We have come to expect great blessing and encouragement through those who come to work with us here in Southeast Louisiana and this past week’s crew was no exception.   For months, we looked forward to seeing our old friends from Harvest Bible Chapel in DeKalb, Illinois as well as meeting new friends from Calvary Bible Church in Roger’s City, Michigan.

They arrived Friday night, and were already hard at work on Saturday morning, beginning a series of on-site projects.   After only 48 hours, the group was already tight knit and working as a unified body.

“Its been fantastic!  We’ve only been here for a couple of days, but we’re getting a great feel for what the church is doing here and we’re feeling right at home.  The team here is very hospitable, and put us to work already!  We’re having a great time.”  Dan Sullivan from Harvest told us.

On Sunday, Steve Best, Pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, preached for us a very challenging and encouraging sermon on what congregations can do to improve their pastors.  To listen to Steve’s sermon, click here.   After lunch, the group got the chance to take a swamp hike and experience the beauty, heat and challenges of Southeast Louisiana’s terrain.

The rest of the week was full of rewarding work and opportunities to connect with the community surrounding us.  For the first time, we partnered with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity and pitched in on some of the work they are doing in Covington for aspiring homeowners.

Along with finishing up major projects here at the church, such as fencing off the front of our property, some of the guys were able to help elderly and disabled community members with smaller projects in their houses.  At the end of the week, we got the chance to take the crew to the Lower Ninth Ward Community Center to once again work with Mack and help his mission move forward.  For most of the crew, it was an eye opening experience to see the devastation that still exists five years after Katrina.

Led by our intern Tim Young, Matt and Dan from Harvest visited a total of ten local households as part of our EPC (Evangelism, Prayer and Counsel) mission work. These followups are a great way to minister to those who we’ve helped in the past by providing updates and current needs status as well as spiritual counsel.

“I was left feeling so touched and in awe of the power of listening as a form of servant-ship.  There are many everywhere waiting for the opportunity in which someone will listen to them and give them answers that aren’t generic, but heartfelt and genuine.” Tim said in describing the experience.

By the end of the week, no one was ready to say goodbye.  More friends were made and old friends became closer and God was glorified by the ministry of the Word, prayer and practical mercies being displayed by His people. It was an incredible encouragement to everyone.

Thank you, Harvest Bible Chapel and Calvary Bible Church for your willingness to serve and help us in our labors!

If you would like to book a short term mission or an EPC mission trip, click here.

Check out our flickr page for more photos of the Harvest and Calvary crew!

Women of the Storm, a diverse and nonpartisan group of ladies that banded together after Hurricane Katrina, are now focusing their efforts on restoring the Gulf Coast by urging Americans to sign a petition that they will present to Congress and the Obama Administration.

Anything less than complete coastal restoration is unacceptable. This nation requires a healthy Gulf of Mexico for a number of reasons involving domestic energy, shipping, seafood, ecology, recreation and culture.

To learn more about this movement, and to sign the petition yourself, visit their website here.

Every one gets to a point in their lives when they think they’ve got it bad, that their life sucks and nothing can possibly go right.  Yet, it’s not until we start living for others that we realize that our lives are not all that bad and there’s always somebody else with the same layers of problems, with different people playing the parts of Wronged and Offender.

Usually, when I get to a point when I start thinking to myself or vocalizing that things aren’t going well, it is because I’ve been out to “get mine”.  I mean, was I not raised as if I was a manufactured cookie in some industrial cookie factory, with massive cookie cutters designed to produce identical cookies?   I was told to go to school, get the best grades so I can go to the best university, to get the best degree, to make the most money, to buy the biggest house to surround with the tallest fence so that no one can partake in my “best”, and somewhere in there marry a trophy wife and produce a few kids to carry on the family name so that I can leave them at home to be raised by a nanny while both mommy and I work our tails off.   Going in, I would already know that I had a fifty-fifty chance of having “irreconcilable differences” and getting a divorce, which destroys the kids who then get put on anti-depressants for being sad, which in turn turns them into lethargic robots.  Yet is that all not “the dream”?  Am I not supposed to live for myself and get mine?

So why is it then that people can’t seem to understand that that “good feeling” they get when they put on a food drive, donate gifts on Christmas, or every once in a great while ride the roller-coaster high they get while working on a community project for a day is a normative feeling they are meant to have all the time because they are fully capable of serving others consistently?  Happiness does not come from within, but from outside ourselves.  Why do people fail to see that working for the man is not and never can be as fulfilling as serving men?

As if God is shouting the message, “You think you’ve got it bad, you whiny baby!” into my ear with a bullhorn, He continually reminds me that showing love for others by serving them in any way I can shows me that this world is full of disappointment because when everyone is trying to serve themselves, there is no one left to be a friend, call family, or love at all.

People are lonely and hurting.  I know this because when I, a complete stranger, visited three households today, I was greeted like a king, shown hospitality that I thought did not exist anymore and people may think of as “old school”.  I cared just a little and it was like floodgates were released, releasing a tsunami of stories full family strife, death, incarceration, hatred, malice, sadness, guilt, and bitterness.

After longing to evangelize and visit with those in the local community since arriving in Louisiana, God gave me a gift and it had nothing to do with me.  With the companionship of Dan and Matt from a crew of volunteers from Harvest Bible Church in DeKalb, Illinois, I visited the homes of Elcy and Elaine, Florida, and Danielle and Geraldine.

We three heard amazing stories, filled with struggle caused by hurricane Katrina, but we also heard more personal stories about the death of a husband, a son being put in prison, a sister who is so hateful that she has alienated all of her relatives and went as far as to admit she was trying to break up the marriage between her brother-in-law and sister, the death of a daughter/sister at a young age from breast cancer splitting apart a family of six, and feelings of guilt for wrongdoings.  One of those we visited even broke down crying and could not express herself other than to say she felt guilty.  Possibly the most in-depth and heavy conversation we had was about praying to deceased people instead of God.

To those who are reading it, it probably seems there is no hope and those we visited seemed very lost.  However, there was light and hope.  It came shining through during the conversations when all of those we visited expressed they couldn’t be more appreciative of Dan, Matt, and I simply visiting them and taking the time to listen to them and pray for them.  We were told, “You come back soon now, ya hear?” genuinely.  The gospel message was shared and the worthiness of the Bible was discussed.  One of those we visited is now thinking about hosting a Bible study so that we come back and visit and can invite her neighbors.

These people, with their broken hearts, guilt, and loss have experienced more hurt than I can possibly imagine, yet they sat and talked to us for hours, bought us lunch, cut us pieces of cake, refused to let us clean up our own dirty dishes, and let us inside their homes to talk to us for hours.  They told complete strangers about their lives and some of their inner-most struggles.

I am left feeling so touched and in awe of the power of listening as a form of servant-ship that I can barely write this blog post without coming to tears.   How should I, the master complainer, be so blessed as to be used to bring joy into the lives of strangers?  There are many any where and every where waiting for the opportunity in which someone will listen to them and give them answers that aren’t generic, but heartfelt and genuine.  There are many waiting to be told that they don’t have to live within their hurt any longer.

And that’s how I continue to learn why I have no reason to complain.  Ever.

— Timothy Young

P.S.  If you are interested in an evangelism-centered retreat, check out information about our Homeland Missions EPC Retreat option:  http://sghm.org/news/2010/06/20/epc-mission-trips/

Colleen Bosley from Catholic Charities graciously agreed to visit Slidell this Friday past as a part of a luncheon held here at Sovereign Grace, to educate the public, non-profit organizations, and churches about the response to the oil spill.  Catholic Charities is a non-profit faith-based foundation that was chosen by BP to be the provider of charity help in Louisiana, to provide help to those who have been affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which has now been spewing into the Gulf for 86 days.

Colleen explained that Catholic Charities has received $750,000 from BP to provide food and money for utility bills to those affected by the oil spill.  This amount of money provided help to over 1,000 families in $100 increments a week for groceries and $200 a month for utility bills.  However, that money has dried up and people are waiting on and expecting BP to come through with their promised financial help.

Currently, Catholic Charities is seeking out ideas and trying to find ways to provide families with items for babies, such as diapers and formula, as well as trying to find help for those with pets.  The number of pets being abandoned or left in shelters is rising quickly as people can’t afford to take care of them anymore.  Also, individuals do not have money to pay for fuel and this has created a problem.  BP does not have stations in Southern Louisiana and refuses to buy gas cards to use at other gas companies.

There are still a lot of things that are without answers, but help is needed.  Right now, churches and non-profit organizations are trying to set up ways to reach people in affected areas, but are being turned away.  Outside of official personnel with badges, others are not allowed to enter many areas and talk to those who are in need.

Many questions were asked about claims, how to help out, where to seek answers, etc. during a question and answer time at the end of the meeting and some of those questions could be answered, which was a great help.  The meeting was cordial and well-attended, including a BP claims associate who gave specific information about how to get help.

Even now, much of the information seems vague, but as the situation with the oil spill continues, we hope we can help to inform the local area and others through blogs and status updates.  If you are interested in more specific information about how the oil spill is affecting the coast, we have had some contact with NOAA biologists, the Coast Guard, BP personnel, and the Chief of Police of St. Bernard Parish.  Here is a link to my oil spill diary with the information we’ve gathered.

— Timothy Young

Today we took Taran out to the Pearl River on a midday excursion.  We paddled down river from Indian Village Road boat launch to just past the Hwy 90 overpass. It’s a nice little trip of about an hour or so and there is a little beach area on the left hand bank right past the bridge that makes a nice exit point and rest area.  Pastor Eddie, Steve and Taran cruised in our 16 ft Coleman fiberglass canoe down the slow moving fresh water and were treated to many wonderful sights.

Herons, egrets and gators were all out today… even some very curious wild pigs.  As we made our way down the bend, a rather large gator was swimming steadily across our path. He must have been at least 10-13 ft long.  Taran snapped a picture of him.

After meandering through a swamp rice canal chock full of lilies, weeping willows, cypress trees and moss we came across a baby gator staring at us as if wanting to be fed. This area of the river is frequented by tour boats who routinely toss them food so the tourists can snap photos of the much-loved and feared alligator mississippienis.

Later, almost to the overpass bridge, we heard the sounds and motion of feral hogs near the sandbar ridge and spotted three pigs walking near the water’s edge. Normally, they run off quickly and head for cover but these guys were very curious and actually came right up to us!  What a great time, even if the heat index was 109!

Yesterday afternoon, we welcomed Taran Bainter from Waxahachie, Texas who will be serving with us for a couple of weeks.  This young man, who attends Ovilla Road Baptist Church in Ovilla, TX, decided to take this trip to grow personally as well as spiritually, and to serve the people of this community.

Although its been less than twenty-four hours, he’s already enjoying his stay,

I’m already having fun.  I can already tell that two weeks won’t be enough time to spend here.

Taran will be working alongside the Harvest Bible Chapel Crew that is arriving this Friday from DeKalb, Illinois, and will get the chance to fellowship with other believers, experience the New Orleans area, see the ocean for the first time, and serve the Lord.

Its a joy to serve, and I look forward to the work, because I know why I’m doing it, and who I’m doing it for.

We are grateful to God for his provision of willing and joyous volunteers!

If you’ve ever visited us here in Slidell, there’s no doubt that you remember Lake Pontchartrain, the 630 square mile expanse of water that separates the Northshore and New Orleans.

Earlier this week, it was discovered that tar balls have reached Pontchartrain waters.  So far, a few thousand pounds of tar have been skimmed out of the waters.  Oil slicks have reached an area of the lake four miles away from the I-10 bridge.  For those of you who do not know the area, the I-10 bridge is a 5-mile bridge that links New Orleans to the North Shore area.  The bridge is close to the opening of Lake Pontchartrain and once the oil moves past it, the remaining majority of lake water will be affected by the oil.  The news that this lake has now been contaminated has hit the hearts of many Louisiana residents.

For twenty years, Lake Pontchartrain has been in a long and arduous fight to regain its abundance and health.  In 1990, growing pollution drove much of the wildlife away from the Lake, and ruined commercial fishing and recreational activities in its waters.  However, officials began taking measures to clean up the lake, which soon began to thrive again. However, the clean-up process was soon stifled when contaminated flood waters caused by Katrina were poured into the lake by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Now, the clean-up of the lake is facing a new and larger battle as the oil spreads further into the area.  The consequences of the tar balls and oil that has moved and will continue to flow into the Lake, and how this will affect local residents will soon be realized.

Please continue to pray for this region as the environment and the economy continue to take a hit.  Pray that the Lord would use this circumstance to bring Himself glory and bring his people comfort.

For more information check out these articles: Oil in Lake Pontchartrain Threatens Commercial Fishing and Tar Balls Moving Through Rigolets

– Suzanne Mauhar