Quite a few of us made a mad dash out of Gulfport last Thursday night for a variety of reasons. Some traveling to the beach. Some just going home to see loved ones. So this will be a final entry of our thoughts and experiences on the blog...
Wow, what an intense week we had... working hard--trying to accomplish the impossible. Sharing the love of Christ with some who don't know Him. We studied a booklet about poverty. Great stuff, but it probably raised more questions than answers. Some of us continue to wrestle with God over our experiences in Mississippi. Please keep us in your prayers...
For some of us, this was a fourth trip to the area. Many things are improved. Big chain stores and restaurants are open and operating as if nothing has happened. But, Mom-and-Pop establishments are largely struggling at best. The majority of homes two blocks deep along the Gulf have not been rebuilt--this devastation goes on for miles and miles. A row of beautiful antebellum homes that stood proud at the shore have been reduced to cement foundations and rubble. It is horribly sad to see. Downtown Gulfport remains a ghost town. Volunteerism is fading some. And yet, the need is still great.
And the poor are still poor. We know, because poverty has a sea of faces. And we have met some of those faces. So, what now? Don't really know for sure. But we do know our God hears us when we cry out to Him on behalf of others. Can we commit to still pray? Even though the "trip" is over?
Prayer Requests
* Please pray for the salvation of those we served who do not know Jesus.
* Please pray they will be drawn to read the Bibles we gave them and that the Holy Scripture will not become another dust collector.
* Please pray for those of us who continue to wrestle with God over what He wants us to do with what we have experienced.
* Please pray this trip will be a rock of remembrance for all of us.
We Must Not Forget!!
Wow, what an intense week we had... working hard--trying to accomplish the impossible. Sharing the love of Christ with some who don't know Him. We studied a booklet about poverty. Great stuff, but it probably raised more questions than answers. Some of us continue to wrestle with God over our experiences in Mississippi. Please keep us in your prayers...
For some of us, this was a fourth trip to the area. Many things are improved. Big chain stores and restaurants are open and operating as if nothing has happened. But, Mom-and-Pop establishments are largely struggling at best. The majority of homes two blocks deep along the Gulf have not been rebuilt--this devastation goes on for miles and miles. A row of beautiful antebellum homes that stood proud at the shore have been reduced to cement foundations and rubble. It is horribly sad to see. Downtown Gulfport remains a ghost town. Volunteerism is fading some. And yet, the need is still great.
And the poor are still poor. We know, because poverty has a sea of faces. And we have met some of those faces. So, what now? Don't really know for sure. But we do know our God hears us when we cry out to Him on behalf of others. Can we commit to still pray? Even though the "trip" is over?
Prayer Requests
* Please pray for the salvation of those we served who do not know Jesus.
* Please pray they will be drawn to read the Bibles we gave them and that the Holy Scripture will not become another dust collector.
* Please pray for those of us who continue to wrestle with God over what He wants us to do with what we have experienced.
* Please pray this trip will be a rock of remembrance for all of us.
We Must Not Forget!!
