Judy on CNN

We would like for you to all be aware that CNN was here today interviewing Judy (our site director) and members of Bethel. We are told that it will be broadcast on Monday night (between 9 PM and 11 PM - but we are unsure if that's Central or Eastern time).

Just thought you might want to watch the interview. Have a good evening,

Donna

Bethel Update February 21, 2006

From the PDF:
Late fall Pastor Keith Gunderson of Cando Lutheran Church of Cando, North Dakota asked his church council for a six week leave of absence so that he could help out in hurricane recovery. His church council approved his request. As he announced his plans the following Sunday, there was a visitor in the congregation. She and her husband had previously been stationed at Keesler Air Force Base here in Biloxi. She told Pastor Keith that he had to come to Biloxi to do his work. She explained that she still had many friends in Biloxi and that “these people are devastated by Hurricane Katrina”. She urged him persuading, they are “good people down there”.

Download the Bethel update (PDF) here.

Bethel Update February

From the PDF:
Without each of you, rebuilding would be only a dream for most of us as 70,000 homes in Mississippi are either uninhabitable or were completely destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. It is your compassion that makes rebuilding a reality! During a recent, “Where did you see the face of God” talks after dinner, one of the “locals” tried to convey what the residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast have come to realize. When disaster strikes (such as with the magnitude of Katrina) it’s not the government, it’s not the insurance companies that you’ve invested-in for years, it’s our fellow citizens from near and far whom we can depend upon to help us rebuild our homes … our lives. You have come to join us and in many instances to work for us in rebuilding our beloved communities. Your hands and your hearts are the one constant in our lives since August. And for that, dear friends in Christ, we shall be eternally grateful. The Mississippi Gulf Coast will forever be known as the community rebuilt by love.

Download the Bethel update (PDF) here.

By the Thousands, Faithful Toil to Resurrect Gulf Cities

Sojourners in the South Leave Behind Jobs, Schools, Lives

By Jacqueline L. Salmon
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 5, 2006; Page A01

BILOXI, Miss. With drywall, two-by-fours and a patient faith in a sometimes-exasperating God, Burke resident Bart Tucker is trying to raise a small neighborhood from the dead.

But in this Gulf Coast city of 50,000, a slender thumb of land smashed by the winds and waters of Hurricane Katrina, nothing comes easy -- least of all miracles.

More (Registration Required)...

(and thanks for the heads-up on this, jim, kate, andy, and jack!)

Volunteers helping rebuild the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina

Excellent site from the neighbors that share the shadow of the Biloxi water tower (though at different times of the day) at Bay Vista Baptist Church of Biloxi, Mississippi. John Ailor created a SQLServer database to help organize the work in progress and the work yet to be done. Hats off to his group from Pennsylvania and their volunteer efforts.