I can't believe it is the end of the year already!!
2005 has been bittersweet. The gulf coast area has been devastated by Hurricanes. Many, many people are without homes, jobs and basic everyday needs. Volunteers are being stretched to the max and funding is tight.
The funding is the burden that I have on my heart. The Disaster Response Team is currently set up in 2 locations and about to open 2 additional locations. Now that we are into the rebuilding stage, funding is going quickly to purchase building material for those without insurance. WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP!!! If you or someone you know can help financially (no matter how small an amount) it is SO VERY needed!! There are thousands of families who need our help! AND........you still have some time to donate before the end of the year! :) I really don't like talking about money but I will for this mission. These people are in desperate need, they need all of us working together. PLEASE HELP!!
HOWEVER........ :) (there is ALWAYS a however) God is working as He always does!! It is because of HIM that we continue on with the disaster relief efforts in these areas. This has been an exciting and amazing mission to reach out to the lost of many communities and share GOD'S LOVE through disaster relief.
The following are some statistics from the Disaster Response Team efforts.
There have been 9 baptisms (that we know of in our efforts) I'm sure there have been MANY more. We praise GOD for the increase!
Over 700 houses have been worked on (gutting, roofing, tarps, drywall, yards cleaned)
Over 4500 families helped with food, personal care items, cleaning supplies, baby items, clothing.
Over 15 local schools helped with bulk school supplies.
Over 400 backpacks filled with school supplies distributed to children in the gulf coast area.
Over 4000 meals cooked and served in several communities.
Over 3000 volunteers have worked through the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team efforts.
We love you all and thank you for your interest, prayers, financial support and volunteering. Without YOU this ministry could not continue.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Do You Want The "Good" News First or the BEST NEWS?!?!?
We received wonderful news today! We have a new couple who will begin working full time with the Disaster Response Team. They have secured their support and will begin working Lord-Willing the week of January 9. We are so happy to have Steve and Stacy Baxter working with us.
We are in Ohio to spend Christmas with our family. We've also been fundraising and recruiting much needed volunteers to come work. We are having a wonderful time. Don and Carrie Schmidt and their 2 daughters are doing a terrific job taking over for us in our absence. We are hearing great reports and appreciate them so much.
I will be putting pictures on here of our site in New Orleans. Mike Baumgartner has been doing fantastic working with Nathaniel Jones getting things organized over there. They are serving food. Handing out food boxes and cleaning supplies along with many other items. They are currently in the gutting out phase of the houses and are in desperate need of volunteers.
NOT ONLY THAT.........The BEST news is....there has been another baptism. One of the workers at our site in New Orleans was baptized!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
We have several volunteers scheduled to come into Mobile. So far we have volunteers coming from New York, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, and Florida.
The need at the Mobile site is workers to do insulation, drywall and roofing.
Please plan to come and be part of this wonderful life changing mission!! You won't regret it.
We are in Ohio to spend Christmas with our family. We've also been fundraising and recruiting much needed volunteers to come work. We are having a wonderful time. Don and Carrie Schmidt and their 2 daughters are doing a terrific job taking over for us in our absence. We are hearing great reports and appreciate them so much.
I will be putting pictures on here of our site in New Orleans. Mike Baumgartner has been doing fantastic working with Nathaniel Jones getting things organized over there. They are serving food. Handing out food boxes and cleaning supplies along with many other items. They are currently in the gutting out phase of the houses and are in desperate need of volunteers.
NOT ONLY THAT.........The BEST news is....there has been another baptism. One of the workers at our site in New Orleans was baptized!!! PRAISE GOD!!!
We have several volunteers scheduled to come into Mobile. So far we have volunteers coming from New York, Maryland, Wisconsin, Ohio, Alabama, and Florida.
The need at the Mobile site is workers to do insulation, drywall and roofing.
Please plan to come and be part of this wonderful life changing mission!! You won't regret it.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Saturday, December 10, 2005
UPDATES FROM THE FIELD
Well.......Here we are on the road again.
We left Mobile to go to Fort Bragg to see our son who just came home from Iraq. He is doing very well and we appreciate all of you who have been praying for him! He is thrilled to be home with his wife, son and new baby daughter.
We are now traveling through North Carolina on our way to Ohio to spend Christmas with our family. On our way we are trying to rally up some volunteers and funding for the gulf coast.
Don and Carrie Schmidt are taking over for us in Mobile while we are out of town. They are doing a wonderful job and we appreciate them so much. Things have been slow in Mobile due to the lack of volunteers, yet there is SO much to do. Please get the word out to everyone you know that volunteers are needed desperately! We are still working on drywall and roofing.
Mike Baumgartner is coordinating the Disaster Response Team relief effort in New Orleans working with Nathaniel Jones of the Bywater Church of Christ.
Mike is doing a terrific job and we feel very fortunate to have him on the team!
They have been passing out food and supplies to the community and they are in desperate need of volunteers as well. They are gutting out houses in the area so much help is needed.
As you can see.......We are in DESPERATE need of VOLUNTEERS and FUNDING!!
Please email everyone you know with this request. These people need so much help. Let's try to get as many of us working together after the first of the year if not sooner!!
We left Mobile to go to Fort Bragg to see our son who just came home from Iraq. He is doing very well and we appreciate all of you who have been praying for him! He is thrilled to be home with his wife, son and new baby daughter.
We are now traveling through North Carolina on our way to Ohio to spend Christmas with our family. On our way we are trying to rally up some volunteers and funding for the gulf coast.
Don and Carrie Schmidt are taking over for us in Mobile while we are out of town. They are doing a wonderful job and we appreciate them so much. Things have been slow in Mobile due to the lack of volunteers, yet there is SO much to do. Please get the word out to everyone you know that volunteers are needed desperately! We are still working on drywall and roofing.
Mike Baumgartner is coordinating the Disaster Response Team relief effort in New Orleans working with Nathaniel Jones of the Bywater Church of Christ.
Mike is doing a terrific job and we feel very fortunate to have him on the team!
They have been passing out food and supplies to the community and they are in desperate need of volunteers as well. They are gutting out houses in the area so much help is needed.
As you can see.......We are in DESPERATE need of VOLUNTEERS and FUNDING!!
Please email everyone you know with this request. These people need so much help. Let's try to get as many of us working together after the first of the year if not sooner!!
Monday, December 05, 2005
MAY I INTRODUCE YOU TO...............
The following is an introduction from Don Hudson......As I promised earlier, he will be writing articles for us, we hope to put them on our website, however until that is accomplished they will be right here in the blog :) Let me say we adore Don and Rosemary, we're blessed to know them and so excited to have Don share his Biblical knowledge with us!! --Laura
MAY I TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF?
I AM DON HUDSON OF CORNERSVILLE, TENNESSEE. I AM ONE OF THE PREACHERS OF THE HOWELL CHURCH OF CHRIST. ROSEMARY, MY WIFE OF 42 YEARS , AND I ARE INVOLVED IN HOME MISSION WORK. WE BEGAN WORKING WITH MARK AND LAURA CREMEANS IN 2004 DURING HURRICANE CHARLEY. WE HAVE BECOME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS AS WELL AS BRETHREN. NOT ONLY ARE WE SOJOURNERS, BUT ALSO VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM, UNDER THE ELDERSHIIP OF THE SOMERSET CHURCH OF CHRIST IN SOMERSET, OHIO. EACH YEAR WE ARE INVOLVED IN SERVERAL GOPEL MEETINGS AND SEMINARS WITH EMPHASIS ON CHURCH SPIRITUAL AND NUMERICAL GROWTH. WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE HONORED TO MEET WITH YOUR CONGREGATION TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE WORK OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM AND OUR EFFORTS IN OUT-REACH. AS YOU READ LAURA’S BLOG YOU MAY ALSO READ OF OUR MISSION WORK AND WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU SOME SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING OUT-REACH AND CHURCH GROWTH. PLEASE E-MAIL US AT dhudson@mcis.us.
WITHOUT QUESTION MUCH SACRIFICIAL WORK IS BIENG DONE BY VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM. THIS WORK TAKES PLACE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE WORKERS, BUT ALSO BY THOSE BACK HOME WHO PRAY AND SUPPLY MUCH NEEDED DONATIONS OF MATERIAL AND MONEY. WITH YOUR LOVING HELP MANY MANY PEOPLE, WHO HAVE SUFFERED SO GREATLY HAVE BEEN HELPED.
NOW WHILE MATERIAL HELP IS NEEDED AND SUPPLIED, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY EFFORT. ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF THE DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM IS TO REACH OTHERS WITH THE GOSPEL. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. WHEN HOUSES ARE REPAIRED OR OTHER WORK IS DONE, PEOPLE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE HELPING THE LOCAL CHURCH OF CHRIST WHEN WE CARRY FOOD OR HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES TO PEOPLE, WHEN COOKED MEALS ARE PROVIDED, TRACTS AND BIBLES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF BIBLES ARE GIVEN OUT. SOMETIMES HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TRACTS ARE PROVIDED. INFORMATION CAN BECOME AVAILABLE FOR FOLLOW UP AND FURTHER STUDY. BAPTISMS TAKE PLACE. ALL OF US INVOLVED TOGETHER ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST AND HELP. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. DON
MAY I TAKE A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF?
I AM DON HUDSON OF CORNERSVILLE, TENNESSEE. I AM ONE OF THE PREACHERS OF THE HOWELL CHURCH OF CHRIST. ROSEMARY, MY WIFE OF 42 YEARS , AND I ARE INVOLVED IN HOME MISSION WORK. WE BEGAN WORKING WITH MARK AND LAURA CREMEANS IN 2004 DURING HURRICANE CHARLEY. WE HAVE BECOME VERY CLOSE FRIENDS AS WELL AS BRETHREN. NOT ONLY ARE WE SOJOURNERS, BUT ALSO VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM, UNDER THE ELDERSHIIP OF THE SOMERSET CHURCH OF CHRIST IN SOMERSET, OHIO. EACH YEAR WE ARE INVOLVED IN SERVERAL GOPEL MEETINGS AND SEMINARS WITH EMPHASIS ON CHURCH SPIRITUAL AND NUMERICAL GROWTH. WE WOULD CERTAINLY BE HONORED TO MEET WITH YOUR CONGREGATION TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE WORK OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM AND OUR EFFORTS IN OUT-REACH. AS YOU READ LAURA’S BLOG YOU MAY ALSO READ OF OUR MISSION WORK AND WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU SOME SUGGESTIONS CONCERNING OUT-REACH AND CHURCH GROWTH. PLEASE E-MAIL US AT dhudson@mcis.us.
WITHOUT QUESTION MUCH SACRIFICIAL WORK IS BIENG DONE BY VOLUNTEERS WITH THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM. THIS WORK TAKES PLACE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE WORKERS, BUT ALSO BY THOSE BACK HOME WHO PRAY AND SUPPLY MUCH NEEDED DONATIONS OF MATERIAL AND MONEY. WITH YOUR LOVING HELP MANY MANY PEOPLE, WHO HAVE SUFFERED SO GREATLY HAVE BEEN HELPED.
NOW WHILE MATERIAL HELP IS NEEDED AND SUPPLIED, THIS IS NOT THE ONLY EFFORT. ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT WORK OF THE DISASTER RESPONSE TEAM IS TO REACH OTHERS WITH THE GOSPEL. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. WHEN HOUSES ARE REPAIRED OR OTHER WORK IS DONE, PEOPLE ARE TOLD THAT WE ARE HELPING THE LOCAL CHURCH OF CHRIST WHEN WE CARRY FOOD OR HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES TO PEOPLE, WHEN COOKED MEALS ARE PROVIDED, TRACTS AND BIBLES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. SOMETIMES HUNDREDS OF BIBLES ARE GIVEN OUT. SOMETIMES HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF TRACTS ARE PROVIDED. INFORMATION CAN BECOME AVAILABLE FOR FOLLOW UP AND FURTHER STUDY. BAPTISMS TAKE PLACE. ALL OF US INVOLVED TOGETHER ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST AND HELP. LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU. DON
Saturday, December 03, 2005
HER NAME IS RUTH...........
Mark and I receive so many blessings being a part of the Disaster Response Team!! Let me tell you about one such blessing......
Her name is Ruth and she lives by herself. She came into the church building and just looked distressed and started crying. She had heard that we had cleaning supplies that we were giving out. We told her we did and that she was welcome to them. She went on to say how she needed counseling, things in life had just really gotten her down, her house needed work from the hurricane damage....basically just everything was taking it's toll on her.
David Sargent, the minister here at Creekwood Church of Christ in Mobile, agreed to meet with her. The wonderful cooks at Creekwood just happened to be having a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner for some folks from the church here so David told her that he would like to talk with her, but would she stay and have lunch first. She agreed. As we were eating, I asked her what her plans were for Thanksgiving. She started crying again and said that she would probably go and have Thanksgiving with a family she met in a shelter awhile back because her children were all in Georgia. She said she was still hoping for a miracle from God though to be able to make it to Georgia. I asked her a few more questions, such as how she normally gets to Georgia when she goes, she said by bus. I asked her about how much it costs when she goes. She said about $80-$90. round trip. Mark and I felt that spending Thanksgiving with her children might be just what she needed. We told her The Disaster Response Team would like to send her to Georgia to be with family for Thanksgiving. She broke into tears immediately and grabbed me and hugged me. Then all of a sudden she stopped and said "Oh No.......I wasn't saying all that for you to pay my way....I didn't mean for you.....!!" I stopped her and told her that "I" was the one asking her all the questions and that we really wanted to do this for her. She just couldn't believe it, she was so excited! Then she asked if she could work it off....I told her no that this was our gift to her and that this time she was just going to have to let someone else enjoy the blessing of giving. I told her I knew she had plenty of work to do just getting her house back in order. After her session with David, Mark followed her to the bus station to purchase a ticket. When he went to get it they told him it would be $108. She started crying again and said in a desperate tone of voice that the cost must have gone up and that she would somehow come up with the additional money, Mark told her no, it wasn't a problem at all, the team would take care of it and he just wanted to make sure she came back and told him all about her trip. She agreed and wants to start coming to services also. Praise God!! While she was in Georgia, a group of volunteers from Miami, Fl., Alachua, Fl. and Sidney, Ohio tore off her roof and replaced shingles for her.
I know this was a long story but........you've just got to come and experience the blessings!! There are so many more Ruth's out there. So many more people who need a hug, help with their houses, and most important of all....to be shown GOD'S LOVE.
Her name is Ruth and she lives by herself. She came into the church building and just looked distressed and started crying. She had heard that we had cleaning supplies that we were giving out. We told her we did and that she was welcome to them. She went on to say how she needed counseling, things in life had just really gotten her down, her house needed work from the hurricane damage....basically just everything was taking it's toll on her.
David Sargent, the minister here at Creekwood Church of Christ in Mobile, agreed to meet with her. The wonderful cooks at Creekwood just happened to be having a Pre-Thanksgiving dinner for some folks from the church here so David told her that he would like to talk with her, but would she stay and have lunch first. She agreed. As we were eating, I asked her what her plans were for Thanksgiving. She started crying again and said that she would probably go and have Thanksgiving with a family she met in a shelter awhile back because her children were all in Georgia. She said she was still hoping for a miracle from God though to be able to make it to Georgia. I asked her a few more questions, such as how she normally gets to Georgia when she goes, she said by bus. I asked her about how much it costs when she goes. She said about $80-$90. round trip. Mark and I felt that spending Thanksgiving with her children might be just what she needed. We told her The Disaster Response Team would like to send her to Georgia to be with family for Thanksgiving. She broke into tears immediately and grabbed me and hugged me. Then all of a sudden she stopped and said "Oh No.......I wasn't saying all that for you to pay my way....I didn't mean for you.....!!" I stopped her and told her that "I" was the one asking her all the questions and that we really wanted to do this for her. She just couldn't believe it, she was so excited! Then she asked if she could work it off....I told her no that this was our gift to her and that this time she was just going to have to let someone else enjoy the blessing of giving. I told her I knew she had plenty of work to do just getting her house back in order. After her session with David, Mark followed her to the bus station to purchase a ticket. When he went to get it they told him it would be $108. She started crying again and said in a desperate tone of voice that the cost must have gone up and that she would somehow come up with the additional money, Mark told her no, it wasn't a problem at all, the team would take care of it and he just wanted to make sure she came back and told him all about her trip. She agreed and wants to start coming to services also. Praise God!! While she was in Georgia, a group of volunteers from Miami, Fl., Alachua, Fl. and Sidney, Ohio tore off her roof and replaced shingles for her.
I know this was a long story but........you've just got to come and experience the blessings!! There are so many more Ruth's out there. So many more people who need a hug, help with their houses, and most important of all....to be shown GOD'S LOVE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
