Many Hands Pulling Together

Mennonite Ladies Helping Red Cross

Feeding 3OOO people a day takes time

The beat goes on. Mucho piles of food sorted and delivered. Some of the Red cross vehicles have to be escorted by police.


this is me, headed for the Gatorade cooler:

How Much per Square Foot ?

Do I need a bigger office?

my "office" is a set of portable stairs at the end of the reefers
that hold the food.

Tons of Donations

The ladies had an impromptu toy drive for kids stuck at the local Red cross shelter. There were loads of toys, they were looking for the cleanest and unbroken ones.

picture shows what 2 tons of donated water looks like:

Last night a chorus of 20 Mennonite men sang 4 old hymns to our group. Such a strange but wonderful rich sound they had. Awesome!

Someone asked for a special food order today, and the list included Alfredo sauce. Which we cant do. Real loud I said:

THIS AINT NEW YORK CITY. Even the Mennonites laughed at that one. Plus it was a beautiful day.

Helpers of all Creeds

8 Mennonite ladies came to help in the kitchen tent. They are such jewels. 4 of them do as much work as 5 of ours, it seems. But don't tell anyone I said that...

Mind bending heat, back breaking labor, 7500 people fed.

Fun Even in the Heat

Still no proper internet here in Slidell.

Picture:
Here's Jim washing the love-bugs off the team van for the Blue-Hat.
Rank has its priviledges, I guess!

Wash board abs in six weeks guaranteed! I-ll show you how with my free course.

Met a man over a bottle of late might water. Talked about service calls. CD from E B C.

Arrived safely in Slidell.

Starting Off Again _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Another day on the road. Bless the people at Shocco Springs, they help those traveling to disaster relief.

Mary, Elliott, Sarah, Russ, angel Linda, Jim, "Lil Theologian" April, Deacon Tom, Kristin, and Lee. not pictured is Lowell.

Leaving today. Team of ten. Some worry about Rita, not me. Oops,team of eleven now. Being ex-military really helps.

Working in a Coal Mine, but I Forgot my Pick-Axe.

Still in Virginia today, giving the boss a day off, since I'll be gone 2 weeks soon.

If you can, listen to Ravi Zacharias on the radio. He almost always inspires me.

I'm not sure I understand what all he's doing, but here's where Jim Bakker works now.

Even though I've never personally heard this man speak, and probably can't now,
I've heard from enough that have, to know Billy Graham has true inpiration.

The one time I heard Joyce Meyers on the radio, she had me weeping with joy, talking about the rewards from the Lord.

But of these, RZ I've listened to almost weekly for the last 3 years.
=====================================================================

If an astronaut forgets anything, he's probably DEAD:
) unrecharged Oxygen Tank: he suffocates.
) wrong gasket on helmet: dead.
) no Sun visor: blind.
) unlatched safety tether: gone and adrift.
) drained battery in backpack: Freeze to death

...and the list could go on and on....
today I forgot my flash-drive, so I can't post more pix on the blog this session;
We'll assume for now its not the end of the world.

A relative of mine told me they were "quite proud of their little pharisee"
They meant well, but I had to wonder. Reading this, from the Lord,
and reading about Billy Graham, and others with Named ministries,
I see a fine line to be trod.

Daily I tell people, "I'm going to help Katrina survivors long term."
I enjoy telling the story of my boss giving me so much leeway to do so.
I am boldly asking many to donate so I can keep doing so.
Some could say I'm telling the left hand exactly what the right is doing.

When a man has a ministry, in my opinion, he should have a title for it.
I go to church at Temple, and I probably wouldnt if it were like
Simmons Theological Industries
Someone else will have to judge on all those organizations with names like
HOWIE GEORGE GOSPEL BROADCASTING INC.
To me, the product should lead the name.
I'm not saying anything about the links I listed above.
We can get loaves and fishes at either Kroger or Farm Fresh,
even though we may have no idea who founded Farm Fresh, does that make it better?
I don't know.

Oh wait I said I had to work today, and here I am blogging...oops.
- - I swear I need a professional caretaker. - -

Thanks and Good day, until we net again!
==
E L D

Treat the Women Like Princesses, Because you Never Know when their Father might be the King-of-Kings

As Rebuilder went to the gas station today, the guy in front of me was
hitting on the cashier something fierce. Other folks in line were getting
tiffed with the man, mostly because of the delay.
Her manager, also a woman, looked at me and said "See what we have to put up with?"
Yes I do see. I advised the man to treat the cashier like a lady.
He had nothing to say, even though he was 2 inches taller than me,
and I'm not a small man.

The manager strongly encouraged me to shop and gas-up there often.
But my mind was on Louisiana and Mississippi.

Yet I had to work another half-day today.
When I'm in Virginia, I work for my boss, with no hat,
Then down south I work for my other boss, with the blue hat,
and she works for her Boss, with the white hat,
and He works for our Boss, the evangelistic carpenter, hat style not stated.

Lord willing I'm returning with the SBC team to Slidell LA
for two weeks. Last week went awesomely well, but I held it
as a recon mission for further work. As many predicted, basics
such as food, water, power, clothing and shelter come first.

Over 2OO churches were heavily damaged or destroyed down there,
and thats just from the reporting denominations.

When the N.O. mayor says "return soon" or "get ready for Mardi Gras"
he seems foolish to me. What we saw inside the city limits can't
be describe simply or nicely.
And in what state is this large city's sewer system?

anyways, let others worry about the lake of stew:

Couldnt talk with my favorite Deacon and his Wife this week.
(no I'm not publishing their names or initials or anything, do I look foolish?)
And I am truly bummed, but I left a phone message. They encourage me a lot.
When Proverbs says to "make wisdom your sister" its probably talking about an
elder deacon's wife. That's my interpretation.

Tuesday - Sept - 2Oth

Talked with Deacons and Pastor today:
They want me to do something with SBC Adopt-a-Church.
Bought Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham to read.
Copying off the next guy got me through college, why stop now?
More funding from Janelle R, and some co-workers, via my Sister.

Also got more support promised from Don & Betty E.

Worked half a day for my Boss while I was in town. You know how when
you get back from vacation, work almost is good that first day,
like you need a vacation from your vacation. The jury is still out on that topic.

Here's my Pastors Journal , the blog called Rev-Dave
Why didnt I link this before? I have no idea.
What I like about his preaching is his "Are You Paying Attention Moments" (tm).
- sunscreen, umbrella, mirror, sweater: " I'm no Fred Rogers"

Boldly I ask for what I need: There's a popular spot here that donates money to charities from their
Sunday profits, since they'd prefer not to run the business that day of the week.
They said my Rebuilding could be the charity, probably some Sunday in October! Praise the Lord, and
bless them, and all my supporters.

Hiatus Back Home

Made photo updates today, due to lack of good net while on site.
Talked to deacons and paster locally about adopt-a-church.
More support from co-workers, anon. donations, and Jan.R.

asked local coffee shop (that supports charities) if I could be
their charity next month. they'll say yes I'm confident.

more photos coming I promise.

someone started a rumor that I met a lovely lady while on-site,
and that's why I'm going back. Now certain points of that story have
a factual basis, but their conclusions arent all sound.

Reading Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham.
Ravi Zacharias refers to BG a lot, and I like hearing RZ.

Jim Bakker was indicted for fraud in 1988 and sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $500,000. When the scandal broke, Bakker's Christian friends quickly deserted him. He became an outcast in the Christian world. And when he was sentenced, his wife Tammy Faye left him and then divorced him. Six months into his sentence, Bakker was surprised one afternoon when the prison warden called him into his office. Bakker had a visitor: Billy Graham. When Graham came in, Bakker asked him why he had come to visit � because he knew that any association with Bakker would tarnish Graham's reputation. Graham replied that Bakker was his friend in good and in bad times � and now when things were bad, he would stand by his side. And Billy Graham was true to his word. Bakker's sentence was eventually reduced, on appeal, to ten years and when he came out of prison on parole, he had nowhere to stay. So the Grahams invited him to stay with them. On the Sunday following Bakker's release, Ruth Graham took him to church with her. Disregarding what people would think about her, she stood up in church and introduced Jim Bakker to the congregation as her friend Jim Bakker.

This version of the story leaves out an element related by RZ: the day of the visit Jim Bakker was cleaning latrines and was wearing his orange work fatigues, which were soiled. The guard who told Jim he had a visitor advised him he might want to clean up, the visitor was dressed nicely. Jim being depressed said something like why bother, this is what my life is now.
But Billy Graham hugged him and made the connection despite that.

That's how I feel some days when people are helping me, and I can't explain why...
But most days are full of joy!

RAMBLING REBUILDER RETURNS

How did I forget to thank the other Yellow Hats
that went with me The second weeks little team had:

From the Right:
Jennie S. ; Lance Corporal ; Jarred C. ; John B. ;
and me the singing backup tenor at left





we had a good time and got as much blessings as we gave...

KATRINA PIX
and yet another KATRINA BLOG

Small Moment, Big Memory

Someone actually asked me today why all the flags were still at half staff.

We yelled to stop the van! Photo shows Lance Corporal rescuing downed flag. Pole had broken and draped it in the debris. He got the flag, then he and I shook it out, folded it retreat-style into a little triangle and left. Since no-one else in the van was a veteran, I'm not sure how they related to what we were doing.