Good Morning!
Our team would like to thank you for your prayers yesterday as we traveled to Joplin yesterday. The drive went well and we arrived safely. The students were great! The journey took 13 hours and they were amazing.
It is great to see how we are getting to know each other already and gelling as a team. Thank you Lord for your plan! For bringing us together. The reason we are here is because of you! You saw fit to choose us to be here, to work together and to be here for each other.
Last evening after we arrived at the Abundant Life Volunteer Village we watched a National Geographic video of what it was like on May 22, 2011. How moving it was to hear from the different people, to hear from their perspective.
The gentleman who showed us the video explained how it was for him that day. Where he and his wife were and how painful it was. He said it took a year and a half before he could watch the video. How painful it still must be. But in his voice I heard hope. Even on the day as he and his wife prayed while the tornado was around them. God did provide for them. Many lost their lives and many lost their homes. Some would ask where was God that day. But we know He was here, He was crying with them, He was sending their friends and neighbors who were affected to help each other. His Spirit was here.
I never believe in coincidence. I believe in God's plan. We are staying at the Abundant Life Volunteer Village. The devotional that I have been reading this year is titled "Abundant Life Day Book". My devotional yesterday was titled "I Am Worthy of Your Trust in the Worst Times."
What a reminder for me and for our team as we minister to Joplin. Part of our reason for coming to Joplin is to help with the physical needs of the people we will serve but also we are hear to listen to them and their stories.
Hopefully we will be able to give them hope? God has not forgotten them, He has sent so many before us and He has sent us. We would not be here if it was not for the Lord working in our lives. We are here to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
In the devotional for yesterday the author reminded me that "My great blessing to you is that no matter what happens, even when the worst happens, you have the knowledge and confidence that you belong to a God who can be trusted with even this. Eventhough you don't know what I am doing, you can believe that I know what I'm doing. Even though you may not understand how anything good can come out of what your're experiencing, you can believe that I understand how I am using all of this for your good.
This is a good reminder for each of us as we journey through life.
As a team our devotional for today is focusing on "Worship Only God".
Please pray for us as we learn more about why we should Worship Only God, and as we Woship this morning with the Abundant Life Church Family, as we go out with the lead construction manager to find out how and where we will serve. Pray for the families that we will be serving that we may be a blessing to them.
Thank you for your prayers!
If you have any questions about World Renew please visit the World Renew - Disaster Response Service web page from the link on my web page. Servingdrs.blogspot.com
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Crossroads -- Joplin, MO
Good Afternoon!
For the next week I will have the privilege of serving along side the Crossroads youth group, their leaders and several adults from Corinth Reformed Church. This will be the first joint mission trip for Corinth with World Renew in Grand Rapids. World Renew and Abundant Life located in Joplin, MO have been partners sending mission trips before.
Our missions pastor and youth leaders began to talk about the possibility of coordinating a trip about a year ago. It is so exciting to be able to join the 14 crossroad youth and the 9 adults to serve along side the Joplin Community.
Five years ago this past May 22nd an EF5 tornado struck Joplin. There were 158 lives lost, 1150 people were injured, winds were over 200 mile per hour, and as of this year about 2.95 billion in damages have been spent. With such a catastrophic tornado there are still many people who are still not back in their home. It takes a long time to rebuild a community.
Saturday morning we will begin our journey to Joplin, MO. Please pray for us as we travel that all will go well, that we will have time to get to know each other, that we will be safe.
Our prayer guide for the first few days Bible reading is from Phillippians 2: 2 - 5. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Please pray for us as we travel: that we will gel as a team, that we will see His purpose for our trip. That we will be able to share encouragement, unity, comfort, love, tenderness, compassion, joy, and purpose to the families we serve and to each other.
May we remember that Christ is the reason we are going to serve and that we are going to lift up the families and the community leaders who have been working for the last five years. Please pray that each person we come in contact with with see the love of Christ through our words and our actions.
If you feel so inclined please check our the World Renew - Disaster Response Link on the side of my blog or go to: http://www.worldrenew.net/domestic-disaster-0
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
For the next week I will have the privilege of serving along side the Crossroads youth group, their leaders and several adults from Corinth Reformed Church. This will be the first joint mission trip for Corinth with World Renew in Grand Rapids. World Renew and Abundant Life located in Joplin, MO have been partners sending mission trips before.
Our missions pastor and youth leaders began to talk about the possibility of coordinating a trip about a year ago. It is so exciting to be able to join the 14 crossroad youth and the 9 adults to serve along side the Joplin Community.
Five years ago this past May 22nd an EF5 tornado struck Joplin. There were 158 lives lost, 1150 people were injured, winds were over 200 mile per hour, and as of this year about 2.95 billion in damages have been spent. With such a catastrophic tornado there are still many people who are still not back in their home. It takes a long time to rebuild a community.
Saturday morning we will begin our journey to Joplin, MO. Please pray for us as we travel that all will go well, that we will have time to get to know each other, that we will be safe.
Our prayer guide for the first few days Bible reading is from Phillippians 2: 2 - 5. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."
Please pray for us as we travel: that we will gel as a team, that we will see His purpose for our trip. That we will be able to share encouragement, unity, comfort, love, tenderness, compassion, joy, and purpose to the families we serve and to each other.
May we remember that Christ is the reason we are going to serve and that we are going to lift up the families and the community leaders who have been working for the last five years. Please pray that each person we come in contact with with see the love of Christ through our words and our actions.
If you feel so inclined please check our the World Renew - Disaster Response Link on the side of my blog or go to: http://www.worldrenew.net/domestic-disaster-0
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.
Friday, April 8, 2016
Friday, Day 9 of our Serving in Franklinton, LA
Good Evening!
Thank you so much for your prayers!
Every day we serve in Louisiana we are reminded of God's faithfulness to us and especially to the families we are serving. We see it in the look of relief in their faces as we arrive. They smile because help has come. The task is so overwhelming! They do not know where to begin and what is safe for them to keep.
When we begin each day at a home we start with prayer for the family, that as they make decisions about their home and belongings they will feel it they are the right choices, we pray for safety for all of us and for them as they begin the process of starting to rebuild their home and their life.
Today as we began to take the furniture, clothing, kitchen and bathrooms items out of the house and put them in a pile a verse came to mind.
It is from Matthew 6: 19 - 21: "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."
I realize that the treasures of the families are not being moth eaten but with the river water after 29 days there are many items that are rusty and there is so much mold. It has helped me to put in perspective what is really important in life.
As I took out extra sets of sheets and towels, it made me think how many sets do I really need at home? I think I will begin to look at how I may bless other people and/or organizations with the things I truly do not need. I want to make sure that my treasures are for heaven.
Please keep our team and the families in your prayers. Tomorrow, Saturday is our last day of work here. We plan to begin our travels home on Sunday after church (about 9:30 Central time). If all goes well with the weather, we should be home late Monday night.
Here are a couple of photos from today:
Thank you so much for your prayers!
Every day we serve in Louisiana we are reminded of God's faithfulness to us and especially to the families we are serving. We see it in the look of relief in their faces as we arrive. They smile because help has come. The task is so overwhelming! They do not know where to begin and what is safe for them to keep.
When we begin each day at a home we start with prayer for the family, that as they make decisions about their home and belongings they will feel it they are the right choices, we pray for safety for all of us and for them as they begin the process of starting to rebuild their home and their life.
Today as we began to take the furniture, clothing, kitchen and bathrooms items out of the house and put them in a pile a verse came to mind.
It is from Matthew 6: 19 - 21: "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."
I realize that the treasures of the families are not being moth eaten but with the river water after 29 days there are many items that are rusty and there is so much mold. It has helped me to put in perspective what is really important in life.
As I took out extra sets of sheets and towels, it made me think how many sets do I really need at home? I think I will begin to look at how I may bless other people and/or organizations with the things I truly do not need. I want to make sure that my treasures are for heaven.
Please keep our team and the families in your prayers. Tomorrow, Saturday is our last day of work here. We plan to begin our travels home on Sunday after church (about 9:30 Central time). If all goes well with the weather, we should be home late Monday night.
Here are a couple of photos from today:
Monday, April 4, 2016
Update from Franklinton, LA - Monday, April 4th - Catherine Botts
Good Evening!
Sorry I have not written to you since last week. We have been busy. We began last Wednesday morning and worked each day through Saturday. We took a day of rest on Sunday and began a new work week today.
So far we have completed 4 homes; a 5th home has been gutted and just needs to have the "Shockwave" treatment for the mold. A team of two of us will do that sometime tomorrow.
In the morning the whole team will begin a 6th home in Franklinton.
The number of volunteers has been amazing which is helping to complete the homes especially in the Franklinton area. Last week it was great to see the number of high school students that came out to help while on their Spring break. They really pitched in and accomplished so much.
Bogolusa is not too far from Franklinton and has more homes which need to be completed so we will begin working there most likely from Wednesday through Saturday and stay in Franklinton.
Today is day 25 since the flood occurred. We are so thankful for the families whose needs are being met. As of today there have been applications for 345 homes filed. Of that 289 homes have been completed and 56 remain. Of the 56 remaining homes 13 are in Franklinton and 43 are in Bogolusa.
When I say homes have been completed I should explain that this does not mean that people are back in their homes. It means that the Rapid Response teams have come in to muck out their homes and take care of sanitizing them in preparation of how to proceed from here. This is when insurance companies, FEMA and local Long Term Recovery Organizations decide how needs will be met and money distributed.
Based on the number of applications FEMA will decide if they will help, as well as other sources. Once this is done then families will figure out how they will be able to proceed. There is still the long reconstruction process which will take months.
Please pray for the families which are still displaced.
Please pray for all of the volunteers who are working in so many capacities. The church we are housed in is preparing meals for us each day, giving us food to pack for lunch, providing showers, laundry and so much more. We appreciate them so much!
Please pray for the World Renew - Rapid Response Team and our families at home. We are thankful for their willingness to support us while we are here.
Please pray for our safety as we work six days this week. Our hearts are willing but our bodies are not used to the physical and emotional toil.
We know by the people we have met and are serving that we are exactly where God wants us. We are so thankful that He sent each one of our seven team members. We are working well together and we see each day why we are all here.
Jeremiah 29: 11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Here are some photos of today's completed house.
Sorry I have not written to you since last week. We have been busy. We began last Wednesday morning and worked each day through Saturday. We took a day of rest on Sunday and began a new work week today.
So far we have completed 4 homes; a 5th home has been gutted and just needs to have the "Shockwave" treatment for the mold. A team of two of us will do that sometime tomorrow.
In the morning the whole team will begin a 6th home in Franklinton.
The number of volunteers has been amazing which is helping to complete the homes especially in the Franklinton area. Last week it was great to see the number of high school students that came out to help while on their Spring break. They really pitched in and accomplished so much.
Bogolusa is not too far from Franklinton and has more homes which need to be completed so we will begin working there most likely from Wednesday through Saturday and stay in Franklinton.
Today is day 25 since the flood occurred. We are so thankful for the families whose needs are being met. As of today there have been applications for 345 homes filed. Of that 289 homes have been completed and 56 remain. Of the 56 remaining homes 13 are in Franklinton and 43 are in Bogolusa.
When I say homes have been completed I should explain that this does not mean that people are back in their homes. It means that the Rapid Response teams have come in to muck out their homes and take care of sanitizing them in preparation of how to proceed from here. This is when insurance companies, FEMA and local Long Term Recovery Organizations decide how needs will be met and money distributed.
Based on the number of applications FEMA will decide if they will help, as well as other sources. Once this is done then families will figure out how they will be able to proceed. There is still the long reconstruction process which will take months.
Please pray for the families which are still displaced.
Please pray for all of the volunteers who are working in so many capacities. The church we are housed in is preparing meals for us each day, giving us food to pack for lunch, providing showers, laundry and so much more. We appreciate them so much!
Please pray for the World Renew - Rapid Response Team and our families at home. We are thankful for their willingness to support us while we are here.
Please pray for our safety as we work six days this week. Our hearts are willing but our bodies are not used to the physical and emotional toil.
We know by the people we have met and are serving that we are exactly where God wants us. We are so thankful that He sent each one of our seven team members. We are working well together and we see each day why we are all here.
Jeremiah 29: 11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Here are some photos of today's completed house.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Arrived in Franklinton, LA this after noon.
Good Evening! Family & Friends,
We arrived in Franklinton, LA at the First Baptist Church about 3:00 p.m., our home until the 13th of April. What a great community we have come to. There is so much love and how organized they are. What a blessing the people we have met are to the people of Franklinton and Bogalusa!
We have all of our physical needs taken care of. We have our beds set up, know where the showers and laundry are and have the meal schedule for each day. Now we can put our energy in to helping the families.
Five of our teams members have gone to check out the first few job sites which we will begin in the morning. Please pray that the rain and storms they are predicting do not materialize so we may achieve what needs to be done.
Also, our team grew to seven yesterday morning when we arrived at the World Renew office. Les joined us. We are thankful for another set of hands. How wonderful!
The center has had a total of 335 applications as of today. A 158 applications in Fraklinton and 177 in Bogalusa. Today, March 29th is day 16 for the center. The teams that have come before us have completed 220 homes already with 115 homes remaining at this time. The center is still taking
applications and are open each day from 9 to 4.
First Baptist Church
Thank you so much for your prayers as we traveled these last two days. We had great weather and dry roads. We are thankful too for the time to get to know each other and our families.
I was reading from Isaiah 40: 27-31 "O Israiel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who hope on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will round and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
As I write these words to you I hear thunder and rain. Please pray for the families with homes that are open to the elements that they do not feel that they have been forgotten, that their troubles will not be met.
Please pray that they will feel hope as we come to meet their needs . May we be a blessing to them. May they see that it is our love for the Lord and for them that has brought us here.
Thank you,
Catherine
We arrived in Franklinton, LA at the First Baptist Church about 3:00 p.m., our home until the 13th of April. What a great community we have come to. There is so much love and how organized they are. What a blessing the people we have met are to the people of Franklinton and Bogalusa!
We have all of our physical needs taken care of. We have our beds set up, know where the showers and laundry are and have the meal schedule for each day. Now we can put our energy in to helping the families.
Five of our teams members have gone to check out the first few job sites which we will begin in the morning. Please pray that the rain and storms they are predicting do not materialize so we may achieve what needs to be done.
Also, our team grew to seven yesterday morning when we arrived at the World Renew office. Les joined us. We are thankful for another set of hands. How wonderful!
The center has had a total of 335 applications as of today. A 158 applications in Fraklinton and 177 in Bogalusa. Today, March 29th is day 16 for the center. The teams that have come before us have completed 220 homes already with 115 homes remaining at this time. The center is still taking
applications and are open each day from 9 to 4.
First Baptist Church
Thank you so much for your prayers as we traveled these last two days. We had great weather and dry roads. We are thankful too for the time to get to know each other and our families.
I was reading from Isaiah 40: 27-31 "O Israiel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. But those who hope on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will round and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
As I write these words to you I hear thunder and rain. Please pray for the families with homes that are open to the elements that they do not feel that they have been forgotten, that their troubles will not be met.
Please pray that they will feel hope as we come to meet their needs . May we be a blessing to them. May they see that it is our love for the Lord and for them that has brought us here.
Thank you,
Catherine
Friday, March 25, 2016
World Renew - Rapid Response - Franklinton, LA
March 25, 2016
Dear Family & Friends,
It is hard to believe that it has been six months since I last served with World Renew. At that time it was in Coal City, IL with the World Renew - Needs Assessment Team.
God has placed a tug on my heart again to serve. This time with the World Renew - Rapid Response Team in Franklinton, LA. There has been extreme flooding in the area which is in the northeast corner of what I call the "toe" of Loisiana state boot.
It is always amazing to me how God works. I do not know why it always amazes me but it does. He is so good! Eight years ago I served with our church youth group in Franklinton, LA after Katrina and the local leaders were the same as they are now. I am thankful to be serving along side them once again. I am sorry that their area has been flooded, this time not from a hurricane, but from an extreme amount of rain that swelled the rivers.
If you would please pray for our team of six. We will begin to travel to Louisiana on Monday, March 27th. It will take us a day and a half to travel. We will serve with the local teams until April 12th and begin our travels home on the 13th arriving home on the 14th of April.
Things to pray for: for the families that we will be serving who have lost so much, for healing for the families, for traveling mercies, for us as we serve physically, emotionally and spiritually, for safety as we work. Please pray for our families that remain at home, who support us as our team serves.
Luke 10: 27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And Love your neighbor as yourself."
Serving with World Renew is one way that God calls me to serve our neighbors. If you would like more information about World Renew Disaster Response Service please see their website from the link on the side of the page or at: http://www.worldrenew.net/drs
Dear Family & Friends,
It is hard to believe that it has been six months since I last served with World Renew. At that time it was in Coal City, IL with the World Renew - Needs Assessment Team.
God has placed a tug on my heart again to serve. This time with the World Renew - Rapid Response Team in Franklinton, LA. There has been extreme flooding in the area which is in the northeast corner of what I call the "toe" of Loisiana state boot.
It is always amazing to me how God works. I do not know why it always amazes me but it does. He is so good! Eight years ago I served with our church youth group in Franklinton, LA after Katrina and the local leaders were the same as they are now. I am thankful to be serving along side them once again. I am sorry that their area has been flooded, this time not from a hurricane, but from an extreme amount of rain that swelled the rivers.
If you would please pray for our team of six. We will begin to travel to Louisiana on Monday, March 27th. It will take us a day and a half to travel. We will serve with the local teams until April 12th and begin our travels home on the 13th arriving home on the 14th of April.
Things to pray for: for the families that we will be serving who have lost so much, for healing for the families, for traveling mercies, for us as we serve physically, emotionally and spiritually, for safety as we work. Please pray for our families that remain at home, who support us as our team serves.
Luke 10: 27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind. And Love your neighbor as yourself."
Serving with World Renew is one way that God calls me to serve our neighbors. If you would like more information about World Renew Disaster Response Service please see their website from the link on the side of the page or at: http://www.worldrenew.net/drs
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