Friendship Baptist Church, Smithland, Kentucky

It is truly amazing all of the ways God uses what we consider troubles and delays to bless us and others. This was the first trip for this group from the Paducah Kentucky area down to the Gulf Coast to help with the Katrina rebuild. On the way they had not one, but two blowouts delaying them many hours. But God used both times to teach them many wonderful life lessons in how He works good for those who are obedient servants and soon they were on their way arriving in time to meet the family they were to serve this week. They came on June 23rd and left the morning of the 28th.

The group’s project for the week was to build a stairway and porch landing for a family whose home had 32 feet of flood water and were left with very little. They worked together as a team and completed the porch and stairs in a little more than 2 days! This family is so grateful to finally be able to access their home on stairs instead of an extension ladder. The volunteers also put together a desk / bunk bed set for their sons and performed various other tasks for the family. Lifelong bonding between the family and the group happened this week, one of the greatest blessings God gives us through this work.

The group also worked on our camp installing wood on the front surrounding our doors where black paper has been since the conversion of our barn into a volunteer “camp”. We are so thankful to them for this work! They also built a ramp into our pond so that our family and future volunteers can fish and feed Allie. It is beautiful! We are thankful for this work as well and we know it will provide many hours of fun and recreation for many, many people.

They also helped with our ongoing ministry of taking care of the elderly in our neighborhood. They manicured the lawn for one of our dear ladies who suffered terribly as a result of the storm. And they also fed our family as well as the people they were helping this week. We are praising God for groups like these who follow God’s lead to come and help us in an area that many around the country think is “back to normal”. Nothing could be further from the truth and now this group can also spread the word of the work needed here. Thanks to all who came and served.

Pleasantdale Baptist Church, Pontotoc, MS

Most of the groups who come down lately have been “regulars” to our work. This group is no exception. This has been the third trip for Pleasantdale. We are so grateful for faithful servants to God’s work here in Waveland. The ones who have been here before recognize the need because they see it first hand. And year after year they see the slow progress that is being made to rebuild. It is such a struggle for most of the people here.

This group came all the way down here to work for two days. The men of the group worked continually on Joe and Cindy’s home to complete the rough in electrical system. They are so thankful to have this work done. They had 32 feet of water destroy their home. Rebuilding is difficult due to very strict building codes now in effect since Katrina, triple costs of insurance and other government enforcements hard to comply with for most people. But through it all, God is there for them sending volunteers to help in His name.

The ladies of the group did yard work. Working on a yard that we thought impossible to deal with!! Never have we seen such a sight. Hundreds of plants in containers, there since before Katrina woven together with very high grass and weeds scattered throughout the entire front and back yard. It is truly impossible for this elderly lady stoke victim to contend with. But not for our fearless crew! They tackled this yard with vigor and determination to at least cut paths through this maze of plants so Ms. Betty could walk and enjoy what is left of her beloved plants. They did a very fine job and she was so pleased she gave them plants as “pay”.

An unusual request was answered by our group as well. A neighbor of Ms. Betty asked that they weed her little flower garden. She even provided them with a “hoe” and gloves to perform the job. She was tickled to have this done for her and they were tickled by her kindness and sense of humor!!

They also cut the yard of one of our elderly neighbors we minister to on a regular basis. Thank you gang for coming down and working so hard in so little time. The rain held them up on the second day, otherwise, they would have done more.

This group also took time late in the evening to enjoy learning to “skin board”. Thanks to our young neighbor for sharing his skill with our groups so that they can enjoy the beach and water. We are also thankful that Brandon has a good friend in the Lord, Noah, who comes with his parents on these mission trips and that they have bonded and hopefully will be lifelong friends. They enjoyed swimming together and playing games.

County Line Baptist Church, Randolph, MS

This week, June 1 - 7, was the fourth trip to Power of Prayer Ministries for this hard working group of volunteers from Randolph, MS. The first trip for the youth of the church. The young people of the church work very hard as well!! Many lives were touched this week as they worked with the area people then invited them to camp to share and enjoy their company.

Some of the work and fun this week were of the rare and unusual kind not as yet done here at POP. One of them was the laying out and planting of hundreds of daylilies donated by one of their church members who grows the daylilies as a hobby. Along the sidewalks leading up to the camp and our shower house we cleared long beds for the lilies, then after the plantings, a watering system was installed. Mulch was then added and the final touch was the lighting system! What a beautiful addition to our camp this donation has made!! God has got to be pleased with such a sight. His wonderful creations in every possible color and style lining the path for all to see and enjoy. WOW!! A big thank you to all who came and participated in this truly amazing work and a million thanks to Billy for his wonderful donation of the lilies.

And as if this donation of lilies weren’t enough, Mr. Billy and the hard working youth of the church also cleared a bed along the driveway of one of our neighbors to plant more of the beautiful lilies he brought especially for them!

This group also worked hard in the hot sun this week cutting grass for some of our elderly neighbors POP ministers to on a regular basis and a new contact that we made. They were very grateful for this tremendous help. One lady came to the camp for the first time to have dinner with the group. She was delighted to have been invited and to visit with the young people because she has no living relatives. We are thankful that God has put us in touch with this lady through the servanthood of this group. We will surely continue to keep in touch with Ms. Shirley.

All of this hard work led up to special times of fun. One thing we did was have a “tea party” for the youth in appreciation of working the flower beds. Our neighbor Aimee, who was the recipient of the donation as well, helped to serve the youth. First only the girls joined in, however, the boys couldn’t stand it and they soon joined in to enjoy the tea and fun! They also enjoyed going to the beach and learning to “skin board” by one of our teenage neighbors. He invited them to swim in his pool which they also enjoyed. We know God is happy when we serve Him together working hard for others and then having fun together in His name afterward!!