West Virginia and Kentucky Flooding

We are staying in contact with congregations in the flooded areas along the river in West Virginia and Kentucky. We've also contacted The Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort, Inc. out of Nashville, TN.

Mingo County in West Virginia has over 4,000 houses that have been damaged by flood waters. We have coordinators that will be heading that way to qualify areas and assess needs to see where DRT is most needed.

Pike County in Kentucky is also an area that will be assessed. Around 1700 were affected by flood waters and/or mudslides in this area.

Funds are URGENTLY needed for this disaster as well as future disasters. If you would like to help those affected by disaster, you may donate online by PayPal through our website: http://www.churchesofchristdrt.org or by Postal Mail To:

Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team
810 Hollywood Blvd.
West Melbourne, Florida 32904

Flooding in Kentucky and West Virginia

We are praising GOD that the Santa Barbara fires are 70% contained!
Our eyes are now turned towards the Kentucky and West Virginia flooding that has taken place over the weekend.
Please continue to check the blog and website as we assess the situation. We will update as we have information.

Santa Barbara Wildfires/Midwest Storms

The elders and minister of the Turnpike Church of Christ in Santa Barbara, CA. were here at the Pepperdine lectures until they were called home this morning due to mandatory evacuations from the wildfires. I spoke with one of the elders today immediately after they arrived at their daughters home from evacuating. He gave me a few updates letting me know that 3 of the 5 elders were under mandatory evacuations as well as the area that the church building is in as of this morning. The fire has split with the west side being the one that is of most concern to all of them. This is the one that has potential of affecting so many houses. Currently DRT is on standby. We could go in at a moments notice with the mobile kitchen to begin serving food to those that have been evacuated as well as to firefighters

There have also been many severe storms moving across the midwest today bringing tornadic activity causing damage in several towns in Missouri. We will keep you informed on this as well.

Please continue to check back often for updates.

CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME.......

You know.....there are always things in life that can get us down if we let them. I know....I've had my share and happen to be experiencing one of them right this very moment. If you're interested in the gory details, feel free to read my facebook page for the "hour by hour" experience of our travels to Malibu this week! Satan was working overtime and I was determined to not let him stop me. Meanwhile detailing our experiences on facebook by way of song lyrics. It was helping me stay "fairly" (for me) ;-) cool, calm and collected, I do believe I was annoying Mark and Ashley, being 14.. just kept saying ...."Mooommm" letting me know what an embarrassment I am.....even though of course I'm not and I keep telling her how "cool" I am. Of course I probably just blew it right there.....I don't think "cool" is the word being used right now......What's a cool mom to do?!?! I have managed to keep our 1 and 3 yr. old granchildren that we brought with us entertained!! "They" think I'm a Cool Nana! :-) Which says I'm on a 1 and 3 yr. old level.....what can I say? It's a great level to be on :-)
Anyway......we've arrived in California in almost 1 piece.... albeit a day late......and I'm the one bringing the DRT display. But it'll be ok ........we made it, we've got the display, Sid is here waiting on me....our class is set and we can't wait to share the many wonderful ways in which GOD is working in this ministry!!

We feel so blessed that Pepperdine asked us to speak this year at the lectureship.

Sid Smith and I will be speaking on Friday at 8:30 - 9:30 am in the Irvine Room in the Payson Library- Upstairs on the 2nd floor.

Sid Smith is our full time cook/evangelist who is supported by Churches of Christ across the U.S. to work with DRT. He has an amazing story himself of how he came to work with DRT as well as wonderful heart warming stories by those whose lives have been touched by the many people GOD uses through disaster relief. I've asked him to share some of this during our class time on Friday.

Our Class Title is: Disaster Relief: A report from the front lines.
The class will be on: Who are the Churches of Christ Disaster Response Team (DRT)?, A report from the front lines, What goes on "behind the scenes", What is needed and How YOU can Help from Near or Far, and.......How you can start a Local Response Team in your own community.

See You There!!
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