Evergreen SGV Relief team Sgvserve.org
We just got back to the center where we stay, most people are trying to squeeze in a shower before dinner in a few minutes. Carol takes the time to write something on a 3×5 card….
I’m blessed by the prayers and support of my Evergreen Family and my missionary support group. it is a blessing to be able to serve here in Mississippi.
Praying that God will use me to make a difference in the people we meet.
Some pics from the day
Its lunch and we’re breaking for lunch. Steve and millie still working. Interesting eye protection
On the road to the first day at the worksite….
Roy is curious if the minivan has a volume control between the front and rear speakers. “Perhaps you should use it….” The van breaks into laughter. Steve says Roy should be more direct…
“Hey Peter, people really liked it when Pastor Cory led worship the other day….” (where we just had the Sr. Pastor leading our singing a capella, without the usual band of electric guitar, bass, drums, etc.)
We interpret that means he wants a volume control at church as well.. 🙂
We discuss and pray for Steve’s wife’s safe return from Malawi. She returns from mission tonight. We discuss another team’s mission to Asia later this year.
They say the church is not a building, but the people. This is true, the church is not a white minivan in Mississippi, but the fun, love and heart shared in this car.
James led a convicting morning devotional about a time where he was less than completely polite with a telemarketer, and his daughter was within earshot. He confessed to her that it wasn’t the nicest way to be with him, and his daughter agreed.
The mission began with our hearts and behavior before we ever stepped on the plane, or even packed our fist bag, and will continue after we return.
He encouraged us to recognize and revel that we are the light of the world at all times, not just on the worksite, and once again, the theme of blessed to be a blessing returns.
Thanks for your support.
We’re in one of our 3 mini vans on our way back from Bop’s, having gone out to put a frozen custard end to a long day. James was chatting it up with the worker there, shooting some footage of the secret world of frozen custard.
After our orientation, a lunch at a new place, and a visit to the Biloxi Katrina memorial….
We reunited with Ken and Dawn, our hosts from New Life Disaster Relief, the team will all be staying within the church building this year. Ken, with a shaven face and a not-shaven head, is still full of life, jokes and wit. Dawn is doing well and stands by his side, rolling her eyes and being the softer side of the caring duo.
Tonight for dinner, their daughter led us in saying grace, with her amen followed immediately with “Blessers and Cooks eat first.” We enjoyed our fried chicken dinner, and were able to meet two other women from a church in northern Mississippi that are staying in the same facility as us. They joined us for our devotional time of song, teaching and prayer. It’s nice to share a bond of faith with people we’ve never met. They’ve been coming down here for three years, the two of them representing their church of 50. Lorin’s devotional tonight encouraged us to use our words wisely, seeking to bless and encourage, and to take risks in doing so.
Overall, the recovery down here is moving ahead. Slowly, but still moving ahead. Homes are being built and rebuilt, people are moving into the homes, but still, the economy is difficult out here, and the BP oil spill still has made its mark on this recovering region.
Tomorrow will be our first real day of work, where we plan on meeting with Brad and hopefully Paul too. We continue to meet people, leading with our hearts even more than our thoughts.
Sorry folks, hopefully our pal Gary will take a look at these pics and videos and do something nice with them, but we’ve been up for about 48 hours straight…. and need some sleep.
James and Art are taking amazing video and pics! Oh! for the Alumni…. There is some footage of the new and improved Yanqui Stadium. If you need to remember what it (and we) looked like 6 years ago, go back and look at the archives in the blog and photo albums!
For the approximately 480 homes built by this affiliate, only about 40 are in inventory, with most of the partner families in the pipeline, moving towards ownership.
They’ve also introduced a program even earlier in the home ownership path. Before being able to make a mortgage payments, sometimes before even clearing up some credit problems, this affiliate is trying to coach and counsel some life skills on money management. Teaching the financial value of home food cooking often starts with learning how to cook and shop.
Okay. Lunch at a new place, Shaggys, recommended by hfh staff. 