Feb. Calendar

Here is the calendar for February.

New Gulf Coast Pictures and Wed. Study

NEW Gulf Coast Mission Pictures are posted. CHECK THEM OUT HERE!



**FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHTS COMPARATIVE RELIGION CLASS**
Look up and look at some information on Catholicism.

Update from Gulf Coast

I received this email today and thought everyone would be interested in this!

Wanted to let you know, we visited your friend Charles Whitley at the
Chalmette Church of Christ last week. He said your team cleared out the
building. We nailed down the plywood siding on their building, wrapped it
in tar paper (the auditorium part they are keeping) and framed out some of
the classroom area inside. Thought your team would like to see the
continuation of their efforts cleaning out their building. I took a few
pictures starting at img_3622 at this link:
http://www.therenos.com/katrinapictures/Team%207/JohnTeam7/index.htmland Bill took some as well at this link:
http://www.therenos.com/katrinapictures/Team%207/Bill/index.htmlstarting with picture dscn0338

I put most of our blog entries from servantsunite.blogspot.com on the
whereisawjesus blog as well last week, but you can find links to more
pictures of our trip on the servantsunite blog if you are interested.

We can see some progress from the work we have God. To God be the glory!

Love Wins! -Matt-

A couple things

1) Reminder: For Wednesday night (Comparative Religion class) Bring information on Contemporary Judaism (example: Kabbalah).

2) Ski Trip: Jan. 27-28



3) Monday Night Basketball
Where the REAL Superstars Play (See Picture)
Monday 7:00-8:30/9:00pm through March 27

4) Feb. calenders will be out this week. Check the youth board to pick up your very own.

5) Next week we will begin our "Fast 4 Relief" fundraising. Next Sunday we will kick off our "Kiss the Pig" Contest!!!!

Final Day Gulf Coast Trip

So today, thursday, was our last day of work, and it was a good way to end.
although we got off to a late start, we all busted it out and finished the
house. At the end of the day, the family took contact info from all of us in
order to stay in touch. Also, a few days ago, we found some money in the junk
that we were taking out. The wife tried desparatly to give it to us, but we
wouldnt take it. Then, today, as we were leaving, she handed us a check so we
could each buy a yellow volunteer t-shirt. We treid to refuse, but we just were
not able to. The wife also brought us loads of snackas for breaks. It was sad
to say goodby, both wife and husband were in tears, but driving home, i felt
such peace that this trip had accomplished so much. I can not wait to return,
whether for spring break, and/or summer.

Peace out y'all
James

Thanks to James for keeping us posted this past week!

Monday Jan. 9 Gulf Coast Mission Trip

We began a new house today. We were lucky, this one doesnt look too bad, the
front was dried out mud, nice and easy to scoop, but we really didnt seem to get
too far. The heat was really bad, we had to take lots of breaks, and we got
there late after having to pick up tools. We met with the wife of the house,
and when she saw us, she got very emotional. We were able to pray with her a
few times, and let her salvage much of her house. Looks like we are going to
need two more days, lots of stuff top get out.

Jan 7 Gulf Coast Trip

On Friday we finished up the house we were working on the past few days. We found a total of three snakes (one was in a tube with much all in it) We had to bust out
walls, clean out the attic (there was just as much stuff as was on the first
floor). Then, when we finished, we gave the family some of our contact info, hugged, and said goodbye. Dave did an interview to bring back and show, it should be good. Traffic made it a three hour trip home!!! Saturday we went to target. Ryan and Diane, and James got matching "Pedro offers you his protection" shirts to wear for gulf coast. We are taking a day off for morning worship and to pick up some people.

Continue to keep us in your prayers!

Jan. 5 Gulf Coast Trip

Toady, We spent the entire day mucking out a new house. We got about half done, and will hopefully finish tomorrow. The house we were out was less than half a mile from where the levy broke, so things were really bad, probably the worse we have have done yet. The owners were there when we were working on it, and we were able to salvage some of the things that got all mucky. One thing we got was a dish bowl that belonged to the (i believe late) mother of the residents. When we found it and brought it out, the lady talked to dave about, and was almost in tears. It was heartbreaking having to go through all their things, but that was a ray of sunshine in the muck.

This is a hurting area...please remember these people in your prayers.

Jan. 4 Gulf Coast Trip

Today we worked at the Joy Fellowship church. We began by organizing rooms for some incoming volunteers. From 12-3, we helped run a drive of food, clothing, health supplies, and hot meals. Each person worked different stations throughout the drvie and some people helped with parking (which James now has a nice tan in January). For the people that were on the trip last week: some sad news; Karunga (one of our mascots pictured here with Mr. Potato Head)'s head fell off today. Ryan is doing okay :) Everyone is in great spirits. Continue keeping us in your prayers.

Jan 3 Gulf Coast Trip

The 1st group of team members got back to Delaware safely.

Updates from the 2nd week will be on daily and written by Ryan and James (since I won't be there).

Pictures from week 1 are up to be looked at. More will be added as more pictures come in. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PICTURES!


Updates from the group still in Lousianna:

Jan 2

Today we worked with a group from Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the morning, we loaded toys and bookbags for a local elemtary school, and handed them out (James Polis Elemtary school, we think). The kids were really cute, It was great to see their faces when we gave them the presents. Then, in the afternoon, we went to a house and demucked it. Demucking the house was a surprise so we didn't bring our boots. Let's just say our boots got pretty messy. On the way home, the girls sang "Away in the Manger".

Jan 3

We finished mucking out the house we started on yesterday with the group from TN. There was a lot of digging out of house applicanes and James even got to take a
sledgehammer to a toilet to knock it off its hinges. For the past couple of days Michelle Drew and her daughter came and worked with the group (Michelle was a member at Newark who moved to New Orleans to work on her graduate degrees 6 days before the hurricane. She has continued to live in N.O. and help with the recovery).

Jan 2 Gulf Coast Trip

Well for some of us this was our last day in New Orleans. We started the morning early gutting houses, finishing at the church and delivering some gifts to a local school. The people that were staying continued to work while the other group made there way back to Birmingham. The group in Alabama are staying at Angie's sisters home for the night and then to the airport in the morning. There were great memories and lives were changed for a lifetime.

There will be updates for the second week so continue to check back as updates are made. There will be some pictures that will start to be put up tomorrow and into Thurs.

More tomorrow...

January 1 Gulf Coast Trip

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Last evening we had two new years celebrations: one for east coast new year's and then central new years. For our east coast we had a basketball dropping from the ceiling at the stroke of midnight. Both new years we had a sparkling apple juice toast. Mixed in with that were some games of "Spoons". It was a enjoyable evening.

We woke up and a few people headed over to the church we have been working on and continued working. The others stayed at Tammny Oaks and helped clean the building for worship. We then worshipped with the Tammny Oaks family and then headed to the French Quarter in New Orleans for lunch. It was a nice afternoon.

We then came back to the building and had a "devotional/reflection time". It was a wonderful time of spirited worship and reflection. Now we're having Pappa Johns for dinner....

This has been a great week of service and building community. The trip isn't over yet and is just about to begin for some who will be joining us on Tuesday.

We covet your prayers....

More tomorrow.

January 1 Gulf Coast Trip

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Last evening we had two new years celebrations: one for east coast new year's and then central new years. For our east coast we had a basketball dropping from the ceiling at the stroke of midnight. Both new years we had a sparkling apple juice toast. Mixed in with that were some games of "Spoons". It was a enjoyable evening.

We woke up and a few people headed over to the church we have been working on and continued working. The others stayed at Tammny Oaks and helped clean the building for worship. We then worshipped with the Tammny Oaks family and then headed to the French Quarter in New Orleans for lunch. It was a nice afternoon.

We then came back to the building and had a "devotional/reflection time". It was a wonderful time of spirited worship and reflection. Now we're having Pappa Johns for dinner....

This has been a great week of service and building community. The trip isn't over yet and is just about to begin for some who will be joining us on Tuesday.

We covet your prayers....

More tomorrow.