A Blessing!

One of our sons moved out last week. He's on a six month missions trip with Send International to a country in eastern Europe. He will be assisting a missionary couple with the construction of a camp in the mountains that will be used as an outreach to Muslim families and children. Pretty neat stuff!

Which son, you ask? Preston Smith, our "adopted son"! Preston came to live with us the day before Thanksgiving 2008. He originally came to Cedar Rapids as a volunteer with Eight Days of Hope in the fall of 2008. Preston enjoyed his time in Cedar Rapids so much, he decided to move here to volunteer with flood relief. We offered Preston a place to stay and the rest is history!

Preston refers to us as his second family, and to Sharon as his Iowa Mom! He introduces himself to Josh and Jon's friends as their "other brother!"

Last fall we enjoyed hosting Steve and Linda, Preston's parents, in our home for a week. It was a great time getting to know them. They have raised an awesome son!

This past week, Steve and Linda returned again. This time they came to help Preston pack up his room, clear out the garage, return tools, and prepare to leave. We are excited for Preston and the new adventure that awaits him.

But we also experienced a sense of sadness that only a parent of adult children can understand. I'm convinced that letting go is the hardest work a parent ever has to do. Our home is now a little quieter. There's no one else at the dinner table in the evening. His room is empty. This past week we walked with Steve and Linda as they readied their son and his stuff for departure. I'm sure they had a long, lonely trip back to West Virginia.

In November 2008 Preston moved to Iowa, knowing almost no one. Eighteen months later he flew out of Cedar Rapids, leaving an adopted  "Iowa family" and his mark on our community.  Thank you Preston for the blessing you have been to us and our entire church family.

We Are Family

I'm reading Joseph Hellerman's book, When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community. I'm reading the book because of my interest in the use of the family metaphor. I was also interested because Christianity Today listed it among the five top books on community.

Here is the way Hellerman begins the book.

"Spiritual formation occurs primarily in the context of community. People who remain connected with their brothers and sisters in the local church almost invariably grow in self-understanding, and they mature in their ability to relate in healthy ways to God and to their fellow human beings. Long-term interpersonal relationships are the crucible of genuine progress in the Christian life. People who stay also grow. People who leave do not grow."

In an age of hyper-individualism, I find Hellerman's analysis refreshing. There's something to be said about making relationships work. And did I mention that relationships take work? Just like our family of birth, we're stuck with one another. We might as well figure out how to make this relational thing work. At New Covenant, we call it becoming a "family of growing disciples."

Contrast this with the vision George Barna has for the follower of Christ, as outlined in his book, Revolution.

"Now its virtually impossible to craft a "typical" spiritual pattern, especially among people under the age of 40. Growing numbers of young adults, teenagers, and even adolescents are piecing together spiritual elements they deem worthwhile, constituting millions of personalized "church" models."

"Ultimately, we expect to see believers choosing from a proliferation of options, weaving together a set of favored alternatives into a unique tapestry that constitutes the personal "church" of the individual"

Personal church of the individual? This is a oxymoron. Collectively, together, we are the body of Christ, His bride. Or to use another metaphor, we are family!

On a group - individual continuum, place me toward the group side. My highest aim in life is not the pursuit of my personal goals and ambitions. Rather, I look for ways to serve my family, church and community for the glory of God, and for the good of others.

The family teaches me that the good of the whole is a worthy ambition. That relationships require sacrifice and service. That the world doesn't revolve around me and my wishes. And that people, even good people, will sooner or later disappoint and frustrate me.

The family also teaches me that some of lifes greatest joys can only be experienced with others. That meaning and satisfaction are found in the context of relationship. That together we can do more than any of us could do apart. That disappointment and trouble were never meant to be carried alone. And about the power of grace extended and grace received.

Given the option to choose between the Lone Ranger and Father Knows Best, I'll take Father Knows Best every time. Given the choice between the "church of the individual" or the church as family, count me in the family column!

I like the way Tim Keller describes this new tribal community, called out by God to be His family.

"The context for a gospel-centered life is never merely individual. The gospel creates a new community, a unique community. One of the immediate changes that the gospel makes is grammatical: we instead of I; our instead of my; us instead of me. This kind of new community is not an optional thing, an "extra" for the Christian; instead it's part of the overall purpose of God's kingdom."

"A new community is both the end of the gospel and also the means of spreading the gospel. God's promise in salvation is to create his "holy nation", a people that dwell with him forever. I will be your God and you will be my people." (Lev. 26:12, Jer. 30:22). So Christians, who are eternally united to Christ, are therefore eternally united to one another."

So, where are you? Are you a radical revolutionary, seeking out a portfolio of spiritual experiences in your quest for the personalized church of the individual? Or are you community connector, pursuing and serving God in the context of relationships? How do you understand the New Testament scriptures on the nature of the church?

Me? You know by now what I think ... we are family!

Renewed

Saturday concluded with concerts by David Phelps, Barlow Girl and Newsboys. I was impressed by all the bands desire to not only perform but to minister to people. You can see a slide show here.

All the bands did a great job but Newsboys were incredible. I'm not a big concert kind of guy, but this was different. Michael Tait demonstrated a humble heart for God and for the people of Cedar Rapids. They came to serve our community and that humility permeated the concert.

Keith Cook shared the gospel and asked for a show of hands after leading in a salvation prayer. There were a number of people near me who raised their hands. I met with two families to talk and record their information. Both families attend a catholic church. I plan to call the two men this week to see if they would be interested to meet for coffee to discuss the concert and the decision they made. Pray for me as I make these phone calls.

I don't know what the outcome of the concert will be. I do know that God used it to touch the hearts of many people Saturday night. We will continue to pray for open hearts and open doors for the gospel here in Cedar Rapids. And that God would continue to see fit to use New Covenant and Serve the City to accomplish His purpose in our city.

Saturday night Sharon and I walked several blocks to our car after a long day at the sports complex. We were both tired, but it was a good tired. Saturday night we returned home with a new sense of excitement about what God is doing in our city. We returned home strengthened and renewed.

Inspired

Sharon and I were assigned as Friends in the Sports Zone on Saturday afternoon. The Sports Zone was right next to the Family Fun Zone in the hockey arena. It was a perfect venue for the events.

I didn't know what to expect. I had seen Tanya Crevier at the FCA banquet a year ago. But I didn't really know much about Untitled Skateboards or the Strength Team. I came curious but I left inspired! You can see a slide show of the events here.

I was inspired by Tanya Crevier's passion! She is well into her 60's yet she exudes energy and enthusiasm. When I'm in my 60's I hope I have as much passion for life and sharing the love of Jesus as Tanya has! She's on incredible lady! She even taught Mr. Shucks some ball handling skills!

I was inspired by Untitled Skateboard's sincere love for Christ and their sport. Nothing fancy. Just three young men who obviously love skateboarding, love Jesus and who want to make a difference. They persevered through narly wipeouts, got back up and tried the same trick again. Wow! I would love to have just a portion of their perseverance.

I was inspired by the Stength Team's commitment to hard work. All of their feats of strength are accomplished without steroids or other substances. One member shared how he found his identity and acceptance in Christ after pursuing body building, drug addiction and steroid use.

The testimonies were impactful and the feats of skill and strength were awesome! At one point, the Strength Team said, young people don't try this at home. What the heck! Old people shouldn't be attempting this stuff either! And Keith Cook did a great job of sharing the gospel and pointing people to Jesus.

I won't be picking up skateboarding or juggling anytime soon. But I did leave inspired to live my life with passion and purpose. To use what God's given to me to impact others. To work at and practice my craft. And to find my strength and sufficiency in Jesus Christ. I left inspired!

Awe

As I reflect on the Noelridge BBQ on Friday evening, the word that comes to mind is Awe! I'm in awe as think about what God did. You can click on this link to see a slideshow of the event.

The concept was simple enough. Put on a BBQ, invite the neighbors, and build relationships. New Covenant teamed up with Eastview Christian to plan the Noelridge event. It was great working with Pastor Bill Holley and his team. James Wartian was the New Covenant point person and I was his helper!

We reserved the shelter at Noelridge Park just in case it rained. That was a good move! Eastview planned out the kids games, we put in our food order, went to 1300 homes with door hangers inviting them to the gathering, recruited volunteers, hung door hangers again the week of the BBQ, prayed and then waited.

This all seems simple enough, right? Yes, except it's never been done before in this neighborhood. Would anyone come simply because they got a door hanger? What would we do with 500 hamburgers, 200 hot dogs, 27 large bags of chips, 560 bottles of water and cans of pop if nobody came? I have to admit, there were times that I began to have some doubts!

Like on Friday morning when I woke up, went to the weather radar and saw the huge storm front coming our way. I followed it all day, and it wasn't going to miss us. And sure enough, at 6:00 PM, right as we began to serve, I felt the first sprinkle!

We began to make contingency plans. We moved the serving tables inside. We got the New Covenant umbrellas out and I began to wonder what we would do with all the extra food. Bummer!

And then God showed up. He had actually been a part of this all along. There's no other way you can explain what began to happen next. I stood in awe as He began to work in spite of the weather and my lack of faith.

I was in awe as:

1. I watched people begin to stream into Noelridge Park. The parking lot soon filled up and we sent a parking team out to direct people up to the Noelridge Pool parking lot! We filled up half the pool lot!
2. I watched people walking in the rain from the parking lot to the pavilion. Soon the pavilion completely filled up. Yet people continued to arrive. At one point, the line was 50 feet long out the door as people stood in the rain waiting to get their food!
3. I watched our people serve with grace, patience and joy! It was so much fun. I met some people for the first time from New Covenant. And we made some new friends with the folks from Eastview!
4. I watched Pastor Mark Eades and his team make and serve 250 snow cones to those who were standing in line for food! It brought a bit fun and enjoyment to what could have been a discouraging wait!
5. Bob Dye, Pastor Bob and our cooking team grilled up 500 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs! Bob Dye called earlier in the week and offered to bring the Youth For Christ chuck wagon to help with the grilling. We couldn't have done it without the chuck wagon. It even had an awning that kept the cooks dry!
6. I watched all the food we brought being served! Earlier in the day I was making plans on what to do with leftovers, and now I was worried about running out! But that didn't happen. We had enough for everyone, with a few hamburger patties left over. We used 650 paper plates and we probably served around that many people!
7. I met people from the neighborhood who showed up to eat. One woman and her three children were driving by, saw our sign that advertised Free BBQ and stopped to eat. They were early but waited 30 minutes and were one of the first through the line!
8. People asked me who sponsored the picnic. One person wanted to give a donation. Others stopped to introduce themselves and say thanks before they left!
9. As I talked to a woman from the Noelridge Neighborhood Association. She said they struggle to get ten people out to their meetings. And then she commented, as she pointed the people standing in the rain, "Look at this!"

Make no mistake, Friday night was a God thing. And it wasn't just at Noelridge. The same thing happened at some of the other venues around the city!

Friday night the rain showed up just as predicted. But something unusual also happened on that soggy summer evening. God showed up, and that changed everything!

Friday night I witnessed a miracle. To some, it may have looked strangely like a picnic, albeit a wet one. But to me, I was standing on holy ground in the presence of a mighty God. The Spirit of God was in that place and we served with a sense of awe!

Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today." Luke 5:26

Healing the Heartland

What an incredible weekend! By all accounts, the Healing the Heartland Festival was a huge success! 38 churches and 8 ministries worked together to share Christ with our city. It's an awesome thing watching the body of Christ come together for a joint mission. I will make several blog posts about some of my thoughts about the weekend.

We started out with the ten Neighborhood BBQs held throughout the city. New Covenant assisted with the gatherings at Noelridge, Palo and Robins. Saturday afternoon focused on the Children's Fun Zone and the Sports Zone. Saturday evening featured concerts by David Phelps, Barlow Girl and Newsboys. Sunday evening was Family Faith Day at the Kernels with our own Big Band playing on the concourse before the game!

A special thanks to all who served at one of the venues! The gospel was shared several times throughout the day on Saturday and many indicated that they prayed to place their trust in Jesus Christ. Now the work of follow up begins.

Healing the Heartland is over, but prayer, care and share continues. These are exciting days! We have unprecedented opportunities to demonstrate and communicate the love of Jesus Christ with our community. Might people know the hope and healing the comes through Jesus Christ.

Pray for Fargo

Please pray for Fargo, North Dakota as they prepare and brace for the worst flood in their history. Fargo, our hopes, prayers and volunteers are with you this weekend.

March 27 Update
Residents in this city of 92,000 had been scrambling in subfreezing temperatures to pile sandbags along the river and spent much of Thursday preparing for a crest of 41 feet, only to have forecasters late in the day add up to 2 feet to their estimate.

The National Weather Service said in its follow-up statement that the Red was expected to crest between 41 and 42 feet by Saturday, but could reach 43 feet. It said water levels could remain high for three days to a week — a lengthy test of on-the-fly flood control.

The first estimate sparked urgency among thousands of volunteers in Fargo. The second shook their spirits.

Hydrologists are now estimating that the Red River will crest at 43 feet, over three feet past the previous high-water mark. After watching a similar catastrophic flood in Cedar Rapids and then an unprecedented national financial melt-down, I thinks it's safe to say that we are living in unusual times. You can throw your risk assessment, flood plain maps, and future predictions based on historical trend analysis out the window!

Here's the bottom line. We live in a world that is very unpredictable and full of risk. The harder we try to tame our environment and reduce risk, the harder it pushes back. This world is not our home. All of creation is groaning under the weight of sin, waiting for redemption. Our world is fraught with risk and danger. We will only know real peace and security when we shed this body to get to our true home in heaven.

In the mean time, pray for those who are going through lifes trials. And when possible, lend a hand and be the body of Christ in word and deed. And realize that even lifes unpredictable events do not take God by surprise ... and we shouldn't be surprised either. In this life we should come to anticipate and welcome the unpredictable, asking God to use it all for His glory.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you particpate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 1 Peter 4:12-13

Serve the City

Serve the City has a new video out that reviews the events of the 2008 flood. Click here to see the 10 minute video. You won't be disappointed. And because we have been faithful in little, God has opened doors for greater service in our community. This is His work. We have the priviledge of being His hands, His feet and His voice.

Day 8

It's hard to believe that we have reached Day 8 already! It was a tiring but rewarding experience. The Cedar Rapids Gazette did an article on the conclusion of Eight Days of Hope. You can read it here.

Here are some of my personal thoughts and reflections (in no particular order):

• This group loves Jesus and loves serving him as a way of life. How else can you possibly explain why people from 44 states and 5 Canadian provinces would come to Cedar Rapids, sleep on a church floor and work for free!
• There is no way to adequately prepare a person and/or host church for one of these events. Last Sunday our parking lot was already full at 6:15 AM!
• Steve Tybor is incredible! He's too humble to take any credit, but others feed off of his energy and passion. His love for Christ is contageous! Being around Steve makes me want to be more like Jesus and to serve Him more faithfully.
• This group is well organized. How do you manage 1400 volunteers and do projects in 140 homes? 25 people from their advance team came to Cedar Rapids the week before the event to do assessments and begin work.
• Their leadership team is incredibly committed to their mission and to one another. Several on the leadership team are presently unemployed, yet they came anyway!
• I met some really talented people - electricians, plumbers, home builders, general contractors, carpenters, and a woman that does spray texture!
• God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people who make themselves available. The simple act of hanging sheetrock brought tears to the eyes of more than one home owner.
• Our church rocks! Everywhere I went I saw New Covenant folks. Thank you for linking arms with Eight Days of Hope to serve our community.
• Our students know how to work. I didn't see one of our students sitting around. They hung drywall, taped, repaired homes, painted, cleaned work sites and the church, and loved on home owners!
• My favorite part of the day was announcement time and home owner testimonies during dinner. I estimate that almost half of the home owners joined us for dinner. Hearing the home owners share from their hearts inspired all us to keep going.
• One of my personal hi-lights was seeing a home owner get a furnace purchased and installed. They were heating their home with a gas stove. The home owners joined us for dinner and worship on Saturday night.
• I can't believe that Eight Days of Hope does two of these a year. Where do they get the energy! OK, so I know where they get the energy, it's God inspired. I still can't believe that they do two a year!
• I really admire people who have learned or mastered their craft. It makes me wish I was more skilled in one of the construction trades.
• This group is characterized by humility and servanthood. That's a pretty powerful one-two punch. Maybe that's why God is so powerfully blessing this ministry.
• Steve Tybor made it clear that they would honor local building codes and ordinances. We worked closely with Code Enforcement and had a very positive working relationship with the City of Cedar Rapids. A special thank you to Jim Thatcher!
• Nine churches opened their doors to house over 800 volunteers from out of state. Thank you to New Life Community, St. Marks Lutheran, Faith Bible, Oakland Nazerene, River of Life, Bethany Lutheran, Trinity Lutheran, Concordia Lutheran, and Huss Presbyterian churches!
• New Covenant will continue to resource several of the home owners we have built a relationship with, to help them finish their home.
• Even though we worked on 140 homes, there are hundreds and even thousands left to be worked on. There is still a lot of work left to do. New Covenant must continue to be involved in some way.
• The lunch and sharing time at Palo on Saturday was one of the most incredible things I have ever witnessed or been part of. An entire community has been impacted.
• Vernon and his cooking team did a great job. They got up every morning at 3:30 so we could have a hot breakfast at 6:00 AM.
• I think I personally met people from over 30 different states!
• Dan Garrick is applying for the Construction Manager position with the Linn Area Long Term Recovery Coalition. I can't imagine a more qualified candidate. It would be totally awesome if Dan got the job! What a blessing he would be to our community.
• Butch and Juliene are awesome. They retired so that can volunteer/work with Eight Days of Hope. And they put in long days.
• Charlie and Greg served Palo like it was their own town. Tom Watson gave them a huge compliment when he said that all the work was done with professionalism. The Palo teams were turning out so much work that Tom had to call in two Cedar Rapids inspectors in order to keep up!
• Although there are a number of teens and young families who serve with Eight Days of Hope, it is primarily a "grey-haired" group. One man told me he is changing his retirement plans after serving here this past week.
• I'm thankful for daylight savings time!
• Charles is amazing. He needs to take a two week vacation!

I could keep on going, but I need to wrap this post up while it's still Day 8. To God be the glory, great things He has done! Thank you to all who had a part in this great adventure called Eight Days of Hope.

Day 7

Just when you don't think it can get any better, God pulls out all the stops and multiplies His blessings. This describes Day 7! You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day

Wow, where do I start. We had a hand-off meeting with the Leslie from the Long Term Recovery Coalition and others who are interested in seeing that the 105 homes we have worked on are not dropped. We left with an initial plan that will get us through the next several weeks.

I stopped by Palo to see the progress on some of the houses I visited earlier in the week. It so encouraging to see all that has been done. Greg was planning to leave today to return to Michigan but he decided to do additional electrical work for a home owner so he will leave on Sunday instead.

The city of Palo hosted a "Thank You" Pizza Lunch at the garden center. They planned for 450 and there may have been that many in attendance. Penny MC'd and introduced various home owners who shared what this experience has meant for them. I have never been part of a meeting like this in my entire life! Words can't describe what took place in that room over a pizza lunch! And of course Charlie was introduced and received a well deserved round of applause. Hope has been restored to an entire community!

I stopped on the NW side to visit some homes that are in process. It was so awesome to see someone from New Covenant in every home I visited today! Then I stopped in on Mark Forstrom and the house he and our youth group has been working on all week. What a transformation! This is the house that had terrible termite damage. Herman, the home owner, and his family came to dinner tonight and expressed his gratitude to our entire group!

From there it was down to Czech Village and to catch up with the progress on Nikki's house. This is the home Charlie Snodgrass, John Herder and our youth group has been working on. All the sheetrock got hung today and they made great progress taping. I called for a new water heater for her and that was delivered later in the day.

Over ten home owners were introduced at dinner. It is so encouraging after a long day to hear their heart-felt gratitude for what has been done for them. Mark, a volunteer from Pennsylvania, had the opportunity to pray with a 15 year old boy on the work site this week. Today the family came and joined him for dinner. Mark taught the 15 year old how to use the compound miter saw this week. He enjoyed it so much, he wanted to keep Marks saw. Mark did him one better. He invited the family onto the stage this evening and presented the young man with his own saw! This is good stuff! Mark is one of my new heros!

Steve reported that approximately $2 million of construction has been accomplished this past week, and 270 jobs have been finished! Wow! What a week. No wonder we are all a little tired!

But our sore backs and aching bones are a small price to pay for the many blessings we have all received. We have been blessed with food to eat, homes to live in, work to do, and new friends to enjoy. We have been blessed to be part of something God is doing in our community. We have been blessed to hear testimonies of changed lives. We have all received multiplied blessing this past week!

Day 6

I have to admit, it's Day 6 and I'm feeling a little tired! But it's all worth it. You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day.

I got to visit a home that New Covenant is working on. The home owner was so excited that someone was coming to work on her house today. Charlie Snodgrass and John Herder led a team of high school students on this job.

Two days ago I visited a home to take a look at a furnace that New Covenant purchased for a family. Larry and his buddy from Kansas are almost finished installing it. But the most exciting thing is that they invited the home owner for dinner and they came! What a joy to get to meet them and to tell them that we are praying for them. They stayed for our worship time and wanted to make a donation to Eight Days of Hope!

Tomorrow is our last full day. There will be a few tears shed tomorrow night. New friendships have been made and hearts have been knit together. Challenges have been overcome as we tackled them together and lives have been changed.

Who ever thought that people would come to Cedar Rapids from all corners of the United States with a common mission to bring hope and healing? Our city has been blessed, our lives have been enriched. Thank you for caring! Thank you for sharing! Thank you for coming!

Day 5

It's hard to believe, but the days keep getting better and better. Day 5 is now over, and it was the best yet. Over 100 jobs have been completed so far! These folks are incredible! You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day.

The hi-light for me was hearing the introductions of the home owners. George, the 70 year old who prayed to received Christ several days ago, joined us for dinner. He received a standing ovation! It was an awesome experience.

The testimonies during worship were also awesome. Several home owners shared with this has meant to them. One shared that this has renewed her spirituality and that she's going to work on a relationship with God! Another young girl talked about what it was like being evacuated from her home, questioning God and worrying about her future. She said she doesn't doubt God anymore!

Money can't buy what we have experienced this week. We can't organized it, explain it or completely understand it. We can only enjoy it. God's presence has been on this project, helping us overcome every obstacle.

And a huge praise. We received this email from Jim Thatcher from Code Enforcement.

Thank you Steve, Charles, and Kim and to all of 8 Days of Hope and their support volunteers.

GREAT JOB!!!! I hope that 8 Days of Hope is enjoying their visit and service to God as much as we enjoy having 8 Days of Hope here! Thank you to ALL the volunteers for serving our community in such an awesome way! I'm not at Westdale often, yet I personally heard a couple of citizens complimentary to 8 Days of Hope for helping them!!

Please join me in thanking these incredible servants.

Day 4

Day 4 is finished. It's hard to believe that we are at the half-way mark. You can see a slide show of the day by clicking on the photo above.

It was an incredible day. Some things have to be experienced in order to be understood. I think Eight Days of Hope is like that. It's hard to convey with words what this means to the home owners and volunteers. Words aren't adequate to express what goes on at the job site or around the dinner table.

I visited several work sites this morning. Kimberly Sanchez, a custom home builder from Virginia, had a team of 15 working on a home on 8th Street NW. Kimberly has been building homes since the 1990's. She describes that some people find their passion and for others, like her, their passion finds them! Kimberly's team has been working on electrical, plumbing, HVAC, painting, finish work around windows and doors, installed hard-wired smoke alarms through-out the house, and more. Kimberly and her team are doing an incredible job for this home owner!

I walked down the street two houses and got to see volunteers working on electrical and insulation. Regan Huckfelt was working on electrical in the kitchen. The team in this home was making great progress!

I stopped at the home where Mark Forstrom and Roger Overson are working on the SW side. This is a home that has been devastated by termites! This team has been working hard to restore and repair this home. Great job guys!

I stopped by another home that was abandoned on the SE side. A team is going to stop by tomorrow to board it up. What a bleak contrast to the homes that are being lovingly restored in other parts of the city.

My last stop took me to a house where the disabled home owner is living on the second floor, heating the home with a gas stove. New Covenant and Eight Days of Hope are installing a new gas furnace. The two volunteers say they hope to have it operational by tomorrow!

Over ten home owners joined us for dinner this evening. It's so fun hearing some of their stories, and seeing the joy on their faces. Penny from Palo said that they felt like a sinking ship, lost and forgotten. She thanked everyone for their help and encouragement.

Preston shared some stories about his cross-country bike ride to raise awareness and funds for Eight Days of Hope. And we finished the day with an inspirational time of worship. Steve Tybor shared his testimony about how Christ delivered him from a life of addiction. Thank you Jesus for your grace!

Day 3

Wow, we just finished Day 3! It was another incredible day. During breakfast Steve Tybor asked if the person who had gone to the ER for stitches the day before was present. And of course our own Jeremy Bushlack proudly walked up to the platform for public humiliation! But Jeremy can take it!

Over 66 jobs have been competed so far. Over ten home owners joined us for dinner. One home owner said that it had been months since she had smiled so much! Another gave a special musical "Sweet Home Alabama" birthday card to one of the volunteers who worked on her house.

On a fun note, a handmade quilt was donated and auctioned off after dinner. The bidding started at $50. The quilt ended up bringing $800! All the proceeds go to Eight Days of Hope.

And best of all, one volunteer reported how one 70 year old home owner prayed to cross the line of faith! We talked after dinner and I sent her on her way to Lemstone to buy a large-print Bible!

I was able to go to Palo today to see the progress being made on four different homes. I stopped in at City Hall that is being officed at the Farm Services building. Penny thanked us for bringing hope to the entire town of Palo.

You can read the latest article by the Gazette here. You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day.

Day 2

Day 2 is in the books! And what a great day it was. We started the day out with devotions in the Activity Center. It was standing room only with volunteers standing out in the hallways trying to hear! You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day.

Three home owners joined us for dinner. One painter didn't have anything to do so he grabbed two other volunteers and painted our Activity Center! Now that a "can do" spirit!

You can read about Day 2 in this Gazette article. Here's my favorite quote from the article.

Volunteers have already made some real progress like restoring electricity for the first time since the flood." It's kind of a cool symbol, too because now there's more light in my life and more hope,” she said. Just a few weeks ago, Kuzela was planning to board up the place. Now, she's thinking about celebrating holidays here once again. "I'm surrounded by angels. That's all I can say,” she said.

Day 1

Day 1 is in the books. We began with breakfast and ended with worship. I'm whipped! But what a day it was. Over 600 people out into the neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids, Palo and Vinton. I heard many incredible stories of hearts being touched by the graciousness of God's people.

A special "thank you" to our New Covenant church family. You were gracious hosts! The parking lot was full and the halls were crowded. A "can do" spirit overcame some challenges and difficulties.

You can read a KCRG article here and the most recent Gazette article here.

Click on the photo above to see a slide show of the Day 1.

Preparing For Hope

It was a busy day at New Covenant. Things were hoppin! Over 250 registered, picked up their t-shirts and got their housing assignments. Thanks to a generous donation, we were able to feed all of them dinner. So far this weekend I have met people from West Virginia, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kansas, Texas, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Oregon.

Vernon Boteler and the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team arrived and set up their food trucks and a shower station. Ten men and three women will be getting up each morning at 3:30 AM to begin cooking breakfast for the team!

Butch Price and his advance team where out doing home assessments and preparing jobs assignments for tomorrow morning. Mike Fialla led us in a great time of worship after dinner. You can click on the photo above to see a slide show of the day. You can go to this link to see a great piece that KCRG did on Eight Days of Hope.

We expect another 450 people to arrive tomorrow. Breakfast will be served from 7:00-8:30 AM, orientation at 9:00 and then out the door and to work assignments. Dinner will be served from 5:30-7:00 PM and then worship at 8:00. It will be quite a day!

Multiplied Blessings

Things are starting to get real exciting! More people are arriving from out of state, materials were delivered to our warehouse, and donations were dropped off in our office. It's going to be an incredible week of ministry and activity!

We were told yesterday that General Mills was going to stop by with a donation of two pallets of cereal. When General Mills called to confirm the delivery they mentioned that they had four pallets. When I went outside to meet Scotty, the driver, he mentioned that he had nine pallets. And when he looked inside the trailer, he found twelve pallets of cereal! We unloaded three pallets at New Covenant and took the rest to the warehouse. You can click on the photo above to see a short slide show.

On a project this size, there are many challenges to overcome. New problems spring up at every turn. But I'm praying that God will turn every challenge and problem into a blessing. And that just as our two pallets of cereal turned into twelve, our community would experience God's multiplied blessings.

2 Corinthians 9:10-15
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.

And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Hope Is On The Way

We're another day closer to the launch of Eight Days of Hope. The advance team was out doing home assessments, ordering materials and even started several electrical jobs. They're working hard to ensure that there will be 100 projects ready for volunteers on Sunday morning!

The Gazette has a great article on one of the homes that Eight Days of Hope did an assessment on today. You can read the entire article here. Here are some of the hi-lights of the piece.

Louis McDaniel lived in this home for thirty-two years with his elderly mother. Then, the flood washed them both out and destroyed almost all of their possessions. "We've had some family members here trying to help when they can. Other than that, I've been doing most of the work myself,” McDaniel said.

He worried he might not ever be able to move back."A whole lot of stress. It's affected my moods. I'm usually in a really bad mood. Real mean. Nothings going right,” McDaniel said. Then, Eight Days of Hope showed up at his door with a plan to turn his life around.

"We need to clean this place out. We're going to mold treat it. We're going to put some insulation in. We're going to get his electrical finished up," Eight Days of Hope volunteer Dan Garrick said. Garrick lives in Oregon and is still learning about how the disaster affected Iowa.

Garrick is visiting dozens of the homes and trying to determine exactly what kind of repairs each one needs. He takes key measurements and places orders for all the materials crews will need next week."I can guarantee you there's 1300 people that love the lord and love you guys in Iowa. We're going to be here to help you guys,” he said.

McDaniel said, "For the first time in almost four-and-a-half months, I actually see some hope…I can't wait to get back in here."

We enjoyed having over 20 of the advance team over for dinner tonight. What an awesome group of men and women! They all volunteer their time and pay their own way to Cedar Rapids. Many are self-employed and don't have any paid vacation.

They come from all parts of the country - Oregon, New Hampshire, Michigan and Mississippi. But they all have one thing in common - they love Jesus Christ and want to serve Him using the skills and talents He has given to them. Welcome to Cedar Rapids and thank you for caring enough to come.

Hope and Healing

Today was a very important day. The advance team from Eight Days of Hope is in Cedar Rapids doing home assessments and planning for next weeks event. There are now 1341 people signed up to volunteer!

24 people gathered for lunch at New Covenant to discuss the Cedar Rapids building code; mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspections; and city expectations. Jim Thatcher, Code Enforcement Division Supervisor led the meeting.

This was an unprecedented meeting with city officials, union representatives, Serve the City and Eight Days of Hope volunteers sitting around the same table discussing how to best serve the people of our city. A special thank you to Jim Thatcher, Chief Electrical Inspector Gabriel Hart, Chief Mechanical Inspector Randy Croft, Building and Trades Manager Lyn Wedemeier, and Wayne Engle from Esco Electric for their willingness pave the way so that volunteers from groups like Eight Days of Hope can work in our community.

This evening Jim Thatcher gave the City Council an update on Eight Days of Hope. Charles Daugherty from Serve the City and Steve Tybor from Eight Days of Hope addressed the council and thanked them for their cooperation. Afterwards the Cedar Rapids Gazette and KCRG channel 9 interviewed Steve Tybor regarding the upcoming project. You can read the Gazette article here.

As Steve Tybor was leaving the City Council meeting, one man reached out his hand to thank Steve for coming to Cedar Rapids. He told Steve, "Take this, it's all I have on me" as he stuffed a wad of bills into Steve's hand. It was four, one dollar bills!

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the day. Tomorrow is another important day. Several teams are going to start electrical projects while others continue to do on-site home assessments. Pray for skilled volunteers, materials and the right mix of projects. And pray that we would be used of God to bring hope and healing to the residents of our city.