Our next Mission Trip will be to coastal Louisiana or Texas for Hurricane Ike recovery. We hope to go on this mission sometime in the spring of 2009. If you think you might like to go with us please let it be known to anyone on the Mission Team.
Saturday, December 6
Well Done, Good and Faithful Servants
What a wonderful week we had in Iowa. The accommodations at Marion First United Methodist were great. We were very well fed by a most capable cooking team from Wilmington, NC.
The house we were assigned to had electricity and heat so we were able to work in relative comfort. Everyone was kept very busy. We wanted to accomplish as much as we could while we were there. We painted rooms, stained interior doors, hung doors, painted and installed window trim and cleaned out the basement. The homeowner was very grateful and hope to be able to move back to his house after the holidays. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful. The food couldn't have been any better.
We got TV coverage and an article in the local newspaper too which we hope will help recruit more volunteers to the area. They have a long way to go in their recovery.
God was with us. We were protected by His travel mercies and noone was hurt at any of the jobsites. We received so much comfort knowing that we were serving Him by serving others in need. We thank everyone for the financial support and for their prayers.
The house we were assigned to had electricity and heat so we were able to work in relative comfort. Everyone was kept very busy. We wanted to accomplish as much as we could while we were there. We painted rooms, stained interior doors, hung doors, painted and installed window trim and cleaned out the basement. The homeowner was very grateful and hope to be able to move back to his house after the holidays. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful. The food couldn't have been any better.
We got TV coverage and an article in the local newspaper too which we hope will help recruit more volunteers to the area. They have a long way to go in their recovery.
God was with us. We were protected by His travel mercies and noone was hurt at any of the jobsites. We received so much comfort knowing that we were serving Him by serving others in need. We thank everyone for the financial support and for their prayers.
Thursday, November 27
Tuesday, Nov 25
Today we got a tour of Cedar Rapids and saw all the flood damage. Unfortunately it looked all too familiar to us! The good news here is that they didn't have the wind damage but the bad new is that the flood waters didn't receded for about two weeks.
We're getting lots of work done. Barbara, Blair, Hannah and Morgan are cleaning out the basement. Ray and Murrie are cutting lots of trim and Renae is painting, painting, painting!
Ray and Mary had to move out of the church building because the day care people didn't want the dogs around. They're now staying at the pastor's house.
Today we got a tour of Cedar Rapids and saw all the flood damage. Unfortunately it looked all too familiar to us! The good news here is that they didn't have the wind damage but the bad new is that the flood waters didn't receded for about two weeks.
We're getting lots of work done. Barbara, Blair, Hannah and Morgan are cleaning out the basement. Ray and Murrie are cutting lots of trim and Renae is painting, painting, painting!
Ray and Mary had to move out of the church building because the day care people didn't want the dogs around. They're now staying at the pastor's house.
Monday, Nov 24
We've been assigned the house of an elderly gentleman. The sheetrock has already been installed so we'll paint rooms, put up window trim and hang interior doors. Our project leader is Ray Marshall and we also have Murrie from Wilmington and Bob from Michigan on our team so we're in excellent hands!
Wednesday, November 26
FUMC Perryville and FUMC Marion
Sunday, Nov 23
We attended the 8:00 AM worship service at First United Methodist in Perryville, MO. The congregation was very warm and welcoming. Mary was asked to stand and tell who we were and about our mission. She also mentioned that we were missing the first worship service in our new location in Biloxi. The pastor offered prayers for our mission team, for the people we are going to help and also for our new church location. Lots of people visited with us after the service and all wished us well.
We made good time and arrived at 
We attended the 8:00 AM worship service at First United Methodist in Perryville, MO. The congregation was very warm and welcoming. Mary was asked to stand and tell who we were and about our mission. She also mentioned that we were missing the first worship service in our new location in Biloxi. The pastor offered prayers for our mission team, for the people we are going to help and also for our new church location. Lots of people visited with us after the service and all wished us well. 
FUMC Marion about 4:00 PM Sunday afternoon. There we met with the Lee cooking team from Wilmington, NC and with Bob & Rachel Fenton from Kalkaska, MI. Our Biloxi youth group will remember that the Fentons were the couple who taught us Archery at our church after Katrina. There is also another mission team from Wesley United Methodist in Wilmington, NC. They are sleeping across the street from us at the First Presbyterian Church.PICNICS & PARKAS
Saturday, November 22
It was a dark and stormy night . . . not really. But it was a COLD and WINDY morning when we left the church on our Mission to Marion. We made it to the TN Welcome Station around 1:00 o'clock and had our picnic lunch inside the vending pavillion because it was too cold to eat at the picninc tables.
We stopped at every McDonalds we saw so Ray could get another cup of coffee. At Cape Girardeau, MO we had dinner at OLIVE GARDEN! We sure do miss having an Olive Garden on the MS Coast! Finally arrived Perryville, MO around 7:00 PM.
It was a dark and stormy night . . . not really. But it was a COLD and WINDY morning when we left the church on our Mission to Marion. We made it to the TN Welcome Station around 1:00 o'clock and had our picnic lunch inside the vending pavillion because it was too cold to eat at the picninc tables.
We stopped at every McDonalds we saw so Ray could get another cup of coffee. At Cape Girardeau, MO we had dinner at OLIVE GARDEN! We sure do miss having an Olive Garden on the MS Coast! Finally arrived Perryville, MO around 7:00 PM.
Thursday, November 20
WE'RE ALMOST READY TO GO!
Now comes the excitement - questioning if we'll be able to do the work, wondering if we'll freeze to death, praying that we can be a blessing to the Iowa homeowners who have suffered so much from the devastating floods.
Our Mission Team mascot, MR. FROG, is all decked out at ready to go!
Fully Rely On God1 John 4: 15-16 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
Monday, November 17
MISSION TEAM COMMISSIONED
On Sunday our team was dedicated to the mission and blessed by the congregation. We appreciate so much the financial support they've given us. Their promise of prayers for our safety and success will sustain us as we bring help, hope and witness to the people of Marion, Iowa.
Tuesday, November 11
VETERANS DAY LUNCH FUNDRAISER
Click on the pictures to see a larger image.
Our guest speaker was Rev. Gary Morris who is a Chaplain at the Biloxi VA .
It was our privilege to honor the many vets in our congregation who have served the country in the armed services.
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS AND
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Many thanks to the Mission Team members who helped with the lunch. Thanks also to everyone who gave donations for our Iowa trip.
Friday, October 10
Nov 9th
Fundraiser for Iowa Trip
The mission team is going to have a Veteran's Day Lunch after worship services on Sunday, Nov 9th. We'll recognize and honor all the veterans who are present. We're planning a comfort-food meal and patriotic decorations and music. We're also working on getting some entertainment and a guest speaker. So . . . please plan to join us for this Veteran's Day Salute. Wear your red, white and blue to church and plan to stay afterwards for lunch. Cost will be by donation. Your donations will go toward paying the expenses of our Flood Relief mission trip to Marion, IA during Thanksgiving week. 
Fundraiser for Iowa TripTuesday, October 7
Iowa Flood Relief Mission - November 2008
We'll be leaving Biloxi on Saturday, Nov 22 and expect to arrive at FUMC Marion on Sunday afternoon. We chose Thanksgiving Week for this mission because we remember with such fondness our Thanksgiving in 2005 just 90 days after Katrina hit. Ooltewah (TN) UMC came to Biloxi to cook Thanksgiving dinner for 300 people - volunteers, church members, construction workers and the general public. What a meal that was!! Then the Lee Family and Friends Team from Wilmington, NC decided they would follow suit and came to fix a huge feast for us in 2006 and again in 2007. We were so touched by their personal sacrifices and so grateful for the wonderful food. Our Mission Team felt this was a perfect opportunity for us to return this great blessing to others in dire straits. Hence, the decision was made months ago to go to Iowa and prepare a great Thanksgiving meal for our brothers and sister in Christ who had suffered so much in the summer floods. We chose FUMC Marion because their Assoc. Pastor, Rev. Melisa Bracht-Wagner, had brought teams of Iowa volunteers to our church three times after Katrina and had provided us with financial support as well. This will be our way of saying "thank-you for helping us".
Websites you might want to check out:
http://www.andrealynnphoto.com/CRflood2008/ Flood pix from Cedar Rapids
http://www.iowaflood.com/ Pictures & videos of Iowa floods
http://www.fumcmarion.org/ First United Methodist Church in Marion, IA
http://www.fumcbiloxi.org/ First United Methodist Church in Biloxi, MS
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