Saturday, October 11, 2008

read EFCA Crisis Response blog

I volunteered to post on the efca crisis response blog so if you like to read it...

click here

peace & love,

khooks

Welcome to Texas



Hi yall!

I made it safely to Texas today! Yee-haw! I rode with Gene Johnson who is a cool guy who has volunteered with relief work many times and shared stories with me of when he came down right after Katrina and God providing in amazing ways! When we arrived, teams were gutting the inside of Galveston Bible Church and taking off the cushions of the chairs to throw away because of the mold/flood damage. I got busy right away organizing our office and helping get things going for setting up an operation here. In pics you'll see the water level came up to 2 feet inside the church after climbing 6 feet to get in the building. I'm already hearing stories from people who have met those affected by Ike and how much there is to do. I hope to go out exploring tomorrow or perhaps to a jobsite or 2 to really get my hands dirty and love on the people of Galveston.

I'll keep you posted and let me know how yall are doing! Please just be in prayer for the Galveston people, they really need a lot of help and the volunteer force just isn't there but we know God is here and He has everything under control.

LOVE YA!

katie

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Calm before the Storm...and after really

Hello Hello!

So yes I've been too busy to blog. Imagine that. But the last week or so in September has actually been pretty amazing. Getting to know the Urban Impact staff and members of Castle Rock has been great! I feel like I'm really growing closer to God right now and praying tons more which is always good! I know God has me here for a reason and I really hope to grow closer to Him during my time here in NOLA so I can be closer to Him when I leave...yeah not thinking about that right now.

Anyways...the reason for the title is because my life is about to get crazy again! TEAMS COME SUNDAY!!! YAYYAYAA! We're having 22 people chillaxin in the yellowhouse and yours truly will be hosting, cooking, pretty much everything except leading a jobsite. Then on Friday, I'm making my way to TEXAS yall!!! YEE-HAW! I'm headed to Galveston to help the teams there and Julie Horst with managing stuff and Mark Lewis said I could even lead a group to gut a house...hey why not! I'll be there for a week and I know it's gonna be hard! To see what people have lost and how much damage Ike really caused, not just to homes, but to people themselves, I just ask that yall would pray for the people of Galveston now and ask that God would prepare my heart for what I'm about to witness and that I can love on them like God loves them!

Then from Texas, I'll be up at Trinity, hosting teams there, followed by two more weeks of teams at the yellowhouse. Right now there's no one for mid-november and my parents COME thanksgiving week!! SWEET! Can't wait for Bev and Bill (aka Mom and Dad) to see what life is like down here!

soooo Prayer Requests:
for God's strength, I need Him to get through this!
for Allie B: my best friend from college left for South Africa today and will be there doing mission work for 3 months! pray that God uses her there to love on the kids and she really grows closer to God through this experience!
for the teams coming, that God is preparing their hearts and for Him to bless their work and they can love on the people of New Orleans and Galveston!
for Urban Impact: pray for wisdom for Pastor John and for provision with money for their ministry to continue and for the building project.
for Crisis Response: pray for wisdom for Mark Lewis, that we can better serve those in need
Pray that we all fix our eyes on Jesus and remember what He has done for us by dying on the cross in our place so we can have a personal relationship with Him!
Pray in all things God would be glorified and given all praise!

Thanks for taking the time to read this! Let me know how I can pray for you and hope yall have an awesome beginning to October too!

p.s. Happy Birthday Dad!

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:16

"Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7

"Pray continually" 1 Thess. 5:17