The need for Help and workers

This is PR. He says it stands for Peter Rabbit, but it really stands for Paul Robert, but everyone calls him PR (which is just about the coolest nickname I have heard of). PR is Bob's son, both of these men lived together in Bob's FEMA trailer that is parked at the church. PR tells horrendous story of being evacuated on a bus with little to no money. The little money he did have God told him to give it to people that were more needy than he was.

He recalls the joy of being able to put fresh socks on after days and days of wearing the same clothes. After several months of staying away, PR return to Slidell, to live with his Father and his mother you passed away in May.

PR has been looking for the right job. Since the hurricane, Slidell population has return and swelled to 3 times the amount previously. 3 times the amount because many people are temporarily living in Slidell waiting for the homes or their FEMA trailer in other parts of Louisiana. Despite tripling in population, every business (that is open--some are not or haven't returned). has a For HELP sign out. There are not enough people to work the jobs in Slidell, because the people that uses to live in Slidell and work those jobs are gone (to other parts of the country). So Slidell is left with 3 times the population as before and a smaller workforce. Brothers and sisters, the gulf coast still needs our help!

Mary's Story

This is Mary (and her in-laws). Mary's house is pictured in the background. Mary's house was a little luckier than most. It stated put. The house behind her, was ripped from its foundation and floated over 200 feet across a canal and onto other houses and vehicles. Below I have provided a link where you can see Mary's neighborhood and the others that are in locations where they do not belong.

Mary saw us outside looking at the damage when she came out with her photo album to talk with us. Little did Mary know and we know what God had in store for us. As we listen to Mary's horrify stories and pictures, we were all gripped by her grief and trauma still 11 months after the fact. Mary lives it everyday. She mourns the loss of her community. The wreckage surrounds her. Her neighbors are gone.

Here is the link to google maps showing her community. http://www.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=Chalmette,+LA&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=29.946517,-89.956028&spn=0.002208,0.006738

By the grace of God, Mary accepted the Jesus as her Lord a couple of days later. There's a bigger story here, but she is finally on the road to healing. Continue to pray for Mary and her husband (whom we never met)--that she find peace and joy. May she grow deeper in love with Jesus every day and every moment. May more churches respond to the need in LA and gulf coast and spread the love of Jesus to more people like Mary.

Jamaal and His Ice Cream Truck

This is the ice cream truck. One afternoon in the middle of Chalmette, amidst the deserted buildings and houses, we heard the pleasant and inviting sounds of an ice cream truck.

An electronic female voice would yell "Hello" from the truck after the familiar ding-dong cart song would play.

At first it seemed really odd to have an ice cream truck in Chalmette, but eventually it made perfect sense. Amidst all this chaos people need to be reminded of the normalcy of life. They need to be reminded of the simple joys--like Ice Cream.

I spoke to Jamaal, he is a from Jordan, where his wife and children live year-round. Jamaal spends 8 months of the year selling Ice Cream and sends all the money back to support his family. Jamaal has a open heart and soul. Our physicall witness to him about Jesus softened his heart to the gospel. He stated that most people are christians in this country but they don't act like it--He saw that we were acting like it--by responding with our time and energy in helping the people of Louisiana.

We gave Jamaal a bible and prayed with him. My prayer for Jamaal is that one day he can say that Jesus is Lord, and he brings his family to the Lord, and he can bring a revival to his home country of Jordan.

Jamaal also asked us to pray for Lebanon.

The Cake Ministry of Joshua

This is Bob. Bob works for the City of Slidell Department of Public Works (the Water Department). He assured us the drinking water was okay. I still hesitated to drink it. Slidell was were the eye of the Hurricane Katrina hit. Bob had to stay in the city and ride out the hurricane. His sons and wife were evacuated. Bob lost his house. His FEMA trailer doesn't sit on his propety by his house, like most people. His trailer was deliever to the church and so now he lives at the church. He hopes to be able to soon move his trailer to his property and rebuild.

A couple of months ago, Bob lost his wife in a fight with cancer. Yet, Bob still has ability to keep going, but when you talked with him, you can hear and see the pain that he still carries from the devastation of the hurricane and the loss of his wife.

Joshua is ministering to Bob here by allowing Bob to sit and feed him cake and ice cream. God used the littliest one on our trip to help people. Joshua joy and smile can break down the biggest barriers and burdens in people. It is amazing to see how God works.

" And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)

This Doesn't Belong Here (and Neither do I)

This house doesn't belong here. It actually belongs about a block away, over a canal. The water and the storm surge knocked it off its foundation and moved it across the canal onto a different street, onto another house and a truck. This house still hasn't been cleaned or gutted. It remains as it was since the storm--with all its possessions, family albums, children toys, heirlooms scattered inside covered in filth.

11 months after the fact--nothing has changed. I have no idea where the owners of this house are.

I am kinda like this house. The storms of life come and go in my life. They flood my soul, contaminte and ruin the insides. Sometimes those storms come violently or sometimes the slowly rise and carry me across the canal onto the wrong side of the street. My soul doesn't belong here, I wasn't created for this street called Earth. I was created for streets paved with Gold. God wants to restored my house. God wants to tear down my life and rebuild it perfectly so I can live where he intended us all to to live (with Him).

Help me Jesus on this journey with you. Help me become the new creation that you have started in me. Let me die to the old being--let me live in you and with you.