May 7th Update

Hope City Update – May 7, 2008

The voting is done but the political analyzing continues for Indiana.  We enjoyed beautiful weather  on Tuesday as Hoosiers cast their ballots.

Hope City is free from the political media circus and enjoying the team from Bethel College this week, led by Jody Martinez.  Brookside Church from Fort Wayne also has a team in camp.  They have plenty of work to tackle.  They have been working at two of the new homesites, Ira Rowell and Orlanda Booker. They are also working at Brenda McDonald’s home.  They have also completed some spring cleaning at Hope City.  They painted and replaced skirting around the dining room.  They weeded and mowed and in general spiffed everything up!

Teams from First Church of God in Columbia City and Airtron, a company out of Indianapolis, worked in camp last week.  They worked diligently on these homes and were another great week of workers.

Thank you for giving and serving at Hope City.  These rebuilding projects would not be possible without you!

Please pray for Client Brenda McDonald. We are working very hard to get her home finished.  FEMA moved her out of her trailer and into a hotel room following her April hospitalization, but FEMA doesn’t want to keep her in the hotel.  Please pray for her health and for workers to complete her project.

Volunteers are still needed for some up-coming trips.  Masonry skills are needed along with finish and trim work skills.  Steve Binkley is leading a team from Fellowship Missionary the week of May 18.  You can call him direct for more information at 260-403-5442.

A huge thank you to Gary Richhart who has spent several weeks in camp, working on the database, offering encouragement and in general just being a great help wherever he is needed.  Gary is a very special and gifted person!

HCRN has projects going strong in Indiana as well following the flooding problems this winter.  We have two opportunities for you to serve.  First, we need to demo a home in Lake County (northwest Indiana) on Saturday, May 17.  We need a backhoe and a work team for this project.  This home was flooded in January and suffered significant water damage.  Please e-mail or call our Elkhart office at 574-522-2547 regarding this project.

The second opportunity is in Nappanee/Bourbon working on rebuilding homes destroyed by the tornado. We add more teams to the schedule, either on Saturdays or a throughout the week, so that we can finish the Cunningham home by early June.  Their son is graduating and they would like to be in their home for the open house.  Please call or e-mail Jeffrey Fater for more information. jeff@hcrn.info or 574-522-2547.

Please pray for Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss, who is traveling back from Mississippi later today and for Kevin Cox who is attending a national conference in Arkansas.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support.  You are making a difference in lives everyday as together we rebuild homes and restore lives!

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

April 18th

Hope City Update – April 18, 2008

Our beautiful spring morning in Indiana got off to a shaky start today. The Midwest woke up to an earthquake.  The quake was centered in West Salem, Illinois, but was felt as far north as Michigan.  At this time, no major damage or injuries have been reported and we do not expect to have to respond with volunteer teams.

Disaster preparedness tip for earthquakes: You need to know how to shut off the water and the natural gas into your house.  Shutting down the utilities reduces the possibility of gas explosions and flooding due to ruptured pipes.  Now you know!

The rebuilding work in Mississippi is on solid footing especially after footers have been poured for two more homes this week.  This means that four home foundations have been laid in just the last two weeks!  Teams in Hope City this week are from Grace Evangelical Church in Morton, Illinois and Lincolnville United Methodist Church from Wabash, Indiana. They have had a great week.  In addition to the two new projects, they framed at Dwight White’s house.  He joined the team for supper this week and was given a special Bible by the volunteers.  Lois Parker’s home is now painted and ready for cabinets.

While the team was working on laying block at Ira Rowell’s, one of her neighbors came over to talk with the team and expressed his appreciation for the volunteers working at the home.  He even came back with a cement mixer and worked with them for the afternoon!  What a great example of how volunteers impact a neighborhood!

A group of ladies from Woodburn Missionary Church are in camp for a long weekend.  Samantha Brenneman is looking forward to spending time with one of her best friends from Indiana.

A couple of prayer requests: Brenda McDonald, one of our homeowners, is struggling with serious health issues.  Richard Waite has nearly $1,000 in dumpster costs after teams tore down his dilapidated trailer once his home was finished.  These costs were not covered by his grant money.  Pray for wisdom for the staff as more requests come in for assistance.

No teams are scheduled for work next week in camp, so Construction Coordinator Monte and Kim Brenneman will have a catch-up week.  With four new projects underway, Monte has a great deal of building materials to schedule for delivery.

Special thanks to Gary Richhart who is working in Mississippi again for a few weeks.  Gary’s heart is truly tuned into the need and he’s a great encouragement and help!  Thank you, Gary!

Nappanee/Bourbon update: Another productive team worked at the Cunningham house and teams on Saturday will be mudding and sanding drywall and installing a small deck on the house.

Flooding concerns continue to plague a number of homeowners in Indiana.

Kevin Cox and Jeff Fater will be sharing Sunday night at Bremen Missionary Church.

Call or e-mail if you are interested in sending a team to either Mississippi or the Nappanee project.  We look forward to having you provide hope and restoration.

I’ll close today with one of my favorite verses.

“The Lord will guide you always.  He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land, he will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring, whose waters never fail.”  Isaiah 58:11

Thank you for providing the spiritual and financial support so that living water can flow through disaster sites.

Have a great week!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
P.O. Box 2123
Elkhart, IN  46515
www.hcrn.info

April 14th Update

Hope City Update – April 14, 2008

My office seems quiet and unassuming today, after I spent a week working at Hope City and seeing the flow of work, volunteers and visitors through camp each day.  Construction coordinators Monte and Kim Brenneman are always prepared for the unexpected; they often have to adjust plans, move volunteers to new job sites and just be calm as life seems to swirl with activity at Hope City.  They handle the ebb and flow of life with grace and dignity and with a deep sense of commitment to their work.  We love them and their work!

The winds off the Gulf were very strong throughout the week and sand blew and drifted much like snow.  But the mild temperatures and slower southern attitude were special memories of the week.  Our whole family spent the week working and visiting at Hope City.  We joined teams from Warsaw Community, Burr Oak Missionary in Michigan and Crossview Church in Grabill, Indiana.  The teams dug footers at two new home sites, cement was poured Friday for Ira Rowell.  They also worked tirelessly at sanding, mudding, spraying ceilings and painting at several home sites.  Kitchen cabinets were installed for Brenda McDonald.  She has suffered from serious health problems and spent part of last week hospitalized.  Please pray for her health.  She shares a tiny FEMA trailer with her granddaughter and great-grandson.  They are very much looking forward to living in their new home.

The contrast between the new and the destroyed remains so strong in Mississippi. You can drive through neighborhoods with a few homes that are rebuilt.  They look so fresh and new in contrast to the skeleton homes that also line the streets.  New clients are still seeking out help from Hope City staff and volunteers.  Your willing hands and praying hearts are making a difference through Hope City.  Help from you and your church is still needed.  Don’t forget the lessons of your visit to Hope City.  Our staff prays that God will continue to remind you of your call to service, whether it be again in Mississippi or in your own neighborhood.  God has a place for you to serve and you are needed there.

Thank you to the dedicated teams that have been working in Nappanee and Bourbon, Indiana, building homes damaged by the October tornado.  Three different groups have brought in teams over the last three weeks and the project is really moving forward quickly.  Day crews are still needed for Saturday work, which will include some construction and some yard work this spring.  Contact Jeff Fater via e-mail at jeff@hcrn.info to schedule a team in Nappanee.

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss has been teaching some orientations and working by phone over the last few weeks.  His recovery from surgery is going very well.  Thank you for your prayers.

Tune into WBCL on Tuesday morning, I’ll be giving a construction update with Phil and Jim.

Thank you for your service, thank you for your prayers, thank you for your financial gifts.  HCRN provides help, hope and healing in times of disaster because of your partnership.  Thank you for helping bring restoration to so many lives!

“You’ll use the rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past.  You’ll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again.”  Isaiah 58:12

Be Blessed today!

April 4th Update

Hope City Update – April 4, 2008

Are you looking for signs of spring in your backyard? The squawking blue jays, the shivering robins, even a couple of ducks looking for a place to nest have appeared in our neighborhood this week.  I’m looking forward to the spring flowers adding their color to the landscape.

Big news for the second week in a row, one of our homeowners was able to move into their completed home.  Richard Waite and Beverly had help from last week’s team to move into their new home on Friday afternoon.  They are so excited and very blessed to be in the home.  Construction assistant Jed Bruce painted a special mural for their new home.

More big news: A volunteer committed his life to Christ on a job site this week.  He was working and said “well, I guess today is the day.”  Today is the day of salvation!

Construction coordinators Monte and Kim Brenneman are hosting teams this week from Lighthouse Missionary Church in Michigan, The Chapel in Fort Wayne and Bernie and Lisa Charrs from Woodburn. The teams worked on laying footers at Dwight White’s house, they installed drywall at Lois Parker’s and installed trim at Brenda McDonald’s home.  The team also was able to tear down Richard Waite’s old trailer which he has lived in since the storm.  Richard is very happy to have his new home.  Thursday night the team held a bonfire on the beach.  They heard earlier this week from Jeff and Laurie Sasser.  Jeff suffered serious injuries in the first week after Katrina as he was helping to clear trees.  His legs were crushed under a tree.  They have a tremendous testimony about the faithfulness of God.

In Nappanee, a team of 46 from Northern Michigan has been working in town all week.  They have cleaned yards from debris, they have installed windows and drywall at one of the homes in Bourbon that is being rebuilt after the October tornado.  The group has been housed at the Nappanee United Methodist Church and has been able to use other facilities in town.  They have worked very hard and accomplished so much!

Thank you to all the teams who have spent their spring breaks working and serving!  Your decision to bring blessing is a great example to others!

Check our website for a podcast from a WFRN interview with some of the teens working in Nappanee.  Operations Manager Jeff Fater has been working with the team all week and joined the teens at the station.  One of the volunteers is a German exchange student.  The kids very much enjoyed their visit to the studio today.  Thank you to Jim Carter for including HCRN in your afternoon show!  Jeff will be speaking this Sunday in Bay City, Michigan at New Life Missionary Church.

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss continues to recover from surgery and is doing very well.  You can still schedule a team for a work week this fall.  Contact Kevin at 260-348-3493 for more information.

Indiana now has six Long Term Recovery Committees to help communities recover from the winter floods.  More rain is predicted in some areas over the next few days.  Please pray for relief for these hard-hit families.

Thank you for rejoicing with us as God gives us completion on some jobs, brings us new families needing help and touches hearts and minds as  only God can!

” And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”  Ephesians  3:17-18

March 27th Update

Hope City Update – March 27, 2008

Imagine that you and your family of four have lived for more than two years in a travel trailer.  You wait expectantly as teams come and work on rebuilding your home.  Imagine your joy, if you could wake up Easter morning, in a bed in your own home again.  That’s just what happened this week for one of our homeowners.  Linda Vanderpool was able to move into her home over the weekend and spent Easter morning in her new kitchen.  What a blessing!

I talked to Linda today and she said she was outside enjoying her new front porch.  Thank you to the many volunteers who worked on Linda’s home.  She is so grateful and feels very blessed.

Linda said that they still have more things to move in and she is now searching for furniture for the home.  The warehouse supplying free furniture for families is no longer open and even grant money for those items is pretty tight.   Please pray that she will be able to find a table and chairs, dressers and other necessary items for her new home.

The week at Hope City started off a bit rough, as Construction Coordinators Monte and Kim Brenneman and their family returned from a few days of vacation to a camp that was without running water due to a water main break at the street.  That meant no showers and no toilets.  Monte was able to make the repairs on Monday, but it was a reminder of what so many Gulf Coast residents faced following Hurricane Katrina.

Teams are in camp this week from Koontz Lake Missionary Church, Indiana; Sturgis Missionary Church, Michigan and Landisville Church of God, Pennsylvania.  God has brought the teams together for some great work at Hope City this week.  They demolished a home, they have installed drywall and cabinets; some of the teens spent one day breaking up concrete at a work site.  They have even painted.

Every team member this week is a first time volunteer at Hope City, so they’ve all had the opportunity to see the Gulf Coast for the first time and experience some of the damage and meet some of the great people.

A building inspection is coming up within a few days at Richard Waite’s house.  Please pray that all goes well there, so that he can move in very soon.  Construction assistant Jed Bruce painted a mural for Richard at the new house.

Prayer concerns for this week.  Project funding for at least two clients should be issued on Friday.  Please pray that the money comes through promptly so that the work can go forward.  Please pray for Mr. Rushell Williams and his brother Eddie.  They are both in their 80’s and the deed work has now been corrected on their property, but their case file is missing from the IRD office.  Please pray that this paperwork is found so that these men don’t have to begin the funding process all over.

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss is recovering very well from his back surgery.  He had bulging discs repaired last Thursday.  You can drop him a note at kevinm@hcrn.info.

A team from Michigan is coming into Nappanee, Indiana to work next week on the homes damaged by the October tornado.  They will be staying at a local church and working with Operations Manager Jeff Fater.

The flooding problems in Indiana are keeping Kevin Cox busy this week.  He’s working with a number of communities dealing with damage from the high waters.

Thank you for praying for HCRN, Hope City, our staff and our homeowners.  Thank you for agreeing with us for restoration and healing in the midst of great destruction.  Thank you for serving and giving!

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”  Isaiah 52:8

Have a great week!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
www.hcrn.info

March 24th Update

Hope City Update – March 24, 2008

I hope you had a blessed Easter.  We can rejoice today because the tomb is empty and Jesus is King!

Hope City was quiet for a few days leading up to Easter as Construction Coordinators Monte and Kim Brenneman and their family enjoyed several days of vacation.  Before they left, they had a full house of college students.  Teams from Indiana State University and the Kelley Business School at Indiana University filled camp to brim for their spring break.

The students worked at many different sites.  They joined other volunteers and worked in Long Beach, rebuilding a city park.  The students planted hundreds of bushes and trees, installed gazebos and built benches.  The volunteers built the park in just two days.  The students also worked at David’s home, which is falling apart because of damage from the storm, but he continues to live in the home.  They added a shower to his bathroom, but they had to cut out part of a wall to get the unit into his house.  (They did repair the wall!)  David is still needing a caseworker to help him with funding for rebuilding his home.

Some of the team also worked at the Cowan Road Baptist Church, which was one of the places that housed people after the storm.  The students painted the sanctuary and replaced tiles in the ceiling.  The congregation was so thankful for the help, that they made a spaghetti supper for the students one evening.  Thank you to all the students who gave their time to help at Hope City!

Shaina Brenneman got through on WBCL for the Home School Pop Quiz with Ross McCampbell recently.  She managed to stump Ross and win the prize!  Congratulations!

Two teams are heading into Hope City tonight for work this week:  Koontz Lake Missionary Church from Indiana and Sturgis Missionary from Michigan.  Their teams enjoyed Easter Sunday with their families before traveling to camp.

A water main broke a few days ago in front of Hope City and Gulfport officials shut off the water, while they were fixing the problem.  Hope City was without water this morning, but Monte was working to get things in operation again.  Please pray that the repairs go quickly today!

Volunteer Coordinator Kevin Moss had surgery last week on two bulging discs in his back.  He is recovering well today and says the surgery went well.  These are the same two discs which were causing problems for him last year.  Please pray for a speedy recovery for him.

In other HCRN disaster work, a team affiliated with the Friends Disaster Service, an arm of the Quaker church came into Nappanee from North Carolina.  The team included college students and retirees and they worked diligently on one of the homes destroyed by a tornado last fall.  Operations Manager, Jeffrey Fater coordinated their work and within the week, they framed, roofed and enclosed the home.  Thanks so much for your hard work!  HCRN is rebuilding three homes as part of the recovery effort in the Nappanee area.

Kevin Cox is working with Indiana officials to coordinate long term recovery committees following the widespread flooding across the state.  At least five different areas will soon have recovery committees in place.

Thank you for your on-going support and love.  Thank you for helping families who need so much!

I’ll close today with one of my favorite verses from the Easter Sunday service.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  John 16:33

Gulfport Update

Hope City Update – March 7, 2008

What would it take to change your life this week?  A new job, a new car, a word from God?

Bethel College students working at Hope City in Gulfport, Mississippi changed one man’s life this week in a big way.

David is living in a home that suffered extensive damage in the storm.  Trees hit the front and back of his house.  The debris from the storm, his smashed front porch and other junk lined his property.  The damage to his home would make most visitors physically ill.

His bathroom was unsafe and barely operational.  The floor by the toilet was covered with a piece of plywood over weak floor joists, but David was extremely hesitant to allow the Hope City team to tear out the floor.  He stalled for some time one day and Construction Coordinator Monte Brenneman finally asked why he didn’t want them to work.  David replied, “I don’t see any materials here, I’ve let other groups come in and they have torn things up and then have not returned.  I had to find that piece of plywood to cover the hole in the bathroom floor myself.”  Monte assured David that they would indeed repair his toilet, if they were allowed to work.  And finally David allowed them to work.

The Bethel students worked at his home this week, cleaning up the outside, bringing David homemade cookies and repairing his bathroom.  The change in David was amazing.  He soaked up the visitors, talking so much, telling his story.  He loved the cookies.

David is just one reason that Hope City and the volunteers are so important.  Two and a half years after the storm, there are people living in rotted homes, without hope, without Christ, just waiting for someone to make a difference in their lives.

Pray for David this week, for funding for his house, for strength for his body, for another team to come and make repairs and bring him cookies.

Other projects this week:  The Bethel team also tore down another client’s damaged home.  They survived two nights of heavy storms in Mississippi.  Hope City experienced 60 mile an hour winds Thursday night.  The students even traveled to New Orleans to view the widespread destruction across the area.

Next week, Hope City will host another college team:  volunteers from Indiana State University and Kelley Business School from I.U. will be working in camp.

HCRN Volunteer coordinator Kevin Moss, along with his wife, Julie and son Ryan are in Mississippi this week.  For Ryan, this is his first visit to Hope City and they are looking forward to seeing first hand some of the projects and people that are connected to Hope City.

A big thank you to Gary and Linda Richhart!!  Gary spent five weeks in camp, Linda was in for three weeks.  Gary set up a great database system, drew blueprints for one of our homes, worked and cleaned.  He and Linda are great examples of servant hearts, willing to work, encourage and do whatever it takes.  Thank you so much!!

Tornado recovery:  Rebuilding work in Nappanee will kick into high gear this weekend as teams begin construction work on two homes destroyed by the October tornado.   Volunteers from Bremen, Granger and North Carolina will be working on rebuilding.

Flooding problems are continuing to plague homeowners across Indiana.  If you, or someone you know, has experienced flooding problems, please be sure to register with FEMA as you may be eligible for assistance from a variety of programs.

Prayer requests for this week:  Several Mississippi projects are on hold because of funding issues.  Five  homes need money allocated for building materials, three homes need promised funding released.  The caseworkers in Mississippi are very fatigued, they have huge caseloads and they carry an emotional burden for the homeowners.  Please pray that funding for our clients will move forward quickly, we have a great deal of work available but the money for the materials must be in place first.

Pray for our staff as they coordinate work for younger, less experienced teams over the next few weeks.

Thank you for your prayers!  Thank you for your service!  Thank you for your faithfulness!

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”  Jeremiah 29:11

March 3rd Update

Hope City Update – March 3, 2008

Happy Birthday Hope City!  This week is the two year anniversary of the actual set-up for camp.  Two years ago a team came into town, worked all week to clear the rubble from the site and make room for volunteers to work and serve in the devastation.  Thank you to everyone who has been part of the work so far!

How far have we come?  Well, Hope City volunteers have worked at more than 1,000 properties since that time.  You’ve built houses, repaired flood damage and ministered hope and healing in the name of Jesus.  Clients have been born again, volunteers have seen their lives changed.  Streams of living water flow from Hope City into a dry and thirsty community.

But the challenges remain.  Camp Directors Monte and Kim Brenneman went Friday to visit with a new client, a man named David.  He’s living in his home which was hit by two trees during the hurricane, he does not have a working bathroom, the damage to his home is unbelievable, but that’s where he’s living.  Kim met his niece a few weeks ago in the grocery store and after talking for a few minutes, the woman started crying and said, “I wish there was someone like you to help my uncle.”  God was working to establish new contacts even at the store!  Pray for David and for our staff as they look for ways to help him.  Bethel College students are in camp this week and today they went to David’s home to work on cleaning up the property and trying to repair the bathroom.

As we look ahead to the projects for this year, Char Binkley hosted a wonderful program on WBCL Friday with Hope City staff and volunteers.  She blended her special talents with some wonderful stories from her guests.  Thanks to WBCL and Char for their fabulous support over the last two years.  The program urged Christians to be part of the solution by volunteering at Hope City.  Thanks also to Steve Binkley, Ross McCampbell, Kevin Moss and Kim Brenneman for joining the program.  If you missed the program you can listen again through the WBCL website, under the Mid-Morning program listed by date, called Winds of Hope.

First Missionary Church from Fort Wayne worked in Hope City all last week.  They painted at Brenda McDonald’s house and worked on the deck.  They added the deck for Lois Parker’s house.  Camp Director Monte Brenneman took a ladies team with him to Unity Chapel as they painted and sprayed “spanish lace” for the ceilings.  The team came back and teased that Monte sprayed them instead of the ceilings.  Construction assistant Jed Bruce is taking the week off and normally handles spraying ceilings and volunteers.

They finished off the week with a breakfast visit from homeowner Richard Waite.  He thanked the team for being part of the volunteer work that’s building homes like his and bringing hope.  Richard said he appreciates things so much more than before the storm and that the volunteers have helped him become closer to Christ.

The previous week, Fellowship Missionary Church from Fort Wayne, including Steve and Char Binkley along with Ross McCampbell were working in Hope City.  Their team worked on about ten different properties.  Char managed to treat the Brenneman girls to a day at the spa.  They all got new haircuts and manicures.  Thanks for the special treatment!

The team installed cabinets in Richard Waite’s house, worked at Linda Vanderpool’s, re-framed the damaged home for Orlanda Booker, moved a 50 year old azalea for Lois Parker, so she could keep her plant, installed drywall and sanded at Unity Chapel, along with several other projects and spring cleaning work around camp.

HCRN director Kevin Cox was honored for his work and the work of HCRN volunteers in Nappanee following an October tornado.  Kevin was given the Craftsmen Award for “exceptional performance and innovative contributions to your craft and community.”  Thank you to the Chamber of Commerce for this very special honor.

Kevin Cox and Jeff Fater taught a disaster preparedness seminar this weekend for church leaders in the Central District over in Ohio for the Missionary Church.

Kevin Moss returned to his Indiana home after working at Hope City.

Thank you so much for your prayers, your support, and your encouragement.  Hope City is a place of blessing because God’s people are willing to work and to serve.  Thank you for being a part of the blessing!

 ”Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
 and will raise up the age-old foundations;
 you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
 Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”  Isaiah 58:12

Have a great week!!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
www.hcrn.info

February 14th Update

Hope City Update – February 14, 2008

XOXOXO

Just wanted to let you know how much we love and appreciate you today!  I’d send it in candy hearts, but the Internet does strange things to conversation hearts.

Hope City is hosting a team this week from The Chapel in Fort Wayne, along with the Deal family and Gary and Linda Richhart.  They have been busy showing love this week by working hard at several homes.  They have framed Lois Parker’s deck/front porch.  They are working diligently to finish up the final items on Linda Vanderpool’s home.  They laid furring strips on the cement block frame on the repair job for Dorothy Shelby and that home passed inspection this week.  Praise the Lord!  That work can move forward.  They also worked at Richard Waite’s home and Julian Landreth’s property.

A couple of prayer requests:  Camp Directors Monte and Kim Brenneman are both suffering from colds and congestion.  Monte’s is settled into a cough and chest cold, while Kim is feeling it in her sinus’s.  Please pray for a quick recovery for both of them.  Secondly, next week a large team from Fellowship Missionary Church from Fort Wayne, is coming to camp and both of our new builds have reached a waiting point, while electrical and plumbing fixtures are installed.  Please pray that our other projects will move ahead and that funding will be available for the projects.

A great reminder this week from one of the devotions at Hope City.  The leader focused on serving God wholeheartedly and not concentrating on how another person is serving.  God wants our full attention and we are called to use our gifts fully.

Winter floods are still causing serious problems in Indiana.  As we prepare for the weather to warm up a little, we are also looking for volunteers to work on several rebuilding projects in Nappanee.  Please call or e-mail Jeff Fater, if you have a team interested in working on these projects.  He can be reached at jeff@hcrn.info or 574-226-4828.

Kevin Cox is meeting with IN-VOAD members today in Indianapolis and has been working diligently on flooding concerns around the state.

Kevin Moss has information for anyone still looking to send a team to Mississippi this year.  There are still some weeks available in the fall and winter months.  You can reach him at kevinm@hcrn.info or 260-348-3493.

Thank you so much for all  your love and encouragement.  We are blessed to be part of God’s work at Hope City and across the country.  Thank you for joining with us to provide help, hope and healing in times of disaster!

“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

Be Blessed today!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
www.hcrn.info

February 8th Update

Hope City Update – February 8, 2008

Midwestern weather has proved to be a challenge to outdoor construction work over the last few weeks due to frigid temperatures, snow and ice. But Linda Richhart, who is answering phones at Hope City this week, was quick to report this morning, “it’s pretty today, nice and sunny, about 60 degrees.”

God has provided such a wonderful opportunity for service through Hope City in Gulfport, Mississippi.  The sunrise over the gulf is so beautiful and the joy in the midst of destruction is a humbling lesson each and every week.

Hope City camp directors Monte and Kim Brenneman are hosting a team from Grace Evangelical Church in Illinois this week, along with a group from Warsaw Community Church in Indiana.  So much progress has been made on the new home builds over the last few weeks…. it is amazing!

Several new homes are taking shape quickly.  The volunteers are installing the shingles on the roof today for Richard and Linda Morse’s new home.  Windows have been installed at Lois Parker’s home and today they are installing the piers for the front porch at both of these homes.  The decks will be built by the team coming in next week from The Chapel in Fort Wayne.  Several volunteers have been working on trim work at Richard Waite’s home this week as well.

Richard Waite is struggling with colon problems and has spent much of the week in bed.  He has been so excited about his new house and throughout the building process has been outside talking with the volunteers and offering his advice.  Please pray for healing for his body.

Linda Morse is absolutely elated about the rapid progress on their home over the last few weeks.  I talked with her this week and she said, “I can’t say ‘thank you’ enough.  We are so filled with gratitude for the work of the volunteers and Hope City.  Thank God for Monte and his family.”

Linda and Gary Richhart are working in camp this week, updating the database, compiling information to help in the building process for ordering materials and just offering general encouragement and love.  Thanks to both Linda and Gary for all the great work!

Sam Brenneman has opened a new blog featuring stories and information from Hope City.  She’s going great so far.  Stop by and visit her at http://hopecitylife.blogspot.com/ or look up the Hope City volunteers group on Facebook.

Kevin Cox and the staff in Indiana are busy working with state and county officials to help flood victims across the state.  Nine counties have already been declared federal disaster areas because of the winter flooding and several other counties may also be added because of additional flooding this week.  Clean-up volunteers are being coordinated through each individual county.

Our prayers are also with the families across Tennessee who lost homes and family members in the devastating storms this week.

I had the privilege of teaching Sunday School to third and fourth graders this week.  The memory verse (listed below) is so appropriate to the work at HCRN.  As part of the lesson, the kids took turns carrying a load of encyclopedias around the room to better understand a “burden”.  I am so thankful that Christ offers us rest from our burdens.

Thank you for helping us to reach disaster victims who are weary and burdened.  Thank you for joining us in telling them that you care and that Jesus offers them rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28

Be blessed today!

Valerie
Hope Crisis Response Network
www.hcrn.info