Palm Valley Church Relief Team

Conquering Fear

2005-10-02T00:31:00.000-07:00

Reported by Anthony Riaza

After spending a week with a group of people who truly showed their love for Christ I have came away with more wisdom and knowledge than I ever imagined. I went into this missions trip not sure of what was going to happen, what we were going to be able to do, or how much we could actually help. When we left I had the answers to those questions and more. With Christ flowing through us I saw us accomplish many great things, but the greatest thing that we accomplished was reaching people for Christ.

Going into this trip I was uneasy about walking up to someone and asking them if I could pray with them. I didn't know how to strike up a conversation with the intent to pray with them. I knew I could talk to them, but I was just afraid of them saying no when I asked. My fears quickly diminished as I watch Christ go through the other members of our team. Watching them wrap their arms around hurting people (like God does for us), comfort them, and pray with them I grew spiritually. In the middle of so much devastation I looked around and could see why we traveled so far. The people. We weren't there to fix houses, rebuild towns or clean up debris. We came to reach people for Jesus.

These people had been put in front of us so we would reach out to them. While we were in Biloxi is when I fully understood this. We had come to that town, that street and that house to meet the exact people that we met. Wow! What an amazing experience to know Christ had placed us right there at that time to speak the word of God and pray with them.

Since returning home I now have no fear when I approach people to speak about Jesus. I know that God has placed people in front of all of us so we can speak to them. Sometimes it is hard to stop looking straight and look around to see these people but this is why God has put them there. For us to reach out to people and speak to them there shouldn't be a circumstance. We should be ready to touch hurting people - our neighbors, our church family, our friends, family and wherever we go.

I want to thank Mark G, Mark S, Dan, Nat, Ben, The Campbell family (Ted, Lisa Cale, Cody, and Clay) James, Curtis and Glen. You were true examples of children of God. I carry with me and use all of the words and wisdom you spoke to me. I love all of you guys.

Praise be to God for allowing us to travel, reach people and come home safely so we can share our experiences. We never know when our life or someone else's is going to end but we should live for today and not tomorrow. Don't wait for tomorrow to plant a seed into someone's heart. Save them today so they can have that wonderful loving relationship with our Lord and Savior.

Return to "Normal" Life Difficult

2005-09-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

Reported by Lisa Campbell

Twelve days after leaving the area, I find myself drifting off in the middle of my everyday activities and thinking of the many precious people we met while in Pascagoula. I can still feel sweet, baby Mikayla in my arms; hear the laughter of A.J. and Aaron, and the voice of Gary as he tells me his history in the Biloxi home that is no more. I hear the thank you’s, see the tears and savor the prayers that we shared with the hurting.

It is not easy to return to “normal life” knowing that so many are still not living any kind of normalcy at all. My goal since we have returned has been to help people understand the indescribable devastation that remains along the coast, on every street and as far as the eye can see. There is so much to be done and my husband, children and I cannot wait to return and continue the work that has begun. As I drive my sons to their soccer practices, I see Ernest still sitting on his porch waiting for FEMA and Diane with her small pile of belongings that she was able to salvage from her ravaged home. Hundreds of people are still waiting for their aid, and although waiting patiently and with grateful hearts……they still wait.

The beautiful side of our visit was witnessing the overwhelming, obvious help coming from every church, every organization and every human physically capable to do anything for anyone around them. I love knowing that eventually all will be rebuilt and in the meantime, there is comfort, clothing, shelter, food and water being offered to those who so desperately need it. There is much to do and the Palm Valley family has the opportunity to extend the loving arms of the Lord as the relief effort continues.

The men from Palm Valley worked tirelessly and gave of every part of themselves while in Mississippi. It was impressive to see the awesome tasks they accomplished and I am thankful to have been a miniscule part of the effort. God was so good to direct us to homes, families and individuals that needed either our physical help or our prayers. (Everyone got the prayers.) The Campbell family made friends we will never forget and witnessed human hardship that has left us even more grateful for our Father, our loved ones, our brothers and sisters in Christ (9 of them in particular), and the power of prayer. The things of earth don’t have near the meaning they had before September 11th, 2005.

On behalf of Ted, Cale, Cody, and Clay, I thank the people of Palm Valley for allowing us to be a part of this trip. We are grateful to my parents for handling issues at home that allowed us to leave quickly and the friends that gave us extra support. We each continue to pray often for the ones we hope to return to and for Mark, Glen, James, Ben, Mark, Nat, Anthony, Curtis and Dan as they adjust to “normal” here at home. Our family is thankful for your kindness, for making a place for us and allowing us to “fit in” as we were able. James, Clay still talks about the cross you drew in the tent. All of us cherish the nightly devotions, races in the dark and sharing a tent with Glen.  (Who else can say THAT?)

We claim Romans 8:28 for the hurricane victims and look forward to all of our futures in Christ.

God in Control

2005-09-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Devotion written by Mark Summers on last night in MS

Our Heavenly Father we praise you and are humbled by your mercy! The past few days have been a life & soul changing experience. You are amazing God! All Powerful!

We realize that none of our appointments were by chance, there were no scheduling conflicts, and it was not a coincidence meeting those we encountered on a daily basis. You placed each member of this group here for a reason – it’s all part of your perfect & majestic plan.

Father it has turned out to be a blessing for me to be placed in the midst of such devastation, loss & suffering. This tragedy has allowed me to see first hand your awesome work and it is completely humbling. We can see that this trip was for the sole purpose of showing the power of your love.

Lord I thank You for this opportunity to serve hand & hand with my new brothers and sisters on the front lines. Words can not describe what it’s like to see you shine through each member & to feel your presence in such darkness. We know this hurricane was simply a catalyst for us driving 1700 miles to minister to your people. This trip was not about Katrina & her destructive course or about the houses we physically worked on, but rather the lives that needed to be touched. We thank You for the many, many different opportunities and are honored to work as your ambassadors of love.

Lord you have proven we could not have done any of this by ourselves. You are the calming voice to the distractions. You replace our disorganization with order. You bring hope because Christ will return again. I don’t fully understand all you have in store, but it’s comforting to know you are in complete control! I am grateful to serve you!

Lord, before this trip I wasn’t aware of how narrow minded my walk has been, and I thank you for opening my eyes and heart.

I lay down my pride and I am ready to see your way!

Your Son

"You got God in you"

2005-09-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Reported by Ben Woods

Adrian touched me in a way I can’t really explain. When I first saw him running, jumping and laughing all I could think about was God. I felt such a joy inside of me when I first gave this little fella a high five as he ran by with his twin brother Aaron. We threw a tennis ball around and gave the boys piggy back rides. This was a welcomed break from a very emotional first day of seeing the devastation of this storm first hand. Amidst all the devastation these boys were a light in the darkness.

At the end of our second day we came home to find our new friends waiting for us to play. The Campbell family was here now so we had an added measure of youth and energy in the camp. Adrian and Aaron connected so well with the Campbells. They were so happy to have other kids to play with and relate to.

While we were all playing Adrian came up to me and looked me dead in my eyes and said "You got God in you." Then he touched his heart. I told him, "You got it buddy. I sure do, don’t you?" He said, “I don’t know about that” and then he shook his head no. I asked him if he wanted God in his heart and he nodded his head yes as he was running by trying to catch the football. I tried to talk with him between passes and catches but this was clearly not the time for him. I then stopped him and told him when he was ready we could talk about Jesus and what it meant to know him. He smiled ear to ear and gave me a quick hug.

That night I prayed for little Aaron asking God to prepare his heart and to give us another opportunity to talk about His love and grace. I prayed that God would use us to reach this family and give them hope, peace and joy in this difficult time.

The next night the whole family came over for dinner and Pastor Glen’s devotions. During that time Adrian sat between Glen and I with his eyes fixed on Glen as he spoke. Several times when Glen spoke of God’s love and how that related to us in our everyday lives he put his hand on little Adrian. As we talked about how God had put on our hearts the need to come to this area and help people I felt God pull at me to say something to Adrian. I leaned over and told him “God told me to come here to meet you.” His eyes got real big and he said "God said that?" I told him he was a special boy and that God loved him very much.

The group broke for the night after a very emotional time of prayer. Anthony, Mark and I walked the family home and as we walked Adrian realized they had forgotten their radio back at the camp. As we walked back we talked about his many visits to the doctors for his kidney disease. He said he rarely got scared about that, but he sure was scared when the flood came into there home. He recounted the story about Ms. Bennie gathering them all on the bed and crying out to Jesus to make the water go down.

This was the second time I had heard this incredible story but to hear it from this little boy’s viewpoint was very eye opening. God was all around this family. I gave him my bracelet that said "Fear Not" and told him that this can act as a reminder of how if we have God in our heart we have nothing to fear. I knelt down so I could look into his eyes and I remember the moon being so bright over his left shoulder. I then asked him if he was ready to hear more about Jesus and why we needed him so badly to get God in our heart. He was ready.

I talked to him about our separation from God because of the bad things we do known as sin, and how God gave us a way back to him through Jesus who died on the cross. We then went over the sinner’s prayer together. As we finished talking, the rest of the guys came up to us from the house. I felt a thud in my stomach as I noticed he was now very aware of all the people. He went off on his own and I talked with Mark and Anthony. Just before we began to walk off Adrian ran back to me and hugged my waist and said “I prayed to Jesus and he is in my heart now.” We all began to shout and I picked him up in my arms along with the other guys and told him the angels in heaven were throwing a big party in heaven for him. His brother Aaron took the opportunity to click on the radio and we all danced and cheered.

This was one of the most powerful experiences of my entire life. As we walked back Anthony, Mark and I stopped and Mark prayed a beautiful heartfelt prayer for this new little brother in Christ. Three grown men wept tears of joy that night, knowing this little boy no longer had anything to fear because he had God in him!

The next day all Adrian wanted to do was talk about heaven and God’s word. He held his Bible close to him and asked some of the deepest questions I have ever heard a kid ask. My heart almost fell out of my chest when I was talking with him with my hand on his back and he said” I like it when you touch me it feels like God is touching me." I felt my heart swell up as I realized God was touching me right in that moment through this wonderful little boy.

I thank Jesus for giving me the opportunity to meet this young man. He truly changed my life and perception of His children. This whole experience with God brought me hope, peace and joy that filled my soul. Nothing can steal that away.

Everywhere You Turn

2005-09-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Posted by Pastor Glen,

Leaving Mississippi was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. There are no words to describe my love for God, my wife and family, our church family and the work that I do here in Phoenix. But, having said that, leaving the people of Mississippi created in me a sense of anguish that was even greater than actually dealing with the devastation there. Fortunately, this sorrow has been tempered by two things…

First and foremost is a desire to continue to aid those who have been most affected by this tragedy. By speaking boldly and openly about the needs of those hardest hit in this crisis, we can encourage others to use their gifts and talents to continue this effort. The needs in Mississippi fall into every imaginable category…. physical, spiritual, emotional and financial. Each of us has specific blessings and experiences we are called to share with the people there.

The second thing that has helped me is an understanding that this particular crisis has a center. The destruction can be seen with the naked eye is overwhelming for anyone that does not have a faith in God that can sustain them. We left knowing that there were still human needs to be met when we returned to Phoenix but God continued to give us a more clear understanding of those needs and the energy to fill them along the road home. At our first rest stop, we walked past a hotel breakfast area filled with people affected by the tragedy. They spoke with anger about the lack of information that they had, they fed off of one another as they shared stories of loss and bitterness.

My first thought was to walk past it. I had slept little in four days, and was physically and emotionally exhausted. When I realized that I couldn’t turn my back on their anger and pain, I approached 12 or so people gathered around two tables. I greeted them with the story of where we had just been and why we had gone there. I told them that we did not simply feel that God had asked us to go, but that He was shouting at us! That prompting was, in fact, the deep love and compassion that He had placed in the hearts of Christians from all around the country to help in any way they could. Our group was simply one of the physical representations of His desire to see the needs of His children met!

This introduction was followed by a long series of questions, concerns and deeply emotional pain regarding their eventual return home. What they where feeling was leading to the vocalization of anger, confusion and mistrust. In the midst of this conversation one of the couples asked me if I knew what would have to be thrown away inside their home. "Will they let us keep anything?" one man asked. I replied that the only things worth saving are those that were not penetrated by the mold, contaminated muck and sea water. "My son's ashes are in a plastic box on the mantel, will they let me take that?" he continued. In an instant I could see the basis of all of the frustration, all of the anxiety, the pain and the loss. I assured him that he would be in full control of making decisions about what he could take from his home and that likely no one would be trying to stop him from claiming and holding onto his son's ashes.

I offered to pray and every person in the room stopped and closed their eyes as we asked God for healing, peace, wisdom and strength. When we finished, most of them where openly crying. Their anger was gone, replaced with a moment in which they could begin the process of grief. As we headed out to the parking lot to begin the journey home, a young coupled approached us in the parking lot. They had been praying with us. The man came and offered me his hand and thanked me for stopping to pray with them. He confided with me that he knew his wife did not have the strength to return home to see the devastation. He had prayed that very night that God would send someone to his family to pray for her so that she could face the pain of the day.

If you are reading this posting in a state near the Katrina disaster, everywhere you turn, there are shelters and hotels full of evacuees. Please consider helping to meet the prayer needs of those who have lost so much. Many of them would love to have a pastor or lay leader pray with them for the strength to go home and face their loss. Many of them have never entered a church. They are ready to hear about God.

What a blessing it is to have worked, prayed, sang, laughed and cried with the members of our team this week… all fighting as hard as they could in the middle of every circumstance to bring the healing love of Christ to broken lives!

Homecoming

2005-09-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark

We are headed out of Mississippi. We didn’t get away as early as we planned, but we managed to work in a very last minute, quick emptying and gutting of an elderly woman’s house (we are finally getting the hang of this now that we are leaving). The lady had only one leg and lived two houses down from where we have been staying. She, like most of the residents, had no insurance and so we wanted to help her get the house ready to live in again as soon as possible. There are so many more just like her that need help and we hope to get together more teams to go and assist in the near future.

Afterward we showered and spent some time going to each house on the block to say our goodbyes, hand out a few parting gifts, and pray for all of our new friends. It was hard to leave some of them behind and we even offered to assist some of them with relocating and starting over in the Phoenix area if that was something that they are interested in. We will continue to pray specifically for the needs of these families, this neighborhood and others that we visited this week, as well as the many hurting people in Mississippi and Louisiana that have a lot ahead of them on this road to recovery.

I think that I speak for the entire team in saying that this was an incredible time of joyous service to God and others that it will be something we can look back on and give praise to God for what he allowed us to do and for the people that he allowed us to minister to.

We hope that what we have communicated might encourage you to go on a missions trip of some kind in the near future where you can reach out and experience the power of God working in the lives of people. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and supportive comments while we were gone. We look forward to seeing our families and our church family soon.

Please pray for our safe travel for the trip home. We may post some post trip reports and thoughts in the next several days as we have some time to unwind. We will also be posting some more of the pictures we have taken throughout the week, so check the Relief Trip Photo Gallery.

The Joy of Giving

2005-09-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark on Friday

I wanted to share with you the joy we experienced this week as we were able to give to people who were affected by this tragedy. Throughout the week, in addition to the cleanup and debris removal, we also gave away Walmart gift cards as we came across people who were hurting and in need. It was amazing how most of them were so reluctant to reach out and accept the help that they so desperately needed. There were several times when people asked what the catch was. Many people said no, saying there were so many others that have lost so much more than they have. Gary, a man we met yesterday was one of these people. We listened as he shared his entire life story - the loss of the home he had grown up in, his divorce, his heart surgeries and so much more. Later we gave him some gift cards which he tried to refuse. I told him that if he wouldn’t take them for himself at least take them to give to those who were in the most need, as he would know better than us. He returned sometime later in tears to tell us that he found the single mom with several kids a few blocks over that had lost everything. He gave her the gift cards and when she asked about them he told her that a church drove all the way from Arizona because they wanted to help people and share God’s love.

It was so encouraging and motivating for our team to have Kurt Reipma call us today and drive to Pascagoula to help us help others while he was still in the middle of recovering from the loss of his own home in the wake of Katrina. Kurt said he felt led to come and help others and that he felt he could really connect and empathize with others since he had been through a similar experience.

Finally, we were able to take Ms Bennie on a shopping trip to buy clothes and toys for the boys, clothes diapers and baby stuff for Mikayla, and some necessities for her and Brittany. We also got them temporary beds and linens as we wanted to be prepared to throw out their current furniture as it was not healthy. 12 year old Aaron and A.J. wanted so badly to go with us, but we didn’t have room for everyone. I told them I would bring them back a surprise and Aaron asked with excitement “Is it a motorcycle”. For Ms. Bennie, it was the 1st time she had been out of her house in 2 ½ weeks as their car was totaled in the flood. The family was beyond words for your generosity. The boys were ecstatic to get bikes that they raced up and down the street all day. Some of the other neighbors we met this week were so grateful and in need of so much. It was an awesome joy for us to give. Thanks to all of you who gave to help those affected by the hurricane. The people there were so grateful and I know God will be glorified through your giving. It has brought love, planted many seeds in the hearts of people and allowed us to see people accept Jesus as their Savior. All praise be to God for the things he has done!

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 (NIV)

The Power of Prayer

2005-09-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark
We woke up today (Thursday) excited to get to work, as the family that we’ve grown so close to this week had finally agreed to let us come into their house and help them. We started by taking a look around the house. Compared with the disaster and physical labor we saw yesterday, this seemed like a relatively easy job on the surface. We wanted to help them clean up and to figure out what they needed. The answer…basically everything.

All of their furniture was mold and water damaged. A.J. and Aaron were both sleeping on the floor, and the other 6 in the family were sleeping on moldy, dirty mattresses. The appliances didn’t work. There were holes in the roof and the floor and the house was infested with roaches. But we had just scratched the surface of the problems for this family.

The emotional pain of this family far outweighed the physical living conditions they were in. As we walked into the front bedroom there was a memorial on the wall for the twins’ father who committed suicide in that room 5 years ago. There were also some signs of a cult.

We could feel the confusion, anxiety and despair that were looming over this family the entire week. Grandma is now raising the kids and cousins and is so concerned with little A.J. who is fighting kidney disorders and needs treatments. They have no transportation to get to his appointments. She also takes care of her brother and 87-year-old-dad in her home. Needless to say she is overwhelmed.

Since we knew we were leaving today, we were very anxious to get them out of this house and to somewhere that they would be safe and have support to get them through. But they were all very reluctant to leave. We talked with her about removing all of the stuff in her home so that we could clean and spray for bugs and asked if we could throw out everything that seemed to be moldy or rotted.

We gathered some of the guys and prayed with her in faith that God would provide for their needs. She agreed that they needed to be removed and commented that it was only stuff. Later in the day her insurance agent came by to say that they were going to cover depreciated cost of the contents of her home even though they didn’t have a flood insurance policy. God is so good!

Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV) “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' [32] For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. [33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Looking back we realize that God has continued to give us increasingly more difficult tasks and situations as the week progressed – some of them physical, some emotional and some spiritual – a definite building of our faith and perseverance and our reliance on God to tackle the challenges and look to him in the middle of difficult circumstances.

We prayed more today, as a team, as individuals, and with those that we were helping, than we have all week. As we prayed, we asked for wisdom, guidance and protection and a freedom and fresh start for this wonderful, hurting family. Soon after we had finished removing everything from this house and scrubbing walls and floors and spraying for bugs, God provided another answer to prayer.

The family finally agreed that this was not a place they should stay in at this time due to the health concerns. They were able to reach a relative in Tennessee and will be traveling to stay with them until they get clarity on what to do on a permanent basis.

A great lesson that we can be slow to learn – we should learn to ask and trust God instead of trying to do things only in our own power.

Philip. 4:6-7 (NIV) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Beautiful Day

2005-09-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark - Sept. 15th.

Last night (Wed) we returned from Biloxi to our “Adventure Base Camp” in Pascagoula. The unity and demeanor of the team has been nothing short of remarkable considering the long hours of extremely difficult and disgusting jobs in very warm and muggy weather with very little sleep. The joy and laughter is contagious as we serve God together – He has given us an overflowing measure...

Psalm 126:3 (NIV) The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

Romans 15:13 (NIV) "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. "

Shortly after we arrived, our adopted family from down the street joined us. Again it was exciting for us to be around these kids as we miss our own. They all ate dinner with us and stayed through our devotional time. It was amazing to see 12 year old Adrian “A.J.” with his eyes glued on Pastor Glen as he spoke. When it was time for us to get to bed (long overdue for all of us), some of the guys walked the family home.

The whole team has been pouring love into this family all week, and God gave us the greatest reward we could ever dream of for our week of hard work. Ben Woods had a chance to talk with little Adrian (who is very small for his age due to kidney problems). I will try to get a full post from Ben on the blog site, but little Adrian accepted Jesus into his heart and was so full of joy. As Ben shared this story with me it brought tears to my eyes as well as his. If we had accomplished nothing else this week, we would have come home fulfilled in this. A few minutes later Glen told me their Uncle James had prayed to accept Christ a few nights ago as we shared a devotional time around the campfire. I know the angels celebrated these new believers in Christ.

I woke up this morning with the song Beautiful Day in my head. Luckily I was hearing the Palm Valley Praise Team version and the distinctive voice of Amy Gerak instead of my own. The words “Beautiful day, Wonderful day, This is the day that the Lord has made” continued to echo. God is truly so good to us. We look forward to the opportunities he has in store for us today on our last work day before we pack up and head home.

Battle Ground

2005-09-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark for Wednesday, Sept. 14th

Today we drove to Biloxi, Miss. to help a family clean out their home. It was the first day they were let back in. We were told that they had over 9 feet of water in their home. As we drove into the heart of Biloxi, this was by far the worst disaster area we had seen. Much of the area looked like a war zone - total destruction of everything around. We had to pass through a police checkpoint allowing only residents and relief workers through.

Throughout the day U.S. Army Blackhawk and Apache helicopters as well as Coast Guard helicopters, passed overhead. Lot after lot where houses once stood was reduced to nothing more than concrete foundation slabs littered with debris – cars tossed or crushed, boats on top of buildings. The houses that were still there were totally destroyed, ripped from their foundations, or gutted by the storm surge as it passed through. Many houses were carried blocks away from their original location. Many of the blocks we drove by, including the one we worked on, had houses in the middle of the street.

I commented to the guys in our car that I couldn’t believe there would be a house in this area that was not a total loss or that would be worth trying to save. I was asking myself why we had left Pascagoula where we had been working the past several days, to drive 40 minutes away with little hope of actually being able to make a difference at this house. Looking back, I again see how limited my thinking often is and how God takes us to places that he wants us to be, even though we may not see the reason for it.

This was the place our team needed to be today. It was confirmed as we worked in the home of 80+ year old Noah and Althea who have lived in this home for 58 years. We worked 10 hours on this house - taking out everything but the framing in the walls. When we began, the house was covered inside with a layer of mud and muck. As I was slipping and sliding trying to help carry out the waterlogged furniture, a verse came to mind.

“He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.” Psalm 40:2 (NLT)

As the day went on, God continued to bring hurting and desperate people across our path. Like Gary and Earnest who grew up together in this neighborhood and are now both in their 60’s. Like the Stilwells who shared their story of riding the storm out on their roof until their house was carried away. They jumped into their boat and ended up saving several people who would have drowned.

We were able to listen to their stories of despair, to give away many hugs, to pray for many of them and share our testimony of God’s love for us and our love for others as they asked us why we came there and why we gave to them and why we cared. It was so awesome to see God begin to work and tug on the hearts of a few of these people.

Once again God showed us that He is in control and will bring people into our lives for us to share His love with if we will ask and follow Him.

Meeting The Neighbors

2005-09-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Glen Tuesday, Sept. 13

We spent more time Tuesday in some of the worst hit areas of this disaster. We worked our way through a home that had been engulfed by six foot flood waters. Everything in the house was destroyed… actually everything in this entire neighborhood was destroyed. The smell of the houses and the rotting garbage (soaked by salt water and left to mold in the gulf heat) is almost unbearable. Despite the devastation, not many relief workers have made it into this neighborhood yet.

People here are overwhelmed, not just by their losses, but by the complications associated with trying to dig out of the mess that they are now living in. All day today, we saw people who are struggling to deal with the reality of the huge losses they face. Like the woman at the crisis center whose house has been totally flooded and destroyed; like the 100 year old woman who called for assistance to help remove clothing from a house that is barely standing; like the people on this block who will not leave their homes even though the mold and rot is consuming them. All we can do is be a physical presence here and look for the opportunities to touch lives with our desire to provide help.

Many of the homes here were built with brick and first glance they look like they have been hardly damaged. But, when you get close enough, you realize just how much destruction there really is. When you stop and think about it, this scene is in many ways like our own communities back home. We are surrounded by neighbors who look like they have it all together on the outside but they are slowly dying on the inside. When we take the time to meet them in the love the Christ gives us, we can come to see the real distress they are in and reach out to them.

In the first neighborhood that we worked in today, we saw a soldier who had come back to his house to begin the grim task of facing the loss. I walked up the driveway to find out if we could do anything to help. He said no, that he was dealing with things and would be fine. We asked him if he wanted to pray and as I held hands with this 240-pound man in fatigues he cried with me like we had know each other for 10 years.

Last night, in the neighborhood, a man struggling with a life-long addiction stayed with us for our devotions and prayers at the little camp we have set up in the backyard of one of the houses we helped to clean out. He came back to us today clean shaven and wearing a Palm Valley T-shirt, saying it was his day to start a new life. We had prayed the sinner’s prayer around the campfire and it looks as though God has used our church family to reach into the middle of this to bring another neighbor to Him!

Another woman who owns a home we worked on in the neighborhood shared with us today that she jumped on top of her bed with her kids and wept as the water rushed into her house. In her desperation she cried out to God to save them as the waters rose around her to a level that covered the tops of the fences around her home. Then, mercifully, the sea water in her house began to recede.

We came here in hopes of witnessing God’s power for those that needed a hand, but instead God has used every one of these broken people in the neighborhood to witness His power to us. How awesome it is to meet your neighbors!

God Bless you all for your support, prayers and encouragement.

Divine Appointments

2005-09-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Glen Tuesday evening

It all feels so overwhelming. We are surrounded by the work of generations that has been destroyed in the few hours it took for Katrina to devastate the Mississippi coastline. Every job that needs to be done seems so enormous… even the smaller ones. Gutting a house that has been flood damaged takes time to tackle emotionally as well as physically. The home we are clearing this morning is strewn with damaged furniture, clothing, and family pictures. Once that is cleared, there will be the task of sorting through the debris, trying to decide what can be salvaged, if anything. Following that, the house itself will be gutted and everything placed on the curb to be taken to dump sites. Later this morning, we are driving to a home in Biloxi to help a family move what little they have left. Their house is a total loss.

Each minute here is an amazing reminder about what counts in life. Those that are around us that have a relationship with Christ know that they are not alone and that God will shepherd them through this. They are grieving in a different way. For our group, we will come back home feeling like we are leaving a job undone. There is so much work to do here, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

God is working in the midst of all of this in a more powerful way than we can communicate in words. When we arrived at the home we are finishing today, a relative of the young single mom that owned it saw Curtis approaching her. When she realized how far he had driven to help she held onto him and wept.

God gave us a divine appointment. Every trip down the street for supplies, every minute we spend working, every moment at hospitals to drop off toys or time spent talking to those who have lost everything turns into an opportunity. What a great thing it would be to live like this every day... Looking around to see who is in need and sharing our life in Christ by offering practical assistance. How incredible it is to be here and have an army of believers around us here and at home, praying and supporting this effort.

Labor of Love

2005-09-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark for Tuesday, Sept. 13th

Wow, what a day! God has brought us to some wonderful people, and let us hear some amazing stories. The team continues to work extremely hard. We appreciate all your prayers. I only wish you were here to experience this for yourselves. I also wish I had the energy and brainpower to write something that could help capture the events of today, but instead here is a short recap.

We spent all morning helping PVCC member Kurt Riepma clean out his house (see previous post and pictures). Kurt sends his love to all his friends at Palm Valley and wanted to thank all of you who have been praying for him, Risa and the kids.

We returned to Pascagoula after lunch and got to spend some more time with a family that we met yesterday while working in the neighborhood where we are staying.

Grandma (Ms. Benny), is raising her 2 twin grandsons, Aaron and Adrian, as well as caring for her 87-year-old father who lives with them and niece Brittany who is a freshman in high school. A beautiful baby girl (great granddaughter) is with also with them often. We spent time talking with them, praying with them, hugging and holding them while they cried, and moved us to tears. They have been through so much trauma in their lives (I wish I had the time to fully share their story with you here – maybe in another post) that the flooding of their home seemed to not be a big concern to them.

We all miss our families and kids, and it was a refreshing joy for all of us to play with these kids and spend time with the family. We played football, gave piggy back rides and made ramps for the remote control truck we gave to them on Monday. Later in the evening the kids came over for a ravioli dinner at our campfire and then we had races in the street. We feel that they ministered to us as much as we may have to them.

We thank God for opening this door to us. Please be in prayer for this family and for us as we allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. LOVE WINS.

Helping the Riepma Family

2005-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark

We got up early this morning, ate breakfast around the campsite and cleaned up before heading to Kurt and Risa Riepma's house about 25 minutes away. As we drove in to Ocean Springs, it didn't seem that the damage in the area was as bad as what we saw yesterday. But as we got to the bottom of the hill where the Riepma's live we saw the signs of the flooded homes we had seen the day before. We spent the morning removing all the furniture, carpet, padding, and linoleum from their house.

Kurt was in great spirits as we joked with each other and had a great time of "fellowship". All of you would be extremely proud of the men from Palm Valley. Their heart to serve and work hard is amazing. Be sure to check out the pictures that we've sent. Many more are on the way. We've stopped for lunch and are headed back to Pascagoula to begin helping people in that area again. We want to say a special welcome to the Campbell family who arrived safely today. We're looking forward to having the extra help.

We'll post more tonight.

Witnessing the Devastation - Work Begins

2005-09-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Mark

The team woke up at 3:30 a.m. to continue the last 4 hours of our trip. As the sun came up we started to see the signs of Hurricane Katrina’s destruction. As we left Baton Rouge on our way to Slidell, we saw huge trees snapped in half; McDonald’s and bank signs blown over and the awnings knocked off the local Blockbuster Video store.

Past Slidell we got off the freeway to get gas, only to find the gas stations totally destroyed. Everything from appliances, doors and clothing lined the sides of the interstate and roadways – either blown there or carried by the storm surge of 20-30 foot waves. We saw a strong military presence as well as a convoy of NY police vehicles.

Exiting the interstate in Pascagoula, we headed toward the coast line. The many churches showed the toll of strong winds with their steeples toppled over. Driving through the neighborhoods it was a surreal sight to see house after house after house with everything they owned piled up on the curb waiting for the trash service to pick it up. Along the beach we saw the total devastation of both million dollar homes as well average sized-homes.

The sights made me realize how much we can be wrapped up in the business of life and our quest for material things and how quickly it all can be taken from us. As we continued on, I choked up as I witnessed the devastation of the area. It is something words cannot describe.

Even more than the physical devastation, the emotional toll became evident as we began meeting and talking with people in the area. Many were still in shock and didn't know what to do or where to begin. Many were still in denial about the condition of their possessions.

We met Jim and his wife. The water line left on their house showed that the water came to above 5’ at its highest time. We offered to help them move the water and mold-damaged furniture out of their house, but they weren’t ready to part with their things even though they were no longer useable or of any worth.

Driving down the street it was the same scene repeated over and over. Houses completely gutted with everything the family owned piled at the curb.

Later we met an 86-year-old woman named Evelyn who was very leery of us offering to help. She was in denial, telling us that she had no water damage when we could visibly see the water line on the outside of her house. She said all of her stuff was fine and she didn't need any help.

Another woman agreed to let us help her tear out the drywall and insulation in her house, which was already growing mold. But she wanted to keep all the contents of her house so we left those inside.

We also tore down a storage shed, moved an elderly man's furniture and appliances out of his house and spent time talking with many of the neighbors in the area asking them how we could help. We got to witness the elation when they saw the postman driving down their street for the first time in 12 days.

The team took a side trip to take advantage of a 2-for-1 special on tetanus/diphtheria shots from a local medical clinic. After two very minor injuries the team decided that tetanus shots might be a good idea. We also spent some time talking to volunteers there and at the makeshift daycare they were running for children whose daycare centers had been destroyed. We returned an hour later to drop off 2 bags of stuffed animals for the kids.

We’re staying in tents in the backyard of a house where we tore out the drywall. Tomorrow morning we're going to move furniture out of Palm Valley members’ Kurt and Risa Riepma's house. Then we'll continue to seek other opportunities to help people that we met today, as well as find others who are hurting.

Residents here have commented about the many people from churches in their community and around the nation that continue to provide support and care.

A scripture in Matthew came to mind today as entered the area...

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be." Matthew 6:19-21

Arrived in Pascagoula

2005-09-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

The team arrived safely in Pascagoula around 8 a.m. this morning. They will be partnering with North Valley Church to see where they can help.

God Provides

2005-09-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Reported by Pastor Glen

Sunday, September 11 - We are now just outside of Lafayette, Louisiana, having driven 30 hours to be in Pascagoula at first light. Our destination is the First Baptist Church of Pascagoula. I am told that you can still see the spire from the highway and that it is now somewhat of a landmark in town.

We have 9 guys totally together in this effort to help these people to clean up and begin the process of healing. The Campbell family of 5 will meet us in Pascagoula tomorrow. How blessed we feel to be able to enter into the center of this tragedy to offer any comfort that we can. We want to stand beside them as they face a new life. We have no real answers, but what we do know is that we need to be with these people and assure them that they are loved and not forgotten. We want to let them know that Christians from the farthest corner of our country have seen them in their time of need.

We have seen heavy weather and a few miracles along the way today. God has guided us in each aspect of this journey. We have come together in prayer morning and evening and throughout the day when we are in need of direction. Tonight, when there was seemingly no hope of a hotel room and no way to get into Pascagoula before dark, we came to God and asked for his direction. We felt lead to have a meal together, to pray, to have Bible study and to talk about our options.

We worked through 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and studied God's direction for meeting people in their time of need. These verses are about preparing for difficult times, but also that those difficult times bring other believers to help times of need. It was a passage that resonated with this group of men, all hoping to meet needs in the morning... not in our own power, but in the power of Christ.

The restaurant we chose was in a hotel. While eating, we learned that they had just released 4 rooms - the exact number of rooms we needed. I spoke to the woman at the front desk about the miracle of finding a place to stay... she agreed with vigor, adding that these may be the only rooms in the state!

What an awesome God! Thank you to everyone who helped us to put this together on such short notice. God has provided at every turn. It is impossible not to be filled with gratitude for those in the church who have a heart for what is happening here and have given generously to the effort to help the people here.

(Reported by Pastor Glen)

Note from Pastor Greg

2005-09-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Church Family,

I have been overwhelmed at how Palm Valley has responded to the disaster in the gulf area; you’ve put your whole heart into sharing God’s love with those affected. What an exciting day today as we sent a team of people to Mississippi! These 14 people have taken a week out of their busy schedules, with very little notice, to go make a difference.

I’m asking you to join with me in praying for the team on their journey. Their goal is to team with churches in Pascagoula, MS to find people in the area who need help. Our team is prepared to clear debris, cut away fallen trees, move furniture, remove drywall; basically anything that will help people! I’m excited to see how God will use this team.

Keep checking back to follow their journey, and join us tomorrow morning for one of our services, we’ll be praying together for the team.

Pastor Greg

Team Leaves Phoenix

2005-09-10T16:22:00.000-07:00

The team left Phoenix at approximately 3 p.m. today with a 30 hour drive to Pascagoula, Mississippi in front of them. They are in 3 vehicles, one of which is pulling a 15' trailer loaded with tools, water, generators and their camping gear.

Team member Ben Woods has some terrific neighbors. When they heard he was headed to Pascagoula and saw the list of supplies needed there, they generously pitched in. When he arrived home on Friday his front entry was piled with everything from socks and canned goods to toys and clothes.

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated items for those living in Pascagoula as well as supplies needed for the trip.

A list of the team members is on the right side of the page. Please be in prayer for each one of them this week. Specific requests include:

That the 30-hour drive will be a safe one
That there will be no injuries (Dan’s an EMT just in case)
That God’s love will shine through them to those in Pascagoula
That God will open the hearts of those there
For the families of the team members while they are away

Team members (from left): Dan Jerome, Nat Rhodes, Ben Woods, Curtis Parsons, Anthony Riaza, Mark Summers, James Hilbrand, Glen Kerby, Mark Gumm (Noah & Natalie Gumm had to stay here.)

Relief Team heads to Pascagoula, Mississippi

2005-09-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Palm Valley will be sending a team to Pascagoula, Mississippi this Saturday for a week long cleanup mission. We will be assisting local residents and churches as they clear debris and clean out their homes. Please pray for safety of the team this week and for opportunities to share Christ’s love to those that they minister to. They will be driving to Mississippi, staying in tents and working in adverse conditions without electricity or water.

The team will arrive Sunday night. Their first report will be posted Monday night.