Locked out

I was just seconds away from being locked out in the parking lot last night after church. It was about 10:00 and I was ready to get home, when right after setting the alarm and getting ready to head out the door I realized I didn't have my keys! CRAP. So, I found a butter knife in the kitchen and I picked the lock to the office door. After about 15 minutes of work I felt like superman..then I realized that the door to my office was locked! CRAP. That door can't be picked with your ordinary butter knife. I called Mike Pru and he was going to come and climb over the ceiling tiles, then we both realized that we might know where an extra key was. Luckily we found an extra key and I was able to get my keys and make it home last night. Thank God for cell phones!!

Thanks Mike Pru for bailing me out!

LIAR LIAR LIAR

Have you ever been called a LIAR? I'm sure you have, but I hate being accuse of lying when I didn't lie. Now if I lie and you call me on it then that is fine, but if I'm not lying you better not call me a liar.

This past week we took back the van that we rented to go to Mississippi and help out. The van was fine when we dropped it off, at least we thought it was and the lady that checked the van out thought it was too. The only damage that all of us saw was the seat in the van was kind of smooshed from one of us climbing over it because we had ladders on the van and couldn't walk on the side. Well a couple days later they send us a bill for this huge scratch on the hood of the van. We are like, uh we didn't do that and if it was there howcome we didn't see it and you didn't see it before. The guy then told me that it was so dirty that there was no way anyone could have seen that scratch. He said it was in the top 10 dirtiest vans he has ever seen brought back! (A little dramatic) I just laughed at him. I mean we didn't even drive in any mud, which it would have had to be mud to cover up that scratch. He said, we have people who are almost professionals at getting cars dirty to cover up scratches so we don't see it. That was his first remark about be lying. Later on inside he was talking to Keith and said, if he (looking at me) would be honest we would know what happened to the van. I then asked him if he was accusing me of lying and he just kind of smerked. Then I told him we would never be renting from him again and he said, "Good you also need to go to Confession." So here this guy is accsuing me and Pastor Sears about lying about a scratch in this van and that we took it out and got it super dirty so they wouldn't notice. Can you picture Pastor Sears and I out in some mud whole trying to dirty up a van just so we can cover up a scratch!

I have to admit, I was a little ticked off and I called the guy a moron! WHICH he was being. When I left I was more mad at the fact that I let the guy get to me than I was at him calling me a liar. The whole time Keith was talking to him I was biting my tongue and there were so many things running through my mind, but I held back. Then in a moment of weakness I said something I shouldn't...but he was a moron.

SO...if you ever need to rent a van or car or whatever don't go to SPALCO.

Long Week

Last Sunday night we headed out on our adventure to Mississippi. We had no idea what to expect when we got there, but we were ready to serve. After 19 hours of driving and trying to sleep a little we showed up at Light House Baptist in Gulfport. We got out of the van for about 2 minutes and stretched and then headed to one of their church members house to start working. That day we cleared out one family's house and let me tell you the smell was terrible. You could see the water line about 4 feet up throughout the house and everything in the house was molded and damp from the water. Our job was to take everything out of the house and throw it by the curb for trash removers to come and pick it up. Everything stunk, and I mean everything. A lot of containers that the people had were full of water and when you moved it or dumped the water out the most awful smell would just slap you in the face. Think about it, moldy water that was mixed with sewer water...not pleasant. The whole time we couldn't help but be thankful for what we have. We cleaned out two houses that day and then that night we made our home at the church. We tried to stay up and watch the Eagles get beat, but we were all out by halftime.

The next day (Tuesda) we did more of the same. At lunch, Pastor, Bill and I were eating some of our food that we had brought and I said, "Man I wish we could have a chance to help someone who doesn't go to church and we can reach out too." Right after I said that this older lady walked out of her house with a dolly trying to carry some furniture...was this coincidence? I think not. So, we walked over and talked to her and found out she was all alone. Here was a lady, who was probably about 65 years old and she was left with a house full of stuff that needed to be cleared out. We spent the afternoon clearing out her house. We left her with a tract and the address to our website, so we pray that through this she will find Christ.

Wednesday we headed out to find people we didn't know and just show them we cared. We loaded up our vans with the tar paper to do patch work on peoples roofs. Pastor was also excited to use his new chain saw. We were able to help about 5 different families get their roofs patched up and clear out some of their trees.

Thursday we spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon at one ladies house cleaining out her back yard and this huge tree that had just barely missed her house. We then drove to some other areas just to see more of the devistation. We began the long drive home that night around 8:30 and made it home around 2:30 on Friday afteroon. We left Mississippi with the blessing of helping people who really needed it and with the overwhelming feeling that we really coudn't do enough to help them. Please continue to pray for all of the people who have lost so much as a result of this storm. Pray for the many people who are searching for answers that they will turn to Christ, and find the only true hope there is.

Katrina

Hey, we made it back today from Mississippi! I will write more 2morrow about our trip, but I am so tired I can't really think straight so I'll write more 2morrow.

19 hours in a van! I'm tired

Katrina Relief

Hey just wanted to ask you to pray for us this week. Pastor Sears, Pastor G, Bill Hicks, Phil Gephart and myself are headed to Mississippi 2morrow afternoon. We are going to help clean up houses and different things there. So pray for a safe trip there and that we can be a blessing to people there.

DDR

White boy can't dance...I'm sure you have heard this statment before, and man I found out on Friday night that it truly applies to me. Dave and I went to the store and got some supplies for 1st Friday last Friday and we bought a DDR game and some dance pads. We decided that since no one was around we would see what all the hype was about with this game.

MAN...WE STINK. The sad part was that I beat him twice and then Nate came in and Dave beat him. So there was 3 white boys and not a one of us have rhythm. So, I have it at home and I'm working on my dancing skills.

Peac Out!