Family Promise arrives this week. . .

It only seems like last week we were saying good-bye to the group from Family Promise and here they come again. What a blessing it is for us to get to help families with a hand up as they attempt to start over. Homelessness is hard on families in many ways, imagine not having a place to sleep that's warm or being unsure of where and when the next meal will come from. I can not even imagine it. As of this posting we have one family of four headed this way. A mom and three children. We get to minister to them for a week. If you can help contact me.

Buddy

Family Promise arrives this week. . .

It only seems like last week we were saying good-bye to the group from Family Promise and here they come again. What a blessing it is for us to get to help families with a hand up as they attempt to start over. Homelessness is hard on families in many ways, imagine not having a place to sleep that's warm or being unsure of where and when the next meal will come from. I can not even imagine it. As of this posting we have one family of four headed this way. A mom and three children. We get to minister to them for a week. If you can help contact me.

Buddy

Spring Break in New Orleans. . .

Hilltop is now up and running in Chalmette. Remember back in October which group lead the way into that deserted and devasted city. Team Red had the honor of doing the first mucking that happened their. Today there are over 400 volunteers on 20 jobs. Praise God for his continued work in that area. If you have the opportunity read the blog where I saw Jesus -linked by the name on our blogsite, Tammany Oaks. All kinds of information as to what is going on in the field there and at other places around N.O.
Pray for the work there as it continues.

Family Promise Graduates 3 Families

The Local Family Promise Network is graduating 3 families this week. all of them have found places to live. As you might understand they have been carrying all they own with them from church to church, thus they are in need of many items. Here is a list of needs. If you can help with any of the items on the list specifically then give me a call at the church office, 522-7226. We are trying to help them get the items they need so that they can have a fresh start. If you have any questions talk to me.

Lois Rodriguez
1. Couch
2. Chairs

Joshua and Valarie
1. Blankets
2. Pots & Pans
3. Dish towels
4. Coffee Maker
5. Kids Bed
6. Dishes
7. Portable Heater
8. Curtains
9. Night Light
10. Recliner

Worthy Family
1. 3 Twin beds with frames, sheets, and box springs
2. two dressers for each of the kids rooms
3. DVD Player
4. Sheets (all sizes)
5. towels
6. Washing detergeant
7. Toilet paper
8. blankets


Buddy

Riverbank Apartment Fire debriefing

Last night the Red Cross DAT met at our building to go over the good and the bads of the Shelter Operation from DR 296 The RiverBank Apartment Fire. Sounds like most were happy with our performance at the Shelter. The food we provided got a round of applause and I did not recieve any bad comments concern the overall management of the shelter. We recieved certificates suitable for framing for our work on the project. I will hand those out this Sunday. Some of you will receive the certificates later, since they were not all typed up yet. I would like to thank all on the Team for helping at the shelter. What a great way for to make a difference for God in our community.

Buddy

What's Next. . .

We are kicked back today enjoying life. The weekend was packed with prepartion, preaching and teaching. What a delight to have the priviledge of preaching. The Message was from Matthew 9:36-38. What an exciting scripture to preach! As I studied the text I could see Jesus moving through the streets of Palestine, doing all he could do to poise mankind for the salvation that he has to offer. Jesus calls us to fields, and the fields are in our towns and neighborhoods. He wants us to listen for people crying out with wounds that this world has given them. I am impressed that he calls us to the harvest. Harvesting is not easy work. I contemplated all the different fruits and vegetables that I know about and how to get them in from the field by hand. None of them are easy to bring in. I have never picked cotton, but I have dug for potatoes, picked strawberries and tomatoes. Dad had many other vegtables in our garden while I was growing up too many to mention. The fields Jesus says are ready for the Harvest. . . invest some energy into your neighborhood, your children's friends parents and those you work with and see what God allows to happen in your life. I do not know what opportunity is next for us but my eyes are open and I am ready to charge forward and start the Harvest Cycle.


Go Make a Difference Today for God

Buddy

Back to Work. . .

The vacation/lectureship trip ended on Friday. We completed our journey, and are now back to see what God is going to bring our way. Today, Monday, I began a week of call with MPD. I pray for a quiet week (a time of peace) in the City. My fellow chaplains have been busy with the death of the Hiway Patrol officer. This week and every week pray for the safety of the men who leave the comfort of their homes to protect us from Satan's army.

Thursday night the Red Cross will have their monthly meeting at the Davis Park Church of Christ building at 6:30 p.m. If you are a part of our response team, you are invited to attend the meeting.

make a difference for God

Buddy

300 miles and we will be home . . .

We will be back from the vacation/ lectureship tomorrow afternoon. The trip has been good. We will have covered nearly 5000 miles by the time we roll into the house. I can hardly wait to see where God will lead us this year.

make a difference for God

Buddy

Carrolton Ave. Church of Christ

Here is a clip from the Carrolton Ave Church of Christ site . . .

The sermon was a message from a member who had barely escaped with his life and spent days on the I-10 bridge waiting for rescue. His story was gripping, but his faith was inspiring. He told us that he dared to die for God, that he told the Lord that he would either bless him tonight by taking him home, or bless him in the days to come by witnessing the power of God. He retold how he set up an impromptu devotional with those fleeing the flood on the I-10 bridge, the same bridge where drug deals were taking place in plain site of those seeking refuge. He told of how a woman heard them singing and took heart, saying, "They are having church right here on the bridge." He reminded us that each of us, every day, need to "have church" wherever we are and in whatever we do. There is no preaching school in the world that could have polished or improved that man's message from the heart. It was very inspiring and humbling at the same time.

True worship shows up in all places

Buddy

Greetings from the Lone Star State . . .

Hello from Burnet, TX. . .

We have now been on the road for over a week. We have visited Krista's Mom and Dad, Her sister, my dad's old house in Lake Jackson, TX and today we visited with my sister's family. We have packed a lot of visits into these past nine days and covered 3300 miles at this point. We are road weary and tired. However, it has been good to spend time with family. I have read about the tragic loss of Earl, the CHP officer who was shot in Salida. What a loss for our community. Please pray for our officers and their families as they grieve this loss and fear for their future safety.

I am going to try and get some rest as we wind down this trip and head for the Abilene Lectures tomorrow.

Pray for our safety as we travel.

make a difference for God,

Buddy

Blessings. . .

God is incredible! I have seen him working through us this week. It is great that we have so many willing servants that are willing to work hard for God! Christy Sipes has been working hard at the Riverbank Shelter nearly every night for ten nights. Many others have contributed to this project throughout the whole operation. Nearly all the families have found new homes and the shelter is winding down. Friday afternoon will finish it up.

God continues to use me in different ways and I am thankful for it. Since the first of the year I have been on several fire calls, chaplain calls and a host of other tasks. I pray that God will help me to have the skills to bring his touch to this world.

make a difference for God,

Buddy

Riverbank Shelter

The shelter for the fire victims remains open tonight. So far the Red Cross has used nearly 60 volunteers on DR 296. The Response Team has provided 10 of these volunteers. Presently, I am Mass Care Officer, In charge of feeding and sheltering these 19 individuals(8 families). The real story is that many individuals drop whatever they are doing to take care of their fellow men. Most of the families will be moving into homes new to them this week. They will have a lot of needs for items in the new homes.

Pray for these families.

make a difference for God

Buddy

Riverbank Apatment Fire. . .

A fire occured early Monday morning and left 8 families without a home in Riverbank. Team Red has risen to the occasion. We helped set up the Shelter at the Riverbank Community Center and staffed it last night for the American Red Cross. We will staff it again tonight and try to staff it Thursday night also. The shelter is set to close on Friday morning. Additionally, other members of the team cooked breakfast this morning. It is a great to be out in our own community doing good work for God! Pray for the folks to find new housing soon. Pray aso that we will continue to be allowed to work with the Red Cross in this capacity.

make a difference for God today,

Buddy

Response Team Info . . .

The American Red Cross has canceled the drill in Visalia for the weekend of March 17th. I appreciate all who have voluntered to go.

We were called last night to be the shelter staff at the Keyes Hazmat incident from Friday afternoon. We were able torespond with four willing all night people. Thanks to Jim and Jackie Cole along with Peggy Martin for responding to make a difference for God in our community. Our team staffed the shelter from 10 pm to 8 am. It was great even though no one took advantage of it.

The ERV will be up and running later this week. I can't wait for us to take it out for some local mission work. The Red Cross called for us to bring it out this week to the hazmat incident because their ERV too was in the Shop. Maybe next time.

If you are willing to staff the ERV for future canteen events at critical incidents please let me know. Otherwise I will start at the top of the list and work down when we need responders.

I am still trying to firm up dates to go to Slidell, it looks like it will be the weekend starting on Good Friday and returning the following Friday or Saturday. I will firm this up next week and then see who wants to go

Thanks for your interest,

Buddy

A Moving Story . . .

This morning the church helped a family move from one hotel to another. Homelessness is a hard. The father spent last week in training classes for a job that was supposed to pay 1600 per month. The catch after a week was it was a commission only vacuum cleaner sales job. Many companies prey on these folks with offers that sound too good to be true and often are. Forty hours of classroom, a family of four with no income for another week. A vacuum cleaner company with a new list of leads . . . The mom and Kids attended church with us on Sunday and the mom was captivated as Mike talked about pruning. John 15 is an awesome story about how God works on us. Pray for this family to start to flourish as God works on them. The kids ages 4 and 5 enjoyed Class and Bible Hour, I hope we can continue working with them.

God is awesome !

pray that we will make a difference as we minister,

Buddy

Desparate... Stories from Central C of C Pascogoula MS

The word of the day is 'desperate' ... and I think it's going to be that way for a very long time. I spent some time talking with some people today who really touched my heart.There was the lady who sat in the chair at the end of the table. The tale she related was not so unique, but her broken heart just crushed me. She sat with an endless supply of tears as she related the first days after the storm having no where to stay. With her first FEMA check she bought a tent for her family to live in. Her in-laws, who had an undamaged home, would not let her family live with them. The agencies that she thought ought to be able to help them turned a deaf ear to her needs. She has a FEMA camper now ... but here she sits ... nearly five months after the storm ... and she is desperate. Her flooded car barely runs. She has turned to every resource she knows and has come up empty. We gave her some food, an electric heater, a bunch of clothes that she picked out, and one of the workers from Pennsylania encouraged her to give her life to the Lord. While I was meeting with someone else, she left ... but she asked someone to tell me 'thank you'. We did so little for her, but she did have the chance to tell her story.Another lady got a nice check from FEMA. She also lived in a tent for a while after the storm. She had surgery on the back of her neck right before the storm. Now it is still giving her pain. Her check looks like a big amount, but once you spend a huge amount of money to secure a rare rent house, buy a few rooms of furniture and some clothing, and pay your bills, there isn't much left. She has bed frames for her children but no mattresses or boxsprings. She wouldn't ask for a bed for herself. Just for her children. We will help them soon. The look on her face tells me she is desperate.A couple has been staying at the building the past few days. We first met them a few months ago. She needed a coat, so we gave her one. They were displaced from New Orleans, had been flown to Idaho, and were back down on the Coast. They thought they could make it, but life has a way of beating you down when you're desperate. Very down on their luck, but willing to work, we allowed them to stay in our building. She is 42, pregnant with their first child - a very unexpected child. Today they got a job in Texas and we gave them a tank of gas and some food and sent them on their way. (Side Note: an unsaved person in another state sent some money in a sealed envelope via one of the Hope Missions guys. It was given to me today and I was told that I would find a good place for it. That was about 30 minutes before this couple needed a tank of gas and some food. God's timing is impeccable.)On the phone an elderly voice said, "I'm disabled and I need help with my home. I'm desperate."A lady in her FEMA camper has been off of drugs for two weeks, but the look on her face tells me it is the struggle of her life.A young couple has not touched their home. They still live in it as if everything is OK. They have a FEMA camper in their driveway, but do not want to live in it. In their world they are desperate and do not know it.Sometimes I feel desperate when I think about all of the needs in our area, and the most overwhelming of circumstances that afflicts people who cannot help themselves.But there were flashes of grace today in all of the desperation.Chris Lockhart came over today and accompanied me on visits, lunch, and the new coffee shop in town. He is a great encourager ... and a superb listener.The Hope Missions group planted a living gift in our church yard today. We will always remember them.The group from Pennsylvania (Hope Missions) had a final devotional tonight. All thirty of them each got up and offered a brief testimonial to what the week has meant to them. Common among the comments were things like, "we were the ones who were blessed" and "this is the best week I ever spent in my life."And then Robbie expressed his desire to be more than just someone hanging around the building - he wanted to be a part of the church. So tonight he was baptized into Jesus Christ, amidst great celebration.Out of the desperation, God's grace arises in the beauty of new birth and brotherhood. Below, Robbie smiles a brand new smile!

Energy Buidling

I am excited about all the work God has placed at our feet. The churches of Christ and many faith based groups continue to do a large amount of good works for God because of the good works put in progress after Katrina. In addition to our regular around town work it appears that there is opportunity for us in other places in California and the United States.
The Red Cross is having a drill the weekend of March 17th. Jim Money has asked to cook for the operation simualtion. If you can be a part of this please let me know you are interested. We have a lot of work to do on the revamping of the equipment out in the storage yard.
I also would like to toss out the idea of a trip to Slidell for Easter Break/ Spring Break. New Orleans still has a lot of opportunity available for us. Again If you are interested let me know.

make a difference for Christ,

Buddy

Family Promise . . .

A few hours after my last post we had a turn of events . Two of the children had a scuffle(brothers), one of them could not let it go. His rage would not subside. Unfortunatley the network had to exit the family from the program. The family will have some post exit counselling and assistance from the network.

Life is messy. People and families have problems. Taking care of families in crisis is hard work and not without risk. Remember, where there is risk there is reward. God has blessed us with a great opportunity to serve him.

This morning two of the small children cried before leaving. It was cute. They refused to get in the van, one of them cried out and said they did not want to leave, they liked it at Davis Park. Who would want to leave a bunch of loving caring people?

make a difference,

Buddy

Family Promise Update. . .

It has been an uneventful week with the Family Promise guests at the church. We have had two families all week long. Both are unique in their own way. The children have been a joy to have in the building. I appreciate our volunteer corps who have been serving throughout this project. I know that this stretches many of us. Sleeping at the building is outside our normal routine, especially when there are nine other people in the building with you and you do not know them very well. The food has been good all week long, I appreciate everyone who has been involved in the food process. Today we will recieve 5 new guests into the program. Tonite we will have nine children and 5 adults as our guests. It is exciting for God to allow us to do His work.
Sunday the guests will move to a church in Ripon for the next week. The building will be quieter at night, however, I think I will miss the laughter of the children. In ten weeks they will be back . . .

make a difference

Buddy

Pic from Hilltop volunteer in Chalmette - January 9, 2006

I found this picture at a Hiltop volunteers blog. The ADT van is still on a house 4 months later. Hard for me to comprehend. . . the amount of damage there, even though I have been there.

Buddy