Hurricane Update

Hope Crisis Response Network – September 2, 2008

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We want to praise the Lord today for his goodness!

Kevin Cox and Jed Bruce returned to Hope City, Gulfport on Monday afternoon after Hurricane Gustav made landfall in Louisiana. They found the camp in great shape, Monte and Kim’s home, the dining hall and offices, the two Sprung Huts were all in very good condition.   A small section of insulation came down in the pantry area, but really NO OTHER DAMAGE!  They even had water and power!  Most of Gulfport continues without power this morning.

The water had come up across Highway 90 out front, which was covered in sand, which Kevin described as similar to snow banks, but city crews were already working to clear that away on Monday.

Sunday night, they evacuated the final equipment and staff to Hattiesburg to the fairgrounds, where they did have access to RV hook-ups.  Camp Directors Monte and Kim Brenneman and their kids are staying in the Schrocks’ trailer.  Construction assistant, Jed Bruce, stayed in his travel trailer, Kevin Cox stayed in the bunkhouse and Kevin Moss headed back to Indiana.

Kevin and Jed have also visited several of the homes built by Hope City staff and volunteers and so far, they haven’t even found a shingle missing.  Thank you for building such good quality homes and thanks for praying protection over them this weekend.

Weather does continue to be an issue: high winds, heavy rains and tornadoes are still  causing damage and concern, so continue to pray.

The current plan is to wait until later in the week, after the weather calms to move equipment back to camp and they would welcome some volunteers who would be willing to come down and help re-set the camp.  You can call or e-mail if you might be interested.

“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:5

Thank you for your prayers, thank you for your encouragement!

Be blessed today!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
www.hcrn.info

August 29th Update

Hope Crisis Response Network – August 29, 2008

Today is the somber anniversary of the most devastating natural disaster to ever strike the United States.
Beautiful weather is gracing Gulfport, Mississippi today and yet a cloud of fear is wearing on the minds of many residents.  Today marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and Hope City, Gulfport will host a barbecue and worship service to share hope with the community.

However the threat of another powerful storm is over-shadowing the thoughts and actions of many local residents.  A recorded message went out Thursday to Mississippi residents from Governor Haley Barbour and it portrays the sentiments of so many.  He said, “We are praying for the best, but we must prepare for the worst.”

Hope City Camp Directors Monte and Kim Brenneman are hosting friends and volunteers in camp for the dinner tonight, but today Kim said local residents are very scared.  Several have already called and said they are leaving town today to be out before the evacuations might be required.  Gas prices are jumping about 20 cents a day and lines are long at local stations.  Lines are also long at local grocery stores and they are running out of basic supplies because of the fear that is setting in.

Forecasters are still leaving the projected path for Hurricane Gustav wide open and urging residents from Texas to Florida to prepare.  They do expect the storm to become a category 3 storm as it moves through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Please pray today for the Gulf Coast residents.  This is a dangerous and frightening time for them.

I also have very tragic news regarding the Wetzel family. Ken and Dawn Wetzel have worked with HCRN and other volunteers since the moments after Katrina, they live in Biloxi and were informed by police this week, that Dawn’s sister was killed at her home and then the home was set on fire to cover up the murder.  Her boyfriend was arrested Thursday in Florida and is the main suspect at this time.  They are reeling today from this terrible news.

Volunteers from Hope City went to their house Thursday and helped them board up and prepare for the possible hurricane.  The Wetzels will leave Saturday to return to Houston where Ken’s father is hospitalized in the final stages of terminal cancer.  The men also helped the salvage what they could from the burned out home.  They did locate several important documents, including the property deed in her car, rather than in the home.  A miracle in the mess.

Please be in prayer for Ken and Dawn and their three children.  Our hearts are so heavy for them at this time.

I was almost hesitant to send this update today, because of the sadness it includes, although I believe it contains very important information for our friends.

So I am reminded that God is always faithful. He is our refuge and strength.  Thank you for your prayers today and each and every week along this journey.  Hope City is a blessed place.  God set it apart for ministry following Hurricane Katrina.  Thank you for being part of this ministry and this blessing.

Be blessed today!  We love you!

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Psalm 46:1-3, 6

August 18th Update

Hope Crisis Response Network – Update

A tropical storm is churning across the Caribbean today and experts say it will soon  cross Florida.  Please pray that the storm would diminish and not grow in strength.  Please pray for protection for Hope City, Gulfport.  We are not currently in the path of this storm, but the storms this summer have moved rapidly and gained in strength as they have approached land.

The hot Mississippi weather is continuing but the teams have been doing a fabulous job on the various projects that we have open at this time.  Teams are struggling a bit though because the ice machine is not working correctly.  Please pray that the problem can be corrected as cool drinks are VERY important!

A great team was in camp this week from Pine Ridge Church Michigan, St. John’s Church and from Woodburn Missionary Church, who also had a great time in camp last week.  The teams have been painting at Ira Rowell’s and Orlanda Booker’s.  They began the framing work at Carolyn Raymond’s and installed siding Cheryl Henry’s and Orlanda Booker’s.  They are also installing trim work at the Morse and Rowell home.

Volunteer teams this summer have made tremendous strides in building on these homes and we are so thankful for all the time and talent that goes into each home.  Thank you for bringing teams to Gulfport and helping with all these great projects.

YOU ARE INVITED!!!!

August 29th, the Third Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Please be our guest as we remember the past, celebrate the present and
share Hope for the future.

Dinner and worship beginning at 5 p.m.

We would love to have you in camp for this anniversary.  There is no charge, come down to Gulfport, stay in the bunkhouse and visit with friends and family as we consider what God has done in the days since this devastating storm.

We want you to see the progress, celebrate the restoration and see what is still to come.

Call 228-896-2811 and talk to Monte or Kim or email valerie@hcrn.info for more information.

Gulfport Prayer Requests: Please pray for the Morse family as they are struggling with some disappointments and illness with family members.  Pray for Richard Waite, he needs direction as they consider how to care for some family members.  Pray for Rushell Williams… He has a MEMA cottage and so does his elderly brother, but his paperwork appears to have been misplaced by the case management agency for the third time.

Indiana update: Recovery work is progressing very well in Indiana.  Eleven long term recovery programs are underway and poised to provide help and assistance to nearly 17,000 Indiana residents affected by flooding this year.

Thanks again this month to WBCL.  We are so thankful for the opportunity to share the work and ministry of HCRN and I always enjoy my visits with Jim and Phil.

As for the Cox family, we’ve sent Travis off to college.  He’s settled in at ORU in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Classes are underway and he’s been cast in his first college production.  School starts this week for Jordan and Megan as well.  I pray that your back-to school activities go well too.

God has a special plan for you and for me.  I pray that you walk in his plan for you, because all of our lives, in every season, God is working and he is always faithful!   Thank you for sharing part of your life with HCRN and Hope City.

We are blessed for being connected to you.  Thank you for your prayers!  Thank you for your love!  Thank you for your financial support.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Have a great week!

August 1 Update

Hope City Update – August 1, 2008

Can it already be August? The summer is going so quickly, back to school is right around the corner.

Another truly great week of work and blessing at Hope City in Gulfport, Mississippi.

The group in camp this week is made up of teams from St. John’s Lutheran Church, Ohio; Lakeview Church, Michigan and Warsaw Community Church, Indiana. They have worked together beautifully!  They installed framed and installed windows at Joe Lewis’s house; installed siding at Cheryl Henry’s, painted, drywalled and sided at Orlanda Bookers; painted and cleaned at three other homes as well.

They even got to bring new furniture to Brenda McDonald’s home. She’s been living in the house for about six weeks, and they were still sleeping on the floor because she couldn’t afford new furniture.  Finally, Hope City Camp Director Monte Brenneman was able to obtain some items for her from the local warehouse and the group this week also paid for some additional items, like a bed frame and mattress, a kitchen  chairs.  Brenda is opening up to the volunteers and requested prayer this week for her sister who is beginning cancer treatments.

Last week’s team from Fellowship worked so hard and accomplished so much on several work sites.  They laid block at Carolyn Raymond’s home and even spent one afternoon packed into the tool trailer because of a heavy downpour!  They framed, sided and painted and were generous in giving of themselves to the community as well.

Our summer intern, Kody Currier headed back to Michigan and will be missed in camp.  I understand that little Sophie Brenneman was especially fond of Kody and kept track of him around camp.  Thanks for your work this summer and continued blessings on your life!

The volunteers come to Hope City and pour out living water from camp, into the homeowners and into the community. The work and the love is forever changing lives in the name of Jesus.    From Camp Director Kim Brenneman came this note today:  This week’s team has been amazingly giving: of themselves, of their riches and of their love for the Lord.  They have been the hands and feet of Jesus… another footprint on the heart of Gulfport and Hope City.

Thanks to all our volunteers, your work and your generosity is so amazing!

Indiana Update: The work in Nappanee is just about officially over.  The long term recovery committee held their final meeting this week and expressed their thanks and appreciation to so many who helped in the recovery effort.  New Beginnings Assembly of God hosted a celebration on Sunday as they were thankful for their progress since the tornado destroyed their building.  They purchased a former school, brought in volunteers for renovations and have a neat facility.  Operations Director Jeff Fater was part of their celebration as they were able to burn their mortgage on Sunday and are looking forward to new growth.

The southern half of Indiana is adjusting and learning to work together through eleven long term recovery committees that are assisting the thousands of Hoosiers who were affected by flooding.  Recovery is moving forward and state leaders are beginning to use technology to help expedite meetings and trainings via video and the internet.  HCRN Director Kevin Cox has been facilitating some of the state-wide trainings this week.

Rev. Bill Lepley from Grabill Missionary Church, one of our partner churches, has been preaching this week at Prairie Camp in Elkhart and I’ve had the privilege to hear several of his sermons.  He’s focused on what the Jews consider the greatest commandment.  They say this to start their day, end their day and during any difficulty or challenge.

“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength….Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Mark 12: 29-31

Have a great week!

July 18th Update

Hope City Update – July 18, 2008

Hot summer weather is heating up the work projects, the construction and restoration work continues both in Mississippi and Indiana.

Hope City Construction coordinator Monte Brenneman led the work this week at the newest build site in Gulfport.  Foundation work was a steamy project this week with the guys laying cement block at Joe Lewis’s home.  Joe is very excited about the volunteers and his new home.  His old home was just torn down last month by an energetic teen team from Fort Wayne.  You can see a video of their work at the Facebook website for the group, Hope City Volunteers:  Hurricane Katrina Edition.  (Look up Samantha Brenneman on Facebook, if you can’t find the group by itself.)

Next week a team from Fellowship Missionary Church will be working in camp and one of their projects is to lay block at another new build in Saucier (pronounced so-sure)

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss is back in Mississippi this week and joining in the work projects.  You can contact Kevin for more information about bringing a team to Hope City this fall or winter by calling 260-348-3493 or by e-mail at kevinm@hcrn.info.

Construction assistant Jed Bruce has been using his artistic talents around camp and around town.  The yellow dump truck has a new logo this week as he added a lovely daisy to the hood.  Jed has also been painting a wall mural at a Greek restaurant in Biloxi.  The mural is a landscape of the Greek islands and looks very impressive.  (I hear the baklava at the restaurant is pretty good too!)

In Indiana: Flooding and the related problems for thousands of Hoosiers continue to be a big project for HCRN staff.  Kevin Cox has taught classes and trained community leaders across 16 counties.  Long term recovery programs are in their early stages and beginning to shape the recovery help for their local communities.  Thank you to the churches and volunteers who are helping to lead the way for lives to be restored for Hoosier families.

In Nappanee, the final home to be rebuilt with volunteer help is underway and progressing well.  The Nappanee recovery has gone very well and we’re thankful for the many who have worked at helping this community as well!

Thanks again this week to Jim and Phil the morning guys at WBCL. We are blessed to partner with you and be part of your broadcasting.  You can hear the interview from this week by heading to the HCRN podcast site.   http://www.hcrn.mypodcast.com/

Thank you for being a blessing.  Thank you for your encouragement.  Thank you for continuing to pray for HCRN and Hope City, Gulfport, as we bring light and life to hurting people.

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

July 11th Update

Hope City Update – July 11, 2008

I hope you are enjoying your summer!  It seems to be flying by very quickly, but good things are happening despite the steamy temperatures in Mississippi and Indiana.

Another homeowner moves in! Lois Parker is living in her new home that was built by hours of labor from volunteers working at Hope City in Gulfport, Mississippi.  Lois moved in last week and the group from Pettisville Missionary Church from Ohio was part of the home blessing on Friday.  About 40 people piled into her home and filled the living room, kitchen and hallway to pray a blessing over her home and her life.  What a blessing!

Thank you to every volunteer and friend who worked and served as part of bringing this great day to fruition! God builds his kingdom through us just like these homes are built in Mississippi.  He uses some to lay the foundation, some to frame the home, some to shingle and side, some to install drywall and others to mud and sand those walls to perfection.  Through the work of the each one the church is built and grows and stands in the community as a testament to the blessing of the Lord.

I hope you can rejoice today in the blessing of the Lord which is manifest this week in a new home for Lois Parker.

Continue to pray for our other clients whose homes that are under construction. We have six homes that are about half way to completion and three other homes that are still in the foundation stage.  We also have a number of other homes where we are providing repairs for the homeowners.  Pray that our staff and volunteers would show the love of Christ through their work and service to our clients and to the community around them.  We meet and connect with so many others through our work in Gulfport.

Casework and grant funding continue to be a challenge for some families in Gulfport.  This week, county officials said that 4,000 families continue to live in FEMA trailers in Harrison County. Thousands of others have been moved into MEMA cottages which are considered “long term temporary housing”.  The need for volunteer labor to rebuild homes is still a serious concern for HCRN and other agencies trying to help meet the continuing needs in Gulfport.

If you are interested in organizing a team to work at Hope City, we have space available this fall and winter.  Please take the time today to e-mail or call Kevin Moss at kevinm@hcrn.info or 260-248-3493.

Indiana flood update: HCRN staff and Kevin Cox are working diligently in Indiana as 39 counties are part of the federal disaster declaration.  Kevin has helped coordinate and begin the training for 16 different long term recovery programs that are needed around the state.  HCRN has played a vital role in establishing these committees who will provide the direct assistance to thousands of Hoosiers who are not be covered by insurance for their losses from the massive flooding.  Pray for strength and for wisdom as we provide help, hope and healing in these difficult circumstances.

Thank you so much for your prayers,  your gifts and your financial support.  HCRN and Hope City, Gulfport are funded by your gifts and donations.  You are providing light and life to families and communities that are hurting and lost in darkness.  Thank you for joining us in serving.

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17

Have a great week!

July 3rd Update

Hope City Update – July 3, 2008

Summer is a very busy time at Hope City. The camp has been blessed by visits from a number of high school volunteers, including teams from Emmanuel Community,  First Church of God, Columbia City, Sugar Grove Church of God and Pettisville Missionary from Ohio.

God has worked in amazing ways through these teams.  They have touched lives at work sites, impacted the community with their service and hopefully learned that loving people and serving God go hand in hand.

Just this morning three young men accepted Christ as Saviour. Join in the thanksgiving and remember to pray diligently for all these young people that their commitments and their lessons at Hope City will bring change to their everyday lives.

The teams have been working very hard on drywall and mudding and taping the four homes that are mid-way through construction right now.  Our clients are so thankful for the volunteers and their work.

Please pray for the following: We have one client who is dealing with a new round of depression and has recently lost his job.  Please pray for encouragement for him.

Pray for Client Linda M. She is traveling out of state this week to visit her mother, who is dying. She wants to share Jesus with her mom and her sister.

Client Brenda M. is living in her newly finished house, but as of Monday, she didn’t have a stick of furniture, not even beds.  Please pray that we will be able to find household goods to help them.

Thank you for your service and prayers for Hope City.  God has created it as a place of great blessing in the community.

HCRN is also working extensively in Indiana following the severe flooding across the state in June.  Nearly 25,000 families have been affected by the floods and state officials say 90 % of those affected may not be covered under the insurance policy.  HCRN staff, including Kevin Cox, Jeff Fater and Kevin Moss have been working with community leaders and other organizations to bring structure and planning to the disaster areas.  Thank you to the many who have volunteered and offered support to these hurting families

Currently we have a need for a disabled couple that needs to move out of their flood damaged house on Saturday.  They live in Brazil, Indiana, just east of Terre Haute.  They are not moving very far, but they need volunteers who could load and move furniture and boxes.  Please e-mail or call me, if you could help on Saturday, July 5.  (574-320-1685)

Another praise for this week. 9-year old Michaela is back home in Indiana and doing very well following surgery.  The girl’s family had their home flooded last month, just one week before the youngster was to be at John Hopkins Hospital for a surgery relating to a birth defect.  HCRN was able to coordinate the travel for Michaela and her mother so that they were at the hospital on time.  Rather than having to stay hospitalized for the expected ten days, they were able to travel home just four days after the surgery.  God was blessing in their lives!

Thank you for being a blessing to each of our clients and to so many disaster victims!

“For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”  Ephesians 2:8

Have a great week!

June 13th Update

Hope City Update – June 13, 2008

The summertime weather has definitely swept through Mississippi.  Hot and humid are the two most common words connected with the weather these days.  When you head south this summer, please remember to drink lots of liquids while working at the home sites.

We’ll kick off the news today with a celebration: Client Mr. Rushell W. accepted Christ as savior this week. This man in his eighties is one of our clients who is waiting for funding to be available to rebuild his home.  He shares his property with his elderly brother, who is blind.  Right now both men live in MEMA cottages, but they are looking forward to a home together.  Volunteers have been visiting Rushell and taking cookies and snacks to his home, even giving out goodies to his neighbors.  His property is a neighborhood gathering place, so many more lives are being touched.  A pastor was visiting with him over the weekend when he accepted Christ.  God is working in such great and mighty ways in Mississippi!  Mr. Rushell is one of the client prayer requests featured on WBCL this month.

A separate note of thanks to WBCL: I so appreciate being able to tell the story of Hope City through regular updates on the Morning program with Jim and Phil.  Thank you for allowing me to share again this week!

The teams in camp this week are from The Chapel in Fort Wayne and Olive Branch Church of God from Roann, Indiana. They have all been working to insulate and drywall at several of our building sites.  Thanks for being a blessing with your service!  The teams heard from Doug DeSilvey this week, who came and shared about his loss from the storm and the affect on his life.  Four family members died and he spent three hours in a Magnolia tree after the flood water collapsed the house.  Doug gave the team from the Chapel a Magnolia tree to take back to Indiana.  A team from the Chapel was one of the first groups to work on repairing his home after the storm.

The volunteers also tore down the damaged home of Joe Lewis.  He lives in a FEMA trailer.  More than 6,000 people in Harrison County, Mississippi are still living in FEMA trailers as temporary housing.  August will be the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.  So many families still need volunteer help to restore their lives and people willing to share the love of Christ through their service.

Next week, a teen team from Emmanuel Community Church from Fort Wayne will be in camp.  35 eager teenagers is a recipe for God to work in great ways in their lives.  Please pray especially for our teen teams coming in this summer.  Service trips like this can be life-changing!

Floods, tornadoes and swollen rivers have wreaked havoc in Indiana this month. The HCRN disaster team has been working diligently with state leaders and other volunteer organizations to begin the recovery process and to position volunteer crews to work effectively on the clean-up.  Counties across the state have been declared disaster areas and thousands of families have been affected.  Kevin Cox, Jordan Cox and Kevin Moss have been working there.  Volunteer workers are needed beginning this weekend and continuing for the next few weeks, check our website for volunteer centers.  Thank you to those churches and contacts who have already assisted with individual needs.  We appreciate your help!

In Nappanee, volunteer work is set to begin Monday on the New Beginnings Church. Jeff Fater is coordinating the recovery work in Nappanee.  The team next week is a portion of hundreds of teens and leaders working all week in Northern Indiana.

On a personal note: A classmate of my son, Travis, was killed this week along with another young man in a tragic car accident.  Please pray for these families who have just celebrated life and achievement in graduation and are now a facing deep grief and loss.

A good friend of mine would always end her day with this admonition.  “Tell somebody about Jesus.” I can’t think of anything more fitting today.

We love you!  Your prayers, your gifts and your service are great blessings and they are a testament to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ.

“I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13

Be blessed today!

May 29th Update

Hope City Update – May 29, 2008

Wow! Has this been a busy week on all fronts or what? I hope your schedule is under control at this time of the year, with school ending, graduations, summer plans, etc. Lots of really great ministry to report this week!

A team from Inland Hills Church from California is working and sweating their time at Hope City this week. Temperatures and humidity climbed this week, but they are still accomplishing so many great things. They installed a roof and deck at Ira Rowell’s home. Miss Ira was off from work this week, so the team talked and visited with her on several occasions. Her granddaughter even came over to camp for supper one evening. The team also worked at Lois Parker’s; Dwight White’s and Orlanda Booker’s homes. The team at Dwight’s was treated to some southern BBQ on Monday and ended up meeting many of his neighbors over lunch. They had so much fun!

Richard and Linda Morse visited one evening for supper and the team enjoyed visiting with them as well. Work on their house is moving forward again, after a pause because of a funding hold-up.

The plumber, Kevin Beck and his team and the electrician, Darren and Annette Schrock are back in the south, working away on a number of homes. We so appreciate their dedication to travel and work in Gulfport as our licensed experts.

It’s also been a week of challenges: Construction coordinator Monte Brenneman had the front of his truck clipped by another driver on Wednesday. (It was the other driver’s first day to drive the company van and he managed to hit a bright red truck! Minor damage and no one was hurt, but still unnecessary.) This week is also marks a year since the death of Kim Brenneman’s father. He died suddenly last year in Ohio, just weeks after the Brenneman family had all moved to Mississippi to work at Hope City. They have also lost two other family members in the last year.

Another reminder regarding hurricane predictions for this summer, forecasters are calling for a higher than normal number of storms to strike the U.S. We would ask that you pray now that Hope City and the Gulfport community would be protected from storms.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of Hope City. You have made a huge impact on the community and individual lives have been changed forever because of your faithfulness.

HCRN staff has also been busy this week working in the wake of tornadoes. Tornadoes this year have already been more deadly than usual and very prolific as well. The HCRN disaster team, including Kevin Cox, Jeffrey Fater and Kevin Moss spent the week in Colorado. The Windsor Community Church, a Missionary Church, was destroyed by a tornado last week and three of their congregation members also had homes damaged. The team worked with church leaders on planning and using volunteers to help with clean up and emotional care. Two other Missionary churches are in the area and they are all working together. Their focus has truly been one of service and help to their neighbors and friends. These churches are located in one of the fastest growing areas of the country and they are ready to show Christ in their community. Pray for their continued strength and direction.

Flood update from Indiana: One homeowner who received volunteer help and support from a church in her community is now a believer and excited about her new life in Christ.  An HCRN volunteer helped connect her to the church and they offered her help and restoration.  Now that’s good news!

Summer teams heading to Gulfport, your trips are just around the corner, if you have any questions or need any information please call or e-mail anytime!

In other news: Our son Travis turns 18 and graduates from high school on Friday. So we’ve had a busy week of prepping for an open house. Our other son, Jordan, was recently selected as a drum major for next year’s marching band at school. In Mississippi, Josh Brenneman will celebrate his 16^th birthday on Sunday. I imagine we’ll have plenty of cake in both Hope City and Indiana.

Our verse today comes from Windsor Community Pastor Dan Harty who sent this verse in a note of encouragement to his congregation following the tornado. Psalm 46 is a wonderful passage; I hope you can take a moment to read the entire chapter.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2

Have a great week!

May 22nd Update

Hope City Update – May 22, 2008

May is always a great month as flowers appear, trees shoot upward and we can enjoy the re-birth of the landscape in the Midwest. I was very excited as perennials that I planted last year, broke through the cold ground and grew toward the sunshine. I think God was reminding me again of the spiritual applications for our lives. We know that we have planted good seed, but sometimes in the dead of winter we wonder if life will ever spring forth again. Spring is a reminder of God’s timing, his plans and not ours, and that even the tough times are only for a season.

Our staff and our teams of volunteers are planting spiritual seeds in disaster areas that are changing the landscape forever. We are so thankful to be placed where we can shine the light of Jesus into dark, hurting places and touch lives for eternity. Thank you for being part of God’s plan for sowing and reaping.

Hope City volunteers have been busy working on a number of projects this week. Construction coordinators Monte and Kim Brenneman are hosting a team this week from Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, led by Steve Binkley. They have endured the heat and humidity, (already 90 today in Gulfport), The team has been framing and sheeting at Orlanda Booker’s home.

They are laying block for Cheryl Henry, who has a nearly six foot foundation required for her home. That’s a whole bunch of cement block! Cheryl stopped by and talked with the team yesterday and just was so thankful for their work. Steve Binkley has been working at Brenda McDonald’s home, completing the final finish work. We are very close to having her ready to move in and she is eager! Lois Parker’s house is ready for cabinets and flooring. The team also installed windows and doors at Ira Rowell’s home. Among the construction projects, the team has visited sites along the coast and some team members even went “gigging” with Jed last night out the Gulf. They didn’t get any fish, just a few crabs for their effort.

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss has spent the week in Mississippi working with the Fellowship team and helping to prep additional construction work for Monte.

Other big news for the week! Miss Samantha Brenneman is now a licensed driver in Mississippi. Her first solo effort this week was running to the post office for Kim!

Next week, Hope City will host a team from Inland Hills in Southern California.

A busy work week in Indiana as well. Kevin Cox led a work team in northwest Indiana to tear down a home destroyed this winter by floodwaters. Pray for direction as the homeowner works through the paperwork and the city determines whether the home can be rebuilt on that property.

Jeffrey Fater spent some time this week at the Central District Conference for the Missionary Church which was held at Woodburn Missionary Church. (That would be the Indiana church for the Brenneman family.) He also coordinated teams working in Nappanee on the homes being rebuilt following the tornado. Teams were painting and installing cabinets this week.

Thank you so much for investing your time, energy and financial gifts into the ministry of HCRN. Together, we can provide hope, help and healing in times of disaster.

Enjoy a great holiday weekend.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” John 11:25

Have a great week!