Another month has passed and has it
ever been HOT! here on the coast.
The volunteers have been hard at it
... not complaining ... maybe
thankful that the heat has driven
the bugs somewhere else ....
We have had a team from Pennsylvania
this week and folks from North
Georgia came to help us as well.
The North Georgia group stays at
another site but the Lord has
connected us with them for
ministry. The North Georgia team
finished Leslie Davis' home, less
the tile install on her kitchen
counters. Leslie told me she passed
her final inspection and will start
moving next week. Thanks to all who
helped Leslie and her children. The
house is beautiful and Leslie is
thrilled. Martie and I will be
going to Leslie's on Tuesday to
"bless her home", where we will pray
God's blessing over the house and
family.
We have finished everything on the
Wells home. We should have the
final inspection early next week and
the Wells should be able to move in
by the end of the week. We will
bless that home as well. Once again
thank all of you who helped us. God
continues to show up -- just in
time. Friday morning, the power
company decided they would provide
underground electrical service
instead of the overhead service that
we had prepared for. There is a
live oak tree in the way and those
trees are protected by state laws.
So what are we to do? The Lord had
already made provision. Todd
Hamlin, the team leader from the
North Georgia group had called me
Wednesday night asking if I needed
help with electrical work and HVAC.
I did at the Keel house where we
have been working hard at fixing
what others have done wrong. When I
received the call about the Wells
house, I called the electrician to
tell him what the problem was and
pulled him off of the Keel
house. They took care and reworked
the service point for the Wells
house yesterday afternoon. Last
night the Power Company worked until
9:00pm finishing the underground
work. Thank the Lord for His
provision and intervention.
The North Georgia team also worked
on old Spanish Trail Baptist Church
to finish the bathrooms and entry.
Last night at 1:00 in the morning
they were still taping and mudding
the sheetrock.
We are also working on the Keel
house in Pass Christian (pronounced
Christi - anne). Trying to get it
to the point of rough in inspections
(that means electrical, HVAC, and
plumbing) so we can install
insulation and sheetrock. The team
from Pennsylvania left this morning,
but the volunteers from Georgia are
finishing up at the Keel house. We
had our "traditional" shrimp boil
with the addition of oysters, raw
and fried, fresh from the Gulf last
night. The oysters were a gift from
Mr. Wells. I told all of the
volunteers that they had reflected
Jesus during their week here and had
blessed many people. The youth did
exceptionally well. Although by day
4 (Thursday) everyone was wearing
down from the 100 degree heat.
Nearly every day someone, a local
resident or a volunteer, will thank
Martie and me for the work being
done here. I am quick to let them
know that it is God who should get
the recognition for any good thing
that comes from Pathfinder. We are
studying Genesis in our weekly Bible
study. In Genesis 14, after Abram
had helped the King of Sodom recover
what was lost to him, the king
wanted to reward Abram. Abram said
"no" because it was the Lord that
strengthened Abram's hand and
brought the victory. I think the
lesson here is that although the
result of our obedience may be a
good thing ... the origin is from
the Lord and it is to Him the glory
and thanks should be given. It is
not an expression of false humility
but a reflection of our
understanding of where the good has
come from.
The next couple of months are thin
on volunteers so we will spend time
on renewal, both for ourselves and
at the camp. In August we are going
to California for two weeks and
taking Jessica with us. Not certain
of our itinerary yet but hope to see
many of our friends while we are
there.
Something that the Lord had been
impressing on my heart of late is
that our work is really incomplete.
As the residents have moved from
wherever they evacuated to -- to
FEMA trailers --- to MEMA cottages
--- to restored homes --- their
living accommodations have improved
--- but whatever personal struggles
they had when they evacuated -- they
carried with them to their FEMA
trailers --- then to their MEMA
cottages and now --- to their
restored homes. If we are to bring
any help and hope of eternal
consequence, there must be more. My
point is that the recovery need is
bigger than restoring a home, it's
restoring a heart. The Lord has
given us a love for the people
here. Please join us in praying
that the Lord of the harvest will
stir the hearts of the people here
so they will "look unto the hills
from whence their help cometh".
Linda Bynum .. her cancer is in
remission but she is in the hospital
because of a fever
Joe Tague .. his chemo therapy
continues
Gertrude Toomey ... she is
retraining for a job ... she is in
her 70's
Sam Foye ... having physical
problems
Jeffrey Phillips ... graduated from
high school ... needs a job
Continued support for the ministry
... camp support and personal
support
