathew 9:36-38, Romans 12:4-8

John McGuire
www.ServantsUnite.org
614-523-3996 home
614-404-8610 cel

Servants Unite on Ohio News Network Tonight

Stephanie Mennecke from Ohio News Network interviewed Pastor Mike, Gary Sargent, and I tonight on team 12's trip to Louisiana 2 weeks ago and the continuing efforts of Servants Unite. It will air in the 9:00 hour tonight (Monday). If you can record it, please let me know as I've been unable to get anyone definitively to do so.

For other news, check out the blog entries from last week. Barbara Kempton from New Life did a great job of reporting on the work of their foursome and the people they were helping.

We have sent over 300 people to work in Louisiana since Katrina hit. Over 100 more are scheduled for summer mission trips. More than 3000 people have served with our partner organizations in the New Orleans area, Tammany Oaks, Hilltop Rescue, and Operation Nehemiah.

All you who have volunteered and plan to are so amazingly inspiring. Even if you can't go back or go on the next trip, you can tell someone else who can. Servants Unite is going strong and planning for the next response. You who have gone to serve have the additional task of witnessing to others. Gary and Mike did a great job of that to the ONN TV viewers today. You can be just as effective telling your church leadership, friends, family, and coworkers.

Servants Unite!

Team 13 Thursday Update

So do you think we can stand up and tell the church what we saw, the stories we heard and how we were blessed?

Today we went to the east end of Chalmette. The houses there are really nice. Most are single story homes. A lot of elderly people. The gentleman we met was Harold (71). He lived in his house with his wife and mother. He was a square dance caller and they held square dances out back in a big gazebo. He had left the house during the storm. But those in the neighborhood who didn't leave ended up drowning. Several of Harold's friends died as a result of the flooding or from the trauma afterwards. Since he wasn't at the house at the time of the storm Harold couldn't say how long it took to flood the house. But his house was flooded into the attic. Everything they owned was lost. The water did not recede for two weeks. He had flood insurance but the insurance only paid $75,000 for his home and all its contents. He had no mortgage and now he is displaced to Covington Mississippi. Harold was such a sweet man; he brought us extra water and snacks.

When we got to the house it was a mess. All the furniture, clothing, dishes, linens, etc were still in the house. Everything was submerged in water for two weeks. There was about six inches of muck (mixture of mud, wet plaster board from the ceiling and insulation, along with anything else that floated around the in house). The kitchen still had water in it and the lower cabinets. A fridge had fallen and did not allow the water to drain. The stench was awful. We looked at it and didn't think we could get it done. But we spread out through the house and began shoveling, pulling curtains down and moving furniture out. After a lot of sweat and hard work we able to get all of the muck out of the house, removed the carpet and then pulled down just about all of the plaster board, as well as gut out the kitchen.

Even though the work is hard, we are dead tired at the end of the day and smell worse than we ever smelled in our life, this is probably the best thing I have ever done. It is so rewarding and such a blessing to me to be able to help someone who I have never met. And, to see the joy and hope on the homeowners face when we have finished. Harold was so gratefully, words could not express the way he felt.

For the last couple of months we have been talking about going out and serving others. About being more Christ. But there is nothing that will bring you closer to the Lord and to humble yourself to clean out someone else’s mess. The reality of how much material things mean NOTHING. The question we need to ask is who have I served today.

I will write again tomorrow.

God Bless.

Barbara

Bringing it Home...

I try to think if the crisis were in Gahanna, if this was OUR church hosting teams every week, week after week, month after month- going FAR out of our way to help in such a huge effort, could we do it - could we lay aside our pretty building & our busy schedules & the "way things are supposed to be" and DO IT?? I like to think we would.

When we had the ice storm a few Christmases back, we were ILL-PREPARED but non-the-less opened our building on Christmas day for people to cook and hang out and enjoy our heat :) But 7 months and they are still opening their hearts to all these strangers- that's the Body of Christ for you. They have humbled me with their kindness and I will certainly return the favor when someone needs ME to go out of MY way! Very cool to be a part of all this even from my perch in Ohio!

Cindy B. Schmidt
Director of Missions & Outreach
New Life Church
3690 Stygler Rd
Gahanna, OH 43230
(614) 475-8500
www.enewlife.com

Team 13 Wednesday Update

Today I went to Lakeview, just northwest of downtown New Orleans. We met Sue (71) and Ray (80), and their son Ray Jr. Ray had built his house himself, and let me tell you it was a solid well built house. Their house withstood the hurricane with no problem. They barely heard the wind as the storm passed by. They heard on the radio that the storm had passed and they relaxed in their family room.

Then they noticed about two feet of black water outside the sliding door. The water shattered the sliding door and about five foot of water came rushing in. They scrambled to get their pets, two dogs, two cats and birds. The water came in so fast that it knocked over the refrigerator and the furniture was floating about. They tried to get to the second floor and Sue got trapped at the bottom of the stairs. Ray Jr. had to pull her up out of the water. They sat upstairs and watched as the water kept rising. It came within inches of the ceiling on the first floor. They were camped out in the upper level and on the roof of their home. They cut a hole in the floor of the second level above the kitchen to try and get some food. The only thing they brought up was canned dog food and tuna (no can opener). They had water which they had bought in anticipation of the storm. They cut a hole in the roof and sat up on the roof. While waiting to be rescued the house next door had been washed off its pilings and was floating and bouncing into their house. They heard houses exploding.

For 3 days and 3 nights they watched as helicopters and boats passed them by. They were told they needed to leave their pets behind, but they couldn’t do that. Then finally someone came with a boat and rescued them. But that is not the end of their story.

They were first brought to the bridge (which was dry) because of their pets. They had to leave the birds behind. From there they went to the Coast Guard station. Ray Jr. was an avid gun lover and had saved one of his guns and brought it with them. As a result all three of them were forced to lie on the floor as they were searched. Sue said they treated them like criminal. From there they went to a Catholic Church somewhere. The church had no electric or water. They slept on the pews, but the animals had to stay outside. From there they were transferred somewhere else. Then they were brought to Austin, TX, after which they were transferred to where they are now at what Sue calls the wagon train camp.

Sue said the water level did not recede for over 4 weeks. During that time their home had been looted by thieves in boats and on jet skis. Everything was in a shambles when they were allowed to return.

We were able to remove what was left and gut out the first floor of their house. Sue and Ray were so full of joy that we were there doing work that they could not. Sue talked to me for long periods at a time. She needed to tell her story and have someone just to listen. I was able to pray with Sue, give her hugs and let her know how she had blessed me. Here is this 71 year old woman who went through this traumatic and most horrific experience of her life. In the end her home and material things are gone, but she and her family are alive. Sue was a special woman, an awesome woman. And she thanks Jesus for bringing her through this.

I can’t even imagine how I would react if something so horrible like this happened to me. Sue was a blessing to me. An inspiration. I thank God for this opportunity to serve Him. To be able to show love and compassion to another human being. And all I did was give my time and my muscles. It cost me nothing to give hope to Sue and her family. That’s what the people here need it hope for a new beginning. Thank you Sue and Thank you Lord.

God Bless!

Barbara

Team 13 Tuesday Update

Well we made it through our first day. Boy am I getting old! The first house we went to today wasn't too bad. The owner Eric was there. In his neighborhood which is on the same side of the levee as the French Quarter had only about 5 or 6 feet of water. His house is up about three feet off the ground so the water damage was only to about our knees. The thing is we still needed to gut the house because everything was still in it and there was so much mold. We were done there about 2pm. Eric was a retired gentlemen who suffers from cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. He is out at Austin, TX where the city has put him up for 18 months at no charge. He came back to Louisiana since he knew that we were coming to work on his house.

Then we came back to headquarters and got our next assignment. This house was in Chalmette just east of the 9th ward where all the houses were under water. It was a two story duplex and the water had gone about 3 or 4 feet into the second level. The drywall was still wet. One side of the duplex has been started and I worked on that side, however the other side of the duplex had not been started. When they moved the fridge there was still water in it. What a foul smell. We were only at the duplex about 2 1/2 hours but made a lot of progress. We will be headed back that way tomorrow.

I have to tell you again, you would not believe the devastation. It’s like a war zone. There are no words to explain what we have seen. We need to pray for these people. In these neighborhoods we see maybe 5 or 10 FEMA trailers in a neighborhood of 100+. How depressing it must be. My heart goes out to the people down here. The debris along the streets makes it surreal. As we gut out these houses everything gets piled along the street waiting for FEMA to come and clean it up

I will write again tomorrow.

God Bless!

Barbara

Team 12 back and Team 13 in the field

Team 12 returned Saturday around 4:00pm after a successful week. They demucked 7 or 8 houses, somebody lost count :-) That's 7 or 8 more drops out of the tub, but much appreciated by all the homeowners they are helping.

Team 13 also left on Saturday. We're claiming them though they are self funded and organized completely of New Life people. Here's their first report Cindy Schmidt forwarded me this morning

Latest Hurricane team in New Orleans, starting work today. Pray for health & safety, good team dynamics, heart & hope for the people involved- representing New Life are Luke Sutherland, Barbara Kempton, Mark Kieffer, & Laura Friday!

We arrived at Hilltop at about 3pm Sunday. The devastation is more than you can imagine. Unfortunately, I can't email pics but I will get a CD printed up for you when I return. Chalmette is just east of the 9th ward. The entire parish of St. Bernard was under water for 3 weeks. The houses in Chalmette withstood the water, however, some were washed away foundation and all (until they hit into another house).

We drove through the 9th ward and it is total devastation. There is one family in their house though I believe all the homes in that area are condemned. We went to where the levee broke and the force of the water splintered the houses. You just can't imagine.

There are two FEMA trailer camps right here at the school. They are surrounded by 12 foot fences with barbed wire at the top. There are guards at the gates and the people have to stop and checked in. They have not only lost their homes but they have lost their freedom as well. We are SO blessed. I will try and send you notes daily.

Barbara

Team 12 Work in Chalmette

It has been soo hard to get online here UGHHHHH! But I have I have a chance now so I am going for it!

We arrived here on Sunday after noon, after spending the night in Nashville. There had been 20 folks killed by tornados the on Saturday. We did see some damage and, some pretty severe damage.

As we arrived here in New Orleans, it appears that many things have not changed. Within 15 miles of us, only a Walgreens is open...and almost bare.....The Home Depot is operating out of the garden center...and it is open as well....There are a couple of tatoo/bars open....but we have not been to those.

On this trip we are working in a city called Chalmette. It is the famous St Bernard Parrish area that we have heard so much about. Our headquarters is the Hilltop Rescue Relief Mission, based out of California. It is in an elementary school that sits in the middle of an area that had about 8 feet of water. The school has been gutted and cleaned. The have allowed the mission to operate out of it to serve the St Bernard Parrish. There is devistation all around us. There is a trailer city right in front of the school...some with folks in it,,,and some that are ready for teachers and responders when/if they come back.

On Monday, we were assigned two houses to de-muck..they were across the street from each other. the water had been to the ceiling and both houses had stuff in them. One of them was full of belongings and the other was not as bad. Both of them had to have everything taken out, then the carpet, the walls and the ceilings. One of the rooms was a babies room. Our teens were moved by the toys and clothing that had been left behind. There was 6 inches of mud in that room. Another room had the same amount of mud, and lots of family pictures and heirlooms that had been destroyed.

Our job was to take everything to the curb...and I mean everything. Carpet, belongings, drywall, glass, appliances, dishes, furniture, everthing out on the street. We had to rip the drywall out. It was all moldy and stained with water, mud and oil. The piles at the street were high and into the neighbors yards. Of course, there was no one at all living in this neighborhood. One of the homeowners, did have a FEMA trailor in their drive and were living in it.

The stories were very sad. The people had very little hope and were very happy to see us. Many folks stop at the work sites and let us know how happy they are that we are there to help them.

One man stopped by in a dump truck. His name was Dale, and he had lived in this area all of his life. His four kids grew up, married and all lived with in ten miles of each other. He shared that now, they were scattered all over...the daughter, a single mother, was transferred to Texas, the boys were in Oklahoma, Baton Rouge and Atlanta. He was very sad that they were all so far apart. He was very distraught that at the age of 62, he and his wife would have to start all over again. Every thing, in their home was lost. His daughter had taken pictures with her when she evacuated. No one else had any....He was teary as he shared that.

We finished up, and returned to the compound for dinner and a devotional. It was very good.

On Tuesday we got up at 6:30 am, had breakfast and a devo and headed to our assignment. It was a 8 room home, that had had water to the ceiling and once again, everything was destroyed. The couple that owned the home were there and worked with us. The man several times would sit down and cry as different items were removed from his home. The wife loved on the teens and adults who were helping. She and he were so greatful for everthing we did. The had recently done some remodling on the home you could tell that they were devastated by the storm and and the destruction of their posessions. They were greatful for their lives, and today, for the teens and adults who came to rescue them from this mess. We were joined today by a cool group from California. 4 teens and 4 adults. They were a welcomed addition to our team. We divided up the house and went to work. It was not long before there wa! s a pile out front, 10 feet wide, 75 feet long. I am not sure that I have ever seen teens (or adults for that matter) work soooo hard in such horrible conditions. The mud smelled. The mold was up the walls to the ceiling, it stunk. There was a refridgerator that really was, well...it is impossible to describe. Clothing, cookware, christmas decorations, crafts and more were all taken to the curb. Sadly, the wife watched most of it go out and would occasionally pull something back to save. She would stop a teen and tell them a story about an article or craft, and then watch as it was tossed on the pile.

I was so proud of our teens as they worked sooo hard to be of service to this couple. Destruction of walls, carpet, and more they did without a complaint. Girls were (guys too) pushing wheel barrows full of stuff, laden with mold, oil and mud out to the curb. Several of these student have so impressed me with their attitudes, love and hard, hard work. It has been a priveldge to serve with them. One in particular has had a very positive attitude. He has worked and served and talked with every one in such a Christ like manner that, it has been a blessing to me to witness his actions.

We invited the couple back here for lunch and dinner and they so enjoyed being with us. He and she both hugged each and every person on our team after we prayed before we left the house. We just dont know how much we were an encouragement to them this day. I know part of a burden was lifted from their hearts. I know that Christ was clearly shown to them this day. I also know that the couple had a lasting impact on our team..several were in tears as we left and as they spoke of the day.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. We have a couple days left to go. I am excited to see what God has in store for us!

love

robin

Robin Weier

Tennessee Update and April 15 trip

We do still need participants to join 4 teens and one woman from New Life in Gahanna. At least one guy who is willing to help chaperone is required for them to make the trip to Louisiana. I'd love it if one of our previous volunteers could step forward and lead this team to work next week in New Orleans.

Our current team continued from the Nashville area Sunday and spent the day today mucking out 3, three, III houses! To be fair, they said one didn't have a lot left to do, but 1 is a good day. That's some crew!

I spoke with Mark Bryson in Hendersonville just now. He reports that there has been a lot done in that area hit hard by tornados Friday night. In fact he had a group of 30 from his church who couldn't find work to do. It seems the tornado storm damage is going to be like this; spotty enough that it is well handled by local governments, volunteers, and contractors.

I have a couple of quick response volunteers, but need to have 40 or so individuals that can go quickly to a new disaster zone and help setup relief operations. Servants Unite's mission is to help volunteers get where they are needed. We will be partnering with other groups to provide labor to distribute supplies they secure and love on those hurt by tragedies like Katrina.

We also need volunteers who can man collection stations at local churches to collect supplies for the next Katrina like response we are called to. We need to pray we don't have anything of that magnitude while planning for the possibility. Water and ready to eat food can be collected months before it is needed to ship quickly into a needy area. Even if that is our own backyard when we have severe storm damage.

God has laid this path in front of some of you, or those you forward this information on to.

Servants Unite!

John McGuire

Team 12 lands in New Orleans!

Our team of spring break teens and adults rolled into Chalmette at 6:00 central time. Brendan already has them 2 houses to muck out in the morning. They promise to keep us up to date with what they are doing.

Team on the way to Louisiana

Team 12 left Hendersonville at 9:15 eastern this morning headed on down to Louisiana. They should arrive in Chalmette around 8:00 or 9:00 tonight.

Check back for updates!

Team 12 at their overnight stop in Hendersonville

They had a good run down yesterday, arriving in Hendersonville (north side of Nashville) around 8:30 eastern. Robin reports the only damage they could see on their way in were two churches, but that they were badly damaged. They were having dinner at the mexican place next to the church, hitting the hay, and will head on to Louisiana after early service there this morning.

Team 12 on the road to disaster ;-)

In a real way! Team 12 left the Spring Road Church building at 2:00 this afternoon 19 members strong. As of 6:00 they had cleared Louisville Kentucky on their way to Hendersonville Tennesse, a northern suburb of Nashville.

Last night Hendersonville and neighboring communities were stricken by some powerful storms and tornados. At this time there is not a need for the team to stay in the Nashville area to help there, but options are open. In the morning, they will make the decision to stay and help if areas of need are opn to them or head on to Louisiana where we know work waits for them.

Two people have expressed interest in spending a few days this week in the Nashville area and we have chainsaws lined up. If you can help out when severely damaged areas are opened up, call or email to the information on the right. We'll keep you informed of specific plans and needy areas.

Remember also that Western Tennessee hit last Sunday evening is still in need of volunteers and assistance. Tell your neighbors, friends, family, coworkers, and church family about the opportunities available with Servants Unite. Many are available and only need to know of an avenue to volunteer in these efforts. Servants Unite's focus is on getting them there.

Keep monitoring this blog for Team 12's activities and information on any teams we send into Tennessee.

Tornado damage tonight team 12 overnight stop for tomorrow...

Irony of ironies, we chose to continue with the plan of sending this Servants Unite team to Louisiana because some of the teen's parents were concerned about sending them into the new disaster zone in Dyer County Tennessee. Tonight there was major storm damage around Nashville including a tornado touchdown in Hendersonville, the suburb where the team is scheduled to stay tomorrow night, though towns east and west of Hendersonville sustained the most damage. [CNN Story]

I just spoke with Mark Bryson who is our contact at Hendersonville Church of Christ. He just came from the church where the Red Cross has set up a shelter in the Gym. Many homes have been destroyed all around Nashville and at least 11 are reported to have died in the storm.

Please be in prayer for this area and the families grieving tonight.

Mark says our team is still welcome to stay overnight that there is no problem getting into the church and there is plenty of room for them in the Gym. I've left voicemails or talked with the adult members of the team and asked them to get with the teens they are taking. For Northland and Spring Road kids, I left messages from Robin and Troy. For Northside kids I have talked to Beth. I've also informed the team lead, Gary Sargent.

As this is fresh news our plans to leave at 12:30 Saturday are not yet changed, but it is inevitable that some adjustments will be required. I will check back with Mark at Hendersonville in the morning and be able to get more information out then.

The Hendersonville church has hosted most of our teams on their way home from Katrina Relief trips and many other groups. They volunteer weekly and contribute heavily to the Nashville based Churches of Christ Disaster Relief who has sent so many truckloads of food, water, supplies, and now appliances and furniture.

I believe we need to rise to the opportunity God has given us here to help them in their area's time of need. I expect there will be an immediate need for volunteers to help in the area. There is also an immediate need for water in neighboring towns where all electric and utilities are out. Verification of the safety of working in the area will be of primary importance.

• We should expect to leave the scheduled team at Hendersonville as needed.
• We should supplement their effort with more volunteers who read this email as they can be assembled and equipped over the next few days.
• We need a few tools to send with them:
• Chainsaws with Gas, Oil, extra chains (4 adult use only)
• Wheelbarrows
• We need people to volunteer to man donation stations at local churches to collect water. I'll check with Master Provisions and Convoy of Hope for availability of shipping to move the water down economically.
• We need additional donations to cover expenses of this unplanned, though anticipated need. Servants Unite currently has $10,000 with $2,000 planned to cover this trip. Shipping and transportation costs of more volunteers will further deplete our limited funds.

Anyone who can serve this need, please contact me ASAP (info in signature at bottom).

Again please be in prayer about this new calamity and also for our team and leadership and for wise decision making while following the path God has laid out before us.

____________________________________________
Mark 12:30-31, Mathew 9:36-38, Romans 12:4-8

John McGuire
www.ServantsUnite.org
614-523-3996 home
614-404-8610 cel

Several Updates including Tornado Relief

Wanted to keep you up to date on what’s going on with Servants Unite. We have several trips scheduled out through the end of July. These are continued relief for the New Orleans area and on standby for a new area in need of urgent relief should one come up. If you have a group for a summer mission trip to the gulf coast check out that schedule or request a date.

We’re also looking for first responders. Doctors, nurses, and EMTs are certainly needed, but anyone who has quick availability, teachers and bus drivers in the summer, homemakers, or anyone who can leave on short notice are needed to make our first run into a new relief situation. Tasks will include transporting and distributing relief supplies and initial cleanup.

Along those lines I have made a contact in Dyer County Tennessee about the relief need there. This area was badly damaged in Sunday night's storms. News reports last night talked about over 1000 houses destroyed. They have had many such inquiries and are planning on hosting volunteers for the upcoming weeks in the West Dyersburg Church of Christ building. They will provide food as well. Most roads are open today and areas are being secured for electric and other hazards. Primary work is cleaning up brush.

Servants Unite can organize a team of volunteers to work in the area if there is interest. Tentative departure would be this Sunday April 9 at 12:30 returning Saturday evening, April 15. In addition to the recommendations on the volunteer link at www.servantsunite.org, the team will need chain saws, wheelbarrows, work vehicles (trucks), and trailers. If you can join that team or lend tools, please email john@servantsunite.org or call 614-404-8610.

We also have Team 12 for Katrina relief departing at 12:30 Saturday, April 8 from Spring Road Church of Christ. This is a large group of high school students on spring break with some adult volunteers and sponsors from 6 different churches. Over the course of today, this team grew from 16 to 27 volunteers! Come out to wish them well Saturday and lift them up in prayer this week!

Finally, watch for the new web site coming soon! Todd and I have been fiddling with this for a month or so now and I think you’ll find it an easy resource to use once complete. Thanks for our continued support and interest. Together we are growing Servants Unite!

John McGuire

Team 11 returns!

Welcome home to ma dear mum in law Nancy Michael, Susan Stingley, Kathy Kar, and Larry Hunter from the Xenia area. They had some vehicle problems on the way home yesterday, but made it home around 4:00 daylight savings time.

They mucked houses this week, one with 6 inches of mud. Nancy has pics and stories to put up which I hope to get to you in a few days.

Surviving Katrina

Bill Niess sent this link to me. time.com/katrina. It's a pictoral essay with the stories of the people in the pictures done mostly right after the storm. Good reminder of who we're helping and how much progress we have made.

Pics from last week

Well, I finally got Bill and Meghan's pictures up from last week's trip to Louisiana. You can find them by clicking the photo album link on our web site or at these links directly:
Bill
Meghan

Nancy McCoy and Susan Stingley from Xenia Church of Christ, Kathy Kar, and Larry Hunter will be heading down Saturday for a week. Pray for their safe trip and a productive week.

John McGuire

Jennifer Levanduski, Buffalo NY

Having been back into the swing of things for a few days in cold and snowy Buffalo, I wanted to collect my thoughts and send you something regarding our recent trip to warm, sunny LA.

First, leaving Chalmette on Friday, I felt selfish because what I was taking away from Louisiana was about 10,000 times greater than the work I had done while I was there. Never before have I had an experience so spiritually moving. It was obvious that the Holy Spirit was pouring out of each of the 400 volunteers who stayed in the school with us that week and for that, to have been part of that, gave me a blessing greater than I can even describe.

Next, it is awe inspiring to hear the stories of the people who lived there. While demucking our first house, we met the daughter, JoAnn, of the homeowner who is one of the most interesting, engaging, and courageous people I've ever met. Her story of driving north through Louisiana with her mother, daughter, and menagerie of pets wowed each of us. That night, JoAnn, along with her mother, daughter, and neighbor, joined us for worship at the school and a nice chat after that. The next day, as we worked on another house, JoAnn and her mother pulled up, told us they had been driving around looking for us, and unloaded a cooler full of cold drinks and snacks! That they would be so gracious and giving absolutely floored each of us. Their gratitude for our being there was overwhelming especially given that I feel like we should have done more for them.

Another homeowner we met, Janie, was a paramedic and her tales of heroics through the storm were also awe inspiring, as was her gratitude and cheerfulness, especially given that she had not yet received her FEMA trailer.

Another blessing I received was that my life was a musical for the week! I have always wanted my life to be a musical. The group sang worship songs all week; we would be working in a house, everybody doing different tasks and someone would begin a song...and everyone would join in! This bursting forth of song also happened in the vans, playing cards, and even in the showers. This spirit of constant praise and worship inspired each of us and grounded us in the fact that we truly were doing the Lord's work.

One other thing that struck me was the unwavering dedication and phenomenal leadership of Brendan, Brad, Tim, and Lisa. They expected nothing but the best from us all and exhibited a spirit of selflessness in everything they did.

One last note is that it was clear that the Lord was with us all week. The weather reports before we left indicated that it would be 80-85 and humid all week. I was concerned that, as Yankees, we would melt working in that heat! However, the weather was gorgeous, blue skies and breezes all week. Additionally, despite many nails through boots, scrapes on a daily basis, sunburns, and a hammer head that fell off, everyone made it through the week safely and there is no doubt that was purely by the grace of God.

I could go on forever (and I kind of have...) but I hope this helps with your account of UB's experience. I have found it difficult describing the experience (both here and to folks in Buffalo); it truly was the greatest thing I've ever had the privilege of being a part of.

Additionally, as president of my student government here at UB (the Graduate Management Association, the student government of the MBA program), we have one last charity event coming up and I've convinced the other members of my e-board to donate the proceeds to Hilltop Rescue.

Thank you,
Jennifer

Jennifer Levanduski
President - Graduate Management Association
University at Buffalo School of Management
MBA, Class of 2006
http://wings.buffalo.edu/mgtclubs/GMA

Some Great Stories from Spring Break Work Last Week

Thought this was interesting. 270 articles on spring break hurricane relief work! Amazing turnout from college kids and quite a bit of press coverage to boot.

You should checkout an article I posted to the WhereISawJesus blog from Mark Elrod. It's a great synopsis of the week a group from Harding University had working in Louisiana last week. Mark has day by day coverage on his blog. The stories he tells are exactly why we go and serve. What an awsome God that gives us these opportunities to work in His kingdom.