Perseverance

Here's a little email trail regarding one of our echoes and his trip south to help with hurricane recovery efforts...

9/3 from Rochelle:

Hey church! Jeff is headed south today to try to find work in the areas affected by Hurricane Gustav. Please be praying for him and his family... and in the spirit of spurring one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24), I'd like to challenge all of us to consider ways we can help support Amy and kids while Jeff is gone!! GET CREATIVE! I look forward to hearing from you soon...Love Rochelle

[So far, several have responded, and offers of help have included shopping, watching kids, cooking for potluck, dinners, visiting, cleaning... ]

9/3 from Cheryl:

Can Amy make any suggestions for us?

9/4 from Amy:

Hi everyone! Thanks again for all your willingness to come hang out and help me! I truly appreciate it! Even more so than that, Jeff and the guys need prayer! They left yesterday afternoon thinking that they would make it there by this morning and all that could go wrong has gone wrong! So, I told him to keep pressing on and into God and maybe just maybe if they persevere, God has something (like lots of work and money) in store for them when they get there! When I spoke with him last night for the last time around 11:30, they had only gotten to the south corner of Michigan… :( Something broke on the truck they had to stop and fix, Ventura (driving the dump truck behind them) got lost 1/2 hour or more out of the way, they blew up the air mattress at a gas station and as soon as they laid it in the back of the van, something was on the floor of the van that popped it! Needless to say they were very discouraged. This morning I talked to him again around 7 and they were on the road again from sleeping for a few hours sitting up in the trucks but they still had not made it very far…only into Indiana. His words were, " I don't know what's going on, it's like we can't get any where. It is literally taking forever!" You know those moments when you feel like you are doing what God wants you to do and then Satan does everything in his power to persuade you to give up… I think that is what they were feeling! So prayers would be great! And if you get a word for them or if you would like to send a text of encouragement that would be wonderful.
Thanks again to all of you! Amy

9/4 from Rochelle:

Wow I just got off the phone with Pastor Manny, who shared a word with me for Echo. "Perseverance" Hah! I texted it to Jeff... more is at stake than even the provision for your family... Jeff is pouring out of nothing (think Elisha and the widow's oil) so that God may be glorified in the midst of many who are in darkness. "Go Jeff!"

9/4 from Amy:

Love it love it love it! God is so good! that is a great word for all of us! You are right more is at stake than just working and getting paid! Thanks!

9/4 from Rochelle:

oh isn't that funny... i just realized i said "those who are in darkness" 1000's are literally in darkness because the power is out!

9/4 text from Jeff:

Rochelle, amy just told me how sweet our church is. I thank you all, it made me and amy cry when she told me. we prayed god would provide money for tim to be able to take care of his bills. the man he has been working for doubled tims normal draw which took care of his need. he also gave him a hat. do you see what it says?

(if you can't see it, it says "ECHO"!!!)