My friends,
What a busy last ten days. Lots of things are happening and I hope we'll get many of the new pictures posted on our website next week. The high point of the week for me was our first "Carrollton Family Reunion" held last Sunday at the LaPlace Church of Christ. They graciously provided their building, let me preach, cooked lunch for the whole group, cleaned up, then let us meet until we ran out of stories and hugs. The food was awesome, the hugs and tears were restoring, and the preaching was ok. Carrollton will begin meeting each week in someone's home (it's at the Howard's house this Sunday, October 9th) and will have a Reunion once a month. We'll try to keep the same format at the monthly Reunions that we had this past week: Class/a time of prayer, regular assembly, lunch, then an update from the Elders along with a Q&A session. The next few reunions are: Oct. 30th, Nov. 27th, and Jan. 1st.
We have already begun helping folks tear out sheet rock, haul out debris, cut up trees, etc. We have work groups scheduled every week for several months so please get with Fred to coordinate when you are ready for help. Fred and I have been busy scrounging, borrowing, and begging equipment like crazy (generators, tools, shovels, wheel barrows, chainsaws, buckets and all kinds of other cleaning stuff) and the like to help the Carrollton family and neighbors. I know when you walk into your home the first time all the work seems absolutely overwhelming. Please let us help.
The church building was worse (to describe the smell as "stunning" would be an understatement) than the pictures were able to capture especially back in the class rooms where there was still some standing water. I say "was worse" because we were blessed with some of the hardest working folks I have ever seen from Oakhills Church of Christ in San Antonio and several different groups from Churches in Ohio. Five tractor trailer loads of debris were hauled off from the building yesterday alone.
I have never been so humbled by the sacrifices of others than I was this past week as person after person donned respirators and went into homes and a church building that was not their own. They worked until their faces were flushed and clothes soaked through with sweat, then they worked some more. Amidst all the suffering and loss, I have seen the hands of Christ and the heart of God reflected in the faces of people who are giving themselves in service to others they do not know and from whom they will never receive thanks.
Our prayers are with all of ya'll,
Kirk and Jenny
If you are a Carrollton Avenue family member and you have not notified one of the elders where you are and how you are doing, please contact them as soon as possible.
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