Houston Flooding

We are keeping an eye on the flooding and storms in Texas. We have numerous churches in that area that worked with us during Hurricane Ike last year.

Headed Back to Bayou La Batre

All of us realize the importance of follow up teaching with new converts. It is absolutely essential. Sometimes, however preachers and other church workers are so very busy that this does not get done. We all probably know of many cases where follow up could have made the difference to a new Christian. We in "Disaster Assistance" are working to help fill this vital need. Evangelism is a vital part of this mission and we want to improve in this area of service. We want to help. You have placed a lot of trust in our mission and we want to help spread the borders of God's Kingdom. We will be contacting churches which we have worked with in disasters and have helped "teach much people there"to see if they could use our help as opportunity is granted us. As Mike, Rosemary and I have worked in disasters in Bayou La Batre and there has been many new converts due to the work of many, we plan to go to BLB May 5th - 11th to work with several new Christians. This new church is looking forward to our coming and our work in helping in this area. Bro. Dave Neal and his preacher Doug from the Somerset Church of Christ in Somerset, Ohio have just completed a weeks work there and there have been, I believe, 6 baptisms. Follow up teaching is needed as soon as possible and we are going to do our best.

How did we decide to do this followup?

We have thought of many things: we could hold personal evangelism seminars, attend various meetings where we could set up a booth about "Disaster Assistance", publicizing our work, or other worthwhile activities. We have chosen to use our "spare time" in helping churches do follow up with new converts. As time allows, and no disasters are occurring, we plan to make ourselves available to congregations to do follow up teaching after a person becomes a Christian, just as we make ourselves available in disaster work. It is our hope this effort will be of help in "grounding "new Christians in the faith "that was once delivered to the Saints." Please pray for our efforts together in this mission.

South Carolina Wildfires

Don Hudson our Director of Evangelism has talked with Elder of the Myrtle Beach Church of Christ and he tells us that they have brought in more fire fighters and with the winds being calm overnight that things are in better control. He said that most everyone that had been evacutated were being taken care of. He will let us know if there is anything we can do in the area.

Recap of Kingwood Heights, Murfreesboro TN from 4/11-4/18

193 Family Care Packs Delivered, 15 Different areas work in during the week, 19 different homes worked on Saturday 4/18, 1804 meals prepared and delivered, 519 volunteers helped from 14 different churches. Thanks to everyone

Update from one of our wonderful volunteers today

HAD A GREAT DAY. GOT IN A GOOD CREW WITH A BOBCAT AND 3 CHAINSAWS AND 3 COLLEGE KIDS. I RAN A CHAINSAW QUITE A LOT. THE GUY WITH THE BOBCAT, FROM MY COUNTY AND THE CHAPEL HILL CONGREGATION IS A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ABOUT 30 YEARS OLD. THE CITY LEFT A GREAT BIG JOHN DEERE WITH AN EIGHT FOOT BUCKET NEARBY FOR THE WEEKEND. HE HAD A KEY THAT FIT IT AND WE USED IT ALL DAY AND DUG UP SEVERAL HUMONGOUS TREES THAT HAD BLOWN OVER IN A COUPLE OF YARDS. THEN I HAD A GREAT LUNCH YOU GUYS MADE. I'M WORN OUT AND KNOW I WILL FEEL IT TOMORROW, BUT WE GOT A LOT DONE WITH A GREAT SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. I WENT WITH A FARMER ABOUT MY AGE FROM MILTON, A LITTLE PLACE THERE IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY AND HE AND I WERE A GOOD MATCH. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT COMPANION AND WORKER. HIS NAME IS LANIER LESTER.(LANNIE) JUST HAPPENED THAT ONE OF THE PLACES WE WERE SENT TURNED OUT TO BE A LADY WHOM HE HAD GRADUATED WITH. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND TAKE CARE. RANDY

646 Meals Delivered Today

Today we have over 225 volunteers along with chainsaws and 5 Bobcats working in multipule areas. Photos below are of the volunteers signing in, volunteers by Bobcat and other equipment and volunteers packing lunches.

253 Meals Today

We are expecting 250 volunteers here tomorrow to help with the cleanup. We are buying enough food to prepare 600 meals to be delivered tomorrow.

250 Meals taken out today

This afternoon we had meeting here at Kingwood Heights which was attended by members of 7 different Churches of Christ and 1 rep from the Red Cross. The meeting was planing and review for this weekend. There will around 150 volunteers here working with us. They will be divided up into groups and sent to different houses for cleanup, chainsaw and some tractor work.

260 meals delivered out to the affected area today

Tomorrow we have a meeting here at Kingwood Heights with several local Churches of Christ to review plan for the upcoming weekend. Many volunteers will be coming into the area to help. Today Elders from Kingwood Heights are out surveying the area to know what is needed.



Photos are of the distribution area, kitchen and 2 of Kingwood Heights Elders.

Assistance Work at Kingwood Heights CoC

Today we served 185 meals out in the areas that cleanup work is being done. Last night I contacted some of the TV stations and this morning Fox was here at 8AM with a crew to film and talk about what we are doing here. Should be on Fox Nashville tonight at 9AM. Also last night at 9PM there was a knock at my door and it was 3 deacons from one of the area Churches of Christ. They wanted to know how they could work with us. We went back into the church and I gave them a overview of our work. They will probably be working with us starting this Friday.

Disaster Assistance and Kingwood Heights CoC

Today members from Kingoowd Heights and other churches delivered 155 meals and other food boxes and supplies out into the community. So far today the bad weather has missed us. Don and Rosemary Hudson just arrived and are setting up their motorhome.
I have a meeting setup for 3PM today for Don and the Elder here that oversees the Spiritual outreach program. They are going to review how they want to handel the Bible Studies that we setup.

Arrived at Kingwood Heights in Murfreesboro Safely

I arrived around 4PM local time and was given a tour of the church and review of what they are already doing. Got RV setup and than went to church. After church we had Elders meeting witch was attended by Walter Hill Church of Christ. They are one of the Churches of Christ that we are also working with. After meeting I headed to Walmart with one of the Elders to start planing our meals. Tomorrow morning starts off with early trip to Sams Club and than a 9 AM meeting with city officals to review when all streets will be open and get passes if needed. There is 80% chance of heavy rain and stomrs here tomorrow so not expecting to have many workers out. We plan on delivering some meals tomorrow and meeting with several churches that are wanting to help. Kingwood has their distribution center open from 8AM to 9PM. Also they have members taking supplies out to the areas.

Disaster Assistance Headed to Murfreesboro TN

I will be arriving tomorrow for Kingwood Heights Church of Christ, Murfreesboro TN. They have a load of supplies from Disaster Relief already there and another one will arrive on Monday if needed. We are also going to serve meals to the people affected, volunteers and workers that are in the area. With all the areas in need around the country we realize that we can't cover the entire US at the same time. So what we have done is contact over 50 Churches of Church in the Murfreesboro area and let them know that we will be cooking lunch and if anyone from their congregation wants to help deliver meals around the affected areas that all they need to do is give us a call and tell us how many they need and what time they can pick them up. If we could get 15 or 20 Churches of Christ out delivering hot meals that would be wonderful.

Waiting this morning to hear from our spotters in AL, TN and GA

Tornado kills 2, injures 41 in Tenn.

A tornado killed a woman and her 9-week-old infant and also injured dozens Friday in central Tennessee as a line of storms lifted homes, ripped off roofs and dumped hail in the Southeast.

I have talked with Don Hudson several times today about the tornadoes in his home state TN

Colo. Hurricane Team Now Predicts Average Season

FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- Hurricane experts at Colorado State University have scaled back their prediction for the Atlantic and now say this will be an average season with 12 named storms, including six hurricanes. They say two of them could be major.

Researchers William Gray and Phil Klotzbach earlier predicted an above-average season with 14 named storms -- seven of them hurricanes and three major.

Gray said Tuesday the forecast was dialed down because of improved chances of El Nino conditions that suppress hurricane formation.

This is Gray's 26th year of forecasting hurricanes.

His predictions are watched closely by emergency responders and others but critics say such long-range forecasts have little practical value beyond focusing public attention on the danger.

Flooding

I have talked with 4 churches in Louisiana, 1 in Texas, 2 in Alabama and Don
has been in touch with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia. So far most of the
flooding is mainly street flooding. We let everyone know they can give us
a call if things change and we are needed.