Rebuild Lakeshore

Katrina’s storm winds blew the roof off of our church fellowship hall and deposited it a block or so down the road from where the building used to stand. We found parts of the walls strewn in every direction. For reference, we have purchased this land and our shipping crate bunk houses now sit here.

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Last month I posted a Crossroads Katrina Relief Video from some of our friends near Chicago. Here is another one from them that they did last spring.

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Through the hard work of almost 9 months worth of volunteer groups, Mrs. Lambert has moved into her rehabbed trailer. She finally and gladly said goodbye to her FEMA camper. This week, a team from Oklahoma finishes roofing her new porch and cleaning the yard.

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Providence Presbyterian Church, of Hilton Head South Carolina sent their youth group to the gulf coast last summer. The teenagers who made the first trip brought home such a contagious enthusiasm for the relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts in Lakeshore that a group of adults made a second trip, and then a third. They seem to have made a long-term commitment and partnership as they have flooded us with resources, embraced us with encouragement, and promised to return. They look forward to their fourth trip in June. Last week they blessed me with a generous gift and made great progress on Mrs, Bonnie’s house and worked in several other homes.

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One year ago a group from First Baptist church, Minneapolis Minnesota sent a mission team down to Lakeshore. Check out their blog from the trip. Reading through it and seeing the pictures reminds me that in some ways we have seen a good bit of progress in the last 12 months. At the same time, I see we have so far left to go. Most of the destroyed homes in the pictures have been cleared away, however they have not yet been rebuilt. Heavy equipment did away with the school, pictured in many of the images. A new one remains in the planning stages. James and Bea live in their temporary home (future garage) as volunteers make progress on their new house, slowly, but surely. The steeple still sits out by the road, where we sat it a week after the storm. I do not foresee it moving any time soon. The needs list has not changed much from this time last year. Reading their blog also reminds me how many wonderful people god has sent our way. We praise him for each one of them.

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One week from today a contingent from the Northwest Baptist Association of Oklahoma will head our way. Led by their Director of Missions, John Elam, we look forward to their “Rebuild, Encourage, Proclaim” mission trip. They put together the video about Mrs. Redford that I posted to our blog last week. They also have several downloadable documents on their web site particular to their project. These files might also prove helpful for ideas to those of you planning, preparing, and promoting your own mission trip to Lakeshore.

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February flew by with teams coming in on an average of over one a day. Most teams stay for about a week. We have a packed camp site this week with crews working in about 15 houses. We thank god for continuing to turn the hearts of people to the gulf coast as we see hope rebounding in our community to the glory of god.

February 2007 Teams:

• Blessed Hope Community Church – Wesville Grove, NJ
• Camp Bethel, Jeff Rollins – Wise, VA
• Calhoun Baptist Association - Calhoun City, MS
• Central Church – Hilton Head, SC
• Community Church – Stephens Point, WI
• Crabapple First Baptist Church – Alpharetta, GA
• Decatur Baptist Church – Decatur, AL
• Don Coward and grandsons - Michigan
• Faith Bible Church – Vineland, NJ
• First Baptist Church – Gaffney, SC
• First Baptist Church of Clayton – Clayton, NJ
• First Baptist Church of Elmer – Elmer, NJ
• Grace Bible Church – Upper Pittsgrove, NJ
• Grace Evangelical Congregational – Nineveh, PA
• Jersey Baptist Church – Pataskala, OH
• Kimberlin Creek Baptist Church – Scottsburg, IN
• Mt. Harmony Baptist – Riceville, TN
• North Jefferson Baptist Association – Mt. Olive, AL
• Pittsgrove Baptist Church – Upper Pittsgrove, NJ
• Providence Presbyterian Church – Hilton Head, SC
• Quinton Baptist Church – Quinton, NJ
• Richfield Springs Bible Church - Richfield Springs, NY
• Riverside Fellowship – New Port Ritchie, FL
• Robinwood Church of God - Hagerstown, MD
• Seneca United Methodist Church – Oil City, PA
• Trinity Baptist Church – Baton Rouge, LA
• Trinity Baptist Church – Montville, NJ
• Trinity Lutheran Church – Joppa, MD
• Yalobusha Baptist Association – Coffeeville, MS

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