Bigger in Texas? We had a big time...

A group from Burnt Hickory Baptist Church left for Bridge City TX last Friday at noon with a full tank of diesel on the bus and high spirits we set off to find the Hurricane Ike battered First Baptist Church. We rolled in at midnight and bedded down in the church in a nice clean upper room we soon made look like Ike had returned.  We spent Saturday most of Sunday except for the time for a worship hour, Monday and half a day on Tuesday, hanging sheet rock in the badly damaged First Baptist Church. Six to Eight inches of water poured into the buildings during the storm causing damage of course to the walls and floors of the building and many homes. Check out all the photos in the new album.  We met a bunch on nice folks from Houston, Dallas, Frisco (TX) and of course Bridge City. We were fed like kings and praised for our armature sheet rock hanging work as if we  were  pros.  In all the trip had  15  of us from Burnt Hickory 12 Men and 3 Women. I was personally blessed a great deal by just watching BHBC Young people work some really long hours with little goofing off and no complaining. The team was led by Mickey O'Kelly a veteran of several teams to the Gulf area which has experienced a lot of hurricane damage in the last few years.

Pastor  Bob  Boone  spoke with the team and led  in prayer for the group as they left and seemed to  fight back the tears as he expressed his thanks to the group for the work they had accomplished.  

The folks in this church need prayer and support as the continue to be a witness in the community and try to repair not only their church building but most of them their own homes. The pastor is living in a borrowed motor home and the youth minister is living almost an hour away with family and both need repairs to their home in order to move back home. The sign says it all they have had a tough time by they are still fighting and they will be back. I was truly impressed with the spirit of the people and the willingness to keep looking forward and not behind. I hope to be able to be a part of  another team to help this community and church rebuild their lives.

Here is a good shot of the group taken by pastor Bob Boone on Monday.