God's Amazing Work in New Orleans

We now have four church plants in the New Orleans area! 

¨ Jeff Hummel leads City Church reaching out to the unchurched in Covington through a coffee house church.  They just bought a building and have around 100 regular attenders.

¨ Miguel Lopez is reaching out to the younger generation through Grace Chapel and has 40-60 attending regularly.

¨ Jerry St. Pierre has a church meeting in his home in Slidell with 10-15 regular attenders.

¨ Bobby Tinner is developing relationships in New Orleans for a new church plant and is awaiting completion of his home as a base for outreach.  (We need volunteers to come finish his drywall and paint.)

Katie Hooks is doing a fantastic job recruiting and training interns.  The young women and men who have interned have been making a huge difference in the effectiveness of the ministry as we have been able to touch more lives.

Both Katie and Ariealle Holden have been living in different areas of New Orleans.  They have  developed good relationships with their neighbors.  I went out in Ariealle’s neighborhood in March to invite people for a block party.  It seemed like most of the people knew her and were eager to go to her house.

Continue to pray that lives will be changed eternally in New Orleans.

 

 

Three Saved in Brigantine Area

God is at work in the area around Brigantine, N.J. bringing good out of Superstorm Sandy.  Volunteers led both a home-owner in Brigantine to Christ and another man providing a meal at Beacon. Bill Davis, pastor of Brigantine Bible Church, visited with the dad of one of his church members who was displaced from his home and led the dad to Christ.   Seeds are being planted each week in area hearts. 

Pastor Bill and his wife, Karen, shared their excitement concerning their church renovation.  They know God has a plan for them and are anxious to see what unfolds.  They have been meeting in a different part of the island while the church is restored from all the water damage.  Once their home was repaired, they began holding Bible studies and other small group meetings in their home.

When the storm hit, they knew what to do because of past flooding experience in PA.  Their quick action prevented the mold from spreading.  It is amazing how God uses our past experiences to prepare us for the future.

I will be anxious to see how God uses this church for His glory.

 

Finally Official

Six years ago, I joined with Hershey Free Church on a missions trip to New Orleans with ReachGlobal Crisis Response.  I saw God at work through this ministry changing lives in homeowners, volunteers, and staff.  I kept returning, often for two or three weeks at a time.  In December, I became an official staff member as a Communications Assistant.  My job includes developing video and photographic resources,  interviewing people, writing for online and print media, putting together displays and promotional material, helping with prayer cards for missionaries, and following up with homeowners, team leaders, and team members.  It is so exciting to see what God is doing through the ministry of ReachGlobal Crisis Response and to be able to publicize the opportunities available for churches!

I will not be taking a salary, but I will be raising support for my expenses.  I have been taking numerous trips to New Jersey and New Orleans, and I will soon be adding Staten Island to the list as we start sending teams there in May.

I have already been busy with:

* lots of writing,

* photographing teams, homeowners, and work sites,

* providing photos and videos to churches, staff, and colleges

* Providing handouts

* Setting up promotional displays

My highlights were when a couple expressed interest in serving in Haiti after reading one of my articles, and a thank you note from a church who used one of my videos to promote a missions trip.