Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Ringgold, Georgia, October 2009

9 members of the group above were scared away by the "swine" flu and are not pictured. One of the above photographed members came in on Saturday with a van load of people not knowing she was infected until later that night. She wound up having a mild case and was fine by the time she left. No one else contracted it so we were thankful.

Unbelievable record heat for October came this week due to tropical storm Olaf that blew in from the Pacific across Mexico and Texas and gathered up all the heat we believe was located in those two places!! The heat index soared at about 106 degrees for 3 days. Also, for one of those days torrents of rain fell that is almost always welcomed here!

A terrific attempt was made on Sunday to have a simulcast service with Poplar Springs church. We had our den set up with a large screen and webcams at both places, invited neighbors and got ready to join them in the service when the computer at the church suddenly went on the blitz not allowing us to hear or view the service. You know you are doing something right when so much goes wrong!! Swine flu, tropical storm and this!

None the less, of the group who stayed and managed to work out the situation, it turned out to be a wonderful week. The group helped us rebuild our greenhouse that was taken down in Katrina and later built as a shower house for our camp. We are very grateful that after 4 years we once again have this structure going up that will help us continue to minister to the area people by being able to share the produce grown. We had a temporary structure for the past two years that we were able to use and the much bigger new permanent one is truly a blessing.

The group also helped us clear a grown up area behind our shower house that was harboring snakes and black widow spiders, and oh, poison sumac!! Wow, what sacrifice!! They helped us relocate the contents (a lifetime collection of rocks and minerals) to a permanent location inside Brandon's playground. We are ever so blessed and grateful for this labor of love as well.

But, the most important work that was done this week was the continuing work of the Lord leading us into fellowship with those He has given us as friends in the area. Meals were held on the back porch due to the "quarantine" of the swine flu in the camp. We still had a wonderful time of caring and sharing despite the heat and the bugs.

We didn't get a chance to say it on the webcam on Sunday, but Poplar Springs we want you to know we are ever so grateful for the commitment your church has in supporting us in your prayers, your love and devotion to coming here and continuing the work God has brought before us with Hurricane Katrina. We certainly pray it continues for as long as He desires.

Oak Grove Church, Drasco, Arkansas, August 2009

This was Oak Grove Youth Group's first visit to Power of Prayer Ministries and it was their first trip to the Gulf Coast. They really didn't know what to expect, knowing it was 4 years since Katrina.

Much to their surprise there is still much destruction as Waveland was center of ground zero of the storm. Trees are still left standing dead in their places by the thousands. Slabs still remain where houses once stood. And for the most part land is empty of residents who decided not to return leaving ugly overgrown shrubs and weeds where there once were beautiful manicured lawns. Our streets are still torn up from all of the heavy equipment and pot holes are tearing up our vehicles daily little by little. Our beach is also being reworked and much of it is torn up right now as well. So all in all, Waveland is still not a very desirable place.

But what is here are the lonely, the oppressed, the depressed and the lost. A mission-minded person's paradise. And this week, that's just what these young people were interested in doing, administering God's love, grace, mercy, and hope. They did this through loving acts of kindness shown by mowing, moving, cleaning, planting, painting and staining.

They also performed an amazing skit at Davis grocery in the Bayside community. They all sang and played praise music on the "cement stage" where they also painted 5 beautiful paintings depicting Jesus death on the cross for our sins. Make sure to check out the pictures on Flicker! They rented 2 large spacewalks, one obstacle course and one jumper with obstacles inside. The children from the community enjoyed these as well.

Thank you to Oak Grove Church. We hope to see you again some day.

Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Ringgold, GA, July 2009

Thank you Poplar Springs for this visit. As always seeking to do God's will. And we know God has surely blessed this week.

We see it in our community and in our own families. People searching, seeking, floundering, unsure of what they really want and what their real purpose in life might be. Looking for fulfillment in life by seeking things, pleasure, security, or other people to fill the void in their lives and give them the contentment and satisfaction they so long for. They are missing the very essence of life. What they are missing is JESUS.

Together with God's disciples that is the message we are striving to share with the world. Sharing the gospel message is what we as Jesus' disciples have been called to do; ministering together in the cause of Christ. That was what this week was about.

We thank these two families who came and served and we look forward to October and the church's next visit.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CHICKAMAUGA, GA June 2009

As you scroll across the pictures of the beautiful little faces of the children who were recipients of this wonderful groups efforts to have Backyard Bible Club in the extreme heat of this particular June, you can surely see God at work. I can't remember a June this hot and yet these wonderful servants brazed the heat each day to do His work with some of His most treasured, the children. And we say this with the utmost respect, not all of His workers were young, most were of good age. Which goes to show, whether young or old, all can be used of God if we are willing no matter what the circumstances!!

The others in the group, the highly skilled men and women of the construction type, were used by God with their talents and gifts in this area. So much work was done in one short week it was once again simply amazing what God can do.

Some of the work included working in a local church installing ceramic tile flooring. Installing insulation and sheetrock in the home of one of our Waveland residents whose home was completely washed away in the storm. Two of the men came back a couple of weeks later to complete the sheetrock finishing. The care shown was completely mind boggling to our resident who is ecstatic about the work that was done.

The group also helped another family who they had met the year after the storm while here working with Samaritan's Purse organization. The wife came to the camp and gave her story of what happened to she and her husband in the midst of Katrina as they both stayed and suffered serious injury's both physically and emotionally. But with God's help they are trying to overcome both.

This was the first time FBC of Chickamauga came to work with Power of Prayer Ministries. We surely hope they make this home for mission work in the Gulf Coast of MS. Thank you so much for all of the work you have done here.

Pleasantdale Baptist Church, MS, June 2009

Pleasantdale did it again. They came in for a few days and worked themselves silly in those few short days! We don't know how they do it except that they are young and full of energy and so willing to work hard for the Lord.

Some of the men worked on a home that is just now in the framing stage. They worked installing blocking inside the walls of the home and blessed the owner with the next phase of the work nesessary to continue framing.

The females did a variety of what they always do and seem to do really well. Clean yards, cut grass and this time they pressure washed a home and made it look new again. But most importantly they did this work with happiness and care that showed God's love come shining through for all to see and feel. It is work like this that continues to be such a shining light through the darkness to those who need it and helps us bond with the community people.

Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Ringgold, Georgia, April 2009

For many reasons we are so excited each time this wonderful group from GA comes down to Waveland. This was their sixth trip since Katrina!! They have made many lasting friendships and have added many new ones this time while serving the Lord in so many different ways. They are also a tremendous source of encouragement for us as we continue in the work the Lord has laid out for us to do.

They arrived on Saturday evening and wasted no time meeting the area people with whom they were going to work on Sunday. We listened to a wonderful testimony from a local store owner who had stayed for Katrina. God revealed Himself in so many ways to him after the storm that he came to know Him personally and has given his store grounds for His work. After attending church with them on Sunday, we took him up on his offer to use his land and had an egg hunt there for the community children. Many children came and were ministered to and one child gave her life to Jesus, Amen!! It was a fun-filled exciting day for the children as they learned about Jesus.

Later that day we gave our young neighbor a surprise party for her "sweet sixteenth" birthday. Besides the 28 people from GA and all of our family, her family and some of her friends came for a "sweet" time of food, fun and fellowship. By the look on her face she was very surprised! She also received many nice gifts from the group which really pleased her and made her very happy. This time of fellowship was a very neat way to encourage this young girl in her new walk with the Lord.

Monday began some very difficult work on our family property. We are so excited and appreciative of the groups hard work to clear the land in the woods and blaze a trail that downed trees had destroyed after Katrina. For three days the group worked to clear a path 7/10ths of a mile long with the help of our neighbor and his working machine! This trail allows us to access a part of our land we have not seen for years. It will be used for our neighbors to enjoy as well as volunteers who come to serve here. We thank you for this wonderful ministry!

Also, we had repair work to our shower house done by an able bodied craftsman and his helpers. Hurricane Gustav had damaged a tree that fell on part of our building and destroyed some of our siding. They were able to repair the building and add a gutter to prevent water damage to the front of the building and the sidewalk leading up to the shower house. Then the entire sidewalk was removed, dirt was added by our youngest helpers who shoveled and moved wheelbarrow loads of dirt to lift our sidewalk and level it as well. It is beautiful and our little missionaries learned how to have a servant's heart while working hard for Him! And after almost 4 years our pump house finally received its siding and two coats of paint!! Wow, what a difference all of this makes to the camp.

Many in the group worked on the local church we attended on Sunday. They painted the interior hallway and doors of the classroom area. This church has a large ministry with the children in the community picking them up on a bus every Sunday. The area that was painted is heavily used by the children. The pastor was encouraged by the group on Sunday in church and again in the afternoon with the egg hunt that he and his wife attended. They were excited that this event led them to meet more locals they did not know.

Many area people were ministered to as well this week. One family whose home was destroyed both by Katrina and flooded again by Gustav, had the bottom of their home gutted of the last of the inside walls and fixtures. These people are so grateful for this work because they are exhausted with all they have been through these past few years they can barely exist. Dirt was moved and spread for another elderly couple. Weeds were pulled for yet another elderly lady. Baseboards were set and cleaned for another neighbor. The Waveland police and fire department were visited and given gifts for all they've done and endured these past years and they were taken away by the thoughtfulness of these volunteers representing Jesus. One man with whom we've worked for about a year is so close to finally moving into his new home built mainly by volunteers. This group was able to put the final touches on his home preparing for move in by cleaning the home of dust and dirt. The owner was very appreciative.

And last but not at all least, 28 area people were fed this week by these wonderful people!! Wow! Through food and fellowship God was indeed lifted up, honored and praised. We are encouraged and thankful for this past week and look forward to their 7th visit!!

Oak Hill Baptist Church, Pontotoc, MS

There are no words that can fully describe the amazing and miraculous events that happened this past weekend. Among many wonderful happenings, we saw how God used 38 people to touch an entire community because they did seek Him and did not let the enemy have his way.

We knew wonderful and mighty things were going to happen through this group on "Day in the Park" day, March 14th, that they have been planning since last year. We knew because of who they are, servants with a loving and giving spirit willing to serve no matter the cost and we knew because of Whose they are, God's children who have the power within to fight the enemy and win and they did.

We also knew because just about everything that could go wrong, did go wrong even before they arrived. Besides things at the camp breaking and causing much trouble, the rain came in torrents and along with the rain more gnats than we could possibly ever describe. All this and even a last minute change of venue could not stop God working mightily throughout the day and into the night to produce one of the most spirit-filled events this community has seen in a very long time.

The area community in which they worked is a much neglected part of our county. Most people are very poor. Drugs, alcohol, stabbings and shootings are common place. The only church has 15 adult members, yet this community is one of the largest populated in the area. They were very hard hit by Katrina, literally everyone suffering severe flooding and damage, adding to the already depressed living conditions.

On Saturday the group set up tents and held Bible and craft classes for children, youth and adults. They set up in a park next to a grocery store at the front of the community. There were more than 40 children alone who attended. Surprising were the amount of teens and adults who also attended even with the rain and gnats. Everyone was very attentive to the Word of God showing their hunger for Him. And they were also very hungry for the attention that the volunteers gave showing Jesus' love for them. After the classes they were fed lunch. Game time was interrupted by the rain so everyone waited for the evening meal and concert.

With the rain coming down in torrents it was time to move to the only church in the area. There the group of volunteers fed many people a wonderful evening meal before entering the small church to hear the Fishers of Men gospel singing group perform their wonderful music. God has also gifted the musicians with sharing their own personal testimonies from their hearts that further leads everyone into worship of our Lord and Savior.

On Saturday night, the church was filled with the singers, the volunteers, the church members, the people from the area and the Holy Spirit who filled the place with His presence. We worshiped, prayed and many gave testimonies giving glory, honor and praise to Jesus. And three people prayed to receive Christ as Savior!! Hallelujah!!!!
What a night. One we will never forget.

We also want to give praise to the Lord for four special men who worked in the rain and gnats digging a much needed water line. This work was so important to us and we are indebted to them. Also, there were many in the group who worked on Saturday putting up a pavilion at the church. All in all, much was accomplished for His Kingdom in just one weekend! The group is planning to come back in the fall and we are so grateful for them. We know God will richly bless you Oak Hill.

The Rock Church

These volunteers have continued to come and minister to the people on the Gulf Coast since Katrina. This was their second visit to P.O.P. We were happy to meet the new folks and also Pastor Ricky who was able to come for a couple of days.

Don’t be fooled by the pictures!! Yes, we enjoyed a lot of food, fun and fellowship while serving our Lord together but this team blessed a lot of families with a lot of hard work this week including our own.

One of our major projects has been the ongoing ministry we have with the Butler family. The team of volunteers helped him by installing siding to his home as well as completing the framing, caulking and painting of his interior windows. Some of his baseboards were also cut and installed. This work has helped the family get closer to their “move in” date of February 16th. They are ever so grateful for the sacrifice this group made with their talents, time, care and concern shown to them while they were here this week.

This group also worked on Woody‘s home, a man to whom God led us in January of last year when we framed his home with a team from VA. Since that time Woody has also been blessed to receive lots of help completing his beautiful home. This team caulked the siding and windows of the exterior of the home. They also spray painted the home it’s beautiful green color! Woody is also very appreciative of all of the hard work and sacrifice. He will also be able to move into his new home soon!

Another couple God has us ministering to since the storm are our neighbors on the lake, Brian and Jan. Their home had extensive damage from the flood surge but still had it’s basic structure remaining. This team was able to help them by installing railing around their porch missing since the storm. In a storage room under the house they installed a very large storage shelf and another shelf beneath it Brian calls his “workbench”. The couple are always amazed that people would do so much for them and they too have seen the love of Jesus pour through the hearts of the volunteers.

Our camp facility was once again blessed by the work of this team. Last year they installed porcelain tile in our kitchen / dining area which has been an unbelievable blessing to us and all who have come since. This time they painted our two restrooms and one of the bunk rooms. WOW! It brightened up the areas and gave it a fresh, clean look that is able to be wiped down and cleaned and also added an air of cheeriness to the spaces. P.O.P. is so thankful for this work!!

Last but not least, we have been so, so honored this week to have the same wonderful father and son team who worked on our camp floor to install ceramic tile in our tub area and shower stall. They also completed Monica’s tub surround and step. Words cannot express our gratitude for all of the outpouring of love, sacrifice and care this group of people have shown to our family. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We love you.

First Baptist Church Saltillo

These wonderful people gave up their Thanksgiving and the time to be with their families to come down here and volunteer their labor to install sheetrock for a family we have been working with since March.

They were able to complete all of the sheetrock installation and now all we need to do is complete the taping, floating and finishing.

We are so grateful for their sacrifices and for their understanding that our work is still ongoing and more critical than ever because we have fewer volunteers coming now.

Building relationships with the area people who need Jesus and are unchurched is what our ministry is all about. Allowing others to see a difference in us and through us while performing services for them is key to leading them to Christ.
__________________________________________________________________

We thank all of the groups who have sacrificed their time, labor and money and have continued to come this year in spite of the high gas prices we saw and the state of the economy that is the worst we've seen in many years. God is well pleased with His servants.

Please be in prayer with us that we will be able to continue on until God closes our doors reaching new people for Him in the coming years. Also, please pray for those folks whom you have met and worked with this year who need Jesus.

We pray that each of you has a wonderful and joyful CHRISTmas and a very Happy New Year!!

County Line Baptist Church

Thank you to the faithful men of Countyline Baptist Church who have committed themselves to continued service to the Lord by coming and working here on the Gulf Coast time after time. God is pleased, we are grateful and the family who they helped are very blessed indeed.

This church bought sheetrock, brought it down from Pontotoc County and installed it in the home we have been working on. They were able to install about half of the ceiling work and some of the walls in the home.

We are thankful that through this ministry we are able to continue building our relationship with this dear family as we help them rebuild and hopefully soon be able to move into their new home.

Thank you also, Countyline, for bringing new folks and introducing them to the much needed work that is here and will be for a long time to come. Thank you church for your generosity and love that you have shown to the people of the Gulf Coast. You are very much appreciated.

Power of Prayer Ministries Celebration

We want to let you know of a wonderful Celebration of God's work here on the Gulf Coast that took place on October 11, 2008. The people of Oak Hill Baptist Church worked for many months to pull together this awesome event held at the Pontotoc County Agri-Center in Pontotoc, MS.

The event was to thank those from this area who have worked with us for the past 3 years to help rebuild the homes and lives of those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It was also to let people know that the work is far from over and still very much in need of volunteers and it is estimated the work here will be ongoing for the next 6 to 10 years.

It was extraordinary to see all of the efforts of these faithful people in everything that was done. The first thing was the food. Awesome!! A giant trailer with the biggest cooker we've ever seen in our lives cooking the most food we've ever seen cooked at one time (we think over 30 Boston Butt pork roasts!!). It was sooooo good. And it was free to anyone and everyone who came!

And all of the people who helped with all of the activities. The pictures of the past 3 years of work at Power of Prayer was put onto two TV's set up for groups to see as they came in. A video of testimonies of some of those who have been helped through these past 3 years was playing on an enormous big screen in the arena. And one of the families on the video came in person to the celebration to honor those who have sacrificed so much to come and help from Pontotoc.

Workers were everywhere. There were people cooking and serving food, helping with people signing in, selling T-shirts and helping with donations, decorating the stage, printing up information sheets on P.O.P. for distribution, and people who made signs. Thank you to everyone who helped in any way.

We were thrilled to be able to see so many of the people from this wonderful north MS county of Pontotoc who helped us get started and have continued to help us through these 3 years. We enjoyed meeting with you in your "neck of the woods". We love all of you dearly. Thank you again for your times of service. We look forward to working with you in the future!!

And of course, the music was unbeatable. First there was a very beautiful and unusual performance put on by members of Oak Hill. It was in the dark with black lights and just their hands that sported white gloves were visible and they "signed" with their gloved hands to some very touching songs. Very impressive indeed!!

And those wonderful guys of Fishers of Men with their big booming outstanding voices always giving God honor and glory. It was great to meet you on your turf and meet your wifes and families. And to hear your joyous singing once again. And we look forward to next year!! Thank you so much for your sacrifices.

We want to thank the local radio station who broadcast the information and the local newspaper who had an article about the event and P.O.P. Ministries.

We also appreciated hearing from our speakers. And it was a pleasure to have with us our friends and helpers from the start, Kim Faulkner and Barry Boyd.

Barry presented Power of Prayer Ministries with a beautiful etching of an eagle and a dead tree. Very significant to us. While praying about whether to begin P.O.P.out in our back field of dead trees, God sent a bald eagle right overhead. He circled us for a while, then disappeared. It was very touching for God to do this, because before the storm we had a family of four eagles living behind the swamp from us. We would see them nearly every day and sometimes they would fly really low over us in the woods. One day before the storm, Linda was by herself on the boardwalk Dave built for her and she saw a shadow cast on the walk. When she looked up there was one of the eagles so low she could almost reach up and touch him. We worried that the storm had killed the eagles or sent them away because we did not see any living bird after the storm for months. But this day, when he circled us out in the back field where we sat, we knew this was somehow a sign from God that we should indeed begin P.O.P. and that we would "soar" as the eagle if we did. We have not seen an eagle again until October of this year while we were praying with a group from Florida out on our front drive, 3 years later exactly!!

We truly feel that is what has happened these past 3 years. God has allowed us to "ride on His wings" to see many blessings and miracles of what He can do with complete destruction of lives and things. It has been nothing short of pure joy for us to be a tiny part of His plan and we are humbled and honored that He choose us to do it. Thank you, Jesus. We wouldn't trade it for anything else. We have seen God's glory manifested in ways we would have never seen without this storm. We have gained entry into homes and into the lives of people we would have never met and ministered in ways we never dreamed possible. We have heard stories that were unbelievable of survival and of God's grace. Many have given God honor and praise for their being saved from certain death. And just about everyone has given God praise for you, His volunteers. A huge turn around from the signs on the roadway we saw when we first arrived back, "Christians go home".

So, thanks again for the wonderful celebration. We pray to be able to continue the work God has started for His glory and we are thankful that we have you to join us in that journey.

Bell Shoals Baptist Church, Brandon, Florida

This group came from Tampa, FL area. They stayed two weeks from Sept. 20th through October 3rd. Some in the group came the second week only.

As we have found out after 3 years of ministry helping people, God has a way of changing plans at the last minute no matter how well we plan. Well, this past two weeks were one of those. Hurricane Gustav did more damage here than he should have considering he didn't even hit directly. But we had a strong easterly storm surge as he passed really close to our shoreline and that caused many in the area to suffer flooding.

One family who lives near the camp and lost everything to Katrina were one of the families who had flooding in Gustav. So as an emergency measure, we had to help them clean up the debris and flooded mess. This took lots of man power, many long hours and a fire that was ongoing for days. They were so grateful. And once again we heard the thankfulness and relief when they stated that they were so down and ready to give up when we arrived. But the group gave them so much hope and encouragement to continue on and get things done.

Another family who we have been helping for about 2 years had totally exhausted their funds, so one member of this group donated paint for the couple to be able to have their home completed on the outside. Something they didn't think would happen for a long, long time to come. Then the group painted the entire home. It was beautiful and the family was so happy. They also installed ceramic floor tile and finished the sheetrock in a bathroom. They are praising God for all He has done for them!!

This group was also able to complete some critical work on our own home that we have been waiting for since Katrina. One of the things they did was the outside trim on our windows that was missing and wind and rain was getting in. One of the volunteers used his skill to stucco around the windows and we are so very grateful and blessed for this work. Another item we had been needing was the gapping hole under our tub to be trimmed. One volunteer is a wood "expert" and he created and completed the wood trim. Once again we are so grateful and blessed to have these experts bless us with their work.

Another family was blessed by the group this week. A young family needed to have their trim work complete and didn't know how to do it themselves. God opened the door for us to go into the home. The young man wanted to know how much it was going to cost. We assured him it was not going to cost him anything. He really couldn't understand so he asked if he could make a donation. Again he was told no. Now he was really wondering. God then opened the door for seeds to be planted as the group got an opportunity to explain why they didn't want his money and how the work was for God.

God used the group for odds and ends as well this week. Grass cutting for the elderly and changing a flat tire. All things that show we are ready and willing to do anything for Him!

The camp also got some facelifting. One man in the group painted and cleaned the main front doors and frames and now our entryway is complete and beautiful. Another person in the group made shelves and hangers for the bunkrooms. We are thankful for the work that is done on our camp to keep it in good condition and comfortable for groups to come and enjoy while they do God's work.

We are thankful for the two weeks these people came and served and we look forward to their return next year!!

Second Baptist Church, Bowling Green, MO

This group came July 26th and left August 2nd and it is the third trip for some in this group to P.O.P. Many others have been coming since right after the storm hit until now - almost 3 years later. We are so grateful for groups like these who recognize the need and see the opportunity for evangelism through the tragedy named Katrina.

They blessed several families this week with their skills working on their homes. Two families received electrical work. Another family had some heavy duty rough-in plumbing work done and also some hardi-plank installed. All of this physical work led to a wonderful time of spiritual enrichment for this family.

A husband and wife team were involved in visiting and evangelizing the area residents and also led a movie night with free meal and drinks. Everyone enjoyed this time of fellowship with the volunteers.

Also, the camp received some beautification by two wonderful teen girls who were excited to revisit the camp again this year. They painted the outside entryway surrounding the front doors which gave the camp a facelift. They also painted the interior doors and door frames which was also a huge improvement to the inside of our camp.

We are also grateful to the group for sacrificing one of their men to helping us finish some interior work on our home. We are very appreciative of the help we received that puts us ever closer to our own home being complete.

Thank you Second Baptist for another great year. We are ever so grateful for your love and support. May it continue to bring glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.