“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

What Is The Great Commission?

2007 LOTTIE MOON CHRISTMAS OFFERING

Travis Oaks Goal: $3,000.
 

Support includes housing, food,
children’s education, retirement and more.

Mission Opportunities

     Baptist Soup Kitchen

Our church is partnering with Texas Oaks Baptist Church to help serve at the Baptist Soup Kitchen located downtown (just east of I-35 on E. Cesar Chavez) on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.  The hours of service are from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm — which includes set up, serving and clean up.  We need four volunteers each month.  For more information please contact Sandy Thrift at the church office at 267-2196 or sandythrift AT austin.rr.com

     Texas Baptist Children’s Home

All those interested in becoming involved in a ministry at TBCH, please sign up for a tour of the facilities Sept 25 at 10 AM.  We will take a group from the church or you can meet us there.  The tour will take about an hour.  Possible involvements are: adopt a Family Care Cottage or just have a one-time gift/party; provide meals on the Monday evening counseling sessions for moms; collect and donate seasonal clothes for their clothes closet (women & children).  Please contact Sandy Thrift or Sally Jones for more information about this ministry.

Bobby Kuykendall has donated a sewing machine to Kathy Schmidt’s mother, Sarah.  If you have knitting needles, thread, pieces of material, or other sewing supplies, please consider donating them to Sarah.

Kathy and Edna Hill will be taking any donations to Sarah on July 17.  Please label any donations with your name and drop them off at the Northwest Rural Community Center or the church office.

Thank you!

Mission Opportunities

Our church is partnering with Texas Oaks Baptist Church to help serve at the Baptist Soup Kitchen located downtown (just east of I-35 on E. Caesar Chavez) on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.  The hours of service are from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm—which includes set up, serving, and clean up.  We need four volunteers each month.  If you would like to get involved in this ministry, please contact Sandy Thrift or call the church office at 267-2196.

Schedule:

June 19 - Sally and Kelton Jones

July 17 - Jo,  Jake  & Madelyn Markham and Sandy Thrift

August 21 - Mark Markham

If there are other ministries in which you would be interested in having Travis Oaks become involved, please let me know, and I will be glad to coordinate the times and people.  Our church family responded with generosity to the Mission: Greensburg opportunity with a total of $2,303. I’m “standing on tiptoe” looking toward what other mission involvements our church will wrap their hearts and arms around!

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering

The Annie of the Offering

Each year, we honor the life and work of Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) when we give to the annual offering for home missions named after her.  As a tireless servant of God and a contagious advocate and supporter of mission efforts throughout the world, Annie Armstrong led women to unite in mission endeavors that ultimately led to the formation of Womans Missionary Union, for which she served as the first corresponding secretary.

Annie believed in Christ with all her heart, but it was her hands that expressed that belief in tangible ways.  She spent a great amount of time typing and handwriting letters in support of missions.  Many of these letters were quite lengthy and all were filled with conviction that more could and should be done in our mission efforts.  In 1893 alone, she wrote almost 18,000 letters!  Annie also never hesitated to use her hands to reach out to hug a child or distribute food and clothing and the Word of God to those in need.  Her hands held her own Bible as she studied to know how best to share Gods love with others.  And, most important, Annie was a woman of prayer, folding her hands in prayer to intercede for the missionaries and for those they were helping discover Christ.

Annie rallied churches to give more, pray more, and do more for reaching people for Christ.  As we continue to unite to make her vision a reality in North America today, we can be confident that her legacy will also be ours.

Please click here for further information about the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for missions.

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering

Thirsty for the Gospel
There are more than 350 people groups in West Africa without any access to the Gospel.  Southern Baptist missionaries are working to change that, but they can’t do it without your prayers and your giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  What will you sacrifice so that West Africa’s lost may know the name of Jesus Christ?  Give generously to Lottie Moon this holiday season.

Smart investment
Looking for a good investment?  Try the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering.  Every penny of your gift helps support more than 5,000 Southern Baptist missionaries.  In 2005 those missionaries reported more than 17,000 new churches and 459,000 baptisms!  You won’t find a better eternal return on your money!

Pray that all peoples may know Him
Dec. 3-10 our church will join other Southern Baptist churches praying for International Mission Board missionaries working to bring the Gospel to West Africa.

Since the program began in 1982, volunteers have delivered 14 MILLION Angel Tree gifts to some 7.5 million prisoners’ children nationwide.  Travis Oaks Baptist has been a part of this ministry for 4 years.

Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree is the only nationwide, year-round effort that specifically reaches out to the estimated 2 million children in the United States whose parent or parents are incarcerated. Angel Tree provides Christmas care, camping programs, and mentoring to the children of prisoners, who are in many ways the saddest casualties of crime.

By mobilizing churches and organizations throughout the United States, Angel Tree works to provide prisoners’ children with Christmas gifts and to encourage involvement by the adults in the children’s lives year-round through practical, emotional, and spiritual support.  This begins simply by brightening Christmas for the children of prisoners.

Our Angel Tree project is going forward.  At present we have 33 children to whom we will provide much needed assistance and love.  We are asking that you pick an Angel from our tree in the fellowship hall on December 3 and December 10th.  We ask that all gifts be returned by December 16th and that they be wrapped.  We will be assembling gifts on December 16th and delivering them during the week of December 17th.

If you have questions please call Carol Morton, Sandy Thrift, or Cherry Barfoot.

Sharing God’s Love
One Shoe Box Gift at a Time

Is your heart broken by the desperate plight of millions of children around the world?  Whether they are refugees of civil war, survivors of a natural disaster, or victims of extreme poverty, these little ones need to know that they are precious to God.

That’s the motivation behind Operation Christmas Child, the unique project of Samaritan’s Purse that enables caring people to share God’s love with hurting girls and boys in the far corners of the globe.

Take an ordinary shoe box, fill it with toys and other presents, and you have an extraordinary gift for a child in need of joy and hope.  Most important, these shoe boxes provide opportunities for local believers to tell children about Jesus Christ through Gospel literature and evangelism programs.

Travis Oaks Baptist Church will once again be participating in Operation Christmas Child.  The 2006 National Collection Week is November 13-20.  Watch for more information soon.

Click here for further information about Operation Christmas Child.

“Since its beginning in 1950, Texas Baptist Children's Home has responded to the evolving needs of children and families.  TBCH continues to provide innovative programs to serve children and strengthen families across the state.”

Travis Oaks Baptist is privileged to support this ministry with the offerings from our Vacation Bible School.

Go Beyond Your Borders!

Travis Oaks
Ministry & Missions Fair

Sunday, June 4th, 2006
Following morning worship service

EXHIBITS & BOOTHS IN FELLOWSHIP HALL

HOT DOGS, SNOW CONES & JUMPING GYM FOR KIDS! VISIT THE TEXAS BAPTIST MEN’S DISASTER RELIEF TRAILER ON DISPLAY IN PARKING LOT!

On June 4th we have an exciting chance to explore all of the outreach ministries and short-term missions our church is involved in at the Missions Fair.  This is a great opportunity to go beyond your borders and start using your talents and time to reach out to our community and the world beyond.  If you need a way to live out God’s fifth purpose in your life, you will be sure to find it at the Missions Fair!  You may just find the perfect way to touch our world with God’s love in your own special way.

You will also have an opportunity to start using your talents and time for service right here at Travis Oaks.  Check out all the TOBC Ministries & Teams … find out the team purpose … meet other team members … see what skills and time are required and then join the team of your choice.  Start putting your time and talents to work.  It’s a way to grow, a way to give back to our church, and a way to glorify God.  What on earth are you here for?  Begin now to find out!

WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING MINISTRIES AND MISSIONS REPRESENTED
 

Annie Armstrong week of prayer for North American Missionaries.

March 5-12, 2006

The North American Missions Board has commissioned 5,200 missionaries to serve in the US.  Their roles reflect a variety of mission tasks:

Sharing Christ
Starting Churches
Volunteering in Missions
Sending Missionaries
Impacting the Culture
Equipping Leaders

The 2006 offering goal is $56 million—100% of which will directly support missionaries & their ministries.
 

Week of Prayer Missionaries Say Thanks

Thank You, Southern Baptists!
—Your 2005 Week of Prayer Missionaries


In 2005, Southern Baptists prayed for, participated in, and gave generously to North American mission efforts. Read what some of the 2005 Week of Prayer missionaries had to say about the blessings that came from those gifts:

Dear Southern Baptist Family,

Thank you so much for your prayers, cards, letters, e-mails, and financial gifts!  What a blessing you have been to us!  During these last few months as you have been praying, we have experienced some of our highest highs and lowest lows.  We wondered why things were so hard with so many people praying for us.  Then we realized that God knew about these hard times, and that is why He had so many of you lifting us up in prayer.  We have been humbled, blessed, and encouraged.

God has continued to bless and grow our church . . . giving us more and more opportunities to minister in our community.  We thank God for our church family!

We asked you to save Cambell's product labels for us in order to purchase a mini-van for our Sunday School and Children's Ministries.  Many of you have responded.  Thank-you!  PLEASE CONTINUE TO SAVE LABELS . . . we are just now getting started!  One million, five hundred thousand labels are necessary in order to make this purchase!  For more information, e-mail us at obrien@rmisp.com.

Thank you for your prayers for our family!  Our youngest son is doing better with his diabetes, and we became grandparents for the first time on April 2, 2005!  What a special blessing to be a grandparent!

God is growing us, disciplining us, and using us.  Please pray with us for wisdom and provision, that everything would work together for good, and that HE would be glorified!

Laborers Together,
Terrell & Vickie O'Brien
P.O. Box 1070
Lander, WY 82520
obrien@rmisp.com
 

Thank you Southern Baptists!
Because of your prayers:

1. Two of our pastorless bivocational churches have called pastors to the field. Both arrived and began ministry in July 2005.  One of those pastors is a direct result of the video segment about our work here in Nevada.  Pastor Mike Jones and his family have moved from Alabama to the Round Mountain Baptist Church after viewing the video.

2. Another pastorless church is currently talking with a candidate and the fourth has been able to call a long-term interim pastor.

3. Our Filipino work has started with the arrival of Pastor Jose Catanaoan from the Philippines.

We are praising God for all those that prayed for us! We are praising God for answering those prayers!

Mitch and Sandra Bryant
Lahontan Baptist Associaton
P.O. Box 2147
Fallon, NV 89407-2147
mitchb@cccomm.net

With a Grateful Heart

Jonathan Pettigrew

Without the prayers of friends and family, I would surely fall
I humbly thank my Lord and God who graciously hears them all
He sustains me when I'm tired
He rejoices when I smile
He's the One I've admired
He takes me through the trial
He hears the prayers of seasoned saints
who lift me up each day
May God bless and keep the Precious Ones
whom He has called to pray

I offer my gratitude to those who have and continue to lift up the ministry here in Indiana.  God gives attention to the prayers of His children.  We do not ask amiss when we ask our Father.  Thank you for your participation in the ministry here.  To hear some of the answers to these prayers, I've posted a few stories on a blog located at www.livejournal.com/~bcmnoj. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.  And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.  Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.  Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Col. 4:2-6, NIV).

Jonathan Pettigrew
Baptist Collegiate Ministry
www.iupui.edu/~iupuibcm
 

Thank you for praying for missionaries.  Thank you specifically for praying for the Lord's work in Lake Placid, N.Y.  We asked you to pray for opportunities to reach out to Olympic coaches and athletes who train here from all over the world.  The Lord is answering that request.  This spring we heard from an athlete on the US Skeleton team that an athlete from Japan who visited the Bible study at the Olympic Training Center this winter has received Christ as Lord and Savior!  This young Japanese athlete was baptized this spring, is part of a church family in Japan, and is reading God's Word and praying.  She thanked the U.S. athlete for the Bible (in English) and copy of the "JESUS" film (in Japanese) that we gave to her.  She says she can't wait to see the U.S. athlete again so that they can talk about Jesus!

Thank you for praying for me and my family. Thank you for praying for our resort ministry, North Country Ministries, and for our church family, Lake Placid Baptist Church.  Our continued prayer is that God would bring revival in our area and would bring in a harvest of souls won to Christ.

Thank you also for giving to the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.  Your giving allows folks like us to serve Jesus where he has called us to serve.  Without your giving, we could not be here to share the good news of Jesus with people who desperately need Him.

Thank you for praying.  God is at work in New York.  Your prayers are part of that work.

In Christ,
Derek, Kim, Grant, Andy, and Emma Grace Spain
11 Newman Road
Lake Placid, NY 12946
 

Greetings from Alberta, Canada,
Dear Southern Baptist Church Family,

Judy and I have been honored to be a part of the 2005 “Week of Prayer” process.  I could not possibly express into words how grateful we are for your intercession, letters, and words of encouragement.  What a joy to serve on your behalf here in Canada. 

Even as I write this letter know that the Father has provided us with the necessary documents to stay in Canada.  What a huge answer to prayer.  Also, the CCSB planted more churches this year than any other year in its history.

Please continue to ask the Lord of the Harvest to send laborers to the field in Canada.

Dwight and Judy Huffman
 

The Lottie Moon season will begin on Sunday morning, December 4^th.  Lottie Moon believed that if everyone who attended Southern Baptist churches gave above and beyond their tithes to missions, that the mission board would become debt free and more.  She was sure that through God’s people, there would be enough money to help the missionaries pay for their living expenses…allowing them to spend 100% of their time fulfilling God’s great commission to reach out to the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our church has always been a supporter of Lottie Moon.  Prayerfully consider your contribution to this vital ministry.

“That all men may know him”

NAMB Disaster Relief Fund

Click here for the Disaster Relief Archive.

Please click here for further information about how to pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox for a child.

September 19, 2005

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV).

A Prayer of the Nation in the Midst of Katrina

O Lord, we know that tragedies never change Your love or Your presence among us.  Tragedies are moments when you make Your love real and personal to those who trust You and call on You.  Your presence gives us hope because all of life’s circumstances are always under Your loving control.  It is Your presence among us that allows a watching world to see the compassion that You have for us all.

You have immediately stirred within us in these days hearts that continue to suffer alongside those who have suffered most – the families whose lives have been shattered by this catastrophic national disaster.  May you then counsel us greatly to know your wisdom and how best to express Your love to those in need.

Help us to recognize and know Your presence in this existing tragedy, that none may despair.  For we know that You invite all who are “burdened and heavy laden” to come to You and take Your yoke upon them, that they might learn day-by-day and moment-by-moment from You.  May they find rest and peace in the midst of this expected storm.

Grant also Your enabling courage to those on the front line who risk their own lives for the sake of others.  May emotional and physical stamina be given in great measure to our policemen, firemen, military, and healthcare workers.  We know that many of them are, likewise, experiencing enormous personal and corporate loss and pain.

We pray that in all things Lord You will especially provide wisdom and discernment to our local, state, and national leaders as they face many challenging decisions.  And, finally, grant patient hearts to people as they experience delays in their needed help.

You said, “all authority, in heaven and on earth is Yours” and that You would “be with us to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:18).  We are now fully trusting in Your promise that “nothing will be able to separate us from Your love…” (Rom. 8:35 – 39).

Thank You – right now – for Your promises, and Your presence among us!

This we pray in Your holy name, Amen.

by Henry Blackaby

Hurricane Ophelia

North Carolina Disaster Relief sent a feeding unit to South River in Cateret County yesterday.  Recovery teams are being sent to South River and Atlantic to do chainsaw and mud-out work.

Hurricane Katrina - Day 25

Activity Report (as of 8:30 a.m., 9/19)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can we send in-kind goods?

• Louisiana Food Box Project
• Texas Baptist Mission Centers
• Louisiana Baptist Convention information
• Mississippi Baptists currently have no room for donations of goods. Until additional warehouses are located, please do not send any more goods. Monetary gifts and gift cards that can be distributed (such as Wal-Mart, Lowe's, or Home Depot) are gladly received. Please send to the Mississippi Baptist Convention, 515 Mississippi St., PO Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205-0530.

How can we provide housing?

• Houses of Hope
• Adopt A Church
• FindShelter.org
• American Red Cross
• Housing in Florida: Contact Brenda Forlines at 1 800 226-8584 ext. 3113 or (904) 396-2351 ext. 3113
• Housing in Texas: Contact Jim Young at (214) 828-538 or 1 888 311-3900
• Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in helping provide housing for students and faculty from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary who are relocating to the Decatur campus in Atlanta. The Web site form is not working, so if you will e-mail nobtsfamily@yahoo.com with your housing offers, the school will get back with you. Please indicate if you can help with an individual(s), couple, or family.

Is there a need for untrained volunteers?

• At present, trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units are being deployed for the initial relief efforts and to establish the infrastructure for long-term relief. Untrained volunteers will be needed as the situation stabilizes.
• Contact your local American Red Cross chapter to receive training for assisting in relief efforts directed toward evacuees who have been relocated to your area.

How can medical personnel volunteer to serve?

• Call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 1-866-528-6334 or go to www.os.dhhs.gov.
• Contact your local American Red Cross or emergency management office.

Is there a need for trained rescue teams and rescue vehicles (all-terrain vehicles and boats)?

• Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 1 800 440-6728.

How can we locate missing persons?

• Go to www.redcross.org and choose Family Links Registry, or call your local Red Cross chapter.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Donations

NAMB Disaster Relief Fund

Click here for the Disaster Relief Archive.

from Franklin Graham

Hurricane Relief and Samaritan's Purse

Dear Friends,

As Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast of the United States early Monday morning, Samaritan's Purse mobilized our Disaster Relief Units.  These tractor-trailers, fully equipped with emergency supplies and equipment, are on their way to devastated communities to help repair homes and restore hope.

News reports indicate that this could be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record.  Please pray for those impacted by the storm, and for the hundreds of volunteers and churches that will work with us to reach out to those in need in the Name of Jesus Christ.

We need your help and your prayers.  Please visit our Web site at www.samaritanspurse.org for more information on our work in the aftermath of this devastating storm, or to give to our relief efforts.  You can also donate by calling (800) 665-2843.  Thank you, and may God bless you.

Hurricane Katrina
Disaster Relief Update

(Click any photo for enlarged view)

• Over 100 flights
• Over 50,000 pounds of supplies

9/10:  Praises this morning:

• LCRA showed up with $1000.
• Mark Abbott with Randalls is getting something set up for donations.
• 2 pilots have transported 2 tons each.
• Pilots coming from all over, including Wichita Falls, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Ft. Bend, Indiana.

9/9:  Last night we had more prayers answered: 

• 3 truck loads of food came from Lago Builders right here in Lago Vista.
• Debbie Mroski was instrumental in getting us a SYSCO account.
• 10 trash bags full of 2 gallon Ziplocs from the Girl Scouts filled with coloring books, activities for kids and stuffed animals came from Shawn & Denise Bortolussi. 
• Love Notes are going out to survivors for emotional and spiritual edification.  Mrs. Erwin’s kinder class sent beautiful messages of hope and care.

DROP OFF spots for donations (click links for directions to locations):

• Oski’s in Lago Vista
• Travis Oaks Baptist Church in Lago Vista
• Shoreline (Austin)
• Great Hills Baptist Church (Austin)
• Celebration Church (Round Rock)

DONATION Needs:

• Need Non Perishable FOOD ITEMS!
• Best things to get are RICE, PASTA and BEANS in the biggest possible sizes.
• For Breakfast: Cereal, Bisquick, syrup, oatmeal in box, bulk sugar, coffee, bulk flour.
• For Lunch: Crackers, canned meat - ham, beef tuna. Condiments (ketchup & mustard & mayo), and meat (not tuna).
• Tuna helper to go with all that tuna, or tetrazzini fixings.  Cornbread mix in boxes.
• #10 size large cans of veggies and fruits. We did send 6 cases of fresh fruit today (apples & bananas) because survivors have only had canned stuff.  As a mother, I would have pounced on fresh for my children.  If this is something you bring, bring it directly to us in the afternoon so we can load it up first thing in the morning. 
• CLEANING SUPPLIES: Mops in a box, Clorox, vinegar, gloves, trash bags.
• Toiletries are a continual, consumable need.  We really need hair care products for people of color.   Regular hair products are not the same for black people as caucasian people.
• CAN OPENERS!  Electric REALLY welcomed!
• Ropes, tarps and box cutters.
• First Aid kits and products, antacids, etc.
• Peanuts, beef jerky, protein.
• Clothes and bedding are always appreciated.  But only NEW undergarments and socks and well sorted clothes that are pre-marked neatly on bankers boxes.

VOLUNTEERS To Help In The Hangar:

• There is always something to be done. You can stay longer or less. As a rule, no children, please. Rare exceptions are made. However, propellers & children together in a 100 foot radius is a frightening thing. 
• We need someone to help with concessions. (drinks, ice, morning & lunch for volunteers). Contact Holly Jackson in Lago Vista 267-4798.
• We need trucks and trailers to go pick up supplies from donation spots for several days. If you can go, call Greg Terry 512-496-4001.
• Not everything requires physical effort.  We have office work, coordination efforts, “go-to” people.  There is always something to do.  Helping to keep the hangar clean.  It really is a non-stop effort not requiring heavy lifting.  Even in the a/c there are ample things to do.  Thanks so much for everyone’s help thus far.  Anyone who has helped knows how much there is to do.  We love self starters!
• Volunteers loading planes: 7 am - Noon
• Sorting and boxing and weighing: Noon - 4 pm
• Evening help, call ahead.
• If you want to commit to a time slot, Sara Hardy is coordinating volunteers:

Sara can be reached at 267-9280 or e-mail her at sarahardy23@yahoo.com

REMINDER: don't drive on the runways

LOVE LETTERS Of Encouragement:

• Any notes of encouragement you want delivered into the hands of those affected by the storm are greatly appreciated.  You can either leave them at a donation drop point or e-mail them to Angie Lofton at klofton@austin.rr.com to be printed.

MONETARY Donations for fuel can be mailed to:

200 Flightline Rd., Lago Vista, TX 78645
made out  to “Lakeview Mercy Flights”.

Other notes from D’Anne:

Mike Rosen of Fox 7 was awesome.  We returned a girl to her family in Mississippi who was separated from them.  All the other stations are spending so much time on individual human interest stories.  Everyone has a story, but now is the time to focus on the larger need.  I asked that he not spend time on the fact that we flew N’Kisha back to her family and focus on the entirety of the ministry here.  Mike Rosen obliged my request.

This is the only General Aviation (small plane) facility west of the Mississippi for small aircraft to pick up supplies and be given a contact for a drop.  This work is critical.  Today Ed Ragan reported that at Hattiesburg, Mississippi Vice President Dick Cheney was apprised of our efforts and how effective this was.  Of course this effort is right in line with the idea that small enterprises often can do things more effectively than big government. 

***Gratitude for the efforts of all those involved is more than can be expressed!!!!!***

September 9, 2005

Out of our little Lago Vista airport (Rusty Allen Airport), planes of mercy continue to fly, people continue to be fed, needs continue to be met.  Some of the pilots are calling these flights “grocery runs”.

This mercy flight effort was started last Friday (September 2) by a few pilots at Rusty Allen Airport.  They were concerned that the big cities were getting all the attention, and they began flying supplies into some small towns in Louisiana and Mississippi that had small airports.  In many cases the supplies were then transferred to pickup trucks and taken to even smaller towns.  Their first sources of supplies were Great Hills Baptist Church and the Capital Area Food Bank.

They have been to such places as Tylertown, Mississippi, and Hammond, Slidell and Bogalusa, Louisana.  In many cases, our pilots were the first relief people on site.

To help ... please drop off all donations at Travis Oaks Baptist Church in Lago Vista (click here for map and directions) or one of the other drop off points ... Oski’s store in Lago Vista or Shoreline, Great Hills and Celebration Churches in Austin.  

These funds will be used to buy food and supplies for air transport to the affected areas.  

If you can, donations need to get to the drop off spots soon because many, many planes are expected this weekend to make runs (PRAISE GOD!).

Today’s planes are going to Slidell, Hattisville and other cities.  The response to this effort has been huge and the impact has been direct and effective for so many.

Each of us has something to offer these folks who have lost so much.  Your prayers and support are so very much appreciated!

Articles:

Central Texans Flying Relief Supplies
KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas
September 9, 2005

Mercy missions take off from Lago Vista
Remote airstrip becomes a staging ground for emergency supplies
Austin American-Statesman
September 9, 2005

Operation Air Care flies supplies to Gulf Coast
By TYLER SIESWERDA / KVUE News
September 7, 2005

Pilots Begin Flights for Katrina Victims
Texas Aviation Association
Report by D’Anne Gloris
September 3, 2005

September 9, 2005

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” (1 John 4:12, NIV).

Hurricane Katrina

As the enormity of the disaster brought on by Hurricane Katrina registers, the response by God's people to meet needs and share Christ has been monumental. The Bible says, “Whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Proverbs 14:31, NIV). Thousands of people have contacted us to offer assistance to those in the Gulf States who have suffered immense loss. In doing so, you have truly honored the God who loves us all.

Thank you for your willingness to serve others in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mickey Caison
Disaster Operation Center Manager
North American Mission Board

Activity Report (as of 3 p.m. today)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can we send in-kind goods?

• Louisiana Food Basket Project
• Texas Baptist Mission Centers
• Louisiana Baptist Convention information

How can we provide housing?

• Houses of Hope
• Adopt A Church
• American Red Cross
• Housing in Florida: Contact Brenda Forlines at 1 800 226-8584 ext. 3113 or (904) 396-2351 ext. 3113
• Housing in Texas:  Contact Jim Young at (214) 828-538 or 1 888 311-3900
• Thanks to everyone who has expressed interest in helping provide housing for students and faculty from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary who are relocating to the Decatur campus in Atlanta. The website form is not working, so if you will email nobtsfamily@yahoo.com with your housing offers, the school will get back with you. Please indicate if you can help with an individual(s), couple, or family.

Is there a need for untrained volunteers?

• At present, trained Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units are being deployed for the initial relief efforts and to establish the infrastructure for long-term relief. Untrained volunteers will be needed as the situation stabilizes. Check www.NAMB.net/dr for updated information. 
• Contact your local  American Red Cross chapter to receive training for assisting in relief efforts directed toward evacuees who have been relocated to your area.

How can medical personnel volunteer to serve?

• Call the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 1-866-528-6334 or go to www.os.dhhs.gov.
• Contact your local American Red Cross or emergency management office.

Is there a need for trained rescue teams and rescue vehicles (all-terrain vehicles and boats)?

• Contact the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 1 800 440-6728.

How can we locate missing persons?

• Go to www.redcross.org and choose Family Links Registry, or call your local Red Cross chapter.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Donations

NAMB Disaster Relief Fund

Louisiana Disaster 

Relief Fund
c/o Louisiana Baptist Convention
PO Box 311
Alexandria, LA 71309

Mississippi Disaster Relief Fund
c/o Mississippi Baptist Convention Board
515 Mississippi St.
PO Box 530
Jackson, MS 39205-0530

Alabama Disaster Relief Fund
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions
2001 East South Blvd.
Montgomery, AL 36116

National Leadership

There are two incident command teams—a Mississippi team and a Louisiana team.  The Mississippi IC team is set up at Camp Garraway in Clinton, Miss. (for now). The Louisiana IC team will operate out of the Louisiana Baptist Convention in Alexandria. Team members include Terry Henderson, David Abernathy, Donald Kimbell, Eddie Blackmon, Mike Morgan, John Dillender, Carl Russell, Kevin Kite, Gary Smith, and Harold Moore.

Donna Swarts and Don Gann are the Mississippi White Hats.

Tommy Puckett is Alabama Disaster Relief State Director.

Loy Seal is Louisiana Disaster Relief State Director.

Mickey Caison is the NAMB Disaster Operations Center (DOC) manager.

Fred Kinsey is the SBC liaison at American Red Cross National Headquarters (ARC NHQ) in Washington, D.C.

Randy Creamer is the SBC liaison in FEMA's ESF6 Catastrophic Planning Group meeting in Washington, D.C

Harold Johnson is SBC liaison at ARC HQ in Baton Rouge, La.

Don Hargis is SBC liaison at ARC HQ in Montgomery.

Mike Overcash is SBC liaison at Salvation Army HQ in Jackson, Miss.

To contact the Disaster Operations Center, call 1 800 462-8657, ext. 6133 or e-mail dr_offsite@namb.net.

Click here for the Disaster Relief Archive 

“Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God." (2 Cor. 9:11, NIV)

Hurricane Katrina made landfall just east of New Orleans at approximately 6 a.m. CDT Monday as a Category 4 storm.  Emergency response officials are predicting it could be one of the most damaging storms in United States history.

American Red Cross has requested that Southern Baptists prepare 300,000 meals a day for 90 days, which could go as high as half a million meals a day.

Mobile kitchens, shower units, clean-up and recovery units, and communication units from more than 20 states have been activated to staging sites in Memphis, Tennessee, and Marshall, Texas.

Jim Burton, director of Volunteer Mobilization for the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board (NAMB), reported, “We're working right now to determine where our units will set up in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.  We [hope to] be able to assign units on Tuesday, and most should be in place and ready to serve hot meals by Wednesday.”

Much of the feeding will be shelter feeding and line feeding, not mobile feeding.

Units and teams from the following conventions have been activated: Northwest, Tennessee, Texas Baptist Men, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, California, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia Baptist Mission Board.  Other states are on standby.

To make a donation online,  Click here

Samaritan's Purse has launched programs to rebuild every destroyed church in southern Sudan and to train 10 church leaders for each one who was martyred. They are inviting churches to help bring a sister church in Sudan out of the ashes. Click here to find out what you can do to help.

Rebuilding Churches in Sudan

by Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse

Today in Sudan a peace treaty has been signed, and we now have a window of opportunity to rebuild the churches and train the church leadership.

Everywhere Sami and our team went in Sudan, they heard reports of atrocities against church leaders. Let me share just one story that is all too typical.

A man named Peter Abujago was suffering from leprosy in the 1950s and sought treatment at a clinic established by Christian missionaries in the Nuba Mountains. Transformed by the love of Jesus, he returned home to start the first church in the village of Kambara. Despite beatings and persecution, the church grew and multiplied.

Then in the 1990s, government troops burned Kambara, scattered the villagers, and began eliminating the church leaders. Pastor Peter, blind and crippled by the effects of leprosy, was mowed down by soldiers with machine guns. His associate, Pastor Isaac, was dragged into the bush and shot, still clutching his Bible.

Now with the peace agreement, hundreds of Christians are returning to Kambara from the hills and refugee camps, eager to rebuild their church and spread the Gospel. They don't have a pastor or a place of worship, but they do have faith that has been refined in the fire and made stronger than ever.

Sudanese Christians know—in ways we can only imagine—what the Apostle Paul meant when he wrote, “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us” (Romans 5:3b-5, NIV).

So what can we do to help? I felt led of the Lord that we should try to rebuild every church destroyed during the war that we can and train 10 new pastors for every one martyred. At the same time, we are working to meet people’s physical needs with three hospitals serving southern and eastern Sudan, agricultural projects in the Nuba Mountains, plus a large-scale emergency food distribution program in Darfur.

Please pray for the believers in Sudan. Pray that they will be bold in their faith and lead tens of thousands of others to Jesus Christ in the months to come. As one old Sudanese man told our team, “Thank you for bringing the Truth to us. Now I am a Christian. I hope you can bring the church here.”

One of our teams has already begun rebuilding the church at Nyakama, where Pastor Peter was saved. But there are hundreds and perhaps thousands more that are awaiting our help. Please prayerfully consider giving a special gift to help Samaritan’s Purse build churches and train pastors in southern Sudan.

We are inviting American congregations to partner with us in lifting up the church of Sudan in prayer and rebuilding churches...

Read the complete article about Sudan

How can I help the Christians in Sudan recover?

A Message From Jim Nelson

We are planning our fifth year of Angel Tree Camping for Austin area youth at T Bar M Camp Travis.  Our camping program is unique in that it offers all Angel Tree Youth between the ages of 13 and 17, in the greater Austin area, an opportunity to participate.  We are committed to taking 54 youth to T Bar M Camp Travis (27 boys, 27 girls).  We need help in the following areas:

-Adult leaders.  T Bar M Camp Travis will require one adult (over 21) for each nine campers.  The adults will stay in the cabins with the youth and camp counselors.  We need three men and three women.  At present, we have two men and one woman planning to attend the camp.  Please call Jim Nelson (261-3387) if you know of adults who are able to participate.

-Callers.  Deeann Regnerus and Cathy Lappe will head the calling committee, which will contact all Angel Tree Youth in our data base.  The calling will be done between 6/20 and July 15.  If you know of qualifying Angel Tree Youth, who might be interested in the camp, please call one of the following numbers.

If possible, please call your church’s 2004 Angel Tree youth to let them know about the camp.  The first mailing to all youth in the Angel Tree data base was sent in May.

- Send off on July 31.  We need volunteers to help with the send off on July 31 at Covenant Presbyterian Church.  Deeann is in charge of this part of the program.

 - A back pack and Bible are furnished by Prison Fellowship Ministries.  We need items to put in the back pack such as flashlights, disposable cameras, toothbrushes, etc.  If you can help, please call Deeann or Cathy.

 - Funding.  Prison Fellowship Ministries provides Angel Tree Camper Scholarships of $195/ camper.  The cost of the camp is $275.  We must raise approximately $5000 to fund our portion of the costs.  Please contact Jim Nelson regarding help with the funding.

The camping experience is a great opportunity for our Angel Tree Youth and we need your help for it to be a success.

Jim Nelson
261-3387

VBS Ramblin' Road Trip
June 6-10, 2005
9:00 a.m. - noon

Pack your bags and get ready to cruise “Route 254” with LifeWay’s Ramblin’ Road Trip:

Which Way Do I Go?™ VBS

As ramblers (a.k.a. kids) cruise along “Route 254”, better known as Psalm 25:4, kids will see natural wonders, big cities, theme parks, and more as they discover the choices they make daily affect their entire journey.  By choosing God as their guide, they are sure to arrive at the ultimate destination – a relationship with Jesus!

VBS Scripture

Make your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths.  Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.  – Psalm 25:4-5 (Holman CSB)

VBS Motto

“Show me! Teach me! Guide me!”

Broadband
(high-speed connection)

Dialup
(low-speed connection)

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering
for North American Mission

National AAEO Goal: $55,000,000

The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering^® is much more than an offering envelope and an annual missions-giving emphasis. When people give to the offering, 100 percent of their gift will be transformed into missionary salaries and ministry supplies. Those missionaries and supplies will help others hear the message of Christ and respond in faith to His salvation. Time and again our missionaries relate how the offering is their lifeblood. They know that behind each penny given, there is a Southern Baptist who believes in what they do and are affirming the need to equip them to share the gospel with those who need a Savior.

For a brief history on how the offering originated, click here. 

For an overview of the "journey" Annie gifts take from offering plate to missionary, click here.

“It’s amazing to think about how many people are involved in this wonderful gift to make it possible for us to do not just what we are called to do, but what we love to do.”—Jan Cundiff, North American missionary, Indiana 

Ask missionaries what the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® means to them, and they’ll readily admit that it is the lifeblood for their service.

When Southern Baptists place their money in the offering plate, they are in essence placing it in the hands of a missionary. Every dollar given to AAEO goes to support missionaries on the field. The North American Mission Board works in partnership with state conventions to distribute monies given through the AAEO to missionaries and their efforts.

Since the offering's inception, more than $1 billion has been received by the North American Mission Board to use in reaching people in North America for Christ. 

The 2005 National Goal for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering is $55 million. Receipts to the 2005 AAEO will fund mission endeavors noted below, and these will in turn lead thousands upon thousands to Christ. 

The largest expenditure of AAEO funds is for salaries (the majority of missionaries are jointly funded by state conventions and NAMB), health benefits, orientation, and ongoing training expenses of mission personnel. 

Southern Baptists have a goal of planting more than 2,000 churches in 2004. Mission pastors serve English-speaking and language churches in rural and urban settings. Offering funds provide overhead costs for starting a church such as rental of a facility, material, and promotional expenses. 

Avenues for evangelism are varied. They include church and community ministries, resort ministries, and literacy missions, just to name a few. Projects that under gird missionaries’ work, such as sports evangelism, Scripture distribution, special evangelism events, Internet evangelism, and media use are ways missionaries use AAEO funds to impact North America for Christ.

Gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering® can be given through your church, which forwards it to the state convention office.

You can also give online using a credit card by clicking here

January 2005

You can help by sending financial gifts for aid through the IMB disaster relief fund.  Send gifts designated “Asia Earthquake Disaster Relief” to the International Mission Board, P.O. Box 6767, Richmond, VA 23230 (to give online, go to the International Mission Board's website, www.imb.org, and click on the link for donations to help tsunami victims).  All funds given will go to relief efforts; none will be used for administrative costs.

By Erich Bridges

CHIANGMAI, Thailand (BP)—As Asia’s battered coasts began to reveal the enormity of the death and devastation caused by the biggest earthquake in 40 years, Southern Baptist relief workers began working with others to aid the survivors.

Initial efforts will focus on delivering food, water, blankets and other essentials to coastal villages in southern Thailand – some of which were nearly wiped out by towering waves – and the heavily damaged resort area of Krabi.

“These little villages have been devastated.  It’s hard to describe how bad it is,” said a Southern Baptist relief coordinator in Asia.  “The basic needs are going to be food, clean water, blankets, shelter and basic medical supplies...”

[Click SBC Tsunami Disaster Relief to read complete article.]

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By BP Asia Bureau Staff

KRABI, Thailand (BP) – Just a small cement building, Krabi Baptist Church is still adorned with colorful lights and tinseled decorations from Christmas.  A large banner proclaiming “Joy to the World” hangs in the baptistery.

Outside in the parking lot, several of the laymen are busy sawing and nailing together rectangular pieces of plywood.  Rough coffins are taking shape.

“We are doing what we can,” said the church’s pastor, Bro. Dusit.  He explained that the mayor of Krabi asked local businesses and organizations to build larger coffins.  The standard local coffins are not big enough to hold some of the larger-framed foreigners killed the day after Christmas by one of the worse natural disasters ever seen.

In Thailand, the body count continues to rise in the coastal areas decimated by a fierce tsunami triggered by the cataclysmic earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 26.

While much of the world’s attention focuses on the damage and death at world-famous tourist destinations such as Thailand’s popular Phuket Island, Southern Baptist relief workers have begun to mobilize to reach the areas virtually untouched by even the local government...

[Click Bringing Hope To Survivors to read complete article.]

December 2004

Your Prayer, God’s Power

“The love of God and the power of Christ can change any heart,” said International Mission Board worker David McDonnall.

In March, David and three of his co-workers were killed in Mosul, Iraq.  Like other Southern Baptist