Check it out!

Go here to see more pics: http://scripturist.org/2005_08_28_archive.html

Go here to help

www.mcchurricanerelief.org/

www.forestparkchurch.org

www.ides.org

A Message From Mandeville Christian Church

Here's the latest: About 50 wonderful men and women are currently working here. There's a large contingent of twenty-some from IDES; from Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and Kansas. There's a large group from the First Church of Christ in Bryan Ohio; another eager group from the Everett's Cross Roads Church of Christ in Pinetown, North Carolina; and a surprise visit today by Brian Hamilton and a couple men from the Arundel Christian Church in Maryland.

Brian was minister in Slidell before helping this new work back in his home territory in Maryland.My apology to the eight guys from the Cincinnati Christian Church in Bloomfield, Indiana. They are the ones who secured the donation of sheet rock from National Gypsum in Shoals, Indiana for the Slidell building and who installed it. I think I gave credit to Ohio and Bloomington Indiana, but thank you Cincinnati Christian in Bloomfield!

The guys from Bryan and Pinetown are really accomplishing some heroic work. Some difficult jobs we thought needed a crane, but these men have successfully tackled them and are making some powerful testimonies to people with great need.We are constantly reminded of the need to be careful. One of the Bryan men fell off of a roof on Monday, but by God's grace no broken bones; just some serious bruises and he is doing much better today.I wanted to add a comment about a young man who came down a couple weeks ago and worked with the men from Missouri on clearing my back yard. He had cerebral palsy and was crippled in one arm. But he was using his good arm to drag limbs and helped to carry whatever he could to help out. He was such an inspiration to us all. I will remember him whenever I want to make an excuse for not doing something!

Some more good news for those of us at Mandeville Christian. The icemaker sent to us from Maryland is up and working and you couldn't find happier ladies (and guys) than those of us here. A little sidenote: the fellow we were going to hire to install it wouldn't take any money; he is a Christian and wanted to donate his time. When he hooked it up he found the freon had leaked out; it was covered by warranty and the company paid him for fixing the leak and getting it up and going! Thank you, Don, in Maryland for this wonderful gift.Our new washer and dryer donated by the Centerville Christian Church in Indiana has been running constantly since their installation. I don't know how we survived without them. They also donated a washer and dryer for the Slidell Church. Thanks Centerville!

The folks from IDES are wonderful! They are leading devotions at night for the men and during the daytime are finding useful places to spend their support money. IDES purchased and installed two new shower stalls for us on the back porch - along with privacy screening - all plumbed and drained along with a new water heater. Wow! Now our sweaty workers have two more places to clean up and we all appreciate them! New showers have also been installed at the Slidell building. I haven't been over there since my initial visit after the hurricane; but I did see Bill Read yesterday at the Mandeville Church and he is excited about the progress being made over there. I understand there is a family temporarily living there at the present time.

Brian Hamilton and the men from Arundel Christian brought down a trailer for one of the members of the Slidell Church. Wow! It is so terrific to see God's family pull together in this time. There are so many seeds being planted for God by the good deeds being performed. I used to say we (Mandeville Christian) were the best kept secret in town (shame on me), but all of you who are helping here are making a tremendous impact on our community and we are becoming known as the "church that helps people". We couldn't do it without you and you have set a standard that is hard to follow - of course - that's because it is so Christlike and just saying thank you to Him is not enough. That is also the typical reaction of people we are helping. First of they are stunned that it is free, and their response is that saying thank you is not enough. Each of them is being confronted by God's love in action and they must ponder their response. I am praying that there are people here who will say the hurricane is the best thing that has happened to them and as a result they discovered a new way of living in Christ!

I am still trying to find out about the status of our Christian Churches in the path of hurricane Rita. I heard there may have been serious damage to the roof of one church there in SW LA. We have a number of churches in that area and if anyone there needs our help we will gladly divert some of our manpower and resources to help. We still have people calling and signing up for work trips.

Love in Christ,

Norm Schuler
Mandeville Christian Church
http://mcchurricanerelief.org/

Unbelievers Don't Feed The Hungry. Christians do!

Hurricane Rita evacuees Franklin Proenza, 13 (L) and Brandon Molina, 6, of Port Arthur eat breakfast by candlelight at a shelter at First Christian Church in Lufkin, Texas. Praise God for Chrsitians who live out their faith!

John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Here is an email we recieved from a resident of McComb, Mississippi:

What I have seen since Katrina:

• The poor and the wealthy hurt by the storm.
• Black, white, Hispanic, Oriental and Indian all hurt by the storm.
• Christian people giving, giving, giving.
• Churches going all out to minister in Jesus' name.
• Neighbors going door to door helping one another.
• Thugs and hoodlums going door to door looking for someone vulnerable.
• Ice and water being fought over as police tried to keep the peace.
• People coming up from New Orleans taking over empty houses becauseshelters are full.
• Out of town volunteers coming with food and staying for now a weekstill serving it.
• The Churches all over this part of the country doing what Christiansdo in a crisis.
• The Red Cross doing a great job in the shelters.
• The Salvation Army doing a great job in the community.
• Four Hundred crewman from everywhere bring back the power to ourhomes, churches and businesses.
• Lines at service stations a block to a mile long.
• National Guardsman patrolling the streets of Mc Comb along withKentucky policemen protecting us from the hoodlums and thugs of Mc Comb, PikeCounty and New Orleans (the most dangerous city in the world before Katrina.)
• Drug dealers working outside shelters.
• Doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel working tirelessly, even sleeping in the hospital to do the job God called them to do.

WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN:

• The ACLU setting up a feeding line.
• People for the American Way helping in the shelters.
• The NAACP doing any work whatsoever.
• The American Atheist organization serving meals in the shelters.
• Jesse Jackson directing traffic at the gas stations.

I could go on but you get my message. Its the Christian people with love and compassion who do the work. The gripers in Congress should come on down and get in line to pass the water and the ice. Are you listening Hillary, Chuck, Teddy and all the sorry loafers we call Senators and Congressmen? They don't have a clue as to what this life is all about here on the Gulf Coast.

Boy I feel better now.

Support the people getting it done! www.forestparkchurch.org

Send a truck load of supplies from your church

Jason Corder from Crowley, LA (www.foresetparkchurch.org) has sent word that the victims of Hurricane Rita need our help.

They could use the following items.

1. shampoo
2. soap
3. men’s/women’s razors
4. shaving cream
5. feminine products
6. toilet paper
7. diapers
8. underclothing but no other clothing
9. cleaning supplies
10. bleach
11. buckets
12. mops
13. disinfectants
14. dish detergent
15. laundry soap
16. brooms

Do NOT send:
Clothes other than underwear
Furnature
Baby wipes

Why not have your church send a load of supplies down this week?

These are all the towns Crowley had sent help to after Katrina. Now they need help after Rita!

2 Corinthians 8:1-14 "And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will. So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But just as you excel in everything— in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality..."