Ike Day 10

We were blessed today to be able to send our first team out to Houma. A group from Lake Meade Christian Academy (NV) flew in over the weekend, to be joined by a team from Cornerstone EFC (PA). They engaged to day in more tree cutting work and some great relational ministry in the neighborhood.

God also opened doors for several radio interviews, I believe in response to the often uttered prayer by our Crisis Response staff, Mt 9:38... 'ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers to His harvest field.' I was on a regional program in Southern LA on Saturday, and then on Family Life Radio and Mission News Network today. Kevin Watterson will be on two regional stations in PA this week. Our message is the same...send teams....to New Orleans to continue the still unfinished Katrina rebuilding work, but also to help with the huge clean-up and recovery following Ike. Email hurricanerelief@efca.org to send a team...and meanwhile, Pray Mt. 9:38. Also, tell others that there is a huge need that is largely going unnoticed.

I attended a VOAD meeting in Houston today. VOAD is an umbrella for all agencies involved in responding to crises. We were the only ministry there that reported on doing anything along the lines of physical helpwith clean-up. One other non-profit has some heavy equipment in the area helping local government, and we are aware that folks from some local congregations are doing this sort of work, but certainly the indication is that the resources for helping with the clean-up and recovery are woefully short in comparison to the need.

In a conversation this morning, I told Arnold Horst, one of our team in TX,that we really really need to pray for God to raise up workers /help for this response. After hanging up, Arnold immediately got all around to pray accordingly. He told me then shortly thereafter he ‘happened’to find some guys out front of Galveston Bible Church who were looking for a partner to connect with. Arnold told this guy that he was our answer to prayer and got me his number. I met the guy at a gas station up in Houston along I-45. He is going back to his church in CA today to start trying to raise up teams to come Galveston. We have a need; we pray; God answers; He builds our faith....

Waushara EFC (WI) is filling up a truckload of supplies to drive down Friday. It will come at a critical time, just as residents of Galveston are returning to their homes. Praise God as He supplys our daily bread.