WOW February Monthly Morsels

Your February Monthly Morsel will be waiting for you in the narthex at church this coming Sunday morning. Please be sure to pick up your purple bag and be challenged for the month of February.

Biloxi Trip: Day 6

Today we split into three different groups: Eric & Christopher went to East Biloxi to do some drywalling. Keith B., and Hunter applied the second coat of mud to Angelina's house. And Keith S., Robert, and I went back to Gulfport with two men from California to do some carpentry. Our group had the least productive day, for reasons you can ask us when we get back. However, we did have the opportunity to work with Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse. They're using a United Methodist camp for a materials distribution center. Literally they have virtually all the material a person needs to build a house—from studs, nails, concrete block to electrical wire and hot water heaters, they have it. All the material has been donated, and is simply given away to people who qualify. It is yet another testament to the faithfulness of God's people.

There's still a lot of work to do here, and there are not enough skilled workers, or workers who have a desire to learn carpentry, drywalling, electrical, plumbing and so on. I think the greatest burden is that on the permanent volunteers, like Bob Bolitho. After two years, he says, it has taken a toll. That's got to be true across the board. Samaritan's Purse is ending its Biloxi operation in June, which will have a crushing impact on the people who otherwise can't afford to rebuild. The people who need these services the most are those that are the poorest and weakest among us—usually the elderly, single mothers, and widows. They truly have no recourse but to rely on the charity and mercy of Christians who give there time and money. It's been two years since Katrina, and it's not an exaggeration to say that only about 20 percent has been rebuilt, and that may be high. Of course, a lot of work remains to be done. God willing, we'll be down here again.

We're going to do a couple more hours of work in the morning. We're hoping to go to a local Cajun restaurant for lunch, and then head out for Nashville. Where we hope to be by about 8:00. We'll then leave for Toledo, and should arrive early afternoon, assuming we get out early. Thank you for your prayers. See you all Sunday.

Pathways Are Still Open

All our Pathways are going strong. If you are new to the church or haven’t yet joined one of our small groups, you are encouraged to attend. All groups are open to new members. Study the Bible, practice your faith, and grow in your love for one another.

Ahrendt Pathway: Thursdays, 6:15 p.m., Nursing Home/Book of James, (419) 843-3185
Friday Night Bible Studay: Fridays @ Forney Home, 7:30 p.m., Judges, (419) 829-2394
Hites Pathway: Thursdays @ Baldwin Home, 2:00 p.m., Lord’s Prayer, (419) 476-9238
Miklovic Pathway: 2nd/4th Sundays, 6:30 p.m., John, (419) 882-0278
College Pathway: 2nd/4th Sundays, 8:00 p.m., Cultural Topics, (734) 847-7985
Lechman Pathway: 2nd/4th Sundays, 6:00 p.m., 1 and 2 Peter, (419) 726-4989
Morgan Pathway: 2nd/4th Sundays, 6:00 p.m., Ephesians, (419) 843-3167
Noonan Pathway: Wednesdays @ Gerken Home, 7:00 p.m., 1 Samuel, (419) 697-1752
Altman Pathway: Saturdays, 6:30 p.m., Romans, (419) 868-4816
Brunner Pathway: Mondays @ Simpson Home, 7:00 p.m., John, (419) 373-1865
French Pathway: Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m., Mark, (419) 381-6271

If you would like more information, please talk with any Pathway leader or Pastor Andrew.

The Vine & Branches January 2007

David and Terri Wegener will be our featured missionaries during our 2007 Missions Week. Each month, the Wegeners produce an excellent newsletter called the Vine and Branches. Personally, I find their newsletter the best missionary update I receive. Click below (pdf) to read the January edition...and pray for the Wegeners who are on furlough this year raising support.

Vine_And_Branches_Jan2007.pdf

Biloxi Trip: Day 5

Not much happened today. The crew at Angelina's house (Keith B., Eric, Robert & Christopher) completed drywalling the kitchen and applied their first layer of mud and tape. Keith, Christopher, and Hunter will go back tomorrow apply the next layer, to both the kitchen and the Angelina's daughter's bedroom. That will really bring things together. Even with unfinished drywall, both rooms look dozens times better than they did on Tuesday.

Keith S., Hunter, and I spent most of the day framing out two doors for an electrician, and prepped two more walls for rough openings for two door. We then went to Gulfport to help the other crew finish up their mudding and taping.

The operation here is a truly amazing thing. Since Katrina, literally tens of thousands of people have come through the doors of this church, which asks for nothing but a donation. First Presbyterian in Biloxi has been incredibly hospitable, opening up their building to boarders who take up the entire second floor of the building, use their restrooms, and kitchen. They purchased many of the tools we use. They provide three meals a day. They've replaced the water heaters for the showers, but have no hot water for their own use. All this in the midst terrible damage to their own facility. Thanks be to God for their tireless generosity and service. They're an example to everyone in service to Christ.



Sorry about the late posting of Angelina and Christian, her daughter. We had some technical problems. I'm also posting two more photos: one of Bob and Marylee Bolitho, who have volunteered here for over a year. Bob is the single contact for other charities in the area, MNA, and families and individuals in need, contractors, and scores of others. He makes sure that every team knows where to go and what to do. He and his wife live in an RV behind the church. David and Susan Brand are in the other photo. David is an elder, and has been the principal contact from First Presbyterian here in Biloxi. Again, they show tireless service to our Lord. Thank God for them.



Finally, there's this quote-of-the-day by Keith Short. I let it speak for itself.

“Marc, how long is that eight foot 2x4?”

Biloxi Group Picture with Angelina & Christian Ball

Biloxi Trip: Day 4

The sanctuary of 1st Presbyterian where our teams stayed this year and last.
They've made a whole lot of progress...Katrina had gutted the place.

We had a productive full day of work today. We finished roughing-out the ceiling and then sheetrocked it, rewired for a kitchen light, and rerouted a duct. We also put the first layer of mud and tape in the bedroom. Our group is now split into two different groups: Keith Beerbower, Eric Bellas, Christopher Lechman and Robert Forney will continue to drywall, mud and tape tomorrow; Keith Short, Hunter Turner, and Marc Brunner will be doing some rough carpentry back in East Biloxi.

Angelina brought her eight year old daughter, Christian, today to look at the house after she got out of school. She was ecstatic when she saw that her bedroom had been drywalled—Eric and Keith Short think they saw her cry. It turns out that we're helping a sister-in-Christ, as Angelina is currently taking up residency in her pastor's home until her house is completed, which will be some time. There's still a lot of work to do: kitchen cabinets, several new windows, flooring, weather-sealing and many other things. As I said yesterday, Angelina is paying for all her own materials by working as a hair dresser. Keep her in your prayers.

We did have one tragedy today. Keith “Fruit Loops” Short and Robert “Lucky Charms” Forney were returning from one of their interminably long supply runs—this time of gypsum, joint compound and lumber—when Keith decided to accelerate on a slight incline, losing all of the supplies out of his pick-up bed onto a busy intersection on Division Street. Understand, this was two five gallons buckets of joint compound, sixteen 8' and 12' sheets of drywall, five 12' 2x6s, and a 2'x4' ceiling light (the last one in the store) all scattered about one of the busiest streets of Gulfport. Fortunately, it was close enough to our worksite that Robert was able to run to the house, whereupon he busted through the door and breathlessly screamed, “Fruit Loops has lost it!” By the time the rest of the crew got there, some good Samaritans from a nearby paint store had lent a hand, and much of the material was put back in the truck bed. By they way, Angelina had bought this material, trusting it was in good hands. Miraculously, nothing was broken, but Lucky Charm's luck has run out.

New Website with Abigail Morgan Updates

Darren and Julie Morgan have developed a new website concerning the health and status of their daughter Abigail who was recently diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML). She is currently receiving care in the Toledo Children's Hospital. They appreciate all of the love and prayers of support for their family. They hope the following website is helpful in keeping people informed of the ongoing situation: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/inputSiteName.do?method=search&siteName=abigailmorgan .

Biloxi Trip: Days 2 & 3

After worshiping at Covenant Presbyterian in Birmingham, we arrived safely at the First Presbyterian Church in Biloxi at about 3:00, unloaded, unpacked, unfurled our sleeping bags and got acquainted with the surroundings.

Sadly, things don't look much different than they did last year. There's still a lot of destruction. The only noticeable change is that most of the debris is now out of the trees, and the beach looks like a beach and not a junkyard. They've removed all the grounded gambling barges, but most of the hotels are still being reconstructed or lay gutted just like last year. We saw no new home construction adjacent to the Gulf. Rumor has it that the casinos are even laying off people. As Bob Bolitho, the MNA supervisor whose been here for about a year, said of the whole region: “there's a whole lot of nothin' goin' on.”

Fortunately, that's not the case for those of us who are part of the mission. We're one of several teams here, for a total count of about 50 volunteers this week. Our first assignment was to go to a large two-story house to do rough framing, insulation and sheetrock. As it turned out, a leaky roof hadn't been replaced, and it's supposed to rain all week. So they sent us to another job in Gulf Port, where we met Angelina Ball.

Angelina is buying all her own materials and is having us do the labor. Apparently this has become a common arrangement over the past year. Today we roughed out her kitchen ceiling in order to lower it; tomorrow we'll be finishing that, then drywalling, and eventually mudding and taping. We're planning on finishing up there on Wednesday. Tomorrow, I'll include a photo of Angelina and her house.

Everybody gives a hearty thanks to Doris German for her care packages, bucket of tools, and especially the Milwaukee V28 lithium-ion long-life cordless drills she gave each of us. Thanks again, Doris!

Biloxi Trip: Day 1

Arrived safely in Birmingham. Enjoyed dinner at a local eatery. We made good time and didn't hit any delays or construction. And it appears that no one forgot anything vital to the mission. We'll be attending Covenant PCA here in Birmingham, and plan to be in Biloxi in the mid-afternoon. We've actually had a change of plans. Rather than rebuilding the city, we're going level it with heavy artillery and then start from scratch with the trade-in we got for Keith's pickup and the Simpson van.

Couple's Night

CTW will be holding a night of fellowship for couples the Saturday before Valentine's Day, February 10th, at 7:00 pm at Wayne and Rachel Turner's home. For more information and to R.S.V.P. please contact Mike Ahrendt.

WOW Monthy Morsels

The WOW committee has planned a year long project called "Monthly Morsels". If you did not receive your purple bag with your "morsel" this past Sunday, please pick one up in the purple box in the narthex this Sunday January14th.

Missions Week Fellowship Dinner: Saturday, Feb. 3, 5 p.m.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 3rd from 5-7pm for the kick-off to Missions Week 2007! Place and instructions will be announced in the bulletin January 21. This will be a great time of food and fellowship with the Christ the Word Family and the Wegener Family (our featured missionaries this year). Don't miss it.

Mission Week 2007

Missions Week 2007 will start Saturday, February 3rd with a Fellowship dinner (time/place TBA). This year’s featured missionary will be The David Wegener Family. The missions committee is requesting your assistance in coordinating the events during the week (February 3-9). If you are able to host the Wegener Family (2 adults, 4 children) for the night of February 3 or to host David the nights of February 4-8 please contact Michelle Holder (419-531-5318). Also, if you are available for daily/partial day hosting including site seeing, meals, transportation, etc. or to help in the planning of the Fellowship Dinner, please contact Michelle. This is an opportunity for your family to get to know a missionary on a personal basis – to know their prayer needs, the needs of the people they serve and information about living/serving in Africa. What a blessing for your family! Please consider assisting. Contact Michelle Holder (419-531-5318) ASAP.

Musician Thank You

We’d like to thank you for singing in the choirs and playing your instruments during the worship services this Advent and Christmas. You are invited to attend an open house at the Dionne’s home on Saturday, January 13, between 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. Stop by for some dessert and a chance for us to thank you for your work. RSVP to Sarah at 419-531-5817 or sarahdionne@sbcglobal.net.

Summerfest 2007 at Olander Park

We've found a new location for our Summerfest 2007. We will meet at beautiful Olander Park on July 22 following our morning service at the SDA building. Mark your calendars and begin thinking about who you would like to invite.

WOW Winter Bible Studies

WOW Winter Bible Studies
Bible studies for the women of CTW start next week. Any of the groups would love to have you participate. The list of studies is:
Monday night - Acts- Cindy Skaff's home
Tuesday night- Acts- Sarah Dionne's home
Wednesday morning- I Samuel - Cheryl Bayly's home
Wednesday morning- Acts- Adrienne Miklovic's home
Please contact the host for more information