"Our God is an Awesome God. . ."

It will take more than a few words....with pictures attached....to tell about our mission trip to the Hurricane Zone of "Katrina." What God is doing there will be celebrated by the saints in Eternity...and the stories will spread throughout His Kingdom!

I'll begin....at the beginning! Well, you would have to go to www.elbourne.org and look through the archives to get a real picture of "the beginning" of what God is doing at LakeShore Baptist Church in Mississippi (just 45 minutes east of New Orleans...or "N'ah-linz" as they say!) since Katrina came visiting. But this was the site at our arrival....and you will see that our team jumped right in helping those in need....

Our team split up and went in many different directions: First, two Quonset Huts were erected....one to be used for church services and the other as a "store" for those in need to come take freely. The young ladies in our group spent each day sorting and sizing clothes and moving and organizing baby items and food. Some of our men used chain saws & bobcats to clear land, others repaired neighbor's houses, a couple of ladies visited church members ministering to their needs, and still others (myself included) were driven to New Orleans to help the pastor's wife, Courtney....all working as various functions of the Body of Christ doing the basic mundane things of life....blessing and being blessed.

We also met wonderful people: James & Mrs. Bea, who are the "managers" distributing supplies at the church site. John, whose lifestyle is the very basics, spends his days writing letters to prisoners all over the nation. Kate & Henry lost their home on the beach....but she's a nurse using her knowledge to help those with medical problems....and he's an electrician who hooked-up the air conditioner in the Quonset Huts.

Then there were others whom God brought into the area from far away places.....a lady from California who came with a group to help another church but heard about what is going on at Lake Shore and had to come see for herself! Shaunna & Hank who were driving to Florida from Missouri and decided that they could bring some supplies by "on their way"....(they unloaded a horse trailer packed with donations from churches in their area.) I can't leave out the young men from Montana working for the Forestry Department who brought truckloads of food and supplies and even joined us for worship on Sunday. Our pastor is correct in saying that Lake Shore Bapt. is "the only show in town" there. I think FEMA has even decided that the church grounds will now be THE distribution site for water!

God is pouring out His blessing...."Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For whatever measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt to you in return." Luke 6:38.

The stories will be etched in my memory for the rest of my life....and the scripture that comes to mind is from Psalms 29:10 - "The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever."