Sigh

All I can really do is sigh after this roller-coaster ride day of ups and downs, thrills and disappointments, joy and tears. Having over fifty volunteers on the ground here has been incredible. Some of the crew from University Church of Christ in Conway, AR worked at my house. This was great - and it also necessitated my personal attention. Maggy and I spent 3 hours in Lowes today. Everyone in town is in Lowes. Lowes is our only building supply. Plus we were looking for things that we did not comprehend. We had a list, but no knowledge about the things on the list. Anyhoo, we got back to the house and almost immediately Rusty (from Conway) and I went back to Lowes. Today was the day we decided to pull the vinyl flooring off of the bathroom floor. Underneath? Ceramic tile. When that was taken up, we found rotten wood. Now we can see the earth beneath our house through our bathroom floor. I told Jason (the youth minister from Conway) that I was OK because I was surrounded by brothers who knew what to do. But it is still one of those things that makes you sigh. A lot of work was done around the building today. The Kilberns grilled out ribs and tenderloin for tonight’s supper, and did a fantastic job. They are amazing people who have given so much of themselves. And they never complain about it. After I ate two plates of supper, I sighed - but it was a contented sigh. People are here from Brentwood Hills in Nashville (TN), Starkville (MS) church of Christ, Henderson (TN), Kentucky, University Church of Christ Conway (AR), and James Island Christian Church in Charleston (SC). - and maybe some other places also! There is great joy as you listen to them sing, laugh, eat, and talk. After inflicting a few of them with some of my hurricane stories, I sighed because I felt so protected and blessed by their presence. I hope you all have a great Sunday tomorrow. I will be preaching from Hebrews 11 for the third week, and maybe moving into chapter 12. The people who are certain of what they cannot see are inspiring me to become more faith-filled.

David Confers With Volunteers

CURRENT NEEDS: *Padded Chairs ... we are going to have an overflow crowd Sunday and not enough chairs for them to sit in! *Money is always a vital need. Our ability to purchase needed supplies as available is always a blessing. Also, we will need to purchase sheetrock, nails, mud, and tape supplies for repairing homes. These needs are ongoing, and will be for at least two years, as we see it now. *Manpower is always a vital need. Volunteers are keeping this operation running. Keep up with times when we need extra help by looking at the Hurricane Relief Work Crew Calendar, linked in the left hand column of this blog. Volunteer workers, both skilled and unskilled. Carpenters, plumbers, roofers, electricians, sheet-rock hangers, and painters can all be kept very busy! We can use ladies and those who are older to sort clothes, load the bus for bus runs, and go with us on the bus runs. *Ministers who can give up several days to come and pray with the community members, conduct Bible studies as available, and fill in on work as needed. *Youth ministers who can bring their teen groups (mature teens willing to serve, please) for one or two days on the weekends. *Small electric heaters *Towels, Sheets, Pillows, Blankets *Deodorant (mens and womens) *Laundry Detergent in boxes or bottles we can give away easily. (Note: The big 5 gallon buckets of detergent are nice, but we would rather have smaller quantities to spread it further!) *Plastic tableware (forks, knives, spoons) and napkins. The FEMA trailers come with no items such as these. *Snacks, drinks, and other foods that can be kept in our Dining Hall for workers as they labor here on a volunteer basis. *Cleaning supplies (pine sol, dishwashing detergent, disinfectant wipes, mops, brooms, buckets, etc.) – small sizes of cleaning liquids are better / easier to handle and distribute. We haven’t had mops in a while. *We currently do not need diapers or pull ups, clothes, personal hygiene supplies, or food. *Don’t know what to send? Send Wal-Mart or Lowes gift cards. They can be used to purchase a wide variety of items as needed - and can be passed on to needy people on occasion. All of my contact information is to be found at http://www.123jesus.com/ My picture page is located at: http://community.webshots.com/user/jedobber