While it
seems that we have been here on the Gulf Coast only a short
time, May 2nd marked the passing of our 8th month here. Wow!
God is good
and continues to show Himself faithful and able. We
have been so blessed.
The
camp is progressing well. The kitchen is operational. The
bathrooms and showers are up (yea!) Churches are beginning
to send volunteers and the residents of the Waveland - Bay St.
Louis are being helped with the re-building of their homes and
with the storage pods (200 requests as of today).
A couple
came to the camp a few days ago to apply for a storage pod.
When the young woman , I'll call her Linda, came into the
office I noticed that she did not have forearms and hands. She
came with a companion but Linda completed the application
herself. As she spoke to us about the storm, her commitment to
overcome the losses brought on by Katrina was very evident. I
was very impressed by Linda's resolve to live her life in
spite of the storm and in spite of her personal
disability. When Linda got up to leave she tripped and fell
on the uneven floor. (Our office is in a tent with pallets and
plywood serving as a floor) Her companion helped her up
immediately. When Linda got to her feet, she apologized,
slightly embarrassed, saying that she had problems with her
prosthetic legs on uneven floors. Now I was even more amazed.
What a spirit for life this woman has.
Seeing Linda's determination to make the best of life in the
face of compounded personal hardships reminded me of the Lord's
encouragement for us to do the same.
James 1:2-3
Consider it
pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of
your faith develops perseverance.
2 Corinthians 3:7-9
But we have
this treasure in jars of clay to show that this
all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted,
but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
[1]
From the
world's view, Linda has had plenty of reasons to be bitter, to
have lost hope. There have been so many times that Martie and I
have faced difficulties in our lives, even since we have been
here on the Gulf. Speaking for myself, to my dismay, I have not
always responded
to disappointment and difficult times as well as Linda has. But
God (two of the greatest words put together in the Bible are
"but God") is so faithful and He gives us the strength we need
to persevere in the midst of our trouble. To stand in the midst
of the calamity and not lose hope. Our hope is not dependent
upon our circumstances but upon our relationship with the Lord,
Jesus Christ. Living our lives in the face of great hardships
and disappointments, trusting in the Lord for our strength ...
allowing His Spirit to shape our thinking and our attitude
toward life...
Even as I
type this I am listening to the thunder rolling outside and I am
thinking of the many who live along the Gulf Coast who are at
this moment fearful that another storm will come. A number of
mothers have told me about their children crying in the night
... having nightmares about the hurricane. Our desire, at
Pathfinder, is to bring a great and lasting hope to these
people. To show them that no matter what may come, God is
bigger, He is stronger, He is their protector and defender. His
name is a strong tower! We want them to know that He is ready,
willing and able to come to their aid. Meeting Linda has
reminded me of just what a great, mighty and loving God we
serve.
The Word
tells us that the prayers of a righteous man (or woman) avails
much …. they are powerful and effective ….. please pray for the
people here on the Gulf. Pray for Linda. Although her attitude
was inspirational, I did not have the impression that she was a
believer ... we will make it a point to encourage her and visit
with her in the coming days... I don't think it is not by chance
that she came to our door.
Martie and I
will be in California for the purpose driven church conference
next week. We will also have a chance to visit with my uncle
Bill in Victorville. Please pray that we will be a blessing to
him and his family and that the Lord will use our time at
Saddleback for His purpose and the benefit of the people on the
Gulf Coast.
Charley
Charley
& Martie Elgin
Pathfinder Mission
Waveland, Mississippi
http://www.pathfindermission.org
Office:
(228) 469-0507
Cell:
(228) 493-1081
Isa 58:12….
you shall raise up the
foundations of many generations; you shall be called the
repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
