this is how it should be...sha sha, sha doo

Hello Hello and Merry late Christmas everyone! Hope you're looking forward to the new year and thinking of ways to make this year better and pondering on all the good times of 08!! I know I had some! :)

But anyway, the point of the title of my blog today is a song by Ben Kweller called "How it should be" and it came into my head after hanging out with my good friend Joe who is down here for 2 weeks and was one of my summer staffer buddies! Seeing him and Alysha (also here for 2 weeks and was a summer staffer) has just brought back so many wonderful memories from the summer but also reminded me that this should always be my mission field. I think I've gotten too comfortable and after talking to Alysha about how coming here gives her this confidence to talk to strangers, I know exactly what she is talking about, I'm realizing that this is how it should be...I want to be about seeking and saving the lost, making disciples of all nations and where better to start than in New Orleans...or better yet, you can start exactly where you are. I just hope and pray that 09 for me is a year that I suffer for the sake of the gospel!

Happy "early" New Year!

LOVE YA!

-khooks

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 1 Peter 4:12-14

Almost 6 Months...

Hi Everyone!

I guess to say it's been a while is kind of an understatement. The last time I blogged I had just arrived in Galveston for the first time. Since then I've been back to Galveston and seen quite a bit of improvements in the area with a loong way to go before it's back to pre-Ike. My parents came down for Thanksgiving week, stayed in the yellow house, worked on Ms. Lee's home, and couldn't believe how much work there is still to do in New Orleans even 3 years after Katrina.

We have one team in this week then nothing until the week after Christmas...so I'll be headed back to NC sometime next week. So if you're around I definitely want to see you, catch up on your life, and tell you even more about how God is using this ministry to reach out to those in need!

Something I shared with the teams the week of Thanksgiving is a verse God has really been using in my life to comfort me and even more to tell me exactly what I'm supposed to be doing with my life...It's in Hebrews 6, verse 11:

Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.

So yes, 6 months into my year here in New Orleans and I still don't have a clue as to what is next...it feels like my senior year of college all over...but what I do know is that as long as life lasts, I am to LOVE OTHERS! plain and simple.

Please pray that I continue to love others, that I continue to seek God's will, and that I make the most out of every opportunity, that I am in His word daily and praying continually!

Thanks for reading! Let me know how I can be praying for you!

peace and love,

khooks

p.s. I'm training for a half marathon in New Orleans on Feb 1st, so if you'd like to pray for strength for that, that'd be wonderful! :)

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

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