Update on Injured Camp Hope Volunteer

I recently received an update from the family of the volunteer who fell in one of the homes in which we have been working, fracturing his skull and left eye socket. Here is what his son had to say:

"I'm thrilled to say that Dad's condition continues to improve each day. The flight and transfer to the [local] hospital went very smoothly on Friday. Dad was actually able to do some reading for the first time yesterday, and today his conversational skills were much better than at any
other previous point. He is also able to recall recent events better, including parts of the trip (but still not the fall itself). The road is still long, but our optimism and comfort grows each day, which is wonderful. He is clearly in the right spot to continue his healing. The power of prayer has been very clear to me over the last week or so."

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for this family and for the doctors and nurses who attend to them. Pray the Lord would provide sweet times of fellowship together and continued healing.

Update on progress on property

Many of you have wondered what is happening with the property that we have been talking about acquiring north of the interstate. Well, here's an update...please pass it along. We will be following with a letter to the congregation shortly.

As most of you have probably heard, the property site has been surveyed and determined to be "jurisdictional wetlands." Although we are not quite sure what that means specifically, we do know that it will mean some kind of restrictions will be placed upon us in terms of how much of the property we can develop. From what we have been told, these restrictions should not keep us from going ahead with the property and could disappear altogether in the future once the property is developed and proper drainage is added. We are currently awaiting a meeting with the Corps of Engineers to confirm this and obtain better information. Please be in prayer for this next step and for the process as a whole. Obviously none of us wants to invest the Lord's money in property that will not meet our needs. We will be sure to keep you posted.

Katrina Service Sunday

Last night many of us gathered together to praise the Lord for His gracious provision over the last year since Katrina roared onto the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Moving testimonies were given by Melody Brown, Wray and Lillian Anderson, and Loren and Sally Lohrbach. Melinda Jones and Roddy Russell sang beautiful solos. The choir sang a rousing musical anthem. And the youth played using our new handbells. It was truly a night that wasn't to be missed. The fellowship afterwards (over food and drink provided by the WIC--thank you to Linda Jordan for organizing this!) was the icing on the cake.

Please continue to pray for us. This is obviously a difficult time of the year for many (if not all) of us here. But the Lord has been good to us. It has been evident, as Jeremiah reminds us, that His mercies are indeed "new every morning."

One Year Later

The one year anniversary of Katrina is just around the corner. This coming Sunday, we will be reflecting on the past year and praising God for His faithfulness in providing for us in such visible ways. In the morning, we plan to sing "Our God, Our Help in Ages Past," the very last hymn we sung as a congregation in the sanctuary before Katrina destroyed it. The choir will also be singing the same piece they sung that Sunday before Katrina hit. In the evening, we have invited all the homeowners we have helped through our Camp Hope ministry to come along for a special service designed again to thank the Lord for His overwhelming provision for us and evident goodness to us. I'm sure there will be very few dry eyes in the place. Pray for these services. They will be difficult for many. Pray the Lord will use them mightily in the lives of members of our congregation and community. Pray that He will receive all the glory...for great things He hath done!

Camp Hope Update

I have just returned from another evening at Camp Hope and, after that, from visiting the hospital to see our friend who was injured last week falling from a scaffold. The evening at Camp Hope was again an encouragement to my soul. Two new groups are in this week, one from Canada (another team from Word and Deed Ministries in Ontario, their fourth I think!!!) and one from Smyrna, GA. Volunteers from each team have already formed strong relationships with the homeowners in whose homes they are working. And there was a great spirit in our conversations together tonight.

Please continue to pray for the volunteer who was injured last week. It looks like he'll be flying back home on Friday but still has a lot of recovery to go. Pray that he continues to improve and that he will regain strength quickly and completely. Pray for his family too as they seek to minister to him.

Camp Hope Injury

As some of you may know, one of our Camp Hope volunteers fell from a scaffold and fractured his skull (among other things) on Friday afternoon. He was admitted to the hospital late Friday and has remained there all weekend. He is currently doing really well and doctors are pleased with the recovery he has made thus far. Please pray for him and his family. Pray for a speedy and full recovery, so that they may return to their lives as soon as possible. Because these folks are here sacrificing for our sakes and showing us the love of Christ so tangibly, this injury is especially grievous to us. Please join us in praying for our brother's recovery.

Stirring Things Up

I thought I'd shake things up a bit this morning and see how many of you are actually paying attention! I noticed that in the early, pre-season polls the EXPERTS have Auburn ranked 6th in the nation. Others have put their names behind Auburn as the favorite to win the SEC. Now, I don't want to sound braggadocios, because usually this kind of early hype is the kiss of death. BUT...perhaps I can convice some of you to join me in saying, "War Eagle!"

Newest Member of Staff

We are thrilled to report that Heather Carter is now the newest member of our FPC staff! Heather is a Gulfport native and a covenant child of the congregation. She joins us to work with Lisa Ladner in our Camp Hope ministry. She and Lisa will together be directing all of Camp Hope's efforts, including the important work that Gorton Marsden has been doing so faithfully since the hurricane. If you have come to Camp Hope as a volunteer, you have undoubtedly spoken with or emailed Gorton. He has done a yeoman's job of scheduling volunteers and coaching them all the way up to their arrival in Gulfport. Beginning in September, however, when Heather officially begins her duties (she and her husband Chris still have to get moved in to their house!), Gorton will start handing over the reigns to her. We are extremely grateful to Gorton for his work (quite a bit more will be said on this later) and excited about the future with Heather. Welcome, Heather!

Camp Hope Gathering

Yet again we had another grand evening at Camp Hope together tonight, though it was a little hot and some among us thought there would be steak served for dinner (which there wasn't!). We enjoyed testimonies from local homeowners and from volunteers from Mansfield, OH (from the church where our own Mary Beth used to attend), and Glenside, PA. The message was loud and clear tonight: we are not alone but are part of the BODY of Christ, which transcends race, nationality, denominations, gender, geography, and even time. It was a reminder of what heaven will be like, where there will be men and women from every nation, every tribe, every tongue, and every people, all singing "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!"

Thanks to FPC Margate/Coral Springs

One of the first phone calls I received after the hurricane was from Rick Phillips, Senior Minister at FPC in Margate/Coral Springs, FL. Rick called me and assured me of their assistance and support. He encouraged me with the news that the congregation would be praying for our congregation and would be collecting an offering to help offset our financial needs. He volunteered an airplane to fly in the necessary food and clothing for members of our congregation and community (which arrived just days later). He even flew down himself to attend my ordination/installation service in Biloxi (and Jay Fontanini came with him)! What an encouragement these brothers and sisters have been to us; what a picture of the love of Christ.

Well, now for the rest of the story...to top it all off, I just received a check in the mail from FPC today. The children who attended their VBS this summer gave sacrificially and opted to send their offering to our church. They raised over $4,300! How thankful we are to you for standing with us over the long haul and for encouraging us with your prayers and your support. To borrow the words of a fellow-churchman, we will be in your debt for at least the first thousand years of eternity! Soli Deo gloria.

Opal Bowden going to ABC

Yesterday, during our worship service, we had the privilege and honor of praying for one of our own, Mrs. Opal Bowden, as she prepares to leave for the mission field this week. Opal is a longtime member of the church, who has wanted for some time to go and teach at the African Bible College in Malawi. Well, now, she has her opportunity! We praise the Lord for His work in Opal's life and are excited for her as she steps out in faith. Pray for Opal. Pray also for her sons, Paul (in Jackson) and Ben (in Biloxi) and their children, as their mother/grandmother will be away from them for a longer time perhaps than ever before. If you would like to support Opal in her work, you can send donations in her name to the African Bible College headquarters in Clinton, MS. Call our church office if you need the address.

New Intern at FPC

I've been waiting on getting a picture before introducing our new ministry intern, Jacob Feigl. You would think that would be a simple matter in this twenty-first century-world of ours. But, alas, after several unsuccessful days, I have decided to wait no more. You will have to tune in to the staff page of our website in the future for a picture and bio on Jacob. For now, allow me to introduce him without the photo!

Jacob comes to us via the Lookout Mountain area. He is a recent graduate of Covenant College (the PCA's denominational university) and is seriously considering studying for the ministry. After spending some time post-Katrina in Slidell, LA, and devoting the topic of his senior project to the recovery efforts there, Jacob was looking for an opportunity to return to the Gulf region and take a more extended part in the recovery and ministry efforts. Please join me in welcoming Jacob to our team. We are thankful to have him with us!

Now, you've been introduced. Stay tuned to the staff page for more...

Melody's Testimony

I said I would share one of the testimonies from last night, well here it is. This is a poem that was written by Alice Talley, a Camp Hope volunteer from the Columbus, MS, area. It describes the life and struggles of Melody Brown, a woman we have been able to help not only physically but spiritually as well and who is now an important part of our congregation. Melody read this poem last night at Camp Hope. She has allowed me to reproduce it here so that you can be encouraged by it as well. Join us in praising God for what He has done and continues to do in Melody's life. Her faith and attitude is an inspiration.


You're unlovable, that's why you're here.
Just do what you're told--you'll have nothing to fear.

At sixteen years, she left on her own,
But where can you go unlovable and alone?

She learned a skill and found she could work
With the mentally challenged, whose love was a perk.

She married a man, but was his love real?
After their child grew, there was the divorce ordeal.

Unlovable--it must still be true.
Her child doesn't come; there's a grandchild now, too.

One by one she watched her loved ones leave,
Whether by choice or by a horrible disease.

When Katrina hit, she felt more alone;
It was three days before she got out of her home.

Though simple kindnesses came now and then,
Sometimes from a stranger, sometimes from a friend

Food and water weren't all she could use;
She herself needed restored much more than her roof.

Her life was hard and emptier each day;
She was attempting to drink her emptiness away.

A call from someone staying at Camp Hope
Was a plea for her help, yet a life-saving rope.

Folks at this camp fix more than broken homes;
By living out God's love, they work to fix souls.

It's more than paint and shingles they lay.
There are heart-burdened prayers for the homeowner's sake.

It's not just washers and dryers they bring.
But the Gospel truth and the love of the King.

She knew the facts, she knew about the cross.
She was confused by the lies; she was hurt by her loss.

Oh! could God love an unlovable one
By the substitutionary killing of His only Son?

Somehow what they said began to take root
As she saw God's love written in sweat and truth.

Her life took a turn for the better that day
When she trusted God's love--when they showed her God's way.

To God be the glory, great things he hath done! I pray this testimony will be as much of a blessing to you as it has been to us. Pray for Melody and for others like her here on the Coast.

Tonight at Camp Hope!

If you missed tonight's gathering at Camp Hope, let me tell you, you missed one of the most incredible evenings we have had together since September! I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as members, volunteers, and friends expressed their thanks to one another and to the Lord for the work of Camp Hope. There was a running debate over who was more blessed by Camp Hope's ministry, the volunteers who come down each week to help us rebuild and reach out to the community or those of us who live here and benefit from the encouragement and support of fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord. Several people shared how God has been working in their lives recently. How sweet those testimonies were! I hope to share one such testimony with you tomorrow. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

FPC Camp Hope Needs

This morning I wanted to give an update on our current needs for those who are interested and able to help:

1. We still need volunteers to sign up to come down to work. Even though we currently have volunteers scheduled into 2007, we do have several empty weeks remaining in 2006.

2. We have money approved to build 3 new bunk houses for office space and additional housing. If you want to send a team here to build one (or more) of these houses, that would be fantastic. It would enable us to house more volunteers more comfortably and to house interns and longer term volunteers in something more spacious than the current facilities.

3. We are looking for interns that are willing to live and work here for periods of up to 2 years. These positions would not just be construction positions but ministry internships in which individuals can be actively involved in leading our mercy ministry efforts.

4. We are also looking for several staff positions in connection with our Camp Hope ministry.

5. We desperately need people who are willing to commit to pray for us on an ongoing basis. We need prayer for our church, the ministries of our church, for Camp Hope's outreach work, for the work of the gospel in the community. If you are willing/able to pray, we would ask you to commit to pray for some amount of time EVERY day for the work here.

If you can help in any of the ways mentioned above, please either email the church office (mblanassa@fpcgulfport.org) or call the office's main telephone number and ask to speak with Mary Beth or Lisa. We have already seen the Lord move in amazing ways here on the Coast over the last year, and we look forward in anticipation of what He will do in the coming year. Pray for us!

Christopher Columbus sails the ocean blue

Many of us know the little jingle, "In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue." What many of us may not know is that he sailed the ocean blue on this date, August 3, 1492, in three ships (the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) for what he thought would be India. The plan was not to sail by way of the normal easterly route but to head west in order to reach the east. Although Columbus clearly had financial motives in setting off on this expedition, he did apparently also have spiritual motives, at least to some degree. For, according to his own record, the king and queen had sent him off with the charge of "converting [the people of India] to our holy faith."

Camp Hope on WLOX

FPC's Camp Hope ministry was featured on WLOX's 10pm news tonight. Reporter Keitha Nelson visited Camp Hope earlier this evening and interviewed me, my wife Jennifer, and church-member Mary Ferguson, and showed detailed footage of our Wednesday night supper. Many of the volunteers, church members, and local friends who were there were captured on film. For those of you who didn't make supper tonight, you missed out! See what happens when you are away! For those who didn't see the news tonight, you missed a great piece about our church and the work of Camp Hope. Keep an eye on WLOX's website for an online version of the story they ran (www.wlox.com). See you next week!

Christian Discipleship

I've been re-reading James Boice's Christ's Call to Discipleship (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1986) recently and was newly struck by something he says in his preface:

"It is not unusual to hear about Christ's being Lord of all life and that we must acknowledge this if we are Christians. But those who understand what Christ's lordship actually means face a battle on two fronts. One front is manned by the world, which seeks to push Christians back onto the reservation. It says that believers can practice their religion there, where it will do no harm, but that they are not to think of bringing Christianity into the real world of politics, economics, law, and individual 'rights.'....But the other front is equally challenging. It is held by well-intentioned but erring Christians who believe that it is possible to have Jesus as Savior without having Him as Lord and even go so far as to say that 'lordship salvation,' as they call it, is a false gospel....[But, in opposition to these things,] Jesus...said, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me' (Luke 9:23)....[and] who told the Jews of His day, 'Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 5:20)....I believe that if America could produce a generation of Christians who genuinely affirm and live by these teachings, that generation by the power of God could transform the world."

I agree, and I pray the Lord to grant such a generation of Christians!