Building Community, Giving Thanks • EFCA Today

Building Community, Giving Thanks • EFCA Today

Thank you, Lord

All,
We are overwhelmed with gratitude with all the Lord has done!Much to write, but weary and tired after a long, long day. Here is a link to a video gram of the meal that YOU supported, prayed for and contributed money to. We can't wait to tell you more, much more, about the faces in the video that we have long since called our Famiy in Christ. You all are our Family in Christ and we are thankful for each of YOU!
http://www.fox8live.com/default.aspx
Seach "Local Diner Feeds Community"
May God Bless You,
McCain's

Out and About in the Neighborhood

Today was a day filled with fellowship--visiting old friends that we visit each and every time we return to New Orleans. We just had to stop and say hello to Helen (Tuesday's post). We dropped by with a small gift and smelled Thanksgiving throughout the house as she spread out in her newer kitchen baking and cooking. She graciously invited us in. Then, there is John Mullen, retired school teacher, who lives in the lower 9th Ward, one of the most devastated areas due to the breach of the levee. John rode out the storm--quite literally, in his neighbor's boat. John takes care of the neighborhood, mowing the grass in the surrounding neighborhood so that the City does not declare it blighted. John is still not in his home, working tirelessly on his own, day by day. He has done much, but he has much left to do. After visiting old friends, we set out in the neighborhood around the diner to personally invite folks to the meal. We handed out invites to everyone we saw. Many were familiar faces, but some were new and we are looking forward to tomorrow's meal where we will eat with old friends and new alike. After oru visits, we met with Kim, her sister Terry, and worked on the stuffing and the seafood gumbo! We worked until late and it was a very productive time, but also a time where we could spend some good quality time together the kitchen. Much has happened in our lives in a year and we have much to catch up on. We are ready for a big day tomorrow, Lord, you know who will be there, may the food and fellowship be an encouragement to those in need and a witness to your love, mercy and justice. Please pray for all those who gather tomorrow to be blessed. We are praying that your Thanksgiving is blessed. We thank God in remembrance of each of you. We hold your love and support in our hearts.


**FYI Internet access is spotty and our photos have not been uploading. Sry. We will try to post photos when we return home.

What is in your cupboard?

Today was a day of preparation. We prepared for the first meal--House of Hope Fellowship's outreach to the homeless who live in the City. 30 plus homeless attended and were bussed to the 9th Ward to eat at House of Hope Fellowship. Our family spent the day together, preparing. We wrapped candies for dessert. We bought needed food for the guests. We also bought some gift bibles to distribute. Doug spent time in the Word preparing to give the spoken Word at the meal. Jack practiced his worship songs for the evening. We prayed in advance for all of the guests and for the Lord's Word to be spoken and praised. Also, much of our time was spent sorting over 200 canned and dried goods that were all donated by kids and families at City Tree Christian School.


We didn't realize just how much food we had brought in our RV until we pulled all of the donations out of the back of the RV and sorted each item on the picnic table at our RV park. We sorted for breakfast, lunch and dinner items so we could create balanced food bags. We were amazed at just how much was given from each families' cupboard. As we worked, the rain came, it even down poured. But, this only made us more determined. All in all, we filled 10 very large gift bags for the poor and needy. We brought them to tonight's meal and we watched as homeless people poured over the bags and each left the meal with their own supply of dry and canned food for the days ahead.

Tonight's Word was on fellowship in Christ and the Fellowship of the Believers in Acts 2. Specifically, Acts 2: 42-47:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

We were challenged tonight to ask ourselves: Do our lives reflect a fellowship of believers described in Acts? Are we devoting ourselves to the apostle's teaching and to fellowship? To breaking bread and to prayer? Do we sell our property and possession to give to anyone who had need? And so on. And, then the obvious question: If not, why not? Doesn't the world tell us to store up our treasures for ourselves and our families? We don't need a community, we can do it alone? Well, tonight, we witnessed fellowship on several levels, but mainly simply sharing with those in need. But, we were struck by the impact of the sharing from 1800 miles away. Young children and their families at City Tree Christian School deciding to look in their cupboards to share food with strangers in need. They didn't have to donate, they could have ignored the request. But, they didn't. Instead, they took the time and effort to see what was in their cupboard and what they could share with others. And, you can see when 200 families get together, just one can per family can impact at least 30 homeless and hungry!! This is a simple but powerful example of fellowship in Christ together: not going it alone, but instead combining resources and making an impact on those in need in the name of the Lord! Praise the Lord that each of you were called to give something and because you did, 30 homeless who left tonight's meal in a downpour of rain will eat for at least another week. It was so beautiful to read the sweet message sent from CTCS kids to those in need in NO on the green poster (see above!)

What is in YOUR cupboard and what are you willing to share with others in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?

Go In His Name and Build Hope

One of the many blessings of returning to New Orleans is that we have the privilege of seeing how the Lord is rebuilding the community. When we first started visiting after Katrina, we generally felt somewhat "useful" and our "usefulness" was measured often by how quickly we could "gut" a house. Our team learned quickly. We learned to empty a water damaged house of all of its contents (everything out!) We learned that you NEVER opened a refrigerator, you duct taped it shut, and put it on the curb. There was a special line-up on the curb--appliances in one pile, debris in another. Trash trucks would come and pick up the piles. You would take sledge hammers and pull cabinets off walls, all tile would come off, everything would be destroyed except for the frame. But, there was always the lingering. . . what next? Are we really helping? Always the temptation to lean on our own feeble understanding of how the Lord rebuilds lives in His timing, not ours.

We are reminded of March 2006, serving with our first post-Katrina team. Our first trip, our first house--Helen Lee's house. The same day we went off looking for lunch and found Stewart's diner. This God ordained day. . . we gutted, gutted, gutted and at the end of the day, our team was discouraged. Some who knew much more about building told us that this house was so poorly damaged that it could never be rebuilt. . . too far gone. We thought to ourselves: then why did we just spend all of this precious time for nothing? I found an e-mail from a member who joined our team on that day, and it reads:

"Well, today was a day of reflection of the past week. I was trying to think of a way to summarize the week and then came across a photo of one of the guys from San Diego. His cap says "Come Build Hope" We were in the lower 9th ward, the hardest hit of all the areas. We spent the better part of the day "gutting" the home of Helen Jones. She made it out but her house was under 8 feet of water and she lost everything. As we gutted her home I just kept thinking about how old the home was and whether it will be there next year. . .After all that effort and man hours to help someone rebuild and it may just get bull dozed next week. It rang in the back of our minds all day. With more than 10 of us working on the home we continued as if it would be rebuilt and Helen would be able to move back in, all the while realizing that more than likely that will not be the case. I had such a difficult time shaking that from my mind. The problem was I was loosing track of the real task at hand.
The cap said, "Come Build Hope" and that was what we were truly there for. Above all else we didn't come in the name of Doug from San Diego, Dick from Minnesota, or Phil from Palm Desert, we came to tell Helen Jones of New Orleans and others like her that there is hope in Christ! . . .
What I do know is what we learned today, we have an opportunity now to help others and share the good news where there once wasn't. The door is open and the message is go in His name and build hope."
Each time we return to NOLA, we drive by Helen's home (often to the dismay of weary team members who have to follow us up and down/street after street as we try to find our way.) For the past 4 years, Helen was never there and little work was being accomplished. Until April of this year, five years after we gutted Helen's home, we drove up, knocked on the door and in Southern style Helen invited us in to see the finished product. An extra room where the garage had been, all new appliances, flat screen tv, completely rebuilt. . and Helen, who had persevered through it all, smiling and praising His name! (That is Helen standing on her front porch in April 2011!)

As we reflect on the privilege of seeing Helen's house and life restored, we are reminded that our mission is to build hope in Christ, not to build and rebuild houses or lives in the way we think they should be rebuilt. If we relied on our own understanding, we may have given up on Helen's rebuilding efforts, but instead, the Lord used our team for a few days, to clear the way for a rebuilding that we could not comprehend. How often can we miss this mark? How often is it easier for us to neatly "gut" the problems surrounding us and get caught up with the how and why the mission will be accomplished? What freedom to build hope by sharing Christ with others and to let Christ fulfill His mission of rebuilding lives. The door is open. . . go in His name and Build Hope.

Our Family in Christ-New Orleans Family Serve 2011

After driving 1800 miles, we arrived in New Orleans safely Saturday afternoon. Thank you for your prayers for our safe travel. They were answered. We left a day early this year so we could worship with our family in Christ at House of Hope Fellowship in the 9th Ward. House of Hope's Pastor, Gerald Burton, used to hold church at Stewart's diner, where we serve the annual Thanksgiving Meal. Pastor Gerald is Kim Stewart's nephew, and he has moved the church to its own building in the 9th ward.

We pulled the "Family Serve" RV onto the lot adjacent to the church and served the members and guests pancakes and fixin's. Yes, folks Doug's "pancake breakfast" was a hit again. (Many of you know that "Pancake Breakfast" is Doug's code word, for "let's break bread with our neighbors and serve others!") This breakfast gave us a chance to get to know the church members better. After breakfast, we praised, worshiped, and heard a powerful word from Pastor Gerald. Pastor Gerald preached on the Fragility of Family--Psalm 68. He encouraged us to reconcile with our family members, especially NOW. He talked about how the family is under attack and when we were "poorer" materially, we tended to stick together as a family. But, now that we may be more comfortable, we may rely less on our family. He noted that a lot of families are in chaos with outside forces and busyness negatively eroding our family foundation. AMEN! God's Word says he sets the lonely in families and every one should be invited, and we need to leave our differences at the door. He left us with this question: Is it time for you to reconcile with someone in your family? Call them. Do it now. Don't Wait. And, how about inviting someone new into your family? Maybe for Thanksgiving dinner.

As we chatted with Pastor Gerald after, we shared what the Lord has put on each of our hearts with regards to what is ahead in New Orleans/California. Our family has been praying intentionally for the last two months for this trip--we have been praying for something BIG (i.e. something that we could not have thought of!) Well, the Lord does not disappoint. We told him that we are here with YOUR support and that the body of Christ transcends the distance between California and New Orleans. The ground is fertile here and the Spirit is mobilizing us. Stay tuned.

What's next? Pastor Gerald has been serving regularly at the New Orleans Rescue Mission. And, the meal at House of Hope on Tuesday will be an outreach to the New Orleans Rescue Mission. They will be bringing men staying at the New Orleans Rescue Mission to eat with the congregation. Will you please pray for the Lord to work in the lives of the guests, for the guests to be accepted into the family of Christ at House of Hope, and for hope in Christ for burdened hearts.

Love and Miss you all,

McCain Family

Here is Jack playing worship with House of Hope Worship team!