Well, here we go again! Off to sunny and rainy Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. Summer has arrived I am told, and we will not have to worry about getting cold. The weather forecast calls for highs in the upper 80s and lows to the mid 60s, with the humidity hovering between the two. We are excited to be going and to be serving the people of Bay Saint Louis as well as those who have been faithfully running the relief camp. I am sure we will not find it hard to find someone who could use some relief. We hope to lift up the arms and spirits of those who are weary. There is still such great need everywhere in the path that Katrina struck.
      We will be going out as a Team of 21 “average Joes”. To my knowledge there is not a one of us who is a professional relief worker. We will need to work together as a team and pool our gifts and talents to make up for a lack of expertise. Hopefully this will keep us humble and also relying solely on the strength of God to work through us.
     We would covet your prayers for us as we seek to bless and serve so many who are still so devastated, and are still living in a land of devastation. We are thankful to be able to offer physical hope in some way, but most importantly to offer the saving love of God that is only found in His Son Jesus. We know the heart of our God – that His desire is to seek and to save that which is lost. We would like you to pray that God would make us great laborers in the white fields of harvest. Physical help is temporary, but spiritual salvation is eternal!

Check back in!!! We will be sending pictures and updates throughout the trip.

Katrina Team 3

May 8 - 5:43am

      To see over twenty Christains standing in a circle praying at 3AM on a Monday morning may have seemed unusual to Modestans driving by Calvary Chapel, but to us it was the only appropriate thing to do before beginning our trip. This group is the largest and most diverse sent to Bay St. Louis so far, with ages ranging from the late teens to the late fifties. We are a group of students, health care workers, x ray technicians, body shop workers, architects, and even some construction types. We thank the Lord for sending along some with construction experience to teach the rest of us what end of the hammer to pound with.
     The idea that traveling is fun doesn't seem to be true anymore, but we all arrived safely with no problems or loss of luggage. Somehow we stuffed 21 people and all their suitcases into three minivans and drove the 25 miles from Gulfport to Bay St. Louis, arriving at 7:30PM. Accomodations are more luxurious than when we were last here. We now sleep in quonset huts that hold up to 25 people. The big circus type tent is gone. After a time of devotions and orientation, we retired at 10:00 PM. We are all looking forward to getting out into the community tomorrow and being a blessing in whatever way the Lord desires. We know we can count on you for prayer, and that helps us as we look forward to a time of hard work and separation from our families.

May 9 - 8:16pm

     Today each and every one of us experienced hard work, sweat, and fatigue.We began the day with devotions and prayer, then gathered for more prayer as we left for our work assignments. Upon arrival at the local homes, we gathered again for, you guessed it, more prayer (this time with the homeowners). Then more prayer after lunch, followed by evening devotions and more prayer. The camp leaders have learned that it is prayer that keeps you focused, strengthened, and in step with the Holy Spirit's direction. A good, long, hard, God-directed day today!
     One of our teams worked on the home of Don and Betty Wanker. Don is 72 and a retired railroad worker. Betty is confined to a wheelchair. Although their home is 8 feet off the ground, it was still completely covered with water when the storm surge from Katrina came in. It was our job to cover all the wood supports inside the house with a mold killing sealer. One of our team members asked Don if he and Betty worshiped at a local church. He said that they didn't, but that he was a good man who always helped those that did right by him. We took the opportunity to let Don know that we also help others, but for a different reason. We help out of gratitude for what our Savior has done for us. It is clear that Don is not saved. Fortunately, we have more work to do at Don's house, so we will have more time to talk with Don. Please pray for him and all of us.

May 10 - 2:03pm

     Sometimes renewal can be a slow process. The city of Bay St. Louis is slowly coming back to life. Wendy's Hamburgers is open again. So is Church's Fried Chicken. And all the liquor stores are open and doing a brisk business. No surprise there, I guess.
     But there is more than one kind of renewal taking place here. There is the physical renewal of returning businesses and residents, of course. But there is also a spiritual renewal that is taking place in the hearts of those who really are paying attention and are still learning lessons from Katrina, even nine months out.
     Our drywall crew met one such person. Her name is Edith. Our guys went out to her home to hang new drywall. While they were there, she told them about her plants. It seems Edith loves potted plants. She loves them so much that she had 52 of them before Katrina. But of all the plants she had, one was her favorite. After Katrina, it was obvious that all her plants had died. That is, until this Spring. One came back. Of all her 52 plants, only her favorite survived.
     Edith says that she knows this is the Lord's way of showing her that despite the damage done by the storm surges and high winds of the hurricane last August, He is causing renewal to take place in her life.
     The lessons of Hurricane Katrina pounded some like a sledgehammer, but isn't it interesting that one lesson was taught by nothing more than a potted plant, a tiny piece of God's creation. Edith learned that we have a loving, kind, and gracious God who wants to restore us and help us through the hurt. This was a lesson that took nine months to teach. Sometimes renewal can be a slow process.

May 11 - 4:41pm

The Lord has blessed us with very nice working weather so far. Although Tuesday and Wednesday were warm and humid, both days were overcast with a cooling breeze. Wednesday evening we were given a wonderful display of God's power as He treated us to a thunder and lightning storm. Thursday morning dawned cool, clear, and breezy, very much like a Modesto spring day. We were treated to a rare night out Thursday evening. Tim Davenport arranged for a restaurant in New Orleans to handle our group. Tim grew up in that city and most of his family is still there. After a dinner of gumbo, crawfish, boiled shrimp, and oysters (or a beef po boy sandwich for those of us who are less adventurous), we had the pleasure of meeting some of Tim's family.

May 12 - 4:17am

     One of the jobs for us today was to hang a new front door assembly on Pat Green's house. Pat lives at 123 Melody Lane, but life has been anything but a melody for him over the last 3 years. On August 16, 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused a fire that burned Pat's house to the ground. Less than 2 months later, on November 5, his only son Caleb, whom he had raised alone since infancy, died of a drug overdose.
     The final blow came on August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina swept over 11 feet of water through the house that he had just finished rebuilding. Pat went into post trauma stress and deep depression.
     After returning from a forced evacuation to Florida, he wandered the streets of Bay St. Louis, not eating, shaving, bathing, or changing clothes. Some nights he slept on his grandparent's tomb in a local cemetery. He didn't know where to go or what to do. Looking like a wild man, one day he wandered into Camp Hope, just wanting someone to talk to. He was a man totally alone. It took a little while, but as the unconditional love of Jesus was extended to Pat, he started to come around. He shaved, started to take care of himself, and got his life together.
     Today, Pat is a different man. He exercises, lifts weights, and eats right. But most of all, he has an overwhelming, beautiful love of Jesus. He is rebuilding his house again, and is almost finished. To those who saw him before, his transformation is nothing short of a miracle. Pat was alone for a long time, but now he knows he will never be alone again. Jesus Christ is now his beloved companion.

May 13 - 8:03am