One Pastor's Perspective

Have we made a difference?? Already I could write story after story . . . A church that is benefitting from much work from our team . . . A home where our guys have removed stumps and moved the earth to get a couple of impossible doors in. A home where we hung small shelf units, fixed a couple of doors, and heard a hundred stories (I think the listening was the REAL ministry there). A house being rebuilt, mudded, sanded and primed for paint; another house being prepared the same way.

AND IT IS ONLY TUESDAY!!! Keep praying for us. Everyone is doing fine and still full of energy, but the devil will try . . .

Pray that he won’t succeed!

PS – Christy Hall probably has more energy than any ten kids you could choose.

We hit the ground running early here in Bay St Louis. Breakfast at 6am. To our assignments shortly afterward. (Okay, that was a stretch . . . It took FOREVER to get out, and once we did two of our five teams met with major obstacles)

In the end, one team completed screening in a second-story porch, another team sanded and prepared walls of a new home for priming tomorrow, another team worked a jack-hammer busting up concrete, yet another team did some yard work and minor household repairs for a family, and ANOTHER team worked around a local church.

PHEW! Made me tired just writing about it.

Everyone is doing well, no major injuries, and getting along. We are all thankful for the sacrifices our families made to help us get here and do this. More to come tomorrow!!!!

We arrived amid some type of street celebration last night around 8 pm at FBC Bay St Louis. The kids were going “Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras!” but I’ve got news for them . . . That was NO Mardi Gras (and for that I am thankful!)

The girls are bunked in rooms off the sanctuary . . . The guys are in one of the bunkhouses (which is part of their education space). We are having a great time, slept well, and are preparing to worship with FBC. Afterwards, we will go into New Orleans for the only time of our trip to look at the area we worked in two years ago.

Pray for our kids, that this will be a life-changing week. I KNOW it will for us adults!

They did it again!!! Our WF Lady Knights softball team beat Sumter 6-3. I almost wish we were not going into spring break, cuz we are HOT!!

Carson started the game pitching (Krissy closed the door in the last three innings) AND Carson hit a leftfield homer that hit the foul pole. That is THREE games in a row with a homer (Elizabeth Braswell hit one Thursday in Cheraw).

I have written much about the tear the WF Lady Knights have been on, and it IS a tear. Last night I failed to mention that BOTH of my kids got hits. Krissy, in the coveted 9th hole, got the first hit of the game for WF. I guess it was a hit . . . It was a blooper over the second baseman’s head. Drew, however, left no room for question on his first at-bat at Maple: He hit the Piggly Wiggly sign on the centerfield fence. ON THE FLY. Diana said she knew it was gone, but it fell just short.

Drew has had a rough season at the plate, so I am really thrilled. I hope this is the confidence builder he needs!

Yes, the WF Lady Knights won again tonight!!! In our “new season” we are now 5 – 1. Our girls are doing well and LOVING it. That was missing before, but it is there now. Tonight they proved they really ARE a team and that is how it should be!

In two days, we are pulling out for Bay St Louis. I am excited, but have 3 billion things to get done before then and a game in Cheraw tonight. If I wore a mood ring, it would explode today. Not that I am in a bad mood, just BUSY.

Tonight, Drew and Krissy have games so we will do the split thing. Tomorrow, WF is at home. And then, Mississippi here we come!

In our “new season” at WF, we are now 4 – 1 and probably will make the playoffs. Tonight Carson and Krissy pitched tough and Hartsville went down with a seventh-inning, two-out walk-off homerun by our catcher, Kris. The ball she hit over the leftfield fence has still not come down and I think it had a stewardess on it. It was a SHOT!!! And, I now have no voice.

Something I have never seen in the years we have been in this program happened, too. NO ONE WANTED TO LEAVE! We just all stood around and enjoyed the moment. It was awesome and just goes to show you that when leadership is solid, a team can do anything and beat anybody.

What a night!!!!

Tonight the WF Lady Knights defeated Ridge View in softball. The JV walloped them (25-2 or something like that) and the varsity won 5-2. Not bad for a team that, after losing a central player, was said to “stink.” Some said we would not win another game. Since that turning point in the season, we are 3 – 1.

Huh . . . Not too shabby.