back to the Cov....

Hey Everyone!

I've arrived safely in Covington LA! YAY God! A bigger praise is that when I took my roomy Lacey to the airport today, my tire completely fell off the wheel and Terry Andrus (the finance guy at Urban Impact) came to our rescue! I have a new tire and all is well!

Covington definitely has a different feel to it than before because no one is living out in the trailers in the back of the church parking lot right now. It's weird not to have my summer staffers here but I know God has a reason for me here and for them to be where they are...I just need to really hold on to that and trust Him more.

Today has been just an interesting day. It's weird to go through your stuff, seeing what is worth taking and what isnt...what you're willing to leave behind and perhaps never see again. It totally challenges the materialistic side of you for sure. In my head I just kept thinking of that verse that says:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19)

So you know what, so what if I lose clothes, shoes, bags, etc...my treasure is in heaven with my Father and that's what matters.

Looks like tomorrow we'll be having an early morning staff meeting to discuss where this evacuation might take us. Sounds like Florida is a good bet but once again we're just waiting to see where God wants us and when He wants us to go.

I'll try and keep you posted during this time and I just ask for continual prayer for me, my staff, the people of New Orleans and surrounding areas, the government officials...just pray that we all will be kept safe and no matter what God is exalted above all else!

Love yall!

-Katie

AuGustav!

Well tomorrow is the 3rd year anniversary of Katrina making landfall and I'm going to be evacuating to Covington LA, about an hour north of New Orleans because of another possible landfall next week of Gustav!

I'll keep yall posted where I go next if another evacuation is needed from Covington. Right now I'll most likely be throwing away lots of food in case we lose power, packing as if I'll be gone for a week, and praying continually for the best while preparing for the worst!

A really great website I've been using is http://www.wwltv.com/ then clicking on the 5-day forecast for both Gustav and Hanna.

I'll be most likely evacuating with other members of staff, this way if need be, we'll be able to return to the area before most residents because we are a part of a crisis response organization.

I just ask for prayer during this time! Prayer for the people of New Orleans who have been down this road before, prayer that the levees hold, prayer for safe travels, and just prayer that God will be glorified no matter the circumstances!

LOVE EVERYONE DEARLY!!!

-katie

Isaiah 41:10: "So don't worry because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you."

It's a Great Day to Be Alive!!

Hello Hello!! (the title provided by our dance party this morning in the kitchen!)

I'll definitely be impressed if anyone actually reads this before I tell anyone that I've updated this. I'm so bad with blogs, please dont hate me. I won't promise that I'll do better but my cell is always on if you wanna check up on me that way go ahead!

I'll start with the most recent things and work backwards! I am in the YELLOWHOUSE! IN THE CITY!! I really do love it! We had 5 teams here this week for a grand total of 44 people in the house. It felt like family! Everyone hanging out in the kitchen, working on puzzles, playing spoons with markers, it's just been wonderful! This week I've been blessed with an amazing lady named Julie! She has been cooking for the teams, laughing with me, joking with me, and just all around an answered prayer! As most of you know, my cooking abilities are few and far between so having her here has just rocked! She's from Hershey PA and considering coming back in January for 3 months! SWEET! Let's be praying she does because Lord knows with the amount of teams in the spring we'll need her!

This week has also definitely been bittersweet because a lot of people are leaving for good. Joe, a construction supervisor who's been here since mid-July, is headed back to Penn state, Alysha, my amazing roomy, is going back to MA for school, the Sherwoods are headed home to Cali, and Zack and Mary D are headed back to PA for our closed week next week. Yes I'm off work next week! Because I'm not much of a planner, I'll be chillaxing in NoLa! Hopefully meeting people in the neighborhood, working on my 4-12 month EFCA application, hanging out with Kaarin (she was on staff but now lives in the city), and doing whatever else I like! Maybe a small road trip will be in order but we'll just see what happens :)

Since coming back from the most amazing wedding ever, love you Mere and Joel!, lots of hanging out with staff and teams was had and good hillbilly memories. The guys made a slip-in-slide in the back field, a hot tub in the back of a truck, and a sled out of part of tin roof...yeah who says you can't have fun in Covington.

Well besides all the fun times, God has really been growing me and stretching me here. The initial transition was hard into the city and realizing that this next part of my NOLA experience would be totally different from the summer was hard to swallow. But I definitely know God has me here for a reason and I'm thrilled to be here and serving Him and those He loves! I've been learning how we can hold onto His peace, that He gives us His peace so our hearts don't have to be troubled or afraid (John 14:27).

Last week, I was apart of the Urban Impact Staff retreat where a guy came and spoke to us about the Poverty Mandate and one thing he said that has stuck with me is once we cross the Jordan, we will no longer be able to take part in suffering for Christ and this is our chance now to go outside our comfort zone, to go outside the norm, and actually step out for Christ, to suffer for Him (1 Peter 4:13). He also emphasized that whereever your path takes you, God has preceded you, He is ahead of you, behind you, and with you! Amen!

Like I said, I'm off next week, so oodles of free time for phone calls and playing catch-up with you folks! Oh and just so my March team knows Rock of Ages is so close to being done that it's not even funny! Hopefully they'll get their pews soon and have their first service I'd say definitely before October! :) Praise God for His faithfulness!

August 29th is the 3rd year anni of Hurricane Katrina and the ground breaking for the Urban Impact Community Center!! woot woot! I'm sure it'll be a day of mixed emotion and I just ask that everyone be in prayer for the city! It's an interesting feeling actually being able to put a face on how much Katrina has affected the community, the countless people I've met who lost everything, lost loved ones, and are still praising God all the while astounds me! It's not about me at all, its about Christ and I'm so thankful that He has allowed me to be here!

So yes this was extremely long but I hope you were able to least read one paragraph and see that you are now connected personally to life here in NoLa! Let me know how school, work, life is going with yall too!

LOVE YALL IMMENSELY!!!

-khooks

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galations 2:20

2 Amazing 2 Blog

Hey Guys!

So I'm home right now in Concord for the week for the wonderful Mereshaw/Wiggins Wedding and I can't help but miss NOLA! You have no idea how amazing my time has been there and how I can't wait to head back a week Monday! God has been really showing how important it is to love Him more than anything and then to love on His children with everything I have.

The teams have been great! I feel like pretty soon every church from PA will have come down here but hey that's cool, they're hard workers who love the Lord! My staff is slowly starting to dwindle which is sad but I know the relationships that have been made have been so much more than "on the surface" friendships that it's cool that they're starting the next chapter of their life and relying on God all the way!

So my bday was on Wednesday and my staff decorated my desk and made me my fav funfetti cake then what else would we do but watch Anchorman (my fav movie). I was suppose to meet up with Angela last week but things didn't work out, so hopefully when I get back I can see her and the family!

Prayer requests would be for teams to come down in the fall because right now the whole month of September is dead. Also be in prayer for those leaving the organization and aren't sure what to do next and that God would provide members of staff to take those places. God has been so faithful thus far and we can't forget to praise Him for that!

I've probably forgotten alot since its almost been a month but just know that I've really enjoyed my time down there and meeting the people in the community has been such a blessing and I'm stoked to spend another 11 months or so there with them!

LOVE YALL LOTS!

Katie

"The person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for." 1 Corinthians 8:3

Aloha Hawaii, Hello July!

Hello Hello!

I hope everyone is doing well and is enjoying the wonderful month of July when yours truly was born! :)

Last week was probably the best week ever! I really embraced the teams that were here and got to know them and their struggles and pray over them and it was sooo great! One team was from Hawaii (the same from the previous week plus 21 more) and and the other from Maryland. The Hawaii team did such a great job of welcoming Maryland that by the 2nd day we felt like a big family (which we are in Christ). On Thursday, I went to work on one of the jobsites and that was great! It's so nice to be able to meet the homeowner and talk with her and hear her story. I was also able to stop by Angela's house for some of you who know her but unfortunately she was in Texas but I was able to speak with her son-in-law and her daughter. They said Angela should be back soon so I hope I can see her!

This week we have another team from Maryland and one from Illinois. The Maryland team is a little wild and crazy but so on fire for serving that I can deal with the noise. Last night, me Kaarin, and Mark went to a park and just sat and watched the stars come out. Kaarin is actually going to be moving into the central city as well so I'm glad I'll have a friend when I get there.

A definite God praise is that I was finally told the amount for my support raised thus far and its already up to half of what I would need to stay here for a year! God has blessed me more than I could ever imagine! God is good, all the time!

This morning I went on a bike ride with one of the families who is on staff here, the Horst family. John is on staff, then his wife Kris, daughters Allison, Abigail, and son Adam. They are all so welcoming and will be here until March of next year so yay for people staying!

Sorry if this was long but I'll hopefully figure out a way to put up photos so you can see them too!

Please continue to pray that I can really see areas where I struggle and ask God for help with them!

Yall are awesome!
LOVE YOU!

Katie

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:22-24