Hurricane Relief to Perkinston, MS

Update on happening.....

2006-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

As we enter into the 2006, it is our intent to not forget nor ignore the continued need for those living in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Although our intial town of Perkinston is running again, those in Bay St. Louis are not and are still in need of so much. With a brief break to honor the families God has blessed us with during the CHRISTMAS season, we are back in the seat again and ready to prepare for anything we can do to help down there.

Just prior to Christmas, Shari was able to mail boxes of goodies and supplies to Pastor Murphy at Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis. Pastor's intent was to hold a "Christmas Store" where children were able to come in and "shop" with Monopoly Money to buy presents for their families. We have not personally heard of it's success but are sure that God blessed them with a wonderful event. There were also Wal-Mart cards sent that were donated by giving church families from the Huntsville area.

Our first project this year is going to be putting a cookbook together and then selling it with all proceeds going to the relief effort. Once it is complete, we will put a post on here and if you'd like to purchase one to help, we will give the details. At this time, we are unsure of when God will call us to physically go to Mississippi again, although we miss the friends we've made down there dearly, but we know that He has great plans that will prosper the area and we are praying that He allows us to continue to be a part of it.

Although the need for clothing and supplies diminished, we are uncertain how the next season will bring about need. If you are still wanting to help, one of the best ways we can think to help is to send Wal-Mart Gift Cards. We would be happy to send them for you or we can put you in contact with those we are helping. We hope to be in touch with Pastor Murphy and Pastor Daniels in the near future and will update you on the specific needs as they come to us.

Please remember in prayer, the students and families, of Perkinston Community College, who were recently killed in a car accident. Our hearts go out to them in love, as we are all a part of One Greater family.

Thank you again for your reading of our blog and as always, keep the prayers coming for the families in the Gulf Coast region. It is only through prayer that God's will be done down there and that the rebuilding can be successful for His name.

In His time....

Cathy and Shari

Today's Christian Woman article feedback

2006-01-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

We wanted to share with you that thanks to Today's Christian Woman Jan/Feb issue, we are receiving wonderful notes from people around the country. The one I have posted below is particularly meaningful to us because we felt so blessed that God allowed us to be personally involved when so many wanted to and tried to. We also know that although New Orleans was devastated, we tried through our site to bring other areas to the forefront as well. Your well wishes and kind thoughts mean so much to us as we CONTINUE the journey God has before us....

Hello everyone,

I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciated reading your moving and inspiring story in Today's Christian Woman. That led me to your blog, which I read, and that led me to the pictures of the church and Parkinston and that led me to other pictures of the devastation and that led me...On and on. I have followed what happened down there, but much of the focus was on New Orleans. I know that city was devastated and so many people displaced and so much history lost, but I found it frustrating and angering that so little was said about the rest of the affected area. So many of those people must really feel abandoned by the rest of the country. I know that it will take years to repair damage - many things are lost forever. Their will to survive and do it with style is overwhelming and beautiful.

You women have helped blanket, clothe, feed, toy and Bible that area, putting wheels and linens and love to your faith. I am a social worker in Washington state and many of us tried to organize a relief effort for the displaced foster children of the area, which sadly, was not sanctioned by our state until the help was no longer needed. Don't you just love the government? :) But our prayers flowed just the same, now I know that some of that was for your team. Maybe that was our role all along...

I would wish you all God's richest blessings, but it seems clear that has already come your way. May it continue.

in Him,Valerie

In the Forefront...

2005-11-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

That's where Katrina survivors need to be kept in the hearts of all Americans. Read a note that I received yesterday...

"Thank you for your accounts of Waveland / Bay St. Louis. Our daughter, her husband and two little boys have a home in Waveland - still standing but flooded and ruined. They've been with us in Utah since the hurricane and I'm homeschooling the boys, which is how I found your message. They're planning to return soon to begin gutting the house and cleaning up - with no funds, since their insurance has given them only $1600! It's difficult to explain the devastation and the situation that exists down there, especially to people who have never been to the area. Thank you so much for the efforts you are making and the service you are providing."

Cathy Long
Mapleton, Utah

May we all reach into the depths of understanding and compassion, to keep the survivors in the forefront of our thoughts, always seeking to provide comfort, encouragement, and love in the name of Christ Jesus.

Complete in Him,
Shari

Apodidonai...

2005-11-05T04:27:00.000-08:00

You know when you see a post from me (Shari) that it's going to be long and, more than likely, random thoughts will appear everywhere! Grab your Bible, and a cup of hot chocolate or caramel machiatto for my Starbucks friends.

Be blessed!

Thanksgiving plans are on the way. We've already had folks donating items. I know that as the holidays get closer, many hurricane victims will be forgotten. It is my prayer that you would keep hurricane Katrina victims in your prayers especially as the holidays make their way around. This is going to be a long rebuilding period.

I just flipped through 5 rolls of film from Bay St. Louis and Waveland, MS. My heart, once again, is pained by what my eyes see. I want to go now, but I know that I have to bring help with me!

It's been a blessing to hear God speak ever so softly...

We had our reservations booked for the Opryland hotel for Thanksgiving. With all of the valleys that our family has had to endure the past 10 months, we needed to get away.
We have never spent Thanksgiving away from our home, but we all agreed that this year would be different.
How exciting it would be! They'd have all of the Christmas decorations in full swing, the shows promised to be wonderful, and I could do some Christmas shopping!
Guess what? Two days later, God once again had other plans for me. You'd think I'd have learned by now wouldn't you?
I'm in the shower thinking about all the fun and possibilities of our Thanksgiving trip. (this is the only place I have time to think in peace)
As I'm thinking about the twinkling lights and the delight on my children's faces, I am hit with a thought...what will those in the campsites do? Then the mind starts to wander. If you know me, you know this is a dangerous event. :-)
What will they eat? How will they feel knowing they've lost everything and are now spending Thanksgiving alone? (I'm always the positive thinker, ha!)
I felt so bad for planning our Thanksgiving around what we wanted and needed. To this day I feel shame for taking this day and turning it into a commercial-driven escapade. I'm not saying that we shouldn't enjoy ourselves, but I heard the call loud and clear!
What is most interesting is that I know that my family will enjoy going to MS. and helping to make the holiday special even MORE than being at the Opryland hotel! What was I thinking? Forgive me, Lord.

"Apodidonai" has rested in my thoughts for about 48 hours now.
What is that you ask?
It's Greek, meaning, to give back. No, I'm not a Greek scholar. I'm a mom that happened to stumble across this word in a Bible study. Yep, a random study, actually a DVD, that came in the mail! A study about how we are bought and paid for and that our lives are to serve Him, not man. Or in my case, ourselves. Of course we all know that we are to serve Him, but sometimes the worldy views get in the way and blind us. Funny how things reaffirm our callings. For this I am most thankful.

If you have a moment, read Luke 14:12-14. Of course, it isn't a literal sense pertaining to Thanksgiving, but a lesson on how to serve for the right reasons. Doing things to be rewarded by man isn't the way to eternal happiness. Our focus should be on doing things for Him. Using the example of the less fortunate shows us that this will bring greater blessings because you know that they cannot give back AND you don't expect them to reciprocate. Now the catch...your eternal blessings will come after your death. Yes, we continue to see blessings in what we do, but the blessings on earth are a fraction of what will be waiting for us. Do we do it for the blessings? No. We do it because He has called us to help. The blessings are a direct result of being obedient to God's Word. Think about it, if we did these things for selfish reasons, we would never see any blessings.
I ask God to use me as His vessel, DAILY. I am thankful that He has chosen me and thankful for the sisters that He has chosen to walk alongside me. Cathy and Sarah have been a blessing to me in so many ways. I wouldn't trade them in for anything! Ephesians 1:15-16

Anyway, the flame was ignited, and now my family and Sarah's family will be spending Thanksgiving preparing and serving a hot meal to Katrina victims.
We have a list of needed items if you'll take a look at the previous post.
If everyone donated a can of something, we'd have plenty to go around. Obviously, if you live outside of Huntsville, you don't want to mail cans, but you can add this mission to your prayer list. Prayers are number one. Everything else will fall into place after prayer.

I thank those that have helped in the past and those that have chosen to help this time around. If our journey's have touched you in such a way that you'd like to join us, please let us know. If you feel a little tugging in your gut, it means you're being called! If you can't stop thinking about what you've read, it means you're being called! If you close your eyes and still see the photographs that we've posted, it means you're being called! If your eyes are wide open and still see the photographs, it means you should start packing!
Listen for the call. Act on it. You'll be blessed beyond your imagination here on earth, AND there will be an eternal blessing waiting for you.

It is my prayer that each and every one of you hear His call for your lives.

It's 6:20 am. I've been up since 4:00 am. I'm off to start my day and look forward to seeing what God has planned for me today!

Be Blessed,
Shari

p.s. As my fav group Mercy Me says, "How can I further Your Kingdom when I'm so wrapped up in mine?"

Greatest Thanksgiving Ever!!!

2005-10-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

I just had to put a quick note on here to let you know that Shari and I are both feeling that this will be the greatest Thanksgiving ever. Even though I won't personally be able to be involved int his relief effort, I am continued to be amazed at the path that God sets before Shari and me.

Not knowing how or when the help would come, Shari planned to take meals down to Mississippi for Thanksgiving and then come back to spend it with her family. Well, God had other plans and now so does Shari. As I said before, Shari and her family will be traveling to Perkinston with Sarah and her family for Thanksgiving. They will have the joy and pleasure of spending the holiday with our new extended family in Perkinston. We weren't sure how the food was going to get into our laps but God has continued to bless us.

I personally have to thank my church, Willowbrook Baptist, for their continued support both in prayer and in help. I am thankful to have leadership like Pastor Mark and Pastor John who not only focus what the church is scheduled to help with but also are willing to help the "small" missions (ie: us). Through this leadership, we have been contacted by people within my church that are willing to help us with food and other items. I have also had the pleasure of working with Rob Peavy at the Madison Baptist Association and he has placed our trip on their calendar in the event someone calls wanting to go over the holidays.

God continues to show us that our work is not in vain, nor is it done. As Shari and I said from the get go, we are in this for the long haul. As long as God opens doors to help, we will walk through them.

Please continue to pray that we will seek His will and do it. Please pray that our needs to bring Thanksgiving to those who've lost it all will be met and exceeded. Please pray for those still living intents and under tarps because they don't have insurance. Please pray for Shari, Sarah and their families as they travel and try to bring a little joy to those who have lost so much.

Praise God for all His good. Praise Him for bringing Perkinston, Pastor Daniel's and Pastor Irvin into our lives. Praise Him for the people who have stepped up both financially and in prayer to support our mission. And thank you Lord, for you son dying for us. Without Him, we would be eternally lost.

May we touch one life for Him....

Cathy

Thanksgiving is about giving

2005-10-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I wanted to send a quick note to let everyone know our next trip is on the calendar. Shari will be heading this next trip up and Sarah will be going as well. This trip is open to whoever can and wants to go. Shari and Sarah's families will be going on this mission to help put a Thanksgiving meal together for those still stranded in the Perkinston area.

The plan is to leave on November 23 and head down to Perkinston. If the Lord provides, they will then head to Bay St. Louis to deliver a meal to Pastor Murphy's house. He is very difficult to get in touch with right now because of his efforts to rebuild Bay St. Louis but we know that God will open that communication if it's meant to be. Then the plan is to feed those that are still "camping" in the Perkinston area. There is a little road side campground there and people are still living in tents and or under tarps. It is very sad and Shari thought it'd be a great idea to maybe set up a dinner for them. Please pray that God will supply the needs to make this happen. We need food, people willing to come and a place to put the meal on. Once we know what the food situation is, then we will begin the other process of finding a place and notifying the people. Below is a list of needs for the area:

From Wal-Mart: Hand warmers. These are in packets in the hunting section. They are less than a $1 each. I bought many for our troops in Iraq last year.
-Coats in all sizes. These will go to the campsite folks in Perkinston.
-Sweaters in all sizes
-Gloves for men, women and children
-Blankets
-Hats, scarves for men, women and children
-Ponchos (raincoats)
-Rainboots, all sizes
-Any camping items; lanterns, tents, sleeping bags, stoves, flashlights/batteries

Food Items:

-Canned green beans
-Cream of mushroom soup
-Turkey(s)
-Ham(s)
-Black Olives
-Stuffing
-Bags of Potatoes
-Butter
-Yams
-Marshmallows
-Corn
-Carrots
-Fruit Cocktail
-Dried onion rings
-Cranberry sauce
-Drinks
-Thanksgiving tableware: forks, spoons, knives, plates, napkins, tablecloths
-Thanksgiving centerpieces
-Biscuits
-Gravy (mixes or jars)
-Cornbread mix
-Pumpkin pie, cakes, etc.
-Candy for the children

If you would like to help in any way or go on this trip, please contact us at youngforever94@yahoo.com with your contact info and we'll be back in touch very soon.

Please continue to pray for this region and for us. Pray that God will bring the needs to us for this trip. Please pray that Shari and Sarah will touch these people in a special way for God. Please pray that they have safe journey's and that their families will also be blessed by this giving of His love. We must remember those who are still hurting down there and pray for them too. The more storms that blow in, the more they are forgotten. It is not going to be a quick fix. We feel God will lead us there for a long time to come. Please help us help them have at least one good holiday.

In His time...

Cathy

News from Waveland

2005-10-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to tell you that my husband went to the Waveland area 2 weeks ago on a relief trip from our church. From what he told me, you are correct that people are still living in tents or with only tarps on their roofs. I have also wondered what they were going to do when the temps dropped. It was such a moving experience for DH that he wants to go back again in about a month. Our minister's wife's parents live in the area so we have a real connection to them. Our church has sent 25 people to work over 2 weeks. We plan to do a trip monthly as long as possible.Thanks for keeping this in the forefront of the minds of everyone.

Susan Allen

Trip to Perk and Bay St. Louis Day 3 & 4

2005-10-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe how time is passing me by and I haven't updated the blog. If you are a regular viewer, please forgive me and know that we are still in communication with our friends in Perkinston and Bay St. Louis.

Day 3 and 4 were as memorable as the rest and maybe more so. On Sunday, we had the great pleasure of being at Tuxechena Baptist and hearing Pastor Daniels speak. He has such a great way of spreading God's word to his flock. Walking through the doors, we were met with great big hugs and welcome back's. For me, it was a joy to be returning and for the rest, it was a time to meet the people who's lives we had touched and see their warm welcomes first hand. After church, we were able to visit and met a gentleman there who actually worked for the Mississippi Department of Health. We told him where we were going and the gift of air purifiers we had been given. He was overjoyed and wished the state could get more of those but it's not "budgeted". He was able to tell us that what we were giving out was a blessing to those who got them and more than we would ever understand.

After church, we headed back to the house to change and get the cars packed with our cleaning supplies. We were blessed to be able to take the back of my Envoy and Sarah's van packed with cleaning supplies to the church in Bay St. Louis. We then got on the road and prepared to show Sarah, Lisa and Josiah what our eyes had viewed the day before. We stopped at a Wendy's on the way down. It was in Gulfport. They were unable to open the dining area but were living in trailers outside the restaurant and working the inside. Amazingly, they were almost as fast as those in our area that have no excuse.

Upon arriving at the church, we found out that Pastor Murphy had taken some much needed time off and was home resting. We knew where he wanted the cleaning supplies so we unloaded them and left the Envoy there until we got done visiting the town. We were able to take Sarah, Lisa and Josiah into the area we had originally found the day before. We went in the back way this time and they began to see the horror of what we had taken in the day before. For us though, it was almost too much. This time, the sorrow, loss and depression seemed to come to the forefront and the smell seemed to hit us 10X harder. When we came out of that area by the Hwy 90 bridge, the officers that we had spent time with the day before were directing traffic and not allowing people to stop, like we had the day before. However, the officer was kind enough to come over and talk to us and explain why. When I asked if we could stop, he said he couldn't let us, even though he knew us from the day before. It seems that a lady had gone to the site of where her mother's house used to be and found a looter. Her mother was killed in the storm and she was trying to get whatever she could from the property. There was nothing of "value" there but some trinkets and such. She ran into a looter and had to "fight" for her Mom's things. Because of that, they decided it was time to close it off. It amazes me how much people will take advantage of those who've lost everything.

We thanked the officer, again, and then ventured towards the area we had found the Veterans Memorial. However, God blessed us with a new area. Downtown Bay St. Louis. Having never been there before, we tried to picture what the town was like before a 30 ft. wave wiped it out. There were still many buildings standing but it was obvious they were going to be condemned or damaged severely. The road was wiped out that ran alongside the Bay. The train bridge was laying alongside the beach and then disappeared into the Bay. There was a sign standing and a payphone on a pole, where a beach side bar and restaurant used to be. And under our feet, there was corrosion that was probably 3-4 ft deep. Buildings had spray paint on them warning people to stay away due to molds and feces. It was a very sad time and I'll never forget the mud stained rag doll that sat on the window sill of a building. Some child had lost everything, but hopefully not their life.

We then ventured towards the memorial and the losses we saw down there. God continued to give us directions in a town that we knew nothing about and had no map of. I am thankful that God gave me a sense of direction and that He showed us how to get back to areas that we met people the day before and were able to talk to some again. Again, for Sarah and Lisa, the words just kept coming of "Wow" or "Oh My". For Jean, Trisha and I, it became too much to bear. Trisha had a very tough time seeing it again and yet we met some who lived this daily. People who had 15 family members living in a 3 bedroom house. People who lived in tents where their million dollar homes used to be. People who literally were fighting for their lives from looters and those trying to take advantage of a devastating situation. And we met those, like Pastor Murphy, who said we will rebuild. We will not leave and we will be a beacon of light for God in our deepest time of despair.

We then returned back to Perkinston, only to have missed church at Perkinston Baptist. We went and visited briefly with Pastor Irvin and Debbie and then headed home. About 10 minutes after we got home, we went over to John and Clarice's for dinner. We were so blessed by them and their stories of family and love. They fed us, housed us and prayed for us. Wow. Thank you God. We were joined in fellowship by Pastor Irvin and Debbie and the kids. It was sweet joy to fellowship with these wonderful people, who we never would've met, if it wasn't for God. We went home and talked for a bit and then went to bed, knowing we had a long trip home the next day and feeling emotionally drained and blessed at the same time.

The next day, we had the pleasure of Ms. Clarice's breakfast again. She, again, made us some ham and eggs but also biscuits this time. She was so kind and loving and made the day start good. Pastor Daniels met us there about 9:30 to take us to Ms. Carol's house. Ms. Carol is someone I asked for prayers from right after our first trip. She had a triple heart bypass and still needed further surgery to clear out both arteries in her neck. She was going to be the recipient of two of our air purifiers.

When we got there, our hearts ached. Ms. Carol and her husband, James, are so kind and warm but the house they lived in was not in good condition. You see, James lost a leg (up to the hip) when he was younger and Ms. Carol is not in good health. But as God continues to show me, you don't need much to love Him and be thankful. We could tell off the bat that Ms. Carol was not feeling good and it was more than her need to recover. She was having trouble breathing and thankfully, Lisa was a nurse. The Home Health nurse had not been by yet and they had put a call into them but they hadn't responded. While we were there, the nurse called and was on her way. We decided to let Lisa have some time with her to "evaluate" and talk to her so Jean, Trisha and I went outside with Josiah and left Sarah and Lisa inside. Pastor told us about how she had gone downhill since being home and he was very worried about her. The house did not have drywall or anything to prevent molds and bacteria. It had particle board walls and floors. Please don't get me wrong. We were so thankful for the air purifiers and knew they'd help. After a while, Lisa and Sarah joined us and we said our good-byes. It was sad to leave this time because I didn't know for sure when I was going back.

We went back to the house and packed up the truck and van. Pastor came by and picked up the air purifiers and headed straight back to the house to await the nurse. We locked up the house (forgot to leave the keys) and said good-bye to our new "home away from home".

It was good for me to see this community getting back on it's feet. The college football stadium was alive Saturday with it's homecoming game and the town seems to be breathing. The destruction is still visible but each time, it's less and less.

On the way home, we spoke with Pastor Daniels and found out that Ms. Carol had been take to the ER. She was expected to stay there for 3-4 days and then be home again. I have since found out that she is back home and doing well. The air purifiers are making a huge difference and really helping her to breath better. Praise God.

So, as this journey continues, and it will, please know that we are still on a mission from God. We don't know what the next step will be at this time but we know that we made a LONG TERM commitment to this community and now Bay St. Louis. As long as they and God will have us down there, we will answer the call.

Please continue to pray for Perkinston and Bay St. Louis. Please pray for Pastor's Daniels, Irvin and Murphy as they minister to those who have lost so much and yet have lost themselves. Please pray for their ministry in church and their communities. Please pray that help will continue to roll into Bay St. Louis. We are looking forward to seeing the dedication of the new Shoreline Baptist when it opens it's doors.

Thank you for God's blessing and love throughout this mission. Thank you for your prayers and support. Thank God for blessing us with such a wonderful community and new family. Thank God for saving so many from the devastation that took their homes. And most of all, Thank God for His son dying on the cross and the many blessing we get to experience because of that ultimate sacrifice.

Thank you and please check back......The journey continues......

In His time....

Cathy

Trip to Perk and Bay St. Louis Days 1 & 2

2005-10-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Well, in my last post, I asked for a couple days to regroup and it's been more than that. I guess I am finally coming down from the "high" God has put me on since taking on this wonderful mission. Knowing that we won't be returning for awhile has both good and bad feelings. I know it's good because that tells us that Perkinston, our original destination, is up and going and breathing again. It's also good because I can focus on my family here, knowing the family we've adopted in Perk is ok. It's sad though because we truly have become family to many in Perk and just like when you don't live close to family, it hurts to be away. I have grown to think of Pastor Daniels and Elsie as adopted parents. Pastor Irvin, Debbie and their wonderful children are like brother and sister to me. The church family at Tuxechena welcomes me with open arms and hugs when I walk through the door. And thanks to this last trip, John and Clarisse Dedeaux are like another extension of our family too. I pray that God will continue to bless this community and build up His work there. It is a community that loves God and each other and that is missing in so many communities today.

The trip down this time was probably my most draining. It is hard to believe that 6 weeks after Hurricane Katrina wiped out the Mississippi coast, that I would see more devastation than I ever had. Our trip was originally supposed to take us to Escatawpa, near Pascaguala. Well, God had a different plan and we wound up going to Bay St. Louis/Waveland instead. I had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Ed Murphy and his wife Karen there. Pastor Murphy is the preacher at Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis. The pictures on the church's website (www.shorelineparkbaptistchurch.com) could not prepare me for the devastation I was about to encounter.

Let me back up a minute though and tell you how God brought an awesome group of women together for me to make this journey with. I had the pleasure of taking two women from my church down to the area. Jean Winfrey and Patricia Dempsey both saw my video at church on Sunday and committed to going with me. They had both said they'd love to help but the opportunity hadn't presented itself because of work schedules. Because of the time I was going, they were able to come. We left on Friday, hauling a U-Haul trailer full of donations and linens. We arrived Friday night to the welcome of John and Clarisse and them opening up John's Dad's house to us to use as we needed. John's dad, Randall, passed away a couple of years ago and the house was a blessing for us. The history that we observed in that house was a blessing unto itself. The next morning, Clarisse made us three breakfast and then we headed to Bay St. Louis. Driving down I-10, we slowly began to see the devastation. I had seen the bent signs and rubble on the sides of roads before, but to Jean and Trisha, this was new.

Forgetting where I was going, we pulled off the interstate at Exit 13, only to have my gas light start ringing. It was at that time, reality of our situation and what we were heading for took light. There was no gas, no power and no phones. We thankfully had enough gas to go back up the interstate about 5 miles and get gas, without any problems. While at the gas station in Diamondhead, we ran into two ladies at the bathroom. One lady began telling Trisha about how she was living in a tent in front of her condemned home. She had not received her trailer from FEMA yet and had no where else to go. The neighbors house across the street had come off it's foundation during the flood and slammed into her's, causing her house major damage and her septic system to explode. So not only is she dealing with the molds and germs of the flood, but the septic as well. She had 3 Epileptic seizures since the flood and was having trouble breathing, because of the molds. Her friend had just gotten out of the ER the night before and had caught a bacterial infection from the mold. God instantly told us what our mission was and why we needed to go back there for gas. I had a personal Air purifier and a room air purifier that had been donated to us (actually 6) and we knew that is why we were there. We had the ladies come to the truck and were able to bless them with these. The one lady with the infection had a trailer with power so she would now breath pure air and we are praying it helped her infection clear up too.

We then headed back to Bay St. Louis. Pastor Murphy had given us great directions and soon we were pulling into the parking lot of what used to be the church. The church building is still standing but will have to be demolished in time. Pastor Murphy was very busy but was able to take a break and show us the church and what had happened. The church is a 2 story building, with the sanctuary on the top floor. The lower level was filled with mud but they were in the process of getting power, water and a new bathroom fixed up in it. You see, he wants to use the church as a point of rest for those coming to help rebuild their town. He has had trailers brought in with A/C for them to sleep in and just wants to bless those who come to give so much, with a little bit of luxury that he can give. It wasn't until I went upstairs that I had my breath taken away. I had seen the pictures on the website but walking into God's house and seeing it destroyed, was very surreal and extremely emotional. The pews still had bibles and hymnals in them but were stacked on top of each other. A crib was crushed by the pew. The pulpit was battered and worn. The floor sagged and then we saw it. The line where the water finally stopped. For 5-6 hours, there was a 29 ft. wall of water inside the church and the area around it. When it left, it left with a vengeance and took a lot of this church and town with it back to the depths of the gulf. But God is using this pastor and many others for His good and refuge. Pastor Murphy's house was spared any major damage and has become a refuge for some of his flock.

After unloading our items at the church, we asked Pastor what we could do to help. We though maybe some cleaning but no, he had a much bigger need. His need was that we go around Bay St. Louis, take pictures and get the word out. He said we needed to get on the streets, talk to people, get their stories, get pictures and get people involved in wanting to come help. WOW! What a huge request and yet I know God can make miracles work from even one person. So, we left the trailer there and headed out. Again, I was not prepared.

As we drove along, we saw cars piled on top of each other or nose down in the ditch, half way buried in the mud. We saw big building, crumbled in piles. And then we got to the bridge where I-90 used to cross the bay. We got out and were able to walk the beach. Clothing, dolls and personal items hung in the trees and were buried in the sand. The bridge was gone, except for the concrete pilons that made it through the storm but were badly damaged. It will take 1 1/2 years to rebuild the bridge. There were a few water front businesses and homes that were still standing right by the bridge but they were being demolished after being condemned. We spoke with three men at the bridge from different precinct. One was a Game (as in fishing, hunting) Warden from Virginia, one was a Game (as in gambling) Warden from Mississippi and the other a local Police Officer. They were all very friendly and once they found out I was a Marine, seemed more open to talk and tell us about the area. I'm sure with what they see and deal with, they are cautious about telling too much. They told us where to head to get the best "visible" story and that we might run into people too. We headed north of the bridge along a waterfront community that no longer exists. There are major foundations, stairs and all kinds of personal items, but the houses are gone. There are stilts that the houses were built on, but the houses are gone. There are flags flying, cars buried in mud, boats in trees, fur coats flying in the wind, but the houses are gone. There was even a handicap side entrance to a house and it's front steps, but the house was gone. When I say gone, I mean there is not even enough rubble in the yard to constitute a home. It had been sucked into the Bay or Gulf. We saw a tire sticking up out of the water on what looked like a trailer. We saw a tree about 100 yards out, sticking out of the water. And this was the beginning. We haven't even gone a mile yet. Wherever we looked, we saw destruction and lives that had been lost.

We then headed down to another area, more the Gulf side of town. It was here that my heart really began to sink as I saw a stone memorial with a bunch of flags around it. Upon further investigation, we found out that the area it stood at, used to be the VFW hall and that people had graciously brought flags to the site to restore it's purpose. Just down from it on the beach was a man cleaning an area around a flag and fountain, that no longer worked. On the fountain, were the emblems of each service. I asked the man where we were standing and he told me it used to be a beautiful memorial for veterans. It has been damaged by Katrina and destroyed by Rita. I asked him why he was cleaning it up now and he informed me that they had troops returning from Iraq that had been gone for 7 mos and it was the least he could do for them. There is to be a parade, but they have no where to hold it. These men and women who fought for our freedom are returning to no homes, no town and more devastation than they dealt with in Iraq.

We drove for another 10 miles along the coast and continued to see the same things. Lots with foundations but no homes, church's that now were just blue tarps but still serving the people. Clothing, shoes, teddy bears and debri blowing in the wind. We returned to the church and thanked Pastor Murphy for his directions and gift of letting us see the town. We told him we would return Sunday after church with cleaning supplies and items he had requested and headed home to Perkinston. It was a somber ride home, almost like leaving a funeral. There was no laughing, only remembering and sharing. We were blessed that night to have dinner at Pastor Irvin's house and the sweet fellowship with his family and Pastor Daniels and Elsie. We got to know more about our wonderful new family and God took the pain from our hearts and allowed it to turn to a story for Him.

We returned to our home that night with a renewed sense of His spirit and ready to tackle the next day. That night, Sarah Pavlik, one of the original 4 that went down, and a friend of hers, Lisa and Sarah's son joined us. We had pictures from the day that I wanted them to see because I told her she had no idea what she was going to see. You see, we didn't see this much devastation when we went to Gulfport 10 days after the storm. I wanted to do my best to prepare her, but pictures only speak so much. We went to bed that night ready for God to prepare our hearts and mind for His word as we worshipped at Tuxechena the next day.

(more to come)

Update on Seneca and Leah

2005-10-15T16:55:00.000-07:00

I know many of you are wondering what happened to Senica and Leah, the two we brought back from Gulfport. She called me today, so here's the latest. Senica made it safely back to St. Louis/Edwardsville, Illinois where she is from. The mobile home her aunt promised her wasn't quite what she expected, so another gentlemen (originally from Alabama) has rented her a nice 3-bedroom home for six months free. After that another aunt is going to rent her a four-bedroom home at a reduced rate.

Leah returned to first grade and her teacher has been working diligently to catch her up. She loves her school and is fitting in wonderfully.

New Song Fellowship in Edwardsville has taken them under their wing and they have been attending church regularly. "I can't believe how God has been taking care of us," Senica said.

As for her two-year-old son Jordan, she continues to battle her ex-husband and his parents for custody. Before deploying to Iraq, Joel gave power of attorney to his parents and right now, Senica only gets to see him on the weekends. When she returns him to his grandparents he cries and begs themt to let hims stay with his mommy. But, thank God, a Legal Aid attorney in Edwardsville has agreed to take her case and help her get Jordan back.

Senica has already enrolled in medical transcriptions/phlebotomy school and is maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She will graduate in June. Then she hopes to go to nursing school. In the meantime, she is collecting unemployment and living off a grant. FEMA did give her a $2000 cash card, but she's had to spend most of it. The landowner from the apartment she abandoned in Gulfport refuses to give her back her deposit because she didn't clean it out. And the daycare where she worked never did give her her last paycheck.

Continue to pray that she would come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ; that her financial needs would be met; for family relationships; and for the custody battle between her and Joel. Pray that Leah would continue to thrive in school and for little Jordan.

We're Back....

2005-10-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

Wow. I had hoped to be able to post tonight about our trip down but you will have to forgive me, as I need another day to process my thoughts and the sites that my eyes took in. I know that God never gives us more than we can handle but I have to say, I think He pushed me to the limit this weekend. I can't even remember if I updated this to let you know where we were going so please forgive me if I repeat myself.

Through God's hand, we were directed to the Bay St. Louis/Waveland, MS area. This is the 2nd hardest hit area, next to New Orleans. However, at least New Orleans still exists. This entire community was wiped out. As I said, I can't put it into words. Pastor Murphy, at Shoreline Park Baptist Church (www.shorelineparkbaptistchurch.com) said the best mission we could for him was to go visit people, get their stories, get pictures and get the word out. If ever the verse "My God, My God, why hast though forsaken me?" come into my mind and thoughts, it was as I drove through those streets that are now covered in mud, hundreds of foundations where there were houses (big houses). Now, please don't get me wrong. I KNOW that God did not forsake them. I can see it in the low death numbers in Mississippi, I can see it in His people coming together. I can see it so many ways. The only reason I say that is because if I didn't have the faith I do, I would think that God had left that town to fend for itself. It is easy to see why so many are mad and yet it's not the faithful that are. They are the ones sticking around to rebuild. They are the ones sharing their stories of suvival and help. They are the ones coming together and loving those of us who come to serve them.

So, in closing, please pray for this community and for those of us who went down. We are not traumatized but our hearts and eyes took so much in, we need to process. God is good and has done amazing things in my heart these last few weeks. I pray that I will continue to be open to His calling and am thankful for the women He has put in my life that are also answering the call. Shari we missed you this weekend. Trisha, Jean, Sarah, Lisa and Josiah, thank you for your answer to prayers this weekend and for helping Shari and I continue our dream of helping southern Mississippi. I truly believe these women understand our need and desire to follow through for these communities.

God bless each of you and I will try to update this tomorrow. Pray, please pray.

In His time....

Cathy

Here we go.....Again!

2005-10-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel like maybe I've neglected to update the blog but so much has happened and, as usual, it all comes together at the end. Let me start by saying that Shari will not be able to go on this trip, which was a real shock to my system and the devil started pulling at me to not go. But God allowed to have a peace about continuing and brought two women, Trisha Dempsey and Jean Winfrey, from my church, Willowbrook Baptist, that wanted to go along. I was also honored that a young man, Ronnie Ware, was willing to give up his time with college things and friends to go along and help too. His biggest desire was to make himself as useful as possible. Unfortunately, Ronnie's parents didn't see it the same way he did and he isn't going to be able to travel with us. Pray for Ronnie, as his heart really wanted to go but he isn't in order to honor his parents. It was a difficult decision for him to swallow and he needs prayer for forgiveness. I am also honored that Sarah, one of the original "girls" to go will be joining us with her son, Josiah, on Saturday night. She also may be bringing a friend along. God is good all the time, all the time, God is good.

Without rehashing all that happened this week, we found out that Escatawpa was not in need of our items and was doing fine. So armed with the feeling that God wanted us to continue with our trip, I began calling church's in the hardest hit areas of Mississippi, Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis/Waveland. After getting sad results from 3 church's, I was blessed by a lady in Pass Christian that told me of a church in Bay St. Louis that had just put a call out the previous day to those around for twin size sheets and bedding. Amazing, or should I say by the grace of God, I have about 12 boxes in my garage that had sheets, blankets, towels and wash clothes in them. All the items this church needed. So she gave me the phone number to Pastor Ed Murphy, no not the comedian, and within minutes I had the pleasure of speaking to him. I told him of our desire to come and help but also that we had the linens he needed. He explained to me that his church grounds were going to be used as a staging area for builders and repair people that were coming to the area and they had trailers and twin beds, but no sheets. I was so excited that I think I might have scared him a little. You see, God has continued to move in this whole mission and every time, I get more excited.

So on Saturday and Sunday, we will be going to Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis, MS to help prepare for the workers that are coming to help this community rebuild. This area is right close to where the eye of Katrina hit and then they also received flooding from Rita. If you'd like to see some amazing pictures, go to www.shorelineparkbaptistchurch.com. Obviously, these pictures were taken a week or two after the hurricane but it gives you the level of destruction they personally witnessed. Also, I found out by talking to Pastor Murphy that 99% of the congregation of his church lost everything. I can only imagine what that must be like. There aren't even houses to help the people who come down. There is nothing. It will be a level of devestation that I have not even seen yet. We will be going down there to help prepare the trailers and sort donations for the people in town. We pray that God will touch us and use us in a mighty way. Maybe there will be someone specific that He'll put in our paths again. Maybe not. I told Trisha and Jean, this sounds like a somewhat unorganized trip but that is because I am truly waiting for God's mighty work to begin and it usually starts to form on the way down.

So please pray for safety. I will be pulling a trailer, which I've not done before. Please pray for God's hand to surround us and the work He would have us do. Please pray that our families will be ok while we are away. Please pray that if there be 1 or 100 that we are to touch in His name, he will open the door for that. Praise God for the volunteers who will be going with me. May they be blessed as much as Shari and I have been. Praise God for our families who have been so understanding and supportive.

Thank you for your continued prayer support and love. May God go before us on this trip and put His hedge of protection around us and those we come in contact with.

We'll be back late Monday and I will try and post to the blog Tuesday with what God put before us.

In His time...

Cathy

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!! PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!!

2005-10-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!...For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Well, as we begin another week and look at what God has put before us with our next trip, we can only say that we need prayer right now. God has blessed us so much with friends, family and even strangers who have been willing to give to our cause in the past. And just when we thought we were done, God revealed another opportunity to us and we, of course, are now pressing on in His name for not only Perkinston but Escatawpa.

Please pray that this week will be one that blesses Him and allows us to bless the people in those two towns. Pray for donations of time, supplies and/or money so that we can press on in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Pray for people to come with us and experience the love and peace that these wonderful people have. Pray for help for these two towns that feel forgotten by FEMA and people in general. Pray for their livelyhood and the fact that so many are stuggling with Insurance companies that don't want to pay. Pray for Shari and I as we are only two women who wanted to do a little service and God has turned this into a mission for Him that we are onboard with until He tells us different. Pray for our families who are sacrificing a lot right now with our time at home focused on getting ready to go and our being away every two weeks for 2-3 days. Pray that God will allow us to touch another life or lives through our ability to bring aid to those in need. Pray that we will continue to keep our eyes and mission focused on Him and what He wants us to do.

Praise God for his multiple blessing that Shari and I have personally experienced in the past month. Praise God for safe travel for us and the many thousands who have given of themselves freely to help the victims of the Hurricanes. Praise God for the souls of those of you that have given and/or will give of your prayers, time, money or donations. Praise God that Shari and I are able to be at home mom's and homeschoolers' with an awesome support system. Praise God for husbands and families that are so understanding and supportive of the role that God has put before us. Praise God for Pastor Daniels and the people of Perkinston that He has brought into our lives. Praise God for the people of Perkinston's love and willingness to open their hearts and homes to us. Praise God for Tuxechena Baptist Church. Praise God for the open doors that Willowbrook Baptist has given us here in Huntsville. Praise God for those people who have donated Bibles to our cause. Praise God for His love and patience with us, as we are doing this with nothing more than what He provides. Praise God for His son, who through death, promised us a great reward, HEAVEN. Praise God for each of you who continue to read our blog and pray for us.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost....Amen

Until next time....

Cathy

Mission of Mercy....

2005-09-26T16:40:00.000-07:00

Well, the reason for the name of the post is because in the past week, it has been called that twice. So, we are embracing what God has put before us and thanking Him for his travel mercy and protection.

We got off to a later start on Saturday morning due to weather concerns from the night before. Shari and I were on the phone until just past 11pm watching Hurricane Rita on Friday night and trying to decide whether it was a trip we should be going on. We had a tough time because we weren't sure whether it was the devil trying to put doubt in our minds or if the weather was really going to be a factor. After a lot of discussion between ourselves and our spouses, we decided that we were still going to go and would evaluate our trip down to Escatawpa once we got to Perkinston.

So at around 8am we were able to get on the road with Shari's mom and headed for Perkinston. We were both tired and Shari had a bad night of rest but our mission was clear and we were energized by God and are thankful that He has the power to sustain us even when we aren't able to do it ourselves. We ran into what we have decided must be the "state bug" of Mississippi. The "Love Bug", and this isn't a car named Herbie. There is an Urban Legend that they were an experiment gone wrong in Florida many years ago or that they were "created" to eat mosquitoes. Well, after doing a little research, I am now able to clearly say they are just a major annoyance 2x's a year for the Gulf Coast states and up into South Carolina, where I personally have memories from. For those interested, here is a website I found about this....http://www.snopes.com/critters/lurkers/lovebugs.htm.

Anyway, back to our trip....

Because of these pests, we had to stop at a gas station to wash Shari's windshield. So after washing the windshield, we got back on the road and Shari decided we would see how long it took before we couldn't see out the window again. (It was the only amusement we had :-) ) About 15 minutes later, her window was almost totally covered again and we started praying for a heavy rain to clear them off. You see, windshield washer fluid only smears them. Well, God started to answer and we jokingly said "harder" and the next thing we knew, we had a heavy rain storm with large drops and the windshield was clean. So for the rest of the trip, about every 15 minutes or so, we would pray for rain to wash the bugs off and God didn't let us down. It was funny and yet at the same time, was so awesome to see God help us even in a fun sort of way. It helped push the fatigue away and by the time we got to Perkinston, we were feeling good and ready to go.

When we got to Hattiesburg, we called Pastor Daniels and set up a meeting point. The Fire Station had moved the trucks to the chief's house so they were not available for us to visit when we arrived. Pastor informed us that Brother Jimmy, who is working to get us to Escatawpa, had food for the Food Pantry at church and thought we could go there and drop our supplies off and meet Jimmy. We didn't have a chance to go to the church last trip and were looking forward to seeing Tuxechena Baptist. We weren't going to be able to go to Escatawpa this trip so Jimmy and Pastor were going to store our items at the church until Jimmy could go down there Tuesday or Wednesday. At the church, we got to meet Jimmy and his grandson, Chris. We were quickly remembering why we had felt so at home during our last visit. Jimmy's family is from Escatawpa and they are right on the coast, near Pascagula. They had flooding waist high from the surge. The Insurance companies are saying since it was a flood and they didn't have flood insurance, that the damages wouldn't be covered. Please pray for these people and so many others who are suffering the same fate. These people have worked long and hard for their homes and weren't required to carry flood insurance because they weren't in a flood plain and now the insurance companies are not wanting to help. (Jimmy's sister has over $40,000 in damage) I know that not all insurance companies are that way but unfortunately, there are some giving a bad name to all. Prior to leaving the church, we gathered in the sanctuary and thanked God for our safe journey, for bringing us back to these wonderful people and for the new friends we were going to meet. We also thanked Him for the support, both financially and in prayer, of the many of you who are helping support this mission. It was so great to be back in a small church and you could just feel that God was ever present in that place.

After dropping off our items at the church, we followed Jimmy to his house to meet his wonderful wife, Nicki, and spend some time with them. Jimmy and Nicki live on 118 acre (if my memory serves correct) farm. They have Long Horn Steer, chicken, roosters and who knows what all else. The house they live in is where they raised their children and have continued to enjoy retirement. They have a wonderful screened in porch that used to be a bedroom, but thanks to a previous hurricane, that bedroom was turned into a wonderful porch to sit and enjoy a short visit on. Chris, their grandson, was visiting again, after spending the summer there to help his Papaw build a new barn. By the way, the new barn held during the Hurricane but the old one collapsed. Chris had just returned to his home in Gulfport to start school when they had to evacuate for the Hurricane. While waiting to return home, he is staying with Jimmy and Nicki. He is a wonderful young man and we hope to meet his parents and see him again some time.

We had been in the car all day and wanted to get cleaned up before we went out for dinner with Pastor. We invited Jimmy, Chris and Nicki to join us if they could. Pastor took us to Pastor Nyhl Irvin's house, who is the Pastor of Perkinston Baptist Church. What made this offer of help so much more a blessing was that Pastor Irvin wasn't even in town. He opened his home to us and allowed us a great place sleep. We met him briefly during our last visit and thank God for his heart and that of his family. Their home was close to the church and those we had gotten to know. We were able to clean up and then met Pastor near the Fire Station at some friends of his to go to dinner. We had the priviledge of eating at local restaurant called Tim's Catfish. They had a great menu but the catfish was wonderful. Jimmy and Chris were able to join us but Nicki stayed home to get food prepared for the Pot Luck at church Sunday. Again, the fun and fellowship was beyond anything we could've imagined. Hearing the stories of how the Hurricane affected them beyond the walls of Perkinston was what energized us to focus on our next trip. At dinner, it was the 3 of us, Pastor Daniels, his wife Elsie, Chris and Jimmy. I think our poor waitress was not sure how to take us but she got into it eventually. She even invited us back. For Shari and I, it was great to be able to just sit back and spend time with these wonderful people and allow Shari's mom to soak in the love we felt from the get go. Our last trip down was go, go, go and we didn't get time to fellowship. It was also good for her Mom to meet the people we have grown to think of as family. God was so present and we walked away blessed again. After dinner, we returned to Pastor Irvin's house for some rest and good nights sleep. We had been so filled with God's love and the love from the people of Perkinston, that we had an new energy but one that allowed us to sleep knowing He was present and being glorified by our visit.

We got up Sunday morning and took our time getting ready. We had to be at church at 11am and enjoyed again the time we were allowed to be with God in the morning or just able to get some much needed rest. Again, God supplied each of our individual needs. We decided to head into town and get gas before service so that once we go on the road, we could just go and not need to stop until we needed gas again. We bought a bag of ice for the cooler, got gas and set out for some God inspired words and fellowship at Tuxechena Baptist Church. Due to Pastor Daniels brother's passing this last week, we were not going to have the pleasure of hearing him speak but would be blessed instead by Brother David, a Principal at a local High School with a passion to speak for God. As usual, we were met by hugs and praises of thanks. We wanted to be sure that God received all the glory and that we were just his messengers. It was not anything that needed to be explained as these people have been through so much and yet they gave God all the glory for their safety and what they did have. Pastor asked if one of us would mind getting up and giving an update on what we have been able to do and share some of our victories for Him. I volunteered to speak (must be genes from my Dad) and was able to fill these wonderful folks in on how God has used Shari and I to bring a small amount of relief to a town so desperately in need. Most of them don't have internet access yet or don't have computers because they were fried in the storm so they don't have the ability to read this blog. And, we were able to let them know we weren't done and that God had other plans for us in Escatawpa but that Perkinston will still be our "home" port. Brother David shared God's word about the "Storms" of life and how to get beyond them and find the good in all that comes our way. His wife Teresa shared with a beautiful song. We were also blessed by the fact that the last Sunday of every month is Pot Luck Sunday. Boy, did we time that right.

After the service, we joined the church family for the Pot Luck. My phone had rang during service so before we began to eat, Shari called her husband Ric to see what he needed. Ric informed Shari that there were two squalls that were traveling across the MS/AL area and that they were sprouting tornadoes and bad wind storms. At that time, it looked like if we left by 1:30pm, we'd travel between them and be ok. So we sat down, had dinner and enjoyed fellowship with David and Alice and so many others. Being in this church reminded me of a small missionary Baptist church I grew up in in Manistee, MI, Heritage Baptist. Tuxachena's quaint sanctuary and humble people were a testament to small town life and their love of God. May He continue to bless this church.

So around 1:15pm we began to say our good-byes and prepared for the trek home. Pastor was very concerned and didn't have a good feeling about us leaving. He made me promise I would call every hour if not more often. He told us if we needed to come back, we'd have places to stay. We said our good-byes, gave our hugs out and left with a promise to be back in a couple weeks with more aid for Escatawpa and if God would allow, people to help with clean up. Well, needless to say, we broke our promise and were back about 25 minutes later. Once we got on Hwy 49, Shari had a long talk with Ric and he informed her that things had gotten really bad and we were hearing about all these tornadoes touching down in every county we were heading to. Not only that, but the storms were basically going up the same path as the highway we had to take. So we decided to wait until about 6pm and then we'd get on the road home. We called Pastor and he was on his way to a hospital visit for Ms. Carol, the lady we had put in an earlier post as a prayer request. So he said to go back to Pastor Irvins. We got back there but his Direct TV was not up yet and we really needed to be able to watch the weather so I suggested we go to Jimmy and Nicki's. When we got there, they opened their home to us and the fellowship that followed was sweet and much appreciated. God was present in that time. And trust me, Jimmy showed me where to run. Down the hall, into the kitchen, past the canned (home canned and lots of them) goods and into the cellar. Praise God, we didn't need to use it.

When Pastor got back into town, we decided to figure out if we were going or staying. After some phone calls again to Ric, we decided that the weather was too unpredictable and that waiting until morning was the only right thing to do. It was a very difficult decision as we missed our families and dreaded the thought of them going through these storms without us, as they had tornado warnings too. So many were willing to open their homes to us for a safe and loving place to stay but after evaluating our needs, we wound up back at Jimmy and Nicki's. I could go on and on about their wonderful hearts and home and the hearts of so many in Perkinston, but it's truly something that is needed to be experienced on a personal basis. Jimmy invited us to bring our kids over during a trip down to have them see the long horn cows and possibly pet them. They also might be able to pick eggs up from the chickens. We know our kids will LOVE it.
So, we got a good nights sleep and at about 7am, right after the rooster crowed, we headed out and left that beautiful farm. Our trip home was uneventful, except for those "love bugs". After crossing the border, we washed them off the windshield for the last time. YEA!! We arrived home exhausted again but looking forward to the next trip in 2 wks. God has already provided some donations to help take down cleaning supplies and other needs this next trip. We don't know how long God is going to continue to allow us to help down there but please know that every gift you give is being used to further His cause and work in the southern Mississippi area. What we do know is that we have extended family in a small Mississippi town called Perkinston. Even though we don't share a physical blood, we share the blood that was shed for all us from Christ and to me, that is a blood thicker in bond that any earthly blood bond. God has brought this amazing community into our lives for a reason and we know that this is a community that we will enjoy visiting and watching its "rebirth" after the storm.

Our prayer would be that God might open some other hearts to join us on our next trip. We can tell you about these people and the stories they have told us but it is nothing compared to experiencing it yourself. Once you meet these people, you will never be the same. I praise God for opening this community up to our desire to come and for them opening their homes up to perfect strangers. We are so blessed to serve a God who can communicate the things we can not and give a trust to those who opened their homes and hearts to us. There are still so many needs and will find out more of what the specifics are for Escatawpa in the coming days. The picture to the left is a tent area set up where people are living with tarps over their heads and that's it. These people are only a few of what is really needed down there.

Please pray for continued healing and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast communities. Please pray for those now affected by Rita and those that received the outer ring damage from her wrath. Please continue to pray for Perkinston and Escatawpa. Continue prayer for Carol and her bipass recovery and please pray for David, the one who spoke Sunday, as he is exploring the possibility of going into the ministry on a regular basis. PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE God for His goodness and mercy in our travels. Praise Him for families who are loving and understanding of the call to serve. Praise Him for the families in Perkinston who opened their hearts and homes to us and Praise Him for the life of His son. If it were not for Jesus and the cross, we'd have none of the blessings we've been given. May all the Glory continue to be HIS.

If you'd like to contact me, donate or go with us, please email me at youngforever94@bellsouth.net . Thank you again for reading our blog and may it all be for HIM.

In His time...

Cathy

We're Off!!!

2005-09-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Friday afternoon and Shari and I can't believe the day we had. Going into today, we weren't sure exactly how this trip was going to be funded but even with the problems happening in Texas, we were sure that we were supposed to travel to Perkinston, and eventually Escatawpa, this weekend. So yesterday afternoon we came up with an idea to hold an impromptu Yard Sale to try and help raise funds. You see, even though the devil is constantly at work in this mission to stop it, we are trying to heed God's call and go forth in His name. Unfortunately, we are unable to fund it by ourselves. So at 8am this morning, Shari set a Yard Sale up at her house and I joined her at 8:10. We only had a few show up, which was more than we expected with such short notice, and were thankful for their purchasing of some items. We decided to close up the Yard sale just before 11 am and then try again next weekend with a little more preperation and advertising. We knew that there were some who had told us they'd be dropping off donations today so we were confident that God had it under control and we were still supposed to go.

While we were inside rushing around to go run some errands before Shari had to go pick her daughter up from the airport, she was returning from a trip to Japan, a knock came at the door. When we opened it up, it was an earthly angel, named Cheryl, who was there to present us with a check to not only cover the expenses for this trip but to be able to help with more in the future. Thank you Cheryl, God has used you in a mighty way and we will use your donation to benefit those in the areas He sends us to. We have ALSO been blessed by so many others who are sending money to help with trips in the future and we know that God will do a miracle through all of your donations as well. AND, for those of you who helped with our intial trip by donating money and items, WOW, can you beleive that God has taken it this far and His blessings continue. Thanks to you and all of you for your faith in us and the abilities you have given us in blessing the people of Perkinston and now Escatawpa. Thank you also to HGA, the linen service responible for Huntsivlle Hospitals linens, for their continued donation of different types of linens for those in need. 34 boxes of items and counting. WOW! Thank you also to God, as we know that it is only through Him and because of Him, that we continue to be blessed by you and in turn, continue to bless the people of southern Mississippi.

So as we go on our adventure this weekend, our prayers are that God will allow us to bless those we come in contact with and that He will direct our path. We also pray that God will protect us as we will be on the edge of Hurricane Rita's length of wrath. We also pray for those who will be affected by Hurricane Rita this weekend. May God watch over them and protect them. We pray for God to allow us to go in His name this weekend and with the help from all of you, take to the people of Escatawpa, the same love and service He allowed us to take to Perkinston. Your donations, prayers, support and love are the only reason, beyond our Heavenly Father, that we can make these trips. Please keep the prayers going and check back Monday. I'll try and update as soon as I can. Pray, Pray, Pray.

Thanks to all again and may the praise and glory be HIS!

Cathy

Lets' Do it!!!!!! (Again)

2005-09-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, so as this wonderful journey from God continues, Shari and I continue to be shown God's plan for us and our mission. As we started to plan this weekend's trip, we once again had our own ideas about what needed to be accomplished but God quickly stepped in and reminded us that our ideas are not always His.

So here is our wonderful story for this upcoming trip. Shari, Sarah and I had originally planned to take the "workforce" down but as you know, God planted a different seed and so we ran with that. Well, that seed has sprouted and now our mission has once again been expanded. Unfortunately, Sarah and Jeanette will not be able to make this trip with us but know they are with us in spirit. In talking with Pastor Daniels, we have found out that there is a small coastal town by the name of Escatawpa, MS. It is about an hour from Perkinston and a suburb of Pascagoula. This town is struggling to get it's feet on the ground and is in need of some very basic necessities. We are going to take down what we have stored up from our last round of donations (thank you so much for all that have given) and head down to Perkinston first. Even though they are getting on their feet quickly and not in need of as much any more, we feel our mission there is not done. We feel that God wants us to continue to visit and build relationships there, especially with our dear Pastor Daniels. With both Shari and I having lost very close loved ones in the past couple years, me losing my Mom and her losing her Gramps, we feel that maybe we can be a support or at least a listening ear. We also have so enjoyed getting to know the people there that we are looking forward to actually spending time with them and talking without the heartache of the hurricane being so new.

But God has also put us on a path to help this new town, Escatawpa, and so that is what we are focusing on as well. I don't have a lot of details but will come back this weekend armed with news, I'm sure. We know there needs are many and we can only take what we have at this point. Brother Jim, a friend of Pastor Daniels, is originally from Escatawpa and his sister still lives there. He is working with her to get us into town this weekend and find out who needs the items we are bringing in hopes that we can personally meet those in need. We will be making a list of who needs items and what they need in hopes of taking some others down to help and more items in a couple of weeks.

We are holding a yard sale tomorrow to try and help raise funds to get more things for this trip but know that God will provide what is needed now and in the future. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel down there this weekend.

We are not expecting any issues from Rita but know that the victims we come in contact with will remember it all too well as our beloved coast line is struck again. Please pray for those who will be affected by Rita. There are many of you who are going to be personally hit, again, by this awful storm. So many have family and friends already dealing with Katrina's wrath and now they will have the same with Rita. Know our prayers go out to all of you who read this and have family in the eye of the storm. I can't tell you how awful it was to see this stuff first hand and yet we don't have to live through it. God be with all those in Texas and the families effected across our beloved USA.

In His time...

Cathy

Thoughts being shared.....THANK YOU!

2005-09-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

We have received so many awesome emails from friends and family. There is a place to post comments but since these came to us personally, we wanted to share them with you. You see, we are not doing this for our glory but for HIS and we are just so appreciative of the support we are getting..... (We hope that those we've referenced don't mind)

A local person from Huntsville writes:

Hi, I am on Huntsville Freecycle, have nothing to donate but I thought I would let you know, I grew up in Perkinston!! LOL it is a very small place and most people (even from the coast of MS don't know where it is!!! Thank you so much for helping out the people that live there!

Kelly Cannon Tuttle

Cathy's cousin, currently serving with the Air Force in Iraq write:

Hey Cuz,
I just finished reading your blog postings about Perkinston.WOW! What an amazing journey you and your friends have started on. I can only begin to imagine the blessings you all are going to receive before it comes to an end. In a way, I am a bit jealousIt. It has been a while since I have seen God's hand moving that up close and personal. I will add you and your mission to my prayer list and will intercede for you and your friends. Safety, security and sustainment are yours to the glory of God our Father! Amen.

Yes I am safe here in Iraq. Every day my admiration, respect and love for the Corps grows(side note: Cathy and her husband were Marines) Marines are an amazing group of people and I consider myself blessed to work with them. The culture is definitely different than the Air Force, but I'd like to think that they are learning as much from us as we are from them.

Thank you for you and your friends listening to God's still small voice and following His lead. You are impacting lives and wining souls for Christ. Well done, good and faithful servants.

In His Love,
Nick

Another family member writes:

Thanks for all the information you are putting out on the website. It is so awesome to see how God is using all of you. Sam and I volunteered our stock trailer and truck to collect food and water for victims which will be collected in St. Louis Michigan and sent to an area church which will distribute the items in the area. It is an outreach with no boundaries as to who will receive.......We think that when they took it down there was about 5 tons of food and water. I am so glad that we could have a part in giving out a "cup of cold water" to those who need it. I would love to go with you but need to tie up so much stuff up here after our move. We are praying for you and thankful for the willingness of those with you and know the Lord will bless you in all you do. What an example for Dylan you are! God bless and may the lives you touch see Christ through you!
Love Julie

Our mission as seen through a Father's eyes:

Hi - My daughter Cathy and three other women went on a mission of mercy over the 9th and 10th. Three of the women were from a Home School group, the other a nurse. Cathy just 'picked' a city on the map of Mississippi and contacted a pastor of a small church there. It just happened to be a city called, Perkinston,(Cathy's maiden name is Perkins) Mississippi. In a little less than a week they had a full pick-up truck and a 26' camping trailer packed with items to take to this community. The blessings they intended to give were bountifully bounced back to these women of mercy as they interacted with the folks of Perkinston and the surrounding area. They prepared breakfast for the volunteer fire department ( lost 1/3 of its building and all the doors yet became a central location for distributing items of all kinds to the survivors and evacuees. Saturday morning as they were getting ready to leave a young woman approached them. It led to a trip to Gulf Port, MS to pick up some belongings of a 22 year old woman and her six year old daughter. She had been living in a roofless apartment since the Hurricane struck. She "just happened" (God's appointment) to wander by their truck as they were getting ready to leave a shelter. The woman and her daughter drove their van back to Huntsville and stayed for three days. During that time, her van was repaired, money, food and clothing was provided and the woman and her daughter are now in St. Louis with her grandparents, getting a fresh start. Praise God!..........As Cathy said, the greatest need is prayer cover.

Another friend from Huntsville writes:

"If one falls down, his friend can help him up; but pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up..."
~ Ecclesiastes 4:10 NIV

Shari,

I sent on a request for help to a volunteer Fire fighter friend of mine...I asked him to ask his crew to help with the needs of the volunteers in Perkinston. At the very least, I asked him to forward it around to see if any other stations could help. His name is John Garrett, so if he contacts you, he's a good guy. Also another AYSO parent!

I cried my eyes out while I read your blog(s)! That people refused help because there were others in greater need - that really touched me. It reminded me of this quote by James Russell Lowell ~ "All God's angels come to us disguised"... I am sure you all appeared as God's angels to some of those in need...

Good luck, Godspeed, and God Bless you and your mission. Still wishing I could go with you...but I'll be sending my prayers with you at least.

~Anna

We are so thankful for all the thoughts and prayers that you are sharing with us. There is a place for comments here on the blog at the end of each post, if you'd like to share your thoughts that way. Otherwise, please keep the thoughts coming to our emails. We know that we are surrounded by prayer and thank each of you for it. May His will be done in everything we do Huntsvilletnsville and in Perkinston.

God's Plan....Not Ours

2005-09-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

"WHEN YOU EXTEND HOSPITALITY TO OTHERS, YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO IMPRESS PEOPLE; YOU'RE TRYING TO REFLECT GOD TO THEM." Max Lucado

So once again, God has shown us that His plan is not what we had planned. It is amazing, and yet it shouldn't be, when God so clearly tells us what He wants and then everything falls into place so nicely. You know, when you are doing things like this, sometimes you wonder if the reason you are having problems is because the devil is using spiritual warfare to make thing not work right or if it's just you not listening to God. It's not that we purposely don't listen, it's human nature. Well, thankfully, God got a little louder (smile) and so we change our trips purpose to be sure we are continuing to honor Him.

I spoke with Pastor Daniels tonight and he had just left his brother's wake. There was an amazing showing of people and flowers and love. He and his family were blown away by the show of support. His brother is a former Police officer so the Jackson County Sheriff provided a color guard. It was quite an honor.

Well, I spoke with him about wanting to come down and just getting to fellowship with the people of Perkinston and help with cleaning inside houses, if it were needed. It was at that time that he told me that a Christian brother of his grew up in a small town about an hour from Perkinston that is in serious need of help. They have not had a lot of help and are a coastal town. We have been struggling with what to take and where to take it, as the fire department is not dealing with donations anymore. Again, God answers our questions when we listen. He asked if we would mind sending our linen to that community since they are in need and have no power and Perkinston is "up and running" as well as it can be right now.

So, our desire to help one small town is now reaching beyond the borders of what we had planned and moving to where God wants it to be. WOW! I think I am speaking for Shari as well when I say that God has used us more than imagined. (Shari however has an amazing ability to look at the broader picture so she may have foreseen this) So this weekend is going to be exciting because not only will we get to meet some of the people you helped us to help, but we will expand our help to another community and begin to hopefully bring them a little joy as well. With this new development, I'm sure another trip will be in the works in the next couple of weeks. Our understanding is that there is not so much a need for clothing as there is for cleaning supplies, school supplies and linens and of course, BIBLES. We will continue to post our needs and the needs of the people God leads us to.

Dylan, my 7 yr old son, asked me today if Mommy was going to bring another family back to Huntsville like before? I told him I didn't know what God had planned but would he like it if I was able to help someone again? He said yes but this time could it be a boy? Through the eyes of child.

May God continue to bless each of you and us as we try to bring his word to those devastated by this horrible storm. A journey for him....

In His time....

Cathy

God's Timing is Perfect...

2005-09-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

This is the second attempt at posting my thoughts. Unfortunately, my first "novel" is lost somehwere in the WWW.
Although this is a shortened (ha!) version of my personal account, it doesn't even touch on the way I feel for the people of Perkinston and for Pastor Gene. It does, however, confirm that God is in control at all times.

Within days, two to be exact, we were shown the love of our neighbors in abundance. The amount of donations exceeded the space we had available to travel to Perkinston. All Glory to God Almighty!

We Have A Dream...
From the get go, we had planned to minister to the children, first and foremost. We wanted to go from shelter to shelter bringing toys and love to every child there. I, personally had visions of hugging the necks of every little person 3 ft. and under!
The plan was in place, we were on our way!
We drove 25 miles to Gulfport and were directed to various shelters. We chose the school because it was near the end of the stretch of road. "Our" plans were to start at the end and work our way up...you know, we had it all under control.
We were given a warm welcome from the National Guard and they even unloaded our boxes of toys, dolls, coloring books, and most importantly, Bibles.

Back up a Minute...
Just that morning, after making breakfast for our newfound family at the fire station, I headed back into the trailor to spend some quiet time with God. With all of the activity and planning, I knew I needed to retreat and rest in His Word.
Before leaving the trailor, I prayed.
"Lord, lead us to those that need ministering to, show us the way. Use us to carry out your Will in any capacity you desire. Whether it be one or one hundred Lord, you know the need, use us to bring glory and honor to You."

Gulfport Continued...
As we drove down the 3-lane road into Gulfport, we came into a lot of traffic due to the lights either being ripped off the lines or the power was out. All traffic was being directed by the National Guard. By the way, hats off to the National Guard! Many that we saw were so young, and yet so capable and most inspiring.
We decided to take advantage of the many stops that we had to make. I think the heat was getting to us! When we spotted a child, or children in another car, either Cathy or Sarah jumped out and handed them a stuffed animal with a loving, "God Bless You".
The smiles and delight in the eyes of those around us was enough to keep us going all the way down to the shelter!
We sang, "Blessed be the Name of the Lord", loud enough for others to know that we were on a mission from God! It was funny, yet so inspiring. If you know any of us personally, this whole part probably shocks you!
A hymn comes to mind...

"Reach Out and Touch"

Reach out and touch a soul that is hungry; reach out and touch a spirit in despair;
Reach out and touch a life torn and dirty, a man who is lonely--If you care!
Reach out and touch that neighbor who hates you;
Reach out and touch that stranger who meets you;
Reach out and touch the brother who needs you;
Reach out and let the smile of God touch through you.

Reach out and touch a friend who is weary;
Reach out and touch a seeker unaware;
reach out and touch, tho touching means losing a part of your own self--If you dare!
reach out and give your love to the loveless;
reach out and make a home for the homeless;
reach out and shed God's light in the darkness;
reach out and let the smile of God touch through you.

Prayerfully consider reaching out and spreading God's love. You won't be disappointed!

A prayer that was magnified within 2 hours...

Upon entering the shelter, we looked for the children that we were to love on. After walking up and down the halls of this school, they were nowhere to be found! We came across two red cross workers and asked if there were children there. Their response, "yes, we have children here. You can leave the toys here and we'll distribute them".
You know, the Bible says the most dangerous part of our bodies is the tongue! WOW! I immediately held my tongue, but it was hard! I smiled, left a few toys with them, and picked up the rest! Hrrmmph! Spoil our plans will they?????

We left that shelter, disgruntled to say the least, with the intent of going to another one that would hopefully be a bit more appreciative of "our" efforts.
We loaded the truck, sad and pitiful we were. We then saw a couple of families coming our way...and guess what? They had children!! We jumped out of the truck, grabbed coloring books and toys and proceeded to stop them before entering the shelter. We were determined to share with those children! We also managed to hand out Bibles to the parents.

What a joy it was to share our hearts with those few. We got back into the truck, ready for our next stop. Just then, I look to my left and see a young girl, and a younger girl. I thought they were sisters, but Cathy said it was probably a mom and daughter. We were immediately taken with them. The little girl looked like a doll and the mom was just as cute. They looked so tired and worn, my heart just folded inside.
Sarah headed out to speak to them. Jeanette and I focused on the little girl, who we now knew was named Leah. Sarah had pulled out one of the dolls from the boxes. It just so happened to be a doll that belonged my little girl. Leah hugged on that doll saying it was just like the one her grandma had given to her. Her doll was ruined by the hurricane.
Leah, at age 6, professed her love for Jesus, and knew that God was taking care of them.
Jeanette asked Leah if she knew the song, "Jesus Loves Me". Leah said no.
Jeanette and I began to sing it. Once Leah heard it, she began to sing it too. She did know the song!
I'll never forget the sight before me. Jeanette and Leah sitting there in front of the shelter, on the curb, singing "Jesus Loves Me". I couldn't sing anymore. The tears came streaming down. This little girl, in the midst of her tragedy, still knew God was taking care of them. Oh how I pray that we all see this as clearly as she did when trials enter our lives.
As I stood over them, tears now blinding me, I realized that this was "it". This was the answer to my morning prayer, "whether it be one or a hundred Lord, you know the need...".
"Our" plans were clearly not His.
"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails" Proverbs 19:21
The ill-feelings towards the ladies in the shelter was immediately removed. The plans that were once ours were no longer in place. We were now following God's lead.
That lead took us to a lower income neighborhood, just four blocks from the Gulf. What we saw was shocking and so sad. We helped the young mother, Seneca, fill garbage bags with whatever belongings that could be salvaged. Much of their belongings were destroyed. Their clothing had mold growing on them. Their carpet was soaked and also molding. Half of the roof was blown off. This is where they were staying. No family, no friends left in the area, no hope. God knew their need and heard their prayers. He was using us, His willing vessels, to bring His love and hope.

After a call to the Pastor to let him know we were bringing back a young mother and her daughter, within an hour and a half, he had received money for her trip back to Huntsville with us! Can you imagine the hearts of these folks? Many of them without a home, and yet, they are still giving. What a testimony to God's love!

As I'm sure you've read in the other posts, we brought Seneca and Leah to Huntsville, where many more generous donations were made to get them home.

This whole experience is like nothing I've ever witnessed. Even though I was nervous about towing this 25 ft. trailor that weighed 6000 lbs., I knew we'd be safe. I knew I had been called...just what I was called for was a bit different than I had in mind!
Praise God for all He has done and continues to do in ALL of our lives. Praise Him for a trip filled with blessings!

I have to say, there is a GREAT thirst for God's Word down there. People were ASKING us for Bibles. If you have a Bible that you can donate, please do!
Even if it's "one or one hundred", please "Reach out and Touch".

And so the mini-novel ends (for now). We go back in a week. We welcome others to join us and experience what we have written first-hand.

I leave you with this...

Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings,
It is the Lord who rises with healing in his wings.
When comforts are declining, he grants the soul again,
A season of clear shining, to cheer it after rain.

May Your Light Shine Brightly Forevermore!

-Shari

Prayer for Carol

2005-09-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me but I forgot to add a prayer request from Pastor Daniels. A dear friend and church member from Pastors church need prayer. Her name is Carol Hart and although her situation is not life threatening, there are some unknown medical conditions that she needs prayer on. It has been shown that she suffered a heart attack earlier this week and also is having some gall bladder issues. They are continuing to run tests. Her husband has been by her side and Pastor is making regular visits. She is in a hospital in Hattiesburg.

Thank you again for all your love and support in our journey...

Cathy

Returning to Perkinston....Wanna Come? Can You Help?

2005-09-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Well, let me start by saying that I spoke with Pastor Daniels today and the family is doing well. He has felt a peace from God that he has only had one other time in his life. I understand the peace becasue it is something God blessed us with when we lost my Mom 2 1/2 years ago. It is truly a peace beyond all understanding. The funeral for Steve is set for Tuesday morning at 10am with the wake Monday evening. Please pray for them as they put his earthly body to rest and look forward to their meeting in Heaven one day.

Ok, so like the title says, we are returning to Perkinston and praying God will allow us to go armed with men and women who are willing to help with clean up, minor construction. and spread God's love. Would you like to join us? It is about 5.5 hours from Huntsville, unless you are pulling a trailer, then it's about 7. Gas is readily available the whole way down and it is a safe area. McDonald's had even opened up before we left to come home last week. Shari, Sarah and I are going to be returning to Perkinston on September 24 for 3 days. However, there is room for many more and opportunity to stay longer if there is an ability and desire. We have not worked out all the final details yet but our plan is to leave some time Saturday morning and return Monday afternoon. I spoke with Pastor Nyhl Irvin, Pastor of Perkinston Baptist and a dear friend of Pastor Daniels. He has offers for housing and has even opened his home for those who want to travel with us to help. There is power and showers and floor space for sleeping bags. Please contact me at youngforever94@yahoo.com if you'd like to join us. We are so thankful for all the help everyone has so graciously given in the past and it 's tough to keep asking but if you feel led by God, we are still in need of items and financial assistance for the trip.

They are beginning school again this coming week and there are children in need of school supplies. Even though stores are opening, there is a lot of financial concerns as jobs are not up and going yet. They are in need of baking soda. Some of these people are either just getting power back or don't have it yet and their refrigerators are gong to be in a terrible mess whent he plug them back in. They need bleach, brooms and mops to help get thing cleaned up and sterilized. There are many widows there and elderly that need help getting things done. Help with things from moving items in the house around to helping put on roofs. Church steeples were blown off and they'd love to get them back up.

The stores are slowly opening and life is beginning again, so the needs are becoming fewer but they still need people to come help with labor things and lots of PRAYER. We understand that it is not everyone's calling to physically go and we can't express our appreciation enough for those of you who are continually praying for us. What started as a simple "I wish I could go" has turned into an amazing opportunity to spread God's word through love and help to those in need. I can't tell you how much it has meant to the people we know down there when we tell them how many people are praying for them.

God is working miracles in the Mississippi Gulf Coast and it 's exciting to be a part of it and also be able to share it with all of you. Please continue to pray for those all along the coast and that God will be glorified by our upcoming trip. We do this for HIS glory, not ours. Again, please let us know if you'd like to join us for our next trip. Doing this all for HIM......

In His time....

Cathy

Senica's Story

2005-09-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

“The mind of a man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps” Prov 16:9

From the moment we met Senica and her little girl Leah in front of the Harrison County Elementary School in Gulfport, that verse from Proverbs has been running through my mind. Shari, Jeanette, Cathy, and I made careful plans for that Saturday. We only had a limited amount of time and were determined to hand out every doll, stuffed animals, and coloring book we had collected. I even brought nail polish thinking I would do some impromptu manicures. Those were our plans, carefully laid and devised. But as the verse says, “the Lord was directing our steps.”

After about ten National Guardsmen took the time to unload the boxes filled with goodies, we we’re told that we couldn’t hand them out. We, because our well-laid plans had been thwarted, were understandably miffed. We grabbed our boxes and marched out of that shelter, bound and determined to find a more grateful locale. Instead, we ran into Senica and freckle-faced Leah.
Katrina had ripped a whole in her roof, allowing torrential rain to pour in. Most of their possessions succumbed to black mold. Senica joked that “her apartment was growing things.” She had been staying with some navy friends in Saucier where she and Leah had been bathing in a creek and brushing their teeth with diet coke. But all of the women had been deployed leaving her in a house with 10 male Seabees fresh out of Iraq so she returned to her moldering apartment. She walked in to find a house-full of ruined furniture and gargantuan cock roaches. Her super told her to start ripping out her own carpet and that they’d get to her roof when they could. “I couldn’t stand sleeping there,” she said. “It was so nasty.”

That’s how she ended up in the garbage strewn front yard of Harrison County Elementary. After spending days on the phone trying to reach FEMA and begging her family to get her out of the stinking mess that was Gulfport, she caught word that a FEMA agent was at the shelter. “Maybe,” she hoped they would give her enough gas money to get home. The daycare where she worked had been flattened so she lost out on her last two weeks of pay. She was down to a half a tank of gas and a couple boxes of MRE’s.

And that’s how she ended up with us. We made the plans, but God directed our path. Within two hours time we salvaged what we could from her apartment and stuffed it into her minivan and the back of Shari’s truck. Her grandma in Illinois was convinced that the only explanation for our generosity was they we were ax murderers or slave traffickers. But Shari put her to ease with three simple words, “Were all moms.”

We returned to the Perkinston fire department with our new friends and said our good-byes, promising to return with the cavalry as soon as we rounded them up.

The Way Home

After driving with Senica for seven hours, I decided that this 22-year old mom was doing remarkably well considering what she had been through. Just five months ago, she divorced her high-school sweetheart and lost just about everything in the deal, only to loose everything again to Katrina.

During the days she stayed with me I came to see Senica as the little sister I never had. We talked the entire time from the minute we got up until the moment we went to bed. She said she slept better in our downstairs guest room than she had in weeks. She made spaghetti and cooked pancakes with Josiah. To give you an idea of how tiny she was, she could wear Eric’s shorts! I hope, in the few days she spent with us, she found the freedom to heal a little bit.

By the time she was ready to head home, home school families, a newspaper publisher, pastors, and Pamela’s friend Gavin from California had donated $450 to help her through the first week home. She didn’t want to take it, but I made her. She is now staying in her aunt’s trailer just outside of St. Louis, MO. Her aunt has promised to give Senica the trailer once her home is built. She enrolled Leah in 2nd grade this week. She still has a long way to go, but I am confident that she’s going to make it. We are just grateful that God got in the way of our plans.

Update on Pastor Daniels

2005-09-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

At about 11:00am today I received a call from Pastor Irvin, a Pastor friend of Pastor Daniels, and he informed me that Steve Daniels lost his earthly battle at about 5am this morning and went home to be with the Lord. The arrangements are still being made but it looks like the funeral will be Monday or Tuesday. Please continue to hold them in your prayers and pray for God's grace and peace to surround them.

If you desire any further info, please contact me at youngforever94@yahoo.com.

Pictures....

2005-09-15T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of what we encountered while in Perkinston and Gulfport.....

Prayers Needed and Update

2005-09-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

Let me start by letting you know of a need for prayer for Pastor Daniels, the giving man who helped us down in Perkinston. I spoke with Pastor Daniels tonight and yesterday and his brother is not expected to make it through the night. Steve Daniels, Pastor's only brother, has Leukemia and due to the hurricane, caught an airborne bacteria and his body is not able to recover from it. He was not expected to make it through last night but God wasn't finished with him on earth yet. However, Pastor said it is a miracle he is still holding on. God could decide to turn all this around and heal him but it's whatever His plan is, they are prepared.

So please keep Pastor Daniels, his wife Elsie, his brother Steve and his wife Martha in your prayers. This is a strong Christian family and God will take care of them. We don't know why this tragedy had to happen in the face of the storm but we do know that God is in control and are thankful for the reunion they will have in Heaven one day.

Shari and I, Cathy, went to Willowbrook Baptist Church today to speak with Pastor Mark McClelland. Cathy is a member there and Willowbrook has been very proactive in trying to get help to the hurricane area. After sitting with Pastor Mark and telling him our story, he was moved and wanted to be able to help. He has put us in touch with Rob Peavy, who is in charge of setting up groups of people to go down and help clean and repair. With Pastor's and Rob's help, it looks like we might be getting some muscle in the area to help this quaint little town repair itself. I will know more tomorrow but was able to share the good news with Pastor and bring a little joy in the midst of his personal sadness.

There will be a more indepth update coming on Seneca and Leah soon but she has made it home and is already planning to start work at her former employer. Praise God for the life He put before us and helped us to get her home.

So please pray as we continue to try and help this town and again, if you'd like to help in any way, please let either myself or Shari know. Praise God for His wisdom, Praise God for the lives he saved and the people whose life we are able to touch.

God Bless and remember, everything happens In His time....

Cathy

We're back....Cathy's thoughts

2005-09-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

We are back and already want to return. I've had a day to rest and reflect and my thoughts are still so very hard to put in words. It was very hard to leave those amazing people behind. They have lost so much and yet the bond that small southern town has is even stronger than before. Not only are they watching out for each other, they openly welcome those in need, no matter what the story behind their need is. They showed us the power of perserverence and unconditional love, even if they didn't know they were doing it.

Well, I'm not sure where to go from here because I am so overwhelmed with the feelings and emotions of what we just experienced. I am emotionally exhausted but exhilerated at the same time. I am physically worn out and yet feel like I can run a marathon. God brought so much to our plates and we thought we were there to reach His flock but that wasn't HIS plan. His plan was to reach ONE (or 1 1/2 as we call it) and we feel we are doing it in His name.

Please understand that this is not a one time thing for Shari and me. This is our Mission. Our homeschool group is Mission based and through that desire, God has lead us to focus on the victims of Katrina both local and now in Perkinston, MS. For Shari, Sarah, Jeanette and I, they are not just names and faces, they are people that we consider family and when a family member is in need, you do what you can to support them, even if it is only prayer.

God has given us a great chance to minister to Seneca and Leah and to help them in a very personal way. I feel like they are our bright shining stars that came out of the devesation we saw. Their eyes sparkle and they just want someone to care and put their arms around them. Well, now they know they have more arms around them than they could've ever imagined. Even those in Perkinston, MS are involved in taking up the cause to help them.

Please know we are still taking donations for this cause. We plan to make a trip down to Perkinston in the next 2-3 weeks. The things we are going to focus on this time is some specific needs......

Money - to help them replace the doors on their Fire Deparment
Rubber Storage Containers - to hold their fire equipment and lengthen it's life
Updated kitchen utensils - to make it easier for when they are there (remember, it's volunteer)
Anything else God puts on your heart.......

God Bless each of you and what you have done to help this dream of ours come true. Please keep the town of Perkinston in your prayers and if you have any desire to continue to help with donations, please don't hesitate contact me at youngforever94@yahoo.com.

Our Mission Continues

2005-09-11T20:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning started off with us cooking breakfast for the volunteers. Shari took the helm with the pancakes and Sarah took on the eggs. Jeanette and I helped keep the food flowing and getting the set up done so they could eat. Again, we spent this time getting to know them and how this horrible event changed their lives. The Asst. Chief lost everything and his son was there to pack up what they were able to salvage and take them back to Pennsylvania. Ron, the Fire Chief, lost his house and just about everything in it. Janet, one of the volunteers, saw their house about to implode when the back door finally burst open and allowed their trailer to be saved. We finished looking through the childrens items so we could take stuffed animals and bibles to the shelters we were going to visit. We thought our mission was to visit those children and bring a little joy to them and give them something to of their own to hold on to. We also had to get the truck unhooked. Again, we were not allowed to do it alone. They wanted to make sure we well taken care of. Even to the point of making sure we had enough money for gas. Us, they worried about us and our money needs.

Pastor Daniels came over for breakfast and then spent some time letting us know about a shelter down in Gulfport. The city was well under the control of the local police, visiting Police and the National Guard. He wouldn't have sent us there if he didn't feel it was safe. It was only 25 miles south but it took more than an hour. So we loaded up the truck and headed south, not knowing what God had in store but with an idea of what we wanted to do.

As we went down Hwy 49, we couldn't believe the destruction that began to unfold. There were trees twisted and then broke, metal through metal and jsut piles of debri. We started seeing a lot more places that people had just dropped off what they had and people rummaged through them. We realized we didn't have to wait until a shelter to start giving out our stuffed animals. We began running to cars in the traffic and handing them animals. So many happy faces, both children and parents. We specifically looked for cars with Harrison County, Stone County or other counties in the area so that we knew they were going to the evacuees. The smiles and hugs to the animals brought so much joy to our hearts.

We got to looking at cars and donation sites so much, that we missed our turn to the shelter. We wound up seeing some officers on horseback and stopped to ask them where the street was we were looking for. As kind as they were, they weren't able to help because they were there as support from Jacksonville, FL but they were able to direct us down the street to some local police that were able to direct us. We found out later that we were only about a mile from the beach at that time. So, we set our sites on the shelter and found it with ease. When we arrived, Jeanette went and asked the National Guards men where we could unload our items so that we could take them into the children. They were so nice and directed us around the school fence to the front door and proceeded to help us unload our boxes. Our understanding was that we would be able to deliver them. However, once the boxes were inside, we delt with a different attitude. It was very hard for us because we were there to bring cheer and they didn't want us to see the children. We tried to understand but were very hurt. They wanted us just to leave the toys and go. However, we felt that was not what was needed. We did, however, get to see about 3 kids and were able to give them some toys. As we were loading up the truck again, we were able to pass out some animals to families coming to the center and that did our hearts a world of good. But what we didn't know was the plan God had for us that was just pulling into the drive.

As we were about to leave, a young lady named Seneca (I pray I spelled that right) and her daughter Leah were coming into the center. I got out and asked Seneca if we could give Leah a doll. She explained to us that they had lost a lot but were not in need of much. I told her we were visiting from Huntsville, AL and trying to bring a little joy to a child's heart. She allowed us to give her the doll. We soon found out that she had lost a doll like that one in the storm and was sooooo thankful. We continued to speak with her and found out she was looking for a FEMA worker so she could try and get some money. Her work had closed their doors on Friday before the storm and didn't pay anyone. The daycare center was now gone. We also found out she had a 2 yr old son that had made it to southern Illinois, where her family is. But she had no way to get there. After offering them Bibles, we found out that Seneca does have faith and her daughter does know about Jesus. We even had the pleasure of having her sing "Jesus Loves Me" to us. We found out the roof had been blown off their apartment and they lost almost all their furniture. She had salvaged some clothes but others had mold growing on them. Our dialogue with her began to take a different path. After about 30 minutes, Jeanette suggested that we see if we can spare some money to get her some gas. They had been eating MRE's and had plenty of water but were low on gas. When we offered her the money, she didn't want to take it. She said there were others deeper in need and finally agreed to take it and give it out if that's what she felt was needed. After a few more minutes, Cathy leaned over and asked Shari if maybe we could help her get as far as Huntsville and then get her home from there if necessary. Well, let's just say that our plan was not God's and the next thing we knew, we were following her van to an apartment 4 blocks from the beach in what she called the poverty area of Gulfport. She had agreed to come to Huntsville with us and only the things we could take. On the way, I made two calls. One to Pastor Daniels to see if we could get some money to help her with gas to our city and the other to Pamela Daniels (no relation), the Director of our Cover School, to see if we could get her some clothes, money and a trip to southern Illinois.

As we entered her apartment complex, the picture to the left is what we saw. There was barely enough room for the truck to drive the parking lots. She led us to the back of the complex where her apartment was. On her balcony was all her furniture because it was wet and had mold growing on it. They had finally put tarps over the roof but the floor was still wet and the the mold was growing on it and the clothing, walls and everything else. We packed all that we could take between the two vehicles and she bid farewell to Gulfport. About an hour after we arrived, we were on our way to Perkinston with Seneca and Leah in tow. It was at that time that Shari told us she had prayed to God that morning that if we were to help one or one hundred, may whatever we did, Glorify Him. Well, we felt we had our answer. One and a half. That was what He wanted us to help.

On our way back, I called Pastor and he said that he had some money for us to give her. We also received a call from Pamela that she had money, a truck or plane ticket and new window for the car already taken care of. It is amazing to us what God can put together in a short time. Sarah offered to open her house up for them to stay and so it was done. She was coming with us. As we pulled back into Perkinston, we though our eyes were decieving us when we saw Pastor pull out in front of us. Again, he was right there upon our return. He pulled over and handed us some money for her and said he'd meet us at the Fire Station shortly. When we got there, the people were waiting for us again and said "Welcome Home Girls". We truly felt like we were home. They opened their hearts and even their food to her and Leah. Joey, Janet's son, took extra care with Leah and made sure she didn't want for anything. About 20 minutes later, Pastor showed up with more money for her. She didn't know what to do and once again, we couldn't believe the people we had been blessed to come into contact with. They were so giving, even though they were also in need.

Knowing how late it had gotten, we decided that it was time to hook up the trailer and get on the road. Again, they wanted to help with getting the truck lined up and getting the trailer sealed up for travel. During that time, another Pastor from the area showed up and gave $100 to Seneca. By the time we left, God had blessed her with close to $200 for her travel needs. She also found out she had a new family in Perkinston and Huntsville. After some very tough good-byes and assurances of seeing them again, we packed up the truck, got Seneca prepared for the trip and headed north out of Perkinston. We stopped at McDonald's/Texaco to fill us and the vehicles up. They had gas and a limited menu but that was ok. We were so filled with the Spirit, nothing was able to damper the mood. We even missed the exit to get on 59 north and had to go south. We almost took it as a "wink" that God didn't want us to leave Mississippi. But we knew that wasn't it but we did know we'd be back and we did know we now had family in Perkinston, MS.

The trip home was uneventful and we were thankful for that. We got into Huntsville at 1:30am Sunday morning. Sarah had rode with Seneca and drove for her after dark. They came to Shari's house where our cars were. We unloaded the camper and truck and said our good-byes. We still couldn't believe what God had done for us in that 24 hours. We went there to bless them and feel we walked away being blessed more than them. God in his infinite wisdom allowed us to find a group of people that we will forever think of as family and look forward to getting to know better.

What started as one small thought on Wednesday morning, September 7, turned into a mission trip blessed with God's spirit the whole way. We continue to be amazed by what He allowed us to do and be a part of. We will forever be grateful for the lives he has brought our way and look forward to the future trips we will take. Thank God for the safe travel and the family he allowed us to bring home. And thank you to all of you who helped to make this trip successful. We will be returning. After all, we left a gas can there and have to go back to get it, right?

Heading to Perkinston, MS

2005-09-09T19:49:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a wonderful mission trip to Perkinston, MS that came about because of a Instant Message conversation that started 48 hours earlier. Shari Crooks and Cathy Young, both of Veritas Christian Academy (Homeschool Cover), were talking about how they'd like to go help the Hurricane Katrina victims. 48 Hours later, we were joined by Sarah Pavlik, also from our cover, and Jeanette Lawson, a nurse at Huntsville Hospital and were heading south to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Within 24 hours of our decision to go and spread God' love, homeschoolers from all over, friends and family had responded to our request for donations far beyond anything our human mind could've imagined. Cathy had also been able to contact Pastor Daniels who leads a flock of 35 + in a small southern Baptist Church down there. He then put us in touch with the Perkinston Volunteer Fire Department. It is an all volunteer force that is working 24 hours a day right now. They don't even get paid and are more worried about those in need then themselves. We are so thankful for all the help and please know, this is an ongoing journey. We can't take it all in one trip so more are to come. So, come enjoy the ride with us and see the wonderful things that God did before, during and after our trip. All this is to bring Glory to HIM!!!!! Not us.

Last night we got the trailer hooked up to Shari's truck and did a few test drives with Alan Blackmon, the family who had donated the trailer for our use. We then got the truck and trailer packed with as many things as we felt we could take, without putting on too much extra weight. The only thing we knew we had coming the next day was the linens that the hospital linen service had donated.

On Friday morning, Jeanette went to pick up the linens only to find the "box" they had promised us turned into 24 boxes. She called to see if I could bring the truck out to pick up the items from there. So after meeting her at her house to pack her car up from donations she had gotten at the hospital, I headed out to pick up the linens. Unfortunately, I was only able to take half but they told me they'd hold the rest until Monday and then we can send them in the next shipment. I then headed for Shari's and we finished packing the trailer and moving things to the middle for weight balance.

Well, after a long prayer of praise and thanksgiving, we left out of here on Friday morning at 11:30am, packed and energized and feeling filled with God's glory. We were told that because of the size and weight of the trailer we had been blessed with, our trip would go from 6 hrs to about 9 hrs. It was the first time Shari had driven a trailer and we threw her in with a 25ft one. Our trip was pretty smooth but I think the most ironic thing was that as soon as we crossed the Mississippi border, you started seeing downed trees and it only got worse from there. I called Pastor Daniels and let him know we were in his state and well on our way. He was so thankful and couldn't wait for our arrival. He said there'd be help to unload when we arrived.

We were absolutely blown away by the tree damage we were seeing so far north and yet so thankful there wasn't much damage. We saw areas that looked more like either tree-top tornadoes might have hit or even regular ones. There was a stretch of about 3 miles that looked like a tornado had run right along the side of the road. Trees gone but thank God, no damage to the road. Entire areas of the median for miles lost all the trees. Once we got closer to Hattiesburg (which is about 40 miles north of Perkinston), we began to see more building damage. We were so thankful that God had allowed us to make the entire trip in daylight. It allowed us slow preparation of the horror we would see Saturday as we traveled in to Gulfport. The closer we got to Perkinston, the more severe the damage.

Pastor Daniels (that's him and his wife Elsie in the pic) had asked that when we got to the Wal-Mart in Wiggins, a small town 5 miles north of Perkinston, to please call him so he could meet us at the Fire Station. When I called, he was traveling north on Hwy 49 (the highway to take us there) and was only about 2 miles from us. He asked if we would stop so he could escort us in. WOW! The timing, the love and the place we were going, ALL of it was God's perfect timing. Within about 30 seconds of stopping, a local Deputy pulled in behind us. It was after curfew so we figured it would happen. We had been instructed on what to do but also knew Pastor was close by. By the time the Deputy made it to our windows, Pastor was there and happended to personally know the Deputy. He informed us the only reason he had stopped was because our signs on the camper told him we were bringing relief aid to his area and he was worried we were broke down. God is amazing. So after a big hug from this wonderful man, Pastor Daniels, and introductions, we followed him to the fire station. We had to laugh because he has the same truck as Shari's (whose name is Jake by the way), the one we were in. Same year, make, model and color. We thought that was God's sense of humor shining down on us. (We quietly name his truck Jilly Sue to give Jake a friend)

When we got to the station, we were blown away because there were probably about 25 people awaiting our arrival. The best part was, they were waiting for us personally, our things too, but the welcome we personally received blew us away. Hugs and smiles and even little babies there to welcome us. They instantly began unloading, after they hugged us, and couldn't believe the items we were able to bring. We found out later they were all there specifically for us. We were supposed to be their last load of the night. After we were done, they asked if they could park the camper for us and help us to get set up. With their skills of driving the fire trucks, we were thankful for their offer because Shari was not about to try the whole backing up thing.. We began to get things separated when a semi truck arrived, unbenownst to them, from Iowa. (Again a God wink because it was from the area in Iowa that Sarah is from) So God allowed us to help them unload this truck and then begin the sorting again. During the unloading a call came into the station about a structure fire and some of the helpers had to respond. It was so neat to see the concern even with all they had individually lost and were dealing with. We continued to help them separate and sort until about 1am.

During that time, we continually had power issues with camper and there were times they were more concerned with that then everything else. The extension cord we were using wasn't heavy duty enough, a fuse blew, and other minor things. But they wouldn't rest until all was fixed and we were comfortable. At 10pm, somewhere in the middle of a Hurricane damaged city, the fire chief was able to find a fuse, the specific one we had blown, to get the Air Conditioning working. Not only did he find one but two, incase it blew again. Remember, the curfew is 6pm so WalMart and all other stores are closed. We still don't know where he went but God works through people in mysterious ways and in 5 minutes, our air was working. After spending some quality time listening and sharing with the great people of Perkinston, we all decided to call it a night about 1am. Before Pastor Daniels and his wife Elsie left, they prayed for us and over us and thanked God for our safe journey to them.

I can't tell you how much these men and women of Perkinston, MS touched our lives in such a special way. They are manning this volunteer station 24 hrs a day right now so that no one goes without. The firefighters that have to stay at night sleep on a cot, an old couch and the back seat of a van. WOW! All so that other's don't have to go without. We also found out that the doors of the station were blown off in the Hurricane so once all is said and done, they will not be able to close the doors of the station until they can afford to replace them. They also keep their protective gear in boxes and the bugs are eating into them. They need rubber containers to keep their items safe.

That night we took a little time to decompress before bed and spentd a few minutes reflecting on the day. We thanked God for the safe journey and bringing us to this group of people that we now so joyfully call "family". Our hearts were so full that night and yet we were looking so forward to Saturday when we'd be able to take on the mission God had set forth.