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.

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.

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!!

Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Georgia

This was the 4th trip of Poplar Springs Baptist Church volunteers from Ringgold, GA. This group performed many different tasks for a lot of people. They were also able to fellowship with many of the friends they have made during the previous volunteer trips and made new friends as well.


Some of the projects they worked on was yard work which included cutting grass and weed eating, debris removal, and spreading dirt. For one neighbor around the corner from the camp they leveled the foundation soil under his home so that he could make a level path to an elevator that he will install. Because the soil had hardened this was a very tough job and a huge blessing to the family.


This group also worked on many homes in the area. They painted a neighbor's house and by the looks of it had fun while doing it! They began installing hardi-plank siding on the house we are building from ground up. For our neighbors on the lake they installed some insulation and spread waterproofing on their deck. And for still another family they performed plumbing work on a bathroom.


Other projects this week included organizing a tool closet and removing trash for another volunteer organization. They also emptied a concession stand at St. Rose Church and school.


Thanks to those of you who worked hard on landscaping for the ministry grounds! Landscaping timbers were laid and leveled. It is beautiful. Also to those of you who cut and cleared around our pond and cut our entire grounds. We also appreciate those of you who cleaned our cars, and our neighbor's truck.


Some of the fun activities while ministering included space walk jumping, watching and feeding "Allie", singing and listening to a neighbor play and sing Christian music on his guitar, basketball, and fun at the beach.


You ministered in so many ways. One special time we had this week was when we visited a very special lady in our neighborhood, Ms. Betty Smith. She was very ill, but welcomed everyone from the group inside where we talked and prayed with her. The group also cut some bushes off of her fence and out of Betty's way so she could see down the street from the porch she loves so very much. They also installed some vinyl siding on her home. One young girl from the group was very touched with Betty and went back on several occasions to help with Betty's therapy and hand fed her. We are sad to say that Betty passed away on Friday, April 4th at 7:13 p.m. She will be sadly missed by those of us who loved her here at P.O.P.