What a relief...good friends are!

Today I was in Chauvin and Friendswood to check on our pastors and churches. Lucious and Brenda Thibadeaux were busy at work clearing out debris from their flooded home. It is so discouraging to see how much stuff has been pushed to the street in so many neighborhoods. Wayne and Joann Ponthier's house in Slidell was the same and there is this huge pile of debris out front to be carried away...everything on the first level lost!

I prayed with the Thibadeauxs and found them tired and weary from the journey. Thankfully, a relief team from Maryville, TN will be there on October 24th to begin the reconstruction of the damage from the flooding to their home. Another relief team from Pikeville, TN will be there to do the roof on the church.

I was able to see Pastor Earl Naquin today and visit with him. There is so much damage to Friendswood! A relief team is there this week from Locust, NC (Providence COG and some good Methodist men...I promised them I would mention that!) are putting a new roof on the church. What a big job but it does appear they will finish by week's end.

Another team from Millersburg, OH is in the state working at Manantial De Vida to complete the work there. A great group from Fredricksburg, VA was here last week and worked at Manantial De Vida and ministered with New Day Christian Center in Lakeview. How we appreciate these people and their pastor--Donald Jones!

Relief teams are coming in the next week to work at Wardline, Chauvin, Faith Temple. Teams have already been here from Michigan, Georgia, California, West Virginia, Indiana. Others are coming from Tennessee and North Georgia.

What these volunteers and the many financial partners who have contributed to our Disaster Relief Fund do is remind us that we are not in this journey alone. God has provided good friends who walk alongside us and help us as we move forward. What a great family the Church of God truly is!

Tomorrow, Bishop Kelly and I will head over to Weatherford, TX for the Open Discussion Forums being hosted by our Executive Committee to present and discuss six new initiatives for our church which are likely to be on the agenda for the upcoming General Assembly. There are 11 of our pastors who are planning to attend. We return late Thursday...

Our Holiday Celebration will be November 11-12 at the Holiday Inn--Alexandria. The theme is "Affirmation!" Our special guests are Randy and Rhonda Parris from Akron, OH. If you have not reserved a space or ticket, please email me mailto:bill@lacog.org.



Anticipate!
Bishop Bill