When I read this during my devotion, I thought "That is exactly how Martie and I feel about what we are doing here on the gulf "; everything else has been blotted out.  Our work here is all we can see.  I have often said that I wish there was only one choice on menus in restaurants.  It would make ordering so easy!  That is what the Lord has laid in front of us.  A menu with one selection on it.  It is a good thing to be in the place He wants you to be.  We are so thankful that we had eyes to see and ears to hear. 

How about you?  God has purposed a path for each one of us.  We want to encourage you to consider what that purpose might be and then pursue it with abandon.  

I am finishing this update this morning in Niceville, Florida at the Maxwell AFB recreation center.  I'll have to drive across the bridge to find a restaurant that has WIFI so I can send it out.  We have rented a cabin for three days to seek God, get some rest and listen to the quiet.  And boy is it quiet.  I did not heard one salvage truck or emergency vehicle last night or this morning.  Are you ready for this?  I brazenly brushed my teeth using tap water ... that's right ... water right out of the faucet!  Is that bold or what! 

As you know, Martie will be seeing several doctors in Montgomery next week.  That will not be time off for us.  A good friend of ours encouraged us to be intentional about getting away and getting with God.  Our Mississippi cell phones are forwarded to the phone in the operations office.  While we are in Montgomery, we can be reached at 334-669-5855 (me)  and 334-669-5856 (Martie).

Last Sunday we attended the church our friend, Chuck Lowman, is pastoring.  God has used the unforeseen meeting of our friends from the past as sign posts that we are on the right highway.  The only thing God doesn't tell us is how far it is to the next destination, only that there is a next destination.  We want to hear God's voice in this.  Thus this time away in Niceville.  Please be in prayer for us and with us, that God will continue to show us the next step for our feet to follow.

The Camp.  The ministry through the camp continues to go well.  Still each day new residents are coming to us seeking help.  We have received over 670 requests for help.  Help with homes and/or storage pods.  That represents over 670 families (which represents one to two thousand family members) that we will touch in some way.  Bringing them hope and help.  Oh for a thousand volunteers!  We have had over 490 volunteers come to the camp since the middle of October.  Many more than once.  I know, I am never satisfied, but it is a holy dissatisfaction.  I want to help more and help them today!

We've just finished more, and probably the final, "big" improvements to the camp - a new enclosure for the kitchen - the addition of yet another shower trailer, that makes 2 shower trailers built and provided by FBC Montgomery. I was contacted by Bob Montgomery, Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Ocean Springs recently. Bob is a member of that church and took over my responsibilities for food and supply distribution when we left to come to Shoreline.  He wants to help the volunteer camps with food supplies, at least for a season.  I coordinated with a few camps in our area and with Bay Vista Baptist in Biloxi. So it appears that we will be getting some additional assistance with food.   

The Church.  The Shoreline Park church is progressing very well. Pastor Ed mentioned that he needed some carpenters to help with some of the remodeling inside the other day. The next day, two men arrived from Georgia, one of whom was a master carpenter.  God did it again! 

The Community.  We are working on remodeling now more than mudding out.  Volunteers from Indiana were going to re-roof a house.  They told me the only concern was that they would have a tough time getting the shingles on the roof.  It so happened, volunteers arrived from South Carolina the day before and had brought a device that lifts shingles to the roof.  The device was a contribution from someone in South Carolina who thought we might need it.  A the end of the day Craig, the team leader from Indiana, told me that they did not have to carry one shingle to the roof.

The Pods Project.  We are going to break 100 on pod deliveries this week. ( only 400 to go)   A number of churches are following the example of 1st CRC in Demotte.  They have asked for the specifications / drawings for the Pods so they can build the prefab portions and send them down to us for assembly.  For the residents these Pods are like "one good thing" of grace that happens to them.  One less thing they have to solve themselves.  And one more opportunity for the Church to reach out and touch lives. 

A lot of activity.  Since I seem to be sharing a lot of numbers, let me share a few facts I found concerning Hancock County, Mississippi, which is the county we are serving in.

Bottom line - there is a LOT that remains on the ground, undone and in many cases untouched.

Living in this environment is very stressful for the residents.  Day in and day out looking at the remains of their lives lying on the ground in a tumbled mess.  Please continue to pray for them.  That they will seek out the One who can sustain them through this. 

BTW.  They had a tornado go through the New Orleans area yesterday.

Until Next Week ......