We arrived in Vancleave, Mississippi yesterday evening and are now ready to start our work here. It's early morning and the others are still sleeping. But not to worry, within a half hour we'll all be eating breakfast and finding out our assignment for the week.

Camp Hope has built 12 new homes and repaired 1500 since Katrina. That's just an awesome number of people impacted and lives restored. But it didn't start at the Conference Office, it didn't begin as an idea and grow after careful planning and assurance of success. The mission that continues three years into recovery started with a phone call. Some people, eager to assist, called a few days after Katrina looking for a place to sleep on the floor. Two days later a truck came by and dropped off donated supplies which contained kitchen and household items. Among the items - 30 pillows. Camp Hope was born! It wasn't named and it wasn't deliberate on the part of people. But it was born of God's will and human heart. It has continues to develop and strengthen and now is the resource center for the district in which it resides.

Vancleave UMC is about like Andrew Chapel! It is a small town church without a town. It has about 70 members. This small church in washes towels and sheets, fixes breakfast and dinner, maintains a sanctuary and fellowship hall. The Conference provides two staff persons, Curt and Sally, and a building for supplies and worker dormitories. It's not luxury but it is a long way from the floor!

This week, pray for the work of these people. Pray for the hearts of church members who suddenly carry such massive responsibility. Pray for the youth, the adults, the folks who come to work. Pray for the parents with small children who still don't have a decent house to live in. And then listen. God is talking.