Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanksgiving Story
We decided to deliver some meals door to door on Thanksgiving day and here is what we found. Two or three of the ladies that came to the door started crying because they thought that was so wonderful. Than the biggest surprise was when we knocked on the door and the lady opened it and when asked if she would like a Thanksgiving meal she said that she couldn't believe it, they had just started to fix peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their family holiday meal. They were overwhelmed went from PB&J to Turkey, stuffing, yams, green beans and corn, cranberry sauce, roll and pecan pie.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Update from Doug Burleson(Goodwood CoC) also goodluck to JD Eddins and his family from all of us here at Disaster Assistance
In my life I have learned that we are always in transition. While 2008 has been a year filled with many successes in ministry together, we have also watched several of our families move away to work in other cities. Last Sunday morning the elders shared that at the end of this year J.D. Eddins and his family will be moving to Searcy, Arkansas where J.D. will be working with the Capstone Program which specializes in the treatment of teenage boys. The 3½ years that have elapsed since J.D. joined our team have passed quickly. I have enjoyed working alongside of him and his family in the midst of Katrina and Gustav, along with daily opportunities to enjoy watching what the Lord has done at Goodwood in that time. I am thankful that J.D. and Meg will continue teaching here until the day comes for them to move away, but want us to express to them how thankful we are for the service they have rendered here. I also know that those of us with young children will be affected as their special friends Gabie, Lexie, and Lucie prepare to move away. In an effort to honor this family, a special dessert fellowship has been planned for Sunday night, November 30 after services. While I know times of transition can be challenging, let us be comforted by the fact that God is sovereign and as long as we trust in Him and do His will, our work together in this congregation will continue to flourish. To God be the glory.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Update from Don
May I suggest that you read the blog about "Disaster Assistance"? You can read about the latest updates at http://mikesmissionupdates.blogspot.com When Mike started this service back last summer, Rosemary and I were privileged to work with him from the beginning. At that time, there was no funding, and few people had ever heard of us, but Mike, our director, with the input of others, wanted to have an organization that could go right into the affected area. We wanted to be able to be of help as soon as humanly possible. We wanted to be able to go in whether there was electricity, water or anything else. As long as there were "hurting people" we wanted to be there to help. It was also our effort from the beginning, that this would be more than an organization that just helped physically, we wanted to be able to help spiritually. If there was a natural disaster, we wanted to show God's love, to teach God's word, to show thru the haze of hurt that we as God's children cared for them. We have been able to achieve this beyond our greatest hopes. This is being done, because you saw the potential for this work in being of service where there was destruction and also the potential in the building up process, showing the love of God. This work of "Disaster Assistance " has meant so much to the image and knowledge of the Church of Christ in areas where we have serve. People are saying such things as" thank God for you Christians and your church has really helped us". Is it any wonder why we were able to set up 505 bible studies? The people really responded to members of the Church of Christ because of our help. One last note, many of us have worked and worked hard. Cooking and serving up to 1000 meals a day is hard work, but our director, Mike has set the example of hard work. It is his routine to start preparing meals, often before 5 a.m., and then not quit until "dark thirty" that evening. All of this work is important, but I am persuaded that those of you who made this work possible financially, are just as important and just as helpful as those of us who work so diligently in this work of the Lord. God has been glorified, Christ has been magnified, and the Church has been edified by all of us working together. Don
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Bolivar is a narrow peninsula on the upper Texas coast between the Gulf of Mexico and East Galveston Bay. It lies in a northeasterly direction separated from Galveston Island by the Houston Ship Channel and the Bolivar Roads, 3 miles wide. Free Public Ferries link the Peninsula with Galveston Island.
The Peninsula is called "an offshore sandbar at the eastern end of a chain of islands extending along the Texas and Mexico coasts". The widest point of the Peninsula's 27 miles is between Crystal Beach and Caplen, (about 3 1/2 miles). It is also known as a barrier peninsula.
Bolivar Peninsula was named in honor of Simon Bolivar (1783-1836), a freedom leader fighting to free South and Central America from Spanish rule.
The Peninsula is called "an offshore sandbar at the eastern end of a chain of islands extending along the Texas and Mexico coasts". The widest point of the Peninsula's 27 miles is between Crystal Beach and Caplen, (about 3 1/2 miles). It is also known as a barrier peninsula.
Bolivar Peninsula was named in honor of Simon Bolivar (1783-1836), a freedom leader fighting to free South and Central America from Spanish rule.
More opportunities ahead
Disaster Assistance and Hilltop Rescue & Relief will be working together in Port Bolivar. Port Bolivar is a short ferry ride away from Galveston. This island was one of the hardest hit areas and no relief teams have yet to work there. Hilltop has made arrangements to have our base operation at the Bolivar fire station. Disaster Assistance will be cooking meals for the local people and volunteers. Hilltop will be bringing in many volunteers to help with the clean up and rebuilding. I will have more information on this in the coming days. Above are some photos of the Bolivar area. If you are one of the congregations that was planning to have a special donation Sunday for Disaster Assistance please continue with those plans as the need is still here. The address to send donations is on the left side of this blog.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Note from Don
Over 800 meals served today in the pouring rain as director of "Disaster Assitance" Mike, the "Big Fellow" with help from sojourners and other christians cared for people today in Galveston. That's dedication. This work of "Disaster Assistance" has caught the attention of Christians from seemingly all over the country as we have had people constantly calling and asking how can we help? And help you have. The tremendous expense of feeding over 500 meals a day, 7 days a week is enormous and it could not be done without your sacrificial help. We do hope to have some totals before long as to the number of people fed, the number of bible studies carried out and some of the results of these studies which may be on going at this time. Again thank you so much for your help. We will continue to try and live up to the trust you have placed in us. Don
Rain-Rain-Rain
Today it started raining around 9:30 AM and hasn't stopped yet. We still served 837 meals.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
828 meals served today
Friend Ships(Port Mercy) www.friendships.org delivered us a pallet of water today.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Notes from Carol Ogle
WFR Relief Ministry Survey Trip—October 27-30, 2008
Royce and Carol Ogle
Monday, Oct. 27
Clear Lake, Texas - We met preacher Byron Fike and elder Ben Glisan. What a great church! They are hosting the Hilltop Rescue group and other volunteer teams who have used their building for food, rest, and spiritual re-freshment. Ed Perry is the current on site coordinator for Hilltop Rescue. They have accommodations for about 70 volunteers. The church has constructed addi-tional shower facilities for the volunteers there to serve the Clear Lake community. Byron and Ben were gra-cious and informative hosts. If you are ever south of Houston, don't miss visiting them.
Tuesday – Oct. 28
Lake Jackson, Texas - Youth minister, comedian, and relief worker Hoss Ridgeway and many volunteers have done a wonderful job of helping the hurting. When it was decided that the dead tree in front of the church should be cut down, Hoss suggested a cross should be left. What a fitting reminder that in the face of storms God prevails!
We met with Hoss and preacher Allen Ritchie and heard about the great work that has been done from the Lake Jackson church of Christ campus. Work continues with the help of volunteers who are removing debris, mucking out houses, and repairing them. Hoss took us on a tour of the community of Surfside where there was extensive damage. The picture shows one of the the ocean front areas where only 4 of 17 houses on the street are still standing.. God bless the Lake Jackson folks who were first in with ice, food, and smiling faces.
Galveston, TX -
We enjoyed a great lunch with our sisters in Christ Jane Smith and Judy Peter from the El Campo church (where John Mc Cord preaches). We have been closely associated with these great ladies in the work at Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Jane and Judy have been making several trips a week to deliver food and supplies to the Broadway church location where Mike Baumgarner (Disaster Assistance, Inc.) has been cooking and serving hot lunches for more than a month now. He has been averaging over 800 lunches a day. Mike has done an unbelievable job. He also spent a few weeks cooking at the Goodwood church in Baton Rouge right after Hurricane Ike.
The beautiful area of the famous "Strand" and the historic homes along Broadway St. in Gal-veston bear the marks of Ike. Boarded windows, blue tarps on roofs, and debris everywhere are representative of the broken lives of the residents. There is much yet to be done but be-cause of very little press and newspaper coverage, money and volunteers are in short supply.
Two days after we were in Galveston, Daphne, Billy and Tina (from Bayou La Batre) arrived there. They brought dozens of homemade cakes and cookies from the church members at BLB to serve to the folks in Galveston. This is truly a case of Christians giving “out of their poverty ..out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. II Cor. 8:2. They spent Friday and Saturday helping Mike with the food service and also visiting other parts of town, including the Ave. K. church which is predominantly black.
Wednesday – Oct. 29
Orange, Texas – At the 9th and Elm church we met minister Barry Jones. In addition to the duties of preaching and all the accompanying duties of ministering to a sizable congregation, Barry has assumed the job of relief coordinator. Twenty families of the 9th and Elm church suf-fered significant damage to their homes. With the help of volunteers, much of the damaged dry wall has been removed. The next step will be the installation of new drywall. They have a source for the sheetrock but need workers to hang and finish it.
In addition to the stress of having two fulltime jobs, Barry has been ministering to two families in the church whose son and brother committed suicide just a few days ago. This man lost his business after the hurricane, his home was badly damaged, and in despair took his own life. In the face of so much loss and tragedy, the remarkable be-lievers at the 9th and Elm church are still smiling, still trusting the Lord, and doing all they can for others. The church building had several inches of water in it and one lady who stayed in the building had to be rescued by boat. In the nearby community of Bridge City, virtually every home was damaged with water from a few inches to several feet. Please pray for and the work at Bridge City.
Remember to keep Barry and the 9th and Elm church in your prayers. Spread the word about the need for workers.
Sulphur, LA - Maplewood church of Christ. We met with elder Roger Corley and spent a few hours with him learning about the work of Maplewood and enjoying his contagious optimism about the work yet to be done. He, too, says the greatest need is for volunteers. It is very difficult to get enough folks to do the work. They have been able to clean and help repair many homes in Cameron Parish but also have distributed thousands of dollars of appliances and bedding (from Disaster Relief in Nashville) to people who lost everything. Their goal is to plant a church in Cameron Parish. Maplewood is also hosting a Hilltop Rescue group.
Thursday, Oct. 30
Baton Rouge - We met our friends Fred and Dee Franke from New Orleans for a late breakfast. What a job Fred and his Project Nehemiah have done in New Orleans, first after Hurricane Katrina and now in wake of the latest hurricanes. Fred's ministry has helped to plant churches, feed and clothe people, supply appliances, cleaning sup-plies, and brought hope to so many hundreds of people. He also needs funding to continue. The recovery work in the New Orleans area has only scratched the surface. There is much to be done. I am very thankful for men like Fred who stepped out by faith and tackled the situation head on. Fred is not only a leader, preacher/teacher, but a brilliant strategist as well.
It is very difficult to see all the damage, destruction and oftentimes despair in the lives of people we visit who have been affected by the hurricanes and storms. But it is very rewarding to be able to give them a hug and remind them of their many unseen friends around the world who care about them and send their support in the way of funds and prayers. We pray with them and always leave feeling that we are the ones blessed by our visit.
Please remember these people and the ministries who are doing so much to help them. Thousands still need help and hope that only Christ can give
Royce and Carol
Royce and Carol Ogle
Monday, Oct. 27
Clear Lake, Texas - We met preacher Byron Fike and elder Ben Glisan. What a great church! They are hosting the Hilltop Rescue group and other volunteer teams who have used their building for food, rest, and spiritual re-freshment. Ed Perry is the current on site coordinator for Hilltop Rescue. They have accommodations for about 70 volunteers. The church has constructed addi-tional shower facilities for the volunteers there to serve the Clear Lake community. Byron and Ben were gra-cious and informative hosts. If you are ever south of Houston, don't miss visiting them.
Tuesday – Oct. 28
Lake Jackson, Texas - Youth minister, comedian, and relief worker Hoss Ridgeway and many volunteers have done a wonderful job of helping the hurting. When it was decided that the dead tree in front of the church should be cut down, Hoss suggested a cross should be left. What a fitting reminder that in the face of storms God prevails!
We met with Hoss and preacher Allen Ritchie and heard about the great work that has been done from the Lake Jackson church of Christ campus. Work continues with the help of volunteers who are removing debris, mucking out houses, and repairing them. Hoss took us on a tour of the community of Surfside where there was extensive damage. The picture shows one of the the ocean front areas where only 4 of 17 houses on the street are still standing.. God bless the Lake Jackson folks who were first in with ice, food, and smiling faces.
Galveston, TX -
We enjoyed a great lunch with our sisters in Christ Jane Smith and Judy Peter from the El Campo church (where John Mc Cord preaches). We have been closely associated with these great ladies in the work at Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Jane and Judy have been making several trips a week to deliver food and supplies to the Broadway church location where Mike Baumgarner (Disaster Assistance, Inc.) has been cooking and serving hot lunches for more than a month now. He has been averaging over 800 lunches a day. Mike has done an unbelievable job. He also spent a few weeks cooking at the Goodwood church in Baton Rouge right after Hurricane Ike.
The beautiful area of the famous "Strand" and the historic homes along Broadway St. in Gal-veston bear the marks of Ike. Boarded windows, blue tarps on roofs, and debris everywhere are representative of the broken lives of the residents. There is much yet to be done but be-cause of very little press and newspaper coverage, money and volunteers are in short supply.
Two days after we were in Galveston, Daphne, Billy and Tina (from Bayou La Batre) arrived there. They brought dozens of homemade cakes and cookies from the church members at BLB to serve to the folks in Galveston. This is truly a case of Christians giving “out of their poverty ..out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. II Cor. 8:2. They spent Friday and Saturday helping Mike with the food service and also visiting other parts of town, including the Ave. K. church which is predominantly black.
Wednesday – Oct. 29
Orange, Texas – At the 9th and Elm church we met minister Barry Jones. In addition to the duties of preaching and all the accompanying duties of ministering to a sizable congregation, Barry has assumed the job of relief coordinator. Twenty families of the 9th and Elm church suf-fered significant damage to their homes. With the help of volunteers, much of the damaged dry wall has been removed. The next step will be the installation of new drywall. They have a source for the sheetrock but need workers to hang and finish it.
In addition to the stress of having two fulltime jobs, Barry has been ministering to two families in the church whose son and brother committed suicide just a few days ago. This man lost his business after the hurricane, his home was badly damaged, and in despair took his own life. In the face of so much loss and tragedy, the remarkable be-lievers at the 9th and Elm church are still smiling, still trusting the Lord, and doing all they can for others. The church building had several inches of water in it and one lady who stayed in the building had to be rescued by boat. In the nearby community of Bridge City, virtually every home was damaged with water from a few inches to several feet. Please pray for and the work at Bridge City.
Remember to keep Barry and the 9th and Elm church in your prayers. Spread the word about the need for workers.
Sulphur, LA - Maplewood church of Christ. We met with elder Roger Corley and spent a few hours with him learning about the work of Maplewood and enjoying his contagious optimism about the work yet to be done. He, too, says the greatest need is for volunteers. It is very difficult to get enough folks to do the work. They have been able to clean and help repair many homes in Cameron Parish but also have distributed thousands of dollars of appliances and bedding (from Disaster Relief in Nashville) to people who lost everything. Their goal is to plant a church in Cameron Parish. Maplewood is also hosting a Hilltop Rescue group.
Thursday, Oct. 30
Baton Rouge - We met our friends Fred and Dee Franke from New Orleans for a late breakfast. What a job Fred and his Project Nehemiah have done in New Orleans, first after Hurricane Katrina and now in wake of the latest hurricanes. Fred's ministry has helped to plant churches, feed and clothe people, supply appliances, cleaning sup-plies, and brought hope to so many hundreds of people. He also needs funding to continue. The recovery work in the New Orleans area has only scratched the surface. There is much to be done. I am very thankful for men like Fred who stepped out by faith and tackled the situation head on. Fred is not only a leader, preacher/teacher, but a brilliant strategist as well.
It is very difficult to see all the damage, destruction and oftentimes despair in the lives of people we visit who have been affected by the hurricanes and storms. But it is very rewarding to be able to give them a hug and remind them of their many unseen friends around the world who care about them and send their support in the way of funds and prayers. We pray with them and always leave feeling that we are the ones blessed by our visit.
Please remember these people and the ministries who are doing so much to help them. Thousands still need help and hope that only Christ can give
Royce and Carol
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Update from Don
Just talked to Mike, the Director of "Disaster Assistance". They served a record number of meals today. 1005 meals were served today and as of today, since beginning with the Goodwood Church of Christ in Baton Rouge, La. "Disaster Assistance" has serve 28,380 meals. You can imagine the enormity of the cost to be able to help like this. It could only be done by your sacrificial support. During this great effort, God has been glorified, Christ has been magnified, and the Church with its' participation has been edified.
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