The Upcoming Year

Wow! Have you woke up recently and said, "just where did 2008 go?"

I find time continues to fly by me. Then, I get to the end of the year and for some reason this past week seems like time has stood still. Christmas being on a Thursday seemed like a Sat, then Friday seemed like a Sat, then of course Sat was like a Sat. So everything just winded down and stood still for me. I've been able to get quite a bit of rest and renewal as this last week is ticking away. I spent Christmas time in New Orleans! [just like the Louis Armstrong song!]

We have a week full with teams both at Trinity and the Yellow House in New Orleans. It's so good to see a room full of volunteers again! They will be working through the week and spending their New Year holiday helping others rebuild. We are very thankful that they would give up that time to come and be a part of the recovery in Louisiana. In Texas, there are also a lot of people staying and helping with relief efforts this week.

I'll be heading back to Texas this Saturday. God is doing amazing things there with the relational follow up from the ministry contacts we have made this far. One or more bible studies may soon be starting as a result of the outreach efforts by Galveston Bible Church. It's great to see the church passionate about reaching their community!

I'll be in Texas for a few days, then it's up north to WI. I will be arriving in WI by Jan 8th. [I'm not too crazy about leaving our current 70 degree weather for single digits and below zero!]. I will be going back to WI to do more support team building. I really need to focus on that so please pray for me as I enter another period of time set aside for that purpose. I also have a conference coming up the end of Jan that I also would like to ask to keep in prayer. This will be in North Dakota. I love to tell others about the ministry and "how to" develop crisis response for their community.

Hope you are all staying warm, close to the Savior and ready for the blessings and challenges of yet another year!!

Blessings,
Mary

Ike means "laughter"??

Hurricane Ike brought anything but laughter. In Hebrew, Ike is short for "Isaac" and has the definition of laughter. Even though there was devastation and many reasons not to laugh at the results of Ike, perhaps that is an indication of God's spirit as He looks down upon Galveston and the greater TX/LA area that got hit by Ike. God has done so many great things since Ike hit that has caused people to once again smile. The volunteers are coming, the churches are pulling together, donations are coming and the community is being uplifted by the relief efforts there.

I was there for a week and I was amazed at what God is doing. It's great to see people pull together and really rely on God to provide and see them through each day! Galveston Bible Church was flooded during Ike and they are currently torn apart while rebuilding efforts begin. They have opened their doors and hearts to Crisis Response to operate and others from the church have opened up the use of their homes and a warehouse as well. Many people are pitching in and being in Galveston has been a great experience.

These photos were taken while I was there.
Please keep TX in your prayers!
Blessings,
Mary

Another milestone!

I just finished a week of Pre-Field Training Live. Prior to this, I took 3 online courses to learn more about cross cultural missions and other topics that applied to going into full time missions - ie. spiritual warfare, communications, cultural practices and norms, theology, evangelism, etc. This week of live training helped to bring the online courses 'to life'!

This photo is of part of the group as we had a lesson held in a crematorium. The focus was on "giving up our rights" to go into the field of missions. Such as giving up the right to comfort, be right, control, be understood, make decisions, have pleasant circumstances, see results, etc. This lesson really hit home with me as I've reflected on the past time I've spent in Louisiana. There has been many sacrifices that I've had to make and I haven't always handled it well or should I say gracefully. Sometimes, I argue with God rather than humbly submitting and accepting present circumstances and His will. I am excited about the next steps that He has for me and I think that I am getting better at surrendering to whatever the moment requires. Thanks for your prayers and love!

Since I am finished with this training, I can now spend more time in the field and campaigning for the needed support. I look forward to being able to focus on this and feel relieved that the formal training has been accomplished... for now! I know I will continue to attend classes and conferences as I love to learn and will have new opportunities for that. The week of Pre-Field Training has been refreshing and very beneficial!

There's nothing like a view from the top!

I've been in the beautiful state of Colorado this week in the mountains west of Colorado Springs. I'm attending training called CHE which stands for Community Health Evangelism. It's been a great time of learning and reflection. I'll even throw in retreat. It's been very long days but I'm learning a lot about Lifewinds model to disciple a community and foster positive change.

Each day, we have taken a long break after lunch to go out hiking and enjoying the country. I'm not used to this altitude and I could be in shape by the time I leave!!

We made it through Gustav ok. Our mission has been working down in Houma since that hit. We're also doing relief efforts in Texas to address the damage by Ike there. I'll update more on that as I know more. In Colorado, I'm outta sight, outta mind - no cell phone connection and feel like I'm in the ice ages with that. What did we ever do before cell phones??

Blessings to you all!

No Place Like Home...

I’m back in Wisconsin presently. I left Louisiana about 3 weeks ago to revisit Iowa, and then to my home area to work on campaigning for long-term missions.

In Iowa, it was great to see how much progress churches are making both in Iowa City and in Cedar Rapids as far as transitioning from immediate relief efforts to developing a long-term ministry. Iowa City is continuing to do a few Saturday work days a month. They have a team formed for looking at long-term recovery and they are looking for ways to help the nearby neighborhoods. They are in the process of rebuilding themselves as the church was flooded by 6 ft of water. With the help of their congregation and other volunteers, they were able to clean out the church and the surrounding property. They are now entering the rebuilding stage, so please keep them in your prayers. They are temporarily operating out of a school and other buildings. That creates a lot of extra stress on top of rebuild decisions.
About 5,000 homes were flooded in Cedar Rapids along with many businesses. Cedar Hills EFC is also hosting teams a few weekends a month and working towards long-term unmet needs in the area. The church was not directly affected, but was preparing to move into another building as the flooding has hit the area. They have a busy schedule with preparing for and making the move along with trying to host volunteers and further form a crisis response ministry. Please pray that God will continue to help their transition and future plans. They have a FEMA park that is in the backyard of their new church building – what a mission field!

LaValle, WI was also hit with flooding in June. The Community EFC there took on 3 feet of water and had to be gutted out. It’s a small community with lots of surrounding small towns that all took on damage from the flood waters. Please pray for rebuilding efforts and outreach opportunities around the church and in nearby communities. The pastor’s vision is that disciples would be made in several surrounding towns through outreach efforts. He can really use help and teams that wish to do relational and construction ministry.

I’m taking the rest of August to campaign for long-term missions. Please pray for me as I continue in this process. It can get overwhelming at times with all that is going on in the field and trying to find the time to contact people, keep everyone updated and visit churches. Please pray for refreshment as well as balance!!
When I get back to Louisiana, I’ll be moving again. We have to remove the trailers that we have been staying in from the church property. That means we have to find other homes for staff to stay in. Please pray for us as we transition. I’m reminded of Matthew 8:20, “…foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest.” In leaving to follow Jesus, I am beginning to understand how places to rest are only temporary as they exist. I don’t believe that I am supposed to get too comfortable while I am in this world!

Thanks so much for all your prayers – I can feel them and know that God is listening!!

Greetings from Iowa

I was recently at an EFCA National Conference in St. Louis with my team. That was a great time of networking and learning the latest EFCA news. I made it down to the Arch while I was there, but I didn't have time to ride to the top. The Mississippi looked like it was close to flooding it's banks (not too far away from the Arch!) and I was surprised at the width and volume of the waters as they flowed by!

Instead of going back to Louisiana, I got re-routed to Iowa. There's been lots of flooding in Iowa and it's been oppressive just looking at the aftermath with water still in the streets and neighborhoods, homes gutted and roads closed. It reminded me of being in New Orleans with all the wet belongings thrown out on the curbs. There will be rebuilding needs going on for a long time.

Parkview EFC in Iowa City was flooded with 6 feet of water. Their parking lot is still full of water and probably will be for a while. They have relocated their offices and services right now and are staying 'a float' one might say. I'm very impressed with how they have mobilized the church body and volunteers to completely gut their church and start working towards the recovery phase. They have also pulled together to make transitions that they didn't anticipate. Please keep them in your prayers. There's also a church in Cedar Rapids where I have had contact with the care team. They are looking at how they can make sure all their members are doing ok which is quite a task given the size of their congregation and the problem with flooding. It's great to see the body taking care of their own and pitching in to help each other.

I have been very welcomed and will continue to be a resource as I can and build a relationship with these churches. It's hard to see what they are going through, but it's encouraging to see how they are pulling through it!

Please keep all those affected in your prayers and that things will "dry up" where flooding has occurred.

Time Away...

I've been in Wisconsin for the last few weeks with a full schedule! I've attended another class in Minneapolis - this time a boot camp for support raising. That was a great class and loaded with info. It's perfect for the phase that I'm in right now. I need to raise 100% support to be able to go into long-term missions. I appreciate your prayers for this as it is a step of faith and trust that I really need to grow in! I've been visiting a few churches in WI and talking to individuals that God has put on my heart to talk to.

The message I've clearly received from the Lord as I've entered this next mission phase is "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16). God has given me many opportunities to be bold in the last few weeks and He has put the right words in my mouth to share about the ministry He has called me to... and to His salvation that is needed among all people. I praise Him for the opportunities to share on the Crisis Response ministry fruit and His handiwork in my life. I've been reviewing Revelation and it blesses me to think of His power and authority for the present and the time to come!

I've been doing a lot of traveling back and forth. I've also been taking a few classes to renew my social work certification while I'm in the area. I took a class on "Guilt, Shame and the Four Sphere's of Self" and "Letting Go of Anger" - both of which gave me great info for my work in Louisiana with the emotional states of people.

I've had some time at my cabin and it has been a nice retreat this trip. I'm still working on the finishing touches (still tiling!) and have a feeling that there will always be work done there! I appreciate your prayers during this time of travel and ministry promotion. I look forward to returning back to Louisiana soon to jump back into the work there.

God's blessings to you,
Mary

On the Road

Hi Everyone,

I've been traveling for the last few weeks. I'm currently in Wisconsin! Guess what? We got a little snow flurry this morning - wow, I miss the Louisiana temps!

I've worked for a few days in the TouchGlobal office on Crisis Response Ministry training materials. We are developing training to hopefully take to churches across the U.S. on how to develop a Crisis Response Ministry. I'm going to a Cross Cultural Church Planting School next week (as part of my long-term missionary training) and I'm really excited to attend that and find out more about the church planting process.

In Louisiana, it was recently determined to move towards church planting and we're taking steps in that direction. It's great to see the fruit of the ministry evolve to that stage!I'm planning on going back to Louisiana after the church planting school for a week, then I come back up north for another class. Since I've been accepted for long-term missionary service, I'll be visiting churches every chance I get. Please join me in praying for open doors for people to come along side of me in partnership - both in prayer and finances!

Thanks for your prayers and your interest in the ministry in Louisiana. Please keep the Crisis Response Ministry in your prayers as well - for God's provision and opportunities to share the gospel. We have lots of staff transitioning within the next month - leaving for the summer. Please pray that God sends more staff laborers.

Since I've been in WI, I've had an opportunity to work on my cabin out by Cataract. I've been blessed to have a few friends help with putting on finishing touches. I have become schooled in tiling and I actually tiled my own bathtub! Hallelujah, it turned out ok. There's still work to be done out there, but it's at a point where I can stay there when I'm in town. It's a nice retreat!

God's blessings to y'all,
Mary

What James Taught Me...

When James was brought into Trinity Church, he had been found by a policeman while lying along side of the road. At first the policeman thought James was on drugs, or had a criminal record; he was surprised to find that neither was true. James got so weak physically as he was trying to walk to the church 1-2 miles away, that he fainted from exhaustion. He was malnourished from living in the woods with nothing to eat or drink for several days. James later told us that someone had appeared to him in the woods and told him, “Go to Trinity Church. They will help you.” James did not know who this messenger was; I think that perhaps he was an angel sent by the Lord in James’ time of need to minister to him. James had not taken a shower (other than in the rain) for months, nor had he had any clean clothes. James had many unmet needs with nothing to eat, drink, no shelter or safety, no social network or support, no income and his health condition was poor.

At the church, James was able to get a hot meal and clean up. He was able to take a shower and get fresh clothes. He was introduced to a body of believers who cared for him, prayed for and encouraged him. Fortunately, a doctor was nearby and gave James medical attention. He was then taken to two emergency rooms in hopes to receive medical care. It was very disheartening to care for James, see the intensive needs that he had, then after triage and some medical help, return him back to sleep next to a tree in the woods.

I lay in my bed that first night wondering why God had chosen to take care of me by giving me a bed, shelter, food, good friends, family and resources that I needed. What more could I do to help James? What more could I sacrifice to help him? How selfish am I with what I possess and how I spend my time? I reviewed Matthew 25 where Jesus tells his sheep to inherit His Kingdom. He said that we are to give drink to those who are thirsty, food to those hungry, clothing to those in need of clothes, care for others and take them in. We are to do so to even “the least of these”. As I thought of all that was done for James, the one thing that stood out was that he had not been taken in. He was dropped off in the woods in his sickly condition to sleep next to a tree wrapping a tarp over himself as a shield from the rain.

Emergency response can be built around individual and family crises as well as to a community disaster. In the case of James, his crisis started in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was living on a boat in Slidell, LA, which was completely washed away in Katrina. He lived on the boat with his twin brother, who had evacuated to Tennessee. James decided to stay in Slidell during Katrina. He ended up surviving although losing all of his personal belongings and the shelter of his brother’s boat.

James' emergency state lasted for 2½ years post Katrina - I can only imagine how exhausted he must be. His story only snowballed after the storm. He received emergency assistance from FEMA and he was able to live off that temporarily. However, James did not have any help long-term – to connect with resources, another place to live, and get his basic needs met. After Katrina, he found out that his brother, whom he was close to, died while in Tennessee. At that point, James became depressed and less motivated.

For several days after James was brought to Trinity Church, contacts were made to work towards finding a solution and shelter; to find someone to “take him in.” Other ministries, organizations, nonprofits, and national programs were contacted as a resource for James. It was difficult because James didn’t have presenting drug or mental health issues. In that case, many resources are available. Because James had medical issues that was another limitation. Through much filtering and linking to community resources, a program was found that would take James in. They immediately responded and offered to pick him up. God had it figured out the whole time – I believe that He wanted to use James’ situation to do a work in my heart as well as others connected to his case. He taught me and others a valuable lesson in compassion and grattitude for what we have. God also affirmed the power of prayer and that miracles happen so often around us!

James remains under a doctor’s care and he is in the process of getting help applying for disability and Medicaid services. He still has a ways to go, but James now has his basic needs met and spiritually he is being cared for and fed. He attends three bible studies a day in this program where they are determined to help James turn his life and situation around.
PRAISE GOD – for answered prayer and sending people to minister to James! Please continue to pray for his his process of recovery, especially his medical and spiritual condition to be strengthened.

My Journey

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Col 3:12

God has called me to be a vessel through which people can feel His love and compassion. I have been a work in progress and taken both baby steps and leaps and bounds in the area of my faith. After taking a short-term trip to Louisiana in April 2006, God really grew a spirit of compassion within me. At the end of that week, I answered just like the prophet Isaiah, "Here I am Lord, send me!"
There is an excitement of being called to do God's work full-time, but there is also much sacrifice that comes in and a process of letting go of the 'world'. I told the Lord that I would give up the things of this world to go where He wanted me to, but when it came down to actually surrendering those things, then I felt the weight of that promise I made. My background is in the field of social work, counseling and management. I am definitely a people-person and I have a gift for developing processes and projects. Throwing in my spiritual gifts of exhortation, discernment, administration, evangelism and teaching, God prepared me for the moment in time that He would quicken His Spirit within me to make the move to serve Him full-time.
I've seen the recovery and healing that is needed in Louisiana (and beyond) as a result of Hurricane Katrina. It's been over 2 and 1/2 years since Katrina hit and many lives remain broken and hopeless. Some people have healed and they are thankful for what they have; God has shown them what is really important in life. Tragedies like Katrina are not something that one just "get's over". However, with time, support and resources, people can regain some normalcy in their life and cope in a healthy way to what's happened.
Please pray for the people in Louisiana for their lives to continue to heal and see positive change. There are so many resources that don't exist and their needs are physical, emotional, social, spiritual, educational, financial and more.
The Evangelical Free Church of America began a Crisis Response Ministry in Louisiana post Katrina. We have gutted homes, cleared debris, cut trees, fixed roofs, and fully restored homes - drywalling, painting, siding, trimming, etc. Since Katrina, we have had over 4,500 ministry contacts doing at least 50 total rebuilds with the help of volunteers across the natiion. My ministry has focused on the emotional and spiritual needs of the people once the work has been done. A system has been developed for routine follow-up to help the people with healing and to strengthen their communities. We have reached out to over 1,500 families through the follow-up ministry. We have recently began networking in communities to form groups for support, fellowship and discipleship. The EFCA is now looking at church planting and further developing core groups in communities.
There are many opportunities for you to be involved in this Crisis Response Ministry.
1. You can volunteer to come and work for a week and coordinate a team from your church.
2. We are looking for short and long-term volunteers with skills in ministering to people, administration, construction, food services, and more.
3. Become a prayer warrior with us. Pray for an abundance of God's provision and for people's lives to be touched by the sharing of the gospel. Pray for the rebuilding materials needed.
4. Become a partner through giving monthly support, or a special offering. (email me for more details)

Thank you for taking the time to read about this journey God has taken me on. I hope that it has touched you in some way. My prayer is for you reading this to find the purpose that He has for your life. I'm finding that obedience and trust go together and they reap both a fruitful harvest and Kingdom reward! May we lift each other up on this journey called life and enjoy Kingdom living right here on this earth.

Many blessings to you,
Mary