Sunday, February 24, 2008

All In a Days Work

This past week we had several teams from Ohio, Arizona, Alabama, and Pennsylvania working on the church property. Teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania took on the children's church shipping container. To put in walls, paint, put in the door, and wire.Volunteers from the 4 states listed above helped in the unpacking, disassembling, flooring, air conditioning, and reassembling of a Quonset Hut. This Quonset Hut was the first building put on the property after the storm, so when they put the floor down it sat right in the mud. Well 2 1/2 years later the floors were rotting out so we needed to replace them. The new floor in the Quonset hut is great and ought to last as long as the hut stands there.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

modular home work continues

This week a team from the Augusta, GA area came to assist in the relief, recovery, and rebuilding efforts. They worked on the modular trailer a association also from Georgia donated to a single mother and her family. Pastor Don posted on RebuildLakeshore.com when we set it up on the pilings. This team took the house several steps further. They put the siding on the ends of the house, did the plumbing, did the electrical, and worked in the house to get it fit to live in. Lord willing it will not be long before they can move in.
The house before the siding.

The Siding Man

Working on the plumbing under the house

Digging a ditch for the line from the well

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Mrs. Gillum moves in!!!

The Day has finally arrived. Mrs. Gillum is able to move into her refurbished home. I cannot tell you how excited Mrs. Gillum as we worked on her house. She comes to me each Sunday at church, gives me a hug, tells me how grateful she is, and how much she likes what the volunteers have done. Mrs. Gillum has had a rough life these past few years, losing her son then her husband, having the storm destroy her home, then losing her daughter. She is a precious woman.
We had a home dedication for her this afternoon. Teams from South Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Alabama were in attendance. It was a special time that we could gather for prayer and give Mrs. Gillum a great gift. folks will be helping Mrs. Gillum move the things from her FEMA camper to the home tomorrow. Lord willing she will be able to sleep in her new bed tomorrow night.

And for a bonus picture, here's Britt jumping over the flooded ditch in front of Mrs. Gillum's house.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

railings, doors, floors, and more

Ms. Diane's house is one of the many homes we are working at this week. It is exciting to see her home progressing. This week we have a couple from Alabama and a church from Kentucky tackling the railing for the porch, the texture and painting, the interior doors, and the laminate floors. The house is coming along great. I believe they have an electrician who will, Lord willing, get the meter box on the side of the house.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Baxter's advice on reading

Lord willing I will be posting a bit more often this coming week as we will be having about 150 volunteers by Sunday night. But I was reading this article this afternoon written by Puritan Richard Baxter. It was convicting as I thought about the things I read. Honestly most of the books I read are solid Christian books. The convicting part was thinking about all the other things I spend time reading - especially on the internet, blogs in particular. I can think of many wasted hours reading things that don't really matter and crazy news stories that are pretty much just gossip. Consider what Baxter writes when you think about all the things that you read, whether it's books, magazines, news papers, or the internet.

Advice On Reading

by Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

"Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy scriptures ever have the pre-eminence, and, next to them, those solid, lively, heavenly treatises which best expound and apply the scriptures, and next, credible histories, especially of the Church . . . but take heed of false teachers who would corrupt your understandings."

1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the holy scripture, than in any other book whatever, so it has more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer Him, and make the reader more reverent, serious and divine. Let scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it. The endeavors of the devil and papists to keep it from you, doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you.

2. The writings of divines are nothing else but a preaching of the gospel to the eye, as the voice preaches it to the ear. Vocal preaching has the pre-eminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the congregation which attend it: this way the milk comes warmest from the breast. But books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able preacher when you have but a average one to hear. Every congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful preachers: but every single person may read the books of the most powerful and judicious; preachers may be silenced or banished, when books may be at hand: books may be kept at a smaller charge than preachers: we may choose books which treat of that, very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day. and hour; when we can have sermons but seldom, and at set times. If sermons be forgotten, they are gone; but a book we may read over and over, till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good books are a very great mercy to the world: the Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve His doctrine and laws to the 'Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere verbal traditions.

3. You have need of a judicious teacher at hand, to direct you what books to use or to refuse: for among good books there are some very good that are sound and lively; and some good, but mediocre, and weak and somewhat dull; and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautious, injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle than edify the weak.

Baxter's Guide To The Value Of A Book

While reading ask oneself:

1. Could I spend this time no better?

2. Are there better books that would edify me more?

3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life?

4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

Saturday, February 09, 2008

discombobulated update

Much has happened it the past couple of weeks since I posted last. Volunteers are still coming and getting much done for the glory of God. We've almost got another house framed up and dried in. We are looking to frame another house in a week. We are planning for the coming weeks as the number of volunteers is picking up. The next few weeks around here will be filled with volunteer help from all over the United States. I know a week from now we'll have at least 12 different churches represented that week from the west coast to the east coast and everywhere in between.

The last two weeks in January brought some of my friends down from Wisconsin. It was great to see them and hang out with them while they were here. This past Tuesday Brit from NY and I took a trip down to New Orleans to hit some of the Mardi Gras parades - it was great fun.

The Lord has stretched me as I have prayed to become a more compassionate person. The Lord is still working on me in that area. And He continues to help me overcome some of the battles that have been with me since I've been a Christian and before. Praise God!

I am currently working on an application for the US/C2 position through the North American Mission Board. If everything works out that will allow me to stay here in Lakeshore another 2 years! There are a few other things that will need to happen in order for me to be able to stay. Please pray the Lord would reveal direction to me as I take those steps.