Partners on Mission

Greetings Friends!

It has been a few weeks since our last update. We trust that all is well with you and the Lord. This week we have volunteers from Indiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Pod Ministry

We have about 6 pods remaining at the camp, built and ready to go. I wanted to share three stories with you.

We delivered a pod to "Susan". She lives near the Pearlington area which is right next to the Louisiana border. Her husband passed away, unexpectedly from a heart attack last week, The funeral was last Saturday. I talked and prayed with her and with her son who lives in Garland, TX. Their house is a mess ... so is their neighborhood for that matter. Her son was concerned about how she was going to get the house finished without anyone to help. I told him that we would send volunteers to help rebuild her house. (James 1:27) After we prayed, Susan wept on Martie's shoulder for several minutes. God is the God of all comfort, we are honored that He is using us to bring comfort to the afflicted in Mississippi.

We delivered a pod to "Jim". Jim met us at the highway. He looked a little rough .... long, unkempt beard ... tattered clothes .... I had to back the trailer down a road to his property which was cluttered with piles of "salvage". We prayed with Jim and I gave him a NIV, large print bible and a copy of Purpose Driven Life. He told me that he loves the Lord and reads his bible every day. He wants to come to our 40 days of purpose study. Wow! I just prayed, "Lord, open the eyes of my heart"!

We delivered a pod to a widow, "Mary" who is in her late 70's. After I prayed with her, she asked if she could recite a poem that she had written many years ago. A poem about her love for the Lord. We blessed her and she blessed us right back! I asked her how things were going with her home. She said that she had no heat or hot water. Someone told her since her gas heat was not affected by the storm she should use it and not replace it with electric. Problem is Waveland won't have gas restored for at least 6 more months. So she sits in her house huddled around a small space heater. She told me that some times she sits in her car to get warm. (We gave her another space heater as an interim solution) She takes a shower in a friend's FEMA trailer next door. Last Saturday, I sent some volunteers over to her house to determine what would be needed to replace the gas hot water heater with an electric one. Come to find out, it was new and not even connected to the water system. Pathfinder bought an electric hot water heater for her. Now as Paul Harvey would say ... "Here's the rest of the story...." One of the men had to go home that day so I told them that when the next group came in, I would have them install the water heater. Sunday morning, during breakfast, the volunteer that had left walked in the door. He said that he woke up early that morning thinking about that hot water heater and had come back to install it. Today, Mary has hot water, PTL. We will help her with her heating next. Lord help me to be as obedient to the prompting your Spirit as that volunteer is.

Rebuilding

Recently the Governor requested and was granted a 6 month extension on the FEMA trailers in Mississippi. Recall that the trailers are supposed to be turned back in next month, Feb 2007. Presently there are still over 30,000 FEMA trailers in use in Mississippi. We expect another extension to be approved since it is unlikely that folks will be back in their homes for some time to come.

Here is a recap of the homes Pathfinder volunteers are working on right now.

Heidelberg Home (Done). The owner is a single mom with two children in school has moved in. Bell South Pioneers have sponsored this family and has completed the rebuilding.

Harris Home. The home owner is a elderly woman. I am providing detail on this home so you have an idea of how many different volunteer groups are involved and the types of tasks we have in most homes.

External doors and windows -- Done -- Demotte, Indiana
Hurricane straps -- Done -- Orlando, Florida

(Hurricane straps are metal straps that are nailed on every framing stud on exterior walls. The straps are nailed to the top and bottom plates ... two straps per stud. In most homes there are over a hundred studs on the exterior walls.)

HVAC system -- Done -- Thorsby, AL
Rough Plumbing -- Done -- Clanton, AL and Vicksburg MS
Sheet Rock and Insulation -- Done -- Clanton, AL
Repair wiring -- Done -- Clanton, AL
Tape and Texture -- 90% Done -- Vicksburg, MS
Measure for cabinets -- Done -- Eclectic, AL

Paint
Flooring
Trim Windows
Install Cabinets
Install Interior doors
Install Water Heater
Finish Trim
Finish Electrical
Finish Plumbing

Gillum Home. The home owners are a couple who attend Little Zion. Victorville, CA volunteers repaired the roof, installed the hurricane straps, installed the windows and doors, and rewired the electrical system that other volunteers (not ours) had installed ( yes, there are times when volunteers do it wrong. The key is to not cause a negative impact on the home owner's finances ... so if we (ever) do it wrong, we will pay to fix it.) The next phase includes finishing hanging the sheetrock and then taping and mudding.

Davis Home. Orlando, FL volunteers and AmeriCorps teams, along with Vicksburg, MS volunteers hung sheetrock. Volunteers from Eclectic, AL installed the cabinets. They need plumbing help.

Toomie Home. Mr Toomie is 79 years old and is attempting to rebuild the home for his son who is in and out of the local VA hospital and daughter-in-law who has severe arthritis. DeMotte, Indiana volunteers are replacing the windows today and will be helping with insulation and sheetrock.

Computer Classes

We will be starting an Excel class sometime in February. We plan to encourage local government employees to attend.

40 Days of Purpose.

We plan to offer a session during the day and at night. I plan to lead the sessions. We will begin calling people who have received a PDL book from us next week. Please pray that God will send His Spirit ahead of us and speak to the hearts of those who will attend.

Celebrate Recovery.

Martie and I will be meeting with Don Herr, from Saddleback's PEACE ministry at the Celebrate Recovery meeting at the Celebration Church in Metairie, LA. Please be in prayer concerning when we should start this ministry and that the Lord will bring co-laborers.

Our House

The past few weeks have been "crunch time" for Martie and me as we worked to finish our house before the volunteer teams start their 2007 trips to the Gulf. A second motivation was that I was trying to get Martie in the house by our anniversary, the 22nd of Jan ( our 35th ). We only missed it by 2 days thanks to the hard work of many volunteers that came along side us. Check out the link on our web site to see what it looks like, then and now. I plan to go to the building office to request a final inspection today. As I have watched our friends toil in our home, often at significant personal expense, a number of "one anothers" mentioned in the Bible have come to mind. It was if the Bible was coming to life. They were helping us because of what they see us doing here in Mississippi. We see what we are doing as only reasonable. It is what God has called us to do. We marvel at what they are doing for us but they see helping us as "only reasonable". It is what God has called them to do. It is about serving one another, loving one another, encouraging one another, being kind and compassionate to one another, submitting to one another, being devoted to one another. Pretty cool! and really humbling when you are at the receiving end of God's blessing ... words cannot adequately express our gratitude.

Pray that God will continue to provide to meet the needs of this ministry, both for the mission and our personal support. He has been so gracious to Pathfinder.

Charley

Charley & Martie Elgin

Pathfinder Mission

Waveland, Mississippi

^{http://www.pathfindermission.org}

^{(228) 493-1081

Isa 58:12…. you shall raise up
the foundations of many generations; you shall be
called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of
streets to live in.}

	Greetings Friends! It has been a few weeks since our last update. We trust that all is well with you and the Lord. This week we have volunteers from Indiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. Pod Ministry We have about 6 pods remaining at the camp, built and ready to go. I wanted to share three stories with you. We delivered a pod to "Susan". She lives near the Pearlington area which is right next to the Louisiana border. Her husband passed away, unexpectedly from a heart attack last week, The funeral was last Saturday. I talked and prayed with her and with her son who lives in Garland, TX. Their house is a mess ... so is their neighborhood for that matter. Her son was concerned about how she was going to get the house finished without anyone to help. I told him that we would send volunteers to help rebuild her house. (James 1:27) After we prayed, Susan wept on Martie's shoulder for several minutes. God is the God of all comfort, we are honored that He is using us to bring comfort to the afflicted in Mississippi. We delivered a pod to "Jim". Jim met us at the highway. He looked a little rough .... long, unkempt beard ... tattered clothes .... I had to back the trailer down a road to his property which was cluttered with piles of "salvage". We prayed with Jim and I gave him a NIV, large print bible and a copy of Purpose Driven Life. He told me that he loves the Lord and reads his bible every day. He wants to come to our 40 days of purpose study. Wow! I just prayed, "Lord, open the eyes of my heart"! We delivered a pod to a widow, "Mary" who is in her late 70's. After I prayed with her, she asked if she could recite a poem that she had written many years ago. A poem about her love for the Lord. We blessed her and she blessed us right back! I asked her how things were going with her home. She said that she had no heat or hot water. Someone told her since her gas heat was not affected by the storm she should use it and not replace it with electric. Problem is Waveland won't have gas restored for at least 6 more months. So she sits in her house huddled around a small space heater. She told me that some times she sits in her car to get warm. (We gave her another space heater as an interim solution) She takes a shower in a friend's FEMA trailer next door. Last Saturday, I sent some volunteers over to her house to determine what would be needed to replace the gas hot water heater with an electric one. Come to find out, it was new and not even connected to the water system. Pathfinder bought an electric hot water heater for her. Now as Paul Harvey would say ... "Here's the rest of the story...." One of the men had to go home that day so I told them that when the next group came in, I would have them install the water heater. Sunday morning, during breakfast, the volunteer that had left walked in the door. He said that he woke up early that morning thinking about that hot water heater and had come back to install it. Today, Mary has hot water, PTL. We will help her with her heating next. Lord help me to be as obedient to the prompting your Spirit as that volunteer is. Rebuilding Recently the Governor requested and was granted a 6 month extension on the FEMA trailers in Mississippi. Recall that the trailers are supposed to be turned back in next month, Feb 2007. Presently there are still over 30,000 FEMA trailers in use in Mississippi. We expect another extension to be approved since it is unlikely that folks will be back in their homes for some time to come. Here is a recap of the homes Pathfinder volunteers are working on right now. Heidelberg Home (Done). The owner is a single mom with two children in school has moved in. Bell South Pioneers have sponsored this family and has completed the rebuilding. Harris Home. The home owner is a elderly woman. I am providing detail on this home so you have an idea of how many different volunteer groups are involved and the types of tasks we have in most homes. External doors and windows -- Done -- Demotte, Indiana Hurricane straps -- Done -- Orlando, Florida (Hurricane straps are metal straps that are nailed on every framing stud on exterior walls. The straps are nailed to the top and bottom plates ... two straps per stud. In most homes there are over a hundred studs on the exterior walls.) HVAC system -- Done -- Thorsby, AL Rough Plumbing -- Done -- Clanton, AL and Vicksburg MS Sheet Rock and Insulation -- Done -- Clanton, AL Repair wiring -- Done -- Clanton, AL Tape and Texture -- 90% Done -- Vicksburg, MS Measure for cabinets -- Done -- Eclectic, AL Next Paint Flooring Trim Windows Install Cabinets Install Interior doors Install Water Heater Finish Trim Finish Electrical Finish Plumbing Gillum Home. The home owners are a couple who attend Little Zion. Victorville, CA volunteers repaired the roof, installed the hurricane straps, installed the windows and doors, and rewired the electrical system that other volunteers (not ours) had installed ( yes, there are times when volunteers do it wrong. The key is to not cause a negative impact on the home owner's finances ... so if we (ever) do it wrong, we will pay to fix it.) The next phase includes finishing hanging the sheetrock and then taping and mudding. Davis Home. Orlando, FL volunteers and AmeriCorps teams, along with Vicksburg, MS volunteers hung sheetrock. Volunteers from Eclectic, AL installed the cabinets. They need plumbing help. Toomie Home. Mr Toomie is 79 years old and is attempting to rebuild the home for his son who is in and out of the local VA hospital and daughter-in-law who has severe arthritis. DeMotte, Indiana volunteers are replacing the windows today and will be helping with insulation and sheetrock. Computer Classes We will be starting an Excel class sometime in February. We plan to encourage local government employees to attend. 40 Days of Purpose. We plan to offer a session during the day and at night. I plan to lead the sessions. We will begin calling people who have received a PDL book from us next week. Please pray that God will send His Spirit ahead of us and speak to the hearts of those who will attend. Celebrate Recovery. Martie and I will be meeting with Don Herr, from Saddleback's PEACE ministry at the Celebrate Recovery meeting at the Celebration Church in Metairie, LA. Please be in prayer concerning when we should start this ministry and that the Lord will bring co-laborers. Our House The past few weeks have been "crunch time" for Martie and me as we worked to finish our house before the volunteer teams start their 2007 trips to the Gulf. A second motivation was that I was trying to get Martie in the house by our anniversary, the 22nd of Jan ( our 35th ). We only missed it by 2 days thanks to the hard work of many volunteers that came along side us. Check out the link on our web site to see what it looks like, then and now. I plan to go to the building office to request a final inspection today. As I have watched our friends toil in our home, often at significant personal expense, a number of "one anothers" mentioned in the Bible have come to mind. It was if the Bible was coming to life. They were helping us because of what they see us doing here in Mississippi. We see what we are doing as only reasonable. It is what God has called us to do. We marvel at what they are doing for us but they see helping us as "only reasonable". It is what God has called them to do. It is about serving one another, loving one another, encouraging one another, being kind and compassionate to one another, submitting to one another, being devoted to one another. Pretty cool! and really humbling when you are at the receiving end of God's blessing ... words cannot adequately express our gratitude. Pray that God will continue to provide to meet the needs of this ministry, both for the mission and our personal support. He has been so gracious to Pathfinder. Charley Charley & Martie Elgin Pathfinder Mission Waveland, Mississippi ^{http://www.pathfindermission.org} ^{(228) 493-1081 Isa 58:12…. you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.}

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