We
trust that you are doing well. Can you
believe it is already February
2009. Wow! I am reminded of a song by
the Steve Miller Band (maybe before your
time) ... "Fly Like an Eagle" ... that
says "Time keeps on slippin' into the
future" ...... and it seems to me
that we are pickin' up speed! In
Ephesians 5, Paul encourages us
to "redeem the time" (KJV) ... that we
should strive to understand what the
Lord's will is. I don't know about
you, but unfortunately, my life is
seasoned with a good number of lost
opportunities.... opportunities to serve
Christ, reflect Christ, proclaim Christ
that I have let slip away. I find that
I must constantly evaluate how I am
using my time ... with the question in
mind .... am I investing it in eternal
things? Do you ever struggle with
knowing and then doing the will of God?
Let's pray for each other about that.
What is Happening on the Gulf
Coast
FEMA Trailers and MEMA Cottages
March
2009 is the month that all FEMA trailers
and MEMA cottages are "supposed" to go
away. I guess we will see if that
really happens or if the date is slipped
again. Hancock County, Bay Saint Louis
and Waveland are in the process of
making determination on the MEMA
cottages, which are actually modular
homes rated for CAT 3 hurricanes. [That
is using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane
Scale .... impressed? :o) Cat 1 Winds
74-95 mph , Cat 2 Winds 96-110 mph , Cat
3 Winds 111-130 mph , CAT 4 Winds
131-155 mph and Cat 5 Winds greater
than 155 mph. ] It dismays me some
that they waited until the 11th hour to
make a decision about the cottages ...
it only raises the stress for the people
living in them.
Volunteer Camps
As you
might suspect from the term "recovery"
in Disaster Recovery, at some point
there will be less need for recovery
organizations. We have been watching
the volunteer groups pull up stakes, one
by one, for the past year. National
level organizations like Samaritans
Purse were some of the first to leave.
Other groups that have been here from
the beginning and have left or
discontinued their recovery support are
- City Team, Camp Salvage, Camp Coastal,
Mission on the Bay, Shoreline Park,
First Baptist Bay Saint Louis and Saint
Rose DeLima. There are others but their
names don't come to mind. The exodus of
volunteer groups does not mean that the
recovery is over, it just means that the
recovery is progressing. A distinct
advantage for Pathfinder Mission is that
since we are debt free, our monthly cost
of operation is very low. God has meet
our needs every month since we have been
on the coast. He is faithful. We
expect to be here for some time to come
.... But one day the season for
rebuilding will pass ... In the mid
1990's I served on staff with Promise
Keepers. Randy Phillips, then
president of the ministry, spoke at a
conference on the subject -- Promise
Keepers -- A Mission or a Monument. His
point was that he believed that God had
established Promise Keepers for a
season. (I believe that too) And there
would come a time when that season would
pass. The same is true for Pathfinder's
rebuilding ministry. LET ME SAY THAT WE
ARE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THAT POINT.
(sorry for raising my voice!) Even
though some camps are gone, there is
still a significant need to help people
rebuild there homes.
Rebuilding
Phillips house is finished! We obtained
the Certificate to Occupy yesterday.
Thanks to all who contributed to the
construction on that home. The case
manager with International Relief and
Development (IRD) is working to find
furniture for the home so they can move
in.
I have
changed the web page for the work we are
doing so you can see the volunteer
schedule and the work for each home.
Click Here to go to that page. As
you will see, that Amish group CARE will
be helping us with interior painting and
flooring next week. The following week,
volunteers from Cassopolis, MI will be
here to help. You may also note that
there are several weeks where we do not
have volunteers. I am building
relationships with the other camps to
"matrix" volunteers to our camp to work
on the houses we are responsible for.
That is my plan for those weeks, unless
we have volunteers come in. We have had
a great success doing this since
Christmas. The Lord provides for our
needs.
The
major point here is that we still need
you to come help us. The economy is
struggling, people are losing their jobs
... but God is STILL on the throne. We
are not a construction business, but a
ministry established by God for His
purpose. He is our source ... our
provider .... He calls the laborers ....
You may read these words but I would
encourage you to listen for His voice.
One young man from DeMotte, IN thanked
us as he got ready to leave saying that
this was one of the most significant
things he had ever done in his life...
Ministry
I lead
a topical study on Thursdays and
study
on the book of John on Sunday
evenings.
Some men have talked to me about
starting a men's study on Tuesday but
nothing has come of that as yet.
Church Plants
Old
Spanish Trail Baptist Church
We have
been attending Old Spanish Trail Baptist
Church ( a church plant out of First
Baptist Bay Saint Louis) for the past
couple of months. Ben Dedeaux
(DeeDough) is the pastor and works at
Lowes in commercial sales. He and I
have become good friends. I provided
him with the materials to lead a 40 Days
of Purpose study at his church. I got
the PDL books from friends in California
and the study guides and DVD from my
brother who is a pastor at the
Naperville Evangelical Free Church, near
Chicago. We have a topical study on
Thursdays and are currently studying
John on Sunday evenings.
West
Bay Community Church
A good
friend from Gateway, Andrew Hicks and
his family recently moved to Waveland.
Andrew is attending New Orleans Baptist
Seminary and has partnered with another
student there to plant a church in
Waveland. Small world, huh. It is good
to have friends like the Hicks close by.
Vacation Bible School
Ben
asked if any of the volunteer groups
would be interested in helping with a
Vacation Bible School this summer. If
you are interested please send us an
e-mail and let us know when you could
come. The date is really up to you, it
just needs to be in the summer.
The Elgins
Martie
is doing very well in her recovery from
the surgery. After I finish the update,
we are going for a bike ride. We both
need it! Our grand daughter, Jessica is
staying with us for a season ... Martie
is home schooling her. Jessica just
turned 12. She loves the Lord and is a
joy to be around. Please continue to
pray for us.
Prayer requests
Linda
Bynum -- undergoing cancer treatments
in Arkansas
Tim
Phillips -- Recovering from grease burn
on his arm
Joe
Tague -- undergoing cancer treatments
Sam &
Marie -- Sam has problems with skin
cancer and after effects of ear surgery
Ben
Dedeaux and Old Spanish Trail BC
Ben's
wife Linda who is suffering from several
physical ailments
Andrew
Hicks and West Bay Community Church
Lesli
Davis -- physical and relational
problems
- funding for her house (cabinets,
flooring, doors, trim)
Gertrude Toomey - cancer
Pathfinder Ministry Outreach
That
the Lord will continue to provide the
resources (volunteer
and financial) needed to continue
our ministry on the Gulf Coast.
