Dear God,
We sometimes struggle to make sense out of the trials of life. While we would like circumstances to be normal and predictable, they are not. Sickness, death, destruction, and hardships challenge us. Sometimes we even question Your providence, O Lord. Please forgive us, we pray. May we be like the Psalmist, who after the lament say, “Still will I trust in You”. In Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN
_____________
To listen to the Lenten devotion for today, click here:
A REPORT FROM JOPLIN
I am writing this article from the Mission Station in Joplin. Our group is doing quite well, but we have really been hampered by the steady rain. So many jobs were outside and now we are limited to “inside” work. It is Spring Break with hundreds of college and high school students here to help, so our crew is working part days at best, with a couple of exceptions. That being said, everyone is glad to be here. The destruction is still so obvious, even ten months after the devastating tornado. It is overwhelming at times.
We are sharing accommodations and work assignments with the campus minister (a Disciple) and a number of students from Kansas State University. They are all now new friends.
The church here is amazing. The building was built in the early 1900’s. They had a flood in the basement a couple of years ago and had totally remodeled the area, using a lot of church volunteer labor. The tornado ripped off most of the roof, but the basement was not impacted. Now they have totally remodeled the interior of the building. It is well marked with good interior signage and has a very welcoming ambience. The people are exceptionally accommodating and are even fixing our supper this evening. The Mission Station is in an old Quonset hut. Earlier mission teams have totally redone the inside to accommodate 36 people with bunks, showers, and dining facilities. We are the first group to use it and workmen are still coming in every day to finish projects. Week of Compassion money, along with other donations, funded the overhaul. The Church is committed to maintaining the purpose of the Mission Station for five years. Right now groups are scheduled every week until October.
Thank you for all your support. We are attempting to be good representatives of Central Christian Church. I am so proud of our volunteers. You should be too.
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
No comments:
Post a Comment