Synopsis

We are on the road home. Right now we are driving through our beloved Knoxville, TN. It is so nice to see open restaurants and tall, strong trees lining the roadways. Home is... well, that is about it. Home is.

We're all kind of catching our breath and looking back on an amazing week that was inexplicably ordained by God. Truly, He established the work of our hands. While we were in Slidell we saw:

• Nearly 70,000 hot meals served
• Many TONS (literally, tons) of clothing and canned food as well as other household supplies
• At least 10 homes gutted and prepared for rebuilding, and
• Approximately 200 homes cleared of trees penetrating their homes and other debris
• Many professions of faith in Christ and a great interest in the local church
  

I saw a statistic in (I think) the USA today laying on someone's porch as we took a large pine out of her living room. It had a poll of people directly affected by Katrina that said that 88% (or so, I'm remembering off the top of my head!) of those surveyed had their faith in God strengthened as a result of the tragedy. 61% had their faith in the federal government adversely affected.

It could be summed up fairly well by a gentleman whose home we worked on who said, "You're the only ones who have stopped to check on me. FEMA hasn't been here. The Red Cross hasn't been here. The church is the only one helping me right now." PRAISE GOD that He has given us the opportunity to be his hands and feet and love these people with our labor!

As we return home, I'm sure that some of the folks that have been with us will be checking this blog. To you I say, "Thanks". I can't adequately express the degree to which I'm moved by each of your stories and how you came to be a part of this. Truly, we were prepared for such a time as this.

Thank you to all of you back home for your prayers and support. It is difficult to do what we do without the support of our families and friends at home. And not only that, while we were gone, donations have poured in to assist in disaster relief efforts! God is moving through the Church in a mighty way! May we always be the first to respond to those in need.

If you are interested in being involved in future trips (no promises as of yet that there will be such trips to Louisiana), go to the Disaster Relief Form and fill it out at http://www.handsofthomas.com/contact/disaster.asp .

Be ready.

Final Sprint

1 Cor 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
NIV

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Today was our last day of work in Slidell, Louisiana. An appropriate picture to describe it is that of a distance runner in his final leg of a competitive race. He's already given everything he has, but he sees the end in sight so he pushes even more. Not just keeping the pace, but picking it up to a sprint. He doesn't even breathe. He just runs. His entire body screams for him to stop, but he can't. He won't. He doesn't.

That has been the story of this crew. Every single day I've watched them drag themselves back to the churches and have to sit and muster the energy even to eat and take a shower. Each night they go to bed, then get up and do it again the next day. And then today rolled around...

Every crew had their list of "must-do" orders. Things they had hand picked that they just had to get done before they go home. "This one is a police officer who is on duty in 20 hour shifts. We have to help her." "This man has multiple 3 ft (diameter) oaks blocking the only entrance to his home. We can't just leave him." "This woman is a member of the church and has a pine tree sitting in her living room. She already paid a professional crew $2000 to cut it, but they refused to remove it from her house. We just can't go home with that still in there." Those were the stories that rang out through our crew chief meeting as we planned out our day. We had about 3 days of work to do in a single day. PRAISE THE LORD WE FINISHED ALL OF THEM!

Today was by-and-large the single most productive day since we have been in Slidell. Noone here had anything left, so they gave what they didn't have. They took Paul's advice literally and beat their bodies and made them their slaves so that they could continue to press onward for the prize. They ran to win.

Tomorrow morning we leave for home. I think everyone wants to get home to be with their loved ones and get some much-needed/deserved rest, but everyone also wants to stay. So much to be done. If we could just have about 100 more days like this one...

Catching Up

Isaiah 65:24"I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!"
TLB

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Wow. The last two days have absolutely been a whirlwind. I've been on such an emotional roller coaster that I honestly didn't trust myself to blog, lest I over-emphasize something in my emotion. So, two days after the fact, I am going to relate to you a story that happened that still amazes me.

I recounted to you the stories of God's provision with regard to something as small as paper towels and as significant as SPECIFIC mudout equipment (See Jehovah Jireh post). One of those things is quite a coincidence. Put both of them together and it begins to come clear that God is at work. Then you take something like what happened two days ago and there is little doubt.

We were getting ready to start our day of work at about 7:30. I was walking across the parking lot to get our team's gear together and Roger Brock called me to the side. Roger's truck has been overheating the past few days as the load of pulling his tractor has made his engine boil over several times. In the process of replacing his thermostat to take care of the problem, he accidentally ripped a gasket. He called me over and asked me to run him to an auto parts store to get a part to replace it with. I told him that I didn't have transportation to take him, but we'd figure something out. I stopped and scratched my head and tried to think what we could do. I told him to sit tight and I'd run find someone to take him. As I turned around to walk away, I had to pause to let a truck pull in the parking lot. It was a large box truck whose side read, "We come to you. MOBILE AUTO PARTS." I couldn't believe it. I just kind of stood there for a second. I looked back at Roger without a word and he looked back at me. Neither of us really knew what to say. I said, "well, I think we found an auto parts store." At that point, I had to go ahead and get my crew's equipment together so I went ahead and left Roger there, knowing that this was too significant to be an accident. I didn't even wait to find out if he had the part. I asked Roger to tell me later how it all worked out. That night I saw him back at the church and asked if the guy had the part. "I'm running like a dream," he reported. It is almost too much to take.

I've read in the book of James where it says, "you do not have because you do not ask." This week, it is almost as if God has said, "You don't ask, but, hey, I'm going to give it to you anyway. I'm just that good!" And indeed, God is good.

Our first group of volunteers set out for home this morning at 7:30 (Central). They carry with them a Peruvian citizen that is trying to get to Crossville and two newborn puppies named Katrina and Lulu (for Louisiana). Gentlemen, I'm not going to tell you which ladies have the dogs, but two of you are about to have an addition to the family!

That is all for today. I am working with the command center this morning to assess the chainsaw jobs we have backed up so that we can find out which ones are priority jobs. Last I heard we had done almost 200 jobs since the hurricane and still had about 600 to go. There is a big task, and it won't be done by Tuesday. Looks like a return trip is imminent! Takers?

3 Hots and a Cot

From Jessica Winstead and Morgan Skaggs...

"3 hots and a cot and I'm ready to go". That has been the attitude of God's crew this week here at Slidell, LA. 3 hot meals (faithfully served by Virginia Baptist Convention) and a cot for the night to sleep on. Today was another busy and productive day. Many members were busy in "grocery shopping" in our Mini Wal-Mart set up in the church fellowship hall. Others went out with Red Cross serving meals to various neighborhoods in the area. Of course, we had our faithful chainsaw and mud-out crews. Some setbacks occured with the women's living quarters, like no electricity or water. Maybe God wanted us to feel like a local person for a fraction of the time. So many stories and so many people, yet no words to describe all that has taken place here in Slidell. Some are staying a few more days and some are leaving tomorrow, but all will share a common bond about this place.

This is Morgan and Jessica...signing off and MORRISTOWN, here we come! (Over and out)

P.S.

Tim, I've got a chainsaw ready to come to your house and work! Morgan will run the bobcat.

Zzzzzz...

I cannot explain to you how good God has been. Words fail.

I am physically, spiritually, and emotionally exhausted. I will forego the blog tonight and will try to get something posted tomorrow. There is so much to tell that if I tried to tell it now I would go on forever. Even still, here are the obligatory pictures of the day.



Randy Pokorny and Matthew Wade teamed up all day to move large amounts of downed timber to the curbside to be picked up by FEMA sometime in the near future. The Bobcats and tractor we have been able to utilize this week have been a lifesaver!



This is a picture of a house we're working on tomorrow. You can see the water line beneath the house numbers. Imagine what would be ruined in your home if water came up this high in your house. It is almost impossible to imagine until you see these people discarding everything they own.



This is the scene in many neighborhoods as you drive down the road. This picture doesn't really capture the damage, but it is as good as I, as an amateur photographer, can do!

That's all for tonight. More tomorrow!

Jehovah Jireh

God provides. I can’t say it more simply. If nothing else on this trip, I have learned that where God is at work, God provides.

Kelly Lish, foreman of our only mudout crew, came to me yesterday with a tall order. “We need rubber gloves, rubber boots, full body suits, and goggles. The other crew we worked with had them and it really makes them more effective. What can you do?” he asked. I referred him to Dad, who seems to know every important person that occupies the ranks of the TBC Disaster Relief program. He took his request to dad, who received the request, and went on about his business.

Thirty minutes later, dad caught up with Kelly.

“I’ve got your equipment”, he told him.

“How much of it?” Kelly asked.

With a bit of a quiver in his voice, dad responded, “Rubber gloves, rubber boots, full body suits, and goggles.”

“Wow!” Kelly said aloud. “Who did you have to call to get all that so fast?”

"I didn’t call anyone, Kelly. It just showed up. About 10 minutes after we talked, a tractor trailer from Michigan pulled in the parking lot. Everything you asked for was on board.”

God provides. And it isn’t just big things. Just today, Margaret Bradley from FBC Greeneville was working in the food distribution. In the middle of the day at a particularly busy point, she noticed that they had run completely out of paper towels (an item that is in particularly high demand). She got her crew together and prayed for paper towels. Less than five minutes later, a shipment arrived. Know what it had on it? That’s right… fruit roll-ups! No, just kidding. Paper towels.

God has shown over and over again that He is in what is happening here. He is working in the lives of the residents of Slidell. He is working in the lives of the crew members who have come down to work. He is working in the lives of those who hear these stories elsewhere. I’m amazed at the reports that are brought to me constantly during the day. There is just no other explanation. God is at work here.

Something that has been a true testament to God’s love to the people of Slidell has not only been the willingness of people to come here, but their work ethic and excellence on the job. You wouldn’t believe the team God has assembled. Men and women are working like I’ve never seen before running chainsaws, dragging branches, shoveling mud, removing damaged furniture, removing sheetrock, distributing food, distributing clothing, praying with hurting families. These people are tireless.

It has amazed me to watch the women jump in and absolutely show up some of us men! We have to stay on our toes to be able to keep up. Today, Kate Hoag (Alpha Baptist) noticed a chainsaw not being used. The engine roared to life and the men on the crew looked up to see Kate going to town on a tree. “It’s ok” she told them, “I do this with my brothers all the time.” She is now a very hot commodity amongst the chainsaw crews, and she is not alone. The ladies we have here are working without reservation, without hesitation, and without question.

May God continue to pour out his blessings on this effort! Oh, that this would not be our work, but His! “May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands.”

Ps 90:17

A Bad Day for Mickey D's

You know it is a bad day when even Ronald McDonald can't survive the storm. The golden arches are indicative of the rest of the city of Slidell.

Today was the first day of labor for our team. We have all had our first bitter taste of Hurricane Katrina. We've observed the people wandering around lost. We've seen the utter devastation left by the winds and waters. We've smelled the stench of backed up sewage and spoiled food stuffs. We've heard the stories of people who survived, and didn't survive, the storm.

One of our chainsaw crews, led by Mark Wisecarver, tackled a particularly difficult project today. A tree had fallen into a family's living room collapsing their roof, destroying a wall, and crushing their couch. The team removed the offending pine from the family's home and patched the hole left in its absence. They recounted the astonishing story that the family had actually been in the home when the tree fell. Moments before the incident, the had been huddled together in the living room... on the couch. In the middle of the storm, one of them suggested a sandwich and the rest agreed. They went into the kitchen just in time to return and see the couch they had previously occupied pinned beneath the unwelcome guest.

Now, I don't know who, in the most intense part of the hurricane, decides to put bologna between bread and spread some mayonaise, but these people are still breathing as a result of their impatient hunger. Providence? Difficult to argue with that...

So that you can be praying, here are the names of the crew members and the crews on which they serve:

Morristown Chainsaw 1:

Don	Owen	CREW CHIEF
Roy	Johnson
Tom	Winkler
Pete	Anderson
Ray Kathryn	Vanyo Vanyo
Dohreen	Winkler

Morristown Chainsaw 2:

Mark	Wisecarver	CREW CHIEF
David	Rich
Mickey	Wilcox
Terry	Lichliter
Roger	Brock
Debbie	A'Hearn

Morristown Chainsaw 3:

Randy	Pokorny	CREW CHIEF
James	Wade
Matthew	Wade
Steven	Atkins
Sam	Crawford
Paul	Brown
Phillip	Owen
Katie	Hoag

Morristown Mudout:

Kelly	Lish	CREW CHIEF
Joe	Huntsman
Troy	Murray
Carl	Adams
Henry	Baird
Gail	Hudgens

We also have quite a few folks that are working food crew. I'm not sure that this is the full list as we continue to grow, but it is close!

Debbie	Wilder
Terry	Wilson
Janet	Wohlwend
Jessica	Winstead
Millicent	Johnson
Dolores	Purkey
Margaret	Grow
Wendy	Chambers
Morgan	Skaggs
Renee	Hyslop
Jana	Janssen
Jack	Henson

Thanks for your support and encouraging e-mails. Please continue to pray!

Ground Zeros

We have arrived in Slidell, LA. We got on site tonight at about 7:30 and haven't slowed down since. We've got our crew registered and ready to go.

The damage in this particular neighborhood is not as great as surrounding ones. That is fortunate as it gives us a place to sleep comfortably. We have two crews staying in homes and one crew staying at Grace Memorial Baptist Church here in Slidell.

We begin tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast and work to follow immediately after. We will have 5 separate crews: 3 chainsaw, 1 mudout, and 1 foodservice/clothing distribution.

Exhausted tonight, will tell more tomorrow. Blessings to all.

On the Road

We're on the way. We left Wallace Hardware in Morristown this morning with a crew of 37 and a convoy of 6 vehicles. We are now en route to Slidell, Louisiana where we will invest the next week of our lives. This morning on the way down I got a chance to listen to some stories from some of our volunteers about how they got connected with this trip. How amazing the God we serve is! Just listening to how God impressed upon peoples hearts and moved things into place, seemingly, mysteriously, by chance. Those who do not believe in God would consider it coincidence. I would tell them we are currently transporting 37 amazing coincidences.

Please continue to pray for us as we travel. Keeping a six vehicle convoy together is proving to be somewhat of a challenge. What did we do before cell phones!?