Anyone who has gone to serve at Lakeshore Baptist Church probably remembers Mrs. Redford — an elderly widow member of the church who tells her story often. She is faithful to the Lord, and is captivating to listen to. The video below is of her talking about the boards of her house, which was rebuilt by volunteers that were in Lakeshore. Mrs. Redford’s house was the first to be rebuilt by Lakeshore Baptist Church after the storm.
Prayer needs:
Physical Needs:
I apologize for having waited so long to make this post. My group (Ephesus Church of Rincon, GA) arrived back home on Saturday night, had a wonderful Lord’s day yesterday, and are back to daily life today. Praise God for a wonderful trip.
Our last day, Friday, was mostly laid back for our crews. Projects were finished up, at least to the point of running out of materials, and everyone either left sometime Friday or got ready to leave early the next morning. With all the work that was accomplished throughout the week, there was still one more great thing to come — our Friday evening meal for the community, and the evangelistic worship service. By eyeballing the group, it looked as though we had a good turnout from the community that came to enjoy a meal with us. Many of them made their way over to the sanctuary for our worship service. Pastor Don preached a very clear gospel message, describing the utter sinfulness and rebellion of man, and our need for a perfect, sinless Savior. It was a rewarding experience for us all as we saw the wonderful work of God in a week filled with service. Relationships were built, and many people from our group commented on how wonderful it was to walk into Lakeshore Baptist Church for the first time ever, yet feel as though we’ve all known each other for many, many years. The kinship we have as brothers and sisters in Christ is a beautiful, and often overwhelming thing. Good-byes were said and meetings were had — we’ve got a lot of work to do in hopes of getting this trip arranged again for next year.
The end of the trip to Lakeshore does not mark the end of this blog. In fact, it was/is only the beginning. This will be used as a primary source of information dissemination for everyone interested/involved in the ongoing relief efforts in Lakeshore. We will provide updates for prayer, Lakeshore’s needs, and future events pertaining to our next trip. If you have any questions and/or requests, please feel free to leave a comment or email me directly at: nickpastor[at]gmail[dot]com. We will be working on our video over the next week and will also be posting many more pictures. Also, I have received many different journal articles from several volunteers and will be adding some of their commentary as well. As you can see, there is much more to come on this blog — stay plugged in!
Pastor Don Elbourne’s sermon from Wednesday evening, January 9, 2008, can be accessed by right-clicking here and selecting “save as…” His passage was 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and he shared a lot of personal testimony regarding Hurricane Katrina. This is a very powerful and spiritually challenging message. I highly encourage as many as can to listen to this sermon.
Lakeshore and Surrounding Areas
Lakeshore Baptist Church has…
God has been gracious to sustain His people through works of service this week. Early mornings, hard works days, and late nights have taken a toll on everyone’s bodies, but nothing has slowed down, and great things continue to be accomplished. Yesterday the Lord provided an opportunity for rest by bringing strong wind and rain for several hours. While the work crews had hoped for another day of good weather, it was certainly time for many to rest. For many, this type and amount of work is a daily occurrence. Yet, for others it’s a stretch to be putting forth such an effort for an entire week.
Last night, several people traveled to nearby New Orleans, LA to get a taste of some creole cooking! Gumbo, etouffe, and alligator tail were on the minds of our people, and what it feast it was for each one! Many people commented on the comparison between New Orleans and Lakeshore after the storm. Traveling through New Orleans is nothing near the experience of Lakeshore and surrounding areas. While it was mostly reported that New Orleans endured so much, which they did, it is very apparent even 2 1/2 years later how much more the community of Lakeshore was affected. Very few indications of a major hurricane hitting New Orleans still exist, while in Lakeshore one cannot help but see it all over the place.
By: Pauline Tremmel, Livermore Baptist Church, California
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due. When it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘go and come back tomorrow I will give it to you.”
-Proverbs 3:27-28
I cannot speak for all 150 volunteers in the ARBCA group, but I can well imagine that everyone was like our Livermore group — excited and anxious to get to Lakeshore to work. Most of us come to this disaster area willing to spend and be spent in ministry from the people who have lost so much. We are “green horns” coming into the area and work being done here - where the local volunteers are seasoned (maybe grissled) veterans. One of the benefits and blessings of the week has been spending time with the Lakeshore residents who day in and day out come to the distribution center to work. These people are like us — volunteers — but over the last two years they have spent countless hours helping to provide for their community. They have seen a lot and they are tired. They have lost homes , but they faithfully come to help.
A sad outcome of years upon years of service to the needy community is that they not only see the best of people, they see the worst — people abusing the distribution center, people lying about their situations, people angry and taking it out on volunteers. It’s hard to keep the vision when they frequently see the worst coming out. There are two sides to every story and stress causes people to act in ways they normally wouldn’t, but we have learned a lot about the nature of man from the stories we’ve heard this week. Hopefully, we have been able to give the local volunteers a renewed sense of goal and vision that we are Christ’s hands and feet here in Mississippi, serving Him first, then the needy. Maybe they need us as much as we need them — we are in this together to encourage and learn.
Pray for these dear volunteers who will continue working when all this ARBCA team returns home — that they will find joy in this long term ministry, a renewed vision of service and practical ways to apply Proverbs 3:27-28. Theirs is not an easy task — but it is on blessed by the Lord.
**Pauline has been the team-leader in the distribution center all week, and those involved in cleaning, organizing and distributing have done a fantastic job!
Yesterday was a very powerful and forever memorable day for us here in Lakeshore. The work crews continued their jobs, and the ministry and distribution center teams had the wonderful opportunity to meet many of the residents as they came to Lakeshore Baptist Church to visit the distribution center. The shelves were stocked with books, Bibles, toys, canned food, clothes, and much more — it seemed like only minutes later that everything was gone. Praise God that so much was there to provide! The ministry team was hard at work, helping individuals carry their items to the car, sharing the gospel as the opportunity presented itself, handing out tracts, and distributing fliers advertising our evangelistic meal and service that will take place on Friday evening. We are all very excited about seeing what God will do on Friday amongst the people who attend.
Last night was particularly wonderful for all of us. As we gathered for the Wednesday night service, Pastor Don Elbourne preached from 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 on the “Father of Mercies” and the “God of all comfort”. Woven throughout his masterful exposition were many of the stories about the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. To watch the events unfold on television and on the internet is one thing. To see the devastation first hand, 2 years later is another. But even more so, to hear the first-hand accounts of those who endured much suffering and hardship in simply mind-blowing. Pastor Don commented: “There was no news coming out of Lakeshore — everything was about New Orleans and Biloxi, and even some out of nearby Bay St. Louis, but nothing from Lakeshore, where the center of the storm made landfall. We later realized it was because news reporters couldn’t even get into the area.” Who had heard of Lakeshore prior to August, 2005? Furthermore, who had ever heard of Lakeshore Baptist Church before this community started getting rebuilt? All the sudden, they were launched onto the national scene. Pastor Don remembers, “when I got down Lakeshore Road, it was mind-numbing… I was seeing it, but literally not believing it - This is not an overstatement.” He described the rubble and devistation. “We started going to church member’s houses — house to house to house to house… Gone, gone, gone — completely gone. Many of the houses were sucked into the gulf, never to be seen again.”
The best part of his message and testimony was yet to come. “So what do you do? No homes, no stores, no schools, no phones, no goods, no gasoline… Nothing. What do you do?” Then he began to unfold the story of what Lakeshore Baptist Church did, and continues to do to this day. He drew a wonderful parallel between the 2 Corinthians passage and all that was going through the hearts and minds of the people, first reminding us all that “on August 29, 2005, if God decided to wash every one of us into the gulf, he would have been completely justified.” Amen. Nevertheless, He’s the “Father of Mercies” and the “God of All Comfort” — “Everything was in rubble and a huge mess, but we knew that our sovereign God did not move.”
Pastor Don’s sermon was followed by about 1 hour of testimony from church members, as well as volunteers from our group. It was a heart changing evening that will certainly be with us the rest of our lives. The audio of Pastor Don’s sermon will be available on this website for download in a few hours. Please take the time to listen.
You can have a full size view and download these, and all our other photos, by clicking here.
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.“
- 1 Corinthians 10:31
The crews have been working hard and are beginning to get the hang of things! Many projects have been completed and many more are in the works. ARBCA is the largest group Lakeshore Baptist Church has hosted for Rebuild Lakeshore to date. While it makes things somewhat difficult as it relates to logistics, it makes the work go faster, the community happier, and the ministry opportunities more plentiful. Thousands of dollars have been spent, miles of siding have been hung, gallons of paint have been applied, trees have been cut down, boards have been cut, sheetrock is forever being put up, fences built, doors, windows, bricks, fans, wiring, plumbing, etc! No one is without a task, and everyone seems to be taking the biblical commands to heart “rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free” (Ephesians 6:7-8). Many Lakeshore residents have expressed great appreciation for our efforts and service. The Lord has been faithful to provide us with many opportunities to present the gospel and encourage the people of Lakeshore with biblical truths. Continue to pray for us as we strive to glorify the Lord in all that we do.
Click here to view and download all of our photos!
Everyone has particularly enjoyed watching Dave, an arborist by trade, doing what very few are even willing to try! This is just one example of the diverse group of skills that God has blessed us with to be able to offer the Lakeshore community.
Click here to view and download this photo and others, full size.
This morning we were able to get everyone together for a group photo — what a wonderful time! The title of this post is intended to reflect the diversity of our group, while also highlighting our absolute unity in the one True God. We have joyfully proclaimed together that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we serve the community of Lakeshore in His name.
“God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- Philippians 2:9-11
Every photo from this website, as well as hundreds more, can be viewed and downloaded here in full size (at the top of each image, click on the button that says “all sizes”) — The photo site will be updated daily.
For some of us, getting to Lakeshore wasn’t the easiest thing we’ll be doing this week! Pauline Trummel of Livermore Baptist Church recounts her group’s story of traveling difficulties and blessings.
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We began planning our trip to Lakeshore in July. I can’t believe how quickly time has passed raising money, praying and planning. It’s a little sad leaving today without the rest of LRBC - everyone in the church has been so much a part of this trip even though they aren’t able to accompany us to Mississippi. I pray a special blessing on them - the moms with little kids, those who have to work, those who aren’t physically able - I feel as though we are going to represent all of LRBC, not just the 21 on the travel itinerary.
3am came very early and sleep was elusive before we felt rested for a trip of this magnitude. I wrote on our blog last night, “May the Lord give us a safe and uneventful travel or patience to equal travel frustrations.” That was more prophetic than I knew at the time because we needed more patience than I ever expected.
Upon arrival at San Jose airport we found travel arrangements had been changed and apparently they canceled our last leg of our trip into Gulf Port. I was thankful that Larry (my husband and pastor) was there — already, patience was needed. He worked with the lady from the airline for one hour, trying to set our arrangements in order. He arrived at the gate as our first leg was loading — I was nervous when I saw the length of the security line and didn’t see Larry. We didn’t want to leave without our pastor, and I especially didn’t want to leave without my husband! We all breathed a sigh of relief when he was escorted through security to our gate by the ticket agent. The plane left SJO 1/2 hour late, and we settled in.
It was fun traveling with 20 other people. As we neared our first stop (the non-stop flight to Atlanta was changed last week) in Salt Lake City, Utah, the captain said, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we will be circling because SLC Airport has been closed. We have about 1 hour of fuel remaining and it is reported that the airport will open in 1-2 hours.” Now, I’m no math whiz, but I understand 2 hours is more fuel than we have.
After circling about 45 minutes, the captain addresses us again: “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are headed to Idaho for refueling and will then return to Salt Lake City when it’s opened.” I can see the day getting longer by the minute. Again, “Ladies and Gentlement, SLC is now open - we are turning around and going back.”
We had a scheduled 1 hour layover, but with the airport closure, it evaporated and we deplaned with 5 minutes to catch our flight to Atlanta. Brian Clappin took off and saved the day — he got to our next gate (which was nowhere near where we deplaned, of course) after it had already been closed. He asked if they would open the plane for him and they said, “yes!” — the then added, “Good, because there are 20 more people coming down here right now!” We were definitely NOT the most popular people when the flight attendants told everyone to move back to their original seats. They had all spread out a bit and grumbled about moving. We were just glad to have made the connection.
Atlanta — we got to know ATL! Our original plan that Larry got was to arrive at ATL, then after a short layover, head down to Gulf Port. Oh no — not for us — the trip had been morphed by Delta for a 17 minute ground time before leaving for Gulf Port, and since we were an hour late getting to ATL, the GPT plane left without us. This was the leg that was messed up that Larry took the hour at 5am to sort through.
New plans were made: 7 were scheduled on the 3:38pm flight, 5 for a 5:30pm flight, and 7 for 9:30pm. Once again, we scrambled, and everyone but 8 of us got on that 5:30 flight! It was a huge blessing and answer to prayer. Prior to everyone getting on the plane, Larry called us to prayer — How good God is to keep us reliant upon Himself and not what we can do. Supposedly the flight was full, as was our later one, but all the people except one were able to go. We all thanked the Lord with them, though 8 of us remained until 9:30pm.
I am especially thankful for those answered prayers as a witness to our young people, and encouragement of God’s blessing on this trip to remind us of His graciousness to His very tired people. Also, I must say, I’m proud of everyone on the trip — no one was grumpy, irritable, short, or complaining. We all knew that we were going to help the people of Lakeshore who have suffered for 2 years - how could we complain about 1 very long, frustrating day?
As the 8 of us said goodbye to our team members, we prayed that Jim Mackanic could get on our 9:30pm flight. He was on stand-by with a ticket for the following morning. God had this under control as well, so no one stressed. It was the time to relax a little. The four teens with us — Jeb, Patrick, Meredith and Kirsten — went off exploring the airport. Riding the tram and eating were of first importance. Larry, Jim, Dick and I watched the luggage. When the kids got back, the adults ate and the fellowship was great.
9:30pm turned into 10pm, but we did get Jim on the flight to GPT. We received a call from those who had previously arrived — no luggage came through. We made plans of how to survive the week without anything, but the camaraderie and joy were evident — no complaining! What an adventure we were on! The plane remained dark the entire trip and everyone was tire as we left the gate (no surprise by now). As we got ready to land, a clear thought entered my mind — “don’t leave assuming we have no luggage… check!” All of us had assumed in our dead brains that we were doomed, but Alas, all the luggage (except 2 pieces) came out on the conveyor belt — Yea!
Scott and Carol Kemper joined us from Florida. They found conditions to be very cramped at Lakeshore, so got 5 rooms for us in neighboring Bay St. Louis. We all fell into bed when we got here around 11:45pm. My final prayer of the night was “thanks for God’s guiding and sustaining hand that holds us and directs us, even through mazes like today!”
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