God has indeed been at work and the trip to Pearlington is indeed going to happen. As of Sunday, there are at least 12 people going. OK seven of those are from the Ayers family - but what God is doing in the lives of my 5th grade students and their familes is very exciting.

Let me give you a glimpse of what God has been doing!

*One of the moms came up to me at church and told me her daughter was very disappointed that she couldn't go on this trip. She was really looking forward to it until she looked at the calendar and realized it conflicted with something else. Her mom told me, "You will just have to plan another trip."
*Several parents have said that their child has never been interested in anything - until this trip. They were concerned that the child was thinking this would be "a fun" trip. But when they were questioned as to why they want to go on this trip, the answers they gave were things like, "I just want to help someone else." or "I didn't realize that there were still people without houses. Maybe we can help them get into their house, like Mrs. Ayers did." Out of the mouths of children come nuggets of truth which reveal a servant heart.
*Another family is seeing how God is working in their son's life. It looked like they might not be able to come due to a number of things, mainly a miscommunication. On Saturday night the dad and son prayed that God might open a door for them to make the trip. I talked with the dad before class, cleared up the issue and then watched his son in class as I explained some things and answered his questions. His eyes got really big as he realized God was answering his prayers at that very moment. What a precious thing to witness a child make a connection with God. I truly believe that God has something special for this boy!

As I have continued to pray and think about this trip, it has become clear that the goal or mission statement of this trip will be - "The ministry of walking alongside". I did not come up with the phrase - Pastor Rawls from the First Missionary church in Pearlington was the one who I first heard use this phrase. His church has been feeding the volunteers that come to Pearlington a hot lunch for a year or more. Pastor Rawls greets all the volunteers each day at lunch time. I think I heard him use this phrase everyday that we were there.

It has been good to take the kids through what it means to walk alongside. They are learning that we are not going down there to take over or be in charge. We are going, as Christ, to be hands, feet, ears, what ever God calls us to do while we are there. It will be exciting to watch God work as we walk alongside those whose paths have been full of many difficult things.

We are excited about going back to Pearlington, to reconnect with friends we made and to make new ones as well. There is much to be done yet, I am still amazed at all that has happened in such a short amount of time. Please pray for the families that are going on this trip. For most it will mean leaving their comfort zone and stepping into a world they have never experienced, doing things that will stretch their abilites and patience with others.

Here are some current prayer requests:
*There are still some families considering this trip. Pray that God will make it clear to them if this is the trip and the time.
*Pray for those families, including ours, that need to raise funds for this trip. Because this trip has been approved by our church, the church is considered our sending agency, which means that anyone called to help support this trip finacially can send funds to the church and the donations are tax deductable.
*This is the first time that my church has done such a trip -sending 5th grade students and their families on a ministry trip. Most of the trips are for 7th and up. Pray that all we do would bring glory to God and that hearts will be changed.
*We will connect with Charlie Holmes from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Mississippi. They are working on building homes number 7 and 8. Lord willing we will do what we can to assist them. Pray for other jobs as well.
*We also hope to serve a thanksgiving dinner for Pastor Rawls and his church and the long term volunteers as a way to say thanks for all that they have done and to let them know that their work has been appreciated.
*Gary and I have not lead a team before. Please pray that God will give wisdom and grace and that it would be a good experience for us.

Please check back for updates - we hope to keep this blog updated on a weekly basis. Coming soon - A team picture!