Greetings!
We trust
this update finds you well and walking in step with the Lord.
The Elgin's. Thank you all for your prayers concerning
Martie's health. The treatment for Martie's back seems to have
relieved some of the pain. We go back on the 24th of this month for
one more treatment. Martie has some other appointments that next
week, as do I. The longer this machine (body) runs, the more
maintenance is required :o) Many of you know all too well what I
mean. In our last update I told you we were going to sell our Honda
Civic since we were not using it and we had a car payment on it. A
friend from Montgomery owns a car lot and agreed to sell it for us.
I talked to his wife today. She told me that he had expressed some
concern that being able to sell a car of that value on his lot. She
told him that if the Lord was in it, it would be sold. The reason I
was talking to her is that they sold our car yesterday! PTL Wow ---
is God good or what! I told Martie we need to be careful that when
we put our house on the market that we are really ready to sell it
:o)
The Camp. George and Lona returned after their trip back
to California. They are such a wonderful couple and a blessing to
us. We have kindred spirits with them. How refreshing and
encouraging they are. I don't mean to say that others are not, but
it is like God sent them to our camp as encouragers for us -- Like
Aaron and Hur.
Have you
ever met another believer that you connected with in a special way?
That is how it is with them.
We have
more volunteers that you can imagine. Our challenge is to manage
the work flow for them, to keep them fed, and to give them a
spiritual context for their time here. We want to make the maximum
use of their gift of service while they are here. The weather is
starting to warm up some which makes sleeping in a tent not such an
adventure for those who are intrigued by the thought of "camping
out". I just talked with three farmers from Wisconsin who are with
a Christian farmers association. They had been working in Louisiana
in the area hit by Hurricane Rita. I was talking to them about the
spiritual context of this season of relief support and the
opportunity they had to share the Gospel. One of them said that he
had brought some tracts and other materials but had not shared their
faith with anyone. He had a look of regret on his face as he
spoke.
Some of
our full time volunteers are growing weary, not of well doing, but
physically and emotionally tired. Please pray that God will give
them strength and wisdom. And that He will raise up others who are
willing to join us for extended periods ( 1 -2 months) to provide
continuity at the camp.
The Community. We are still working diligently on homes in
the community. Mudding out, hanging sheetrock and roofing. Next
week we will be doing a good bit of electrical work. We gutted a
home for Tracie and her family yesterday. Today she came to the
office crying with two boxes of donuts. She said "My house is
done. It is such a relief of stress on me. I didn't know how to
thanks those guys so I bought these donuts for them." And so the
work continues. God is the God of all comfort, who comforts us in
our affliction so we can comfort others.
The Church. We have some electricians coming in this
weekend to help restore power to the church. We are also receiving
100 sheets of 12' sheetrock for the sanctuary.
The Construction of Storage Pods. ( I did come up with a
good "C" word!) I know all of you
alliterists are proud of me :o) We have used all of the (102)
Prefabs that were sent by our friends in Indiana and have delivered
over 150 pods to the community. 1st Christian Reformed Church is
already working on the next 100. Other churches have committed to
help us with prefabs as well. In the mean time, we have ordered
more wood and metal which should arrive tomorrow for the next 100
pods. That will put us half way to the 500 we have committed to.
God is awesome! BTW, that last report is that there are now 8500
FEMA trailers placed.
Well
that's it for this week. Martie and I value your partnership in
this ministry. Please continue to pray for us, our physical health
and spiritual health and that God would continue to meet our
financial needs.
Till
next week.
Charley
Charley & Martie Elgin
Shoreline Park Disaster Response Project
Office: 228-467-9461
Psalm 25:4-5
Show me your ways, O
Lord,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are
God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
