Renewing Waveland/Bay St. Louis & Caelan Update
This week I went down to Waveland/Bay St. Louis, MS to check on a couple from our church, Charlie and Martie Elgin, who have left everything of their life here, sold their house, and are living in a trailer to help people devastated by Hurricane Katrina. It was a quick trip to work through some ministry plan stuff, see the camp/mission we are now starting called Pathfinder Mission, and have some meetings with the local baptist association, and a really great pastor, Kevin Clifton, of Bay Vista Baptist Church in Biloxi, MS. God is doing some incredible things down there in opening 
people's hearts and through continuing to call volunteers to give of their time and resources to help put people's lives back together. Our church is sponsoring Pathfinder, and we are praying that we will be able to start a church out of it as we reach into people's lives with practical and spiritual help. Charlie and Martie spent 6 months at Shoreline Park Baptist Church in Waveland running their camp and felt led to stay down there and serve the people. We are doing everything we can to help them. Please pray for us and pray about any help that God might be leading you to provide for these people who are still in great need.
I only went for about 36 hours because I did not want to be away from home too long because of Caelan and his beginning chemotherapy. But, he had been doing so well (no vomitting, no abnormal return trips to the hospital, etc.), that Erika and I thought it was safe for me to go. Well, Tuesday night, she calls me and says that he is running over 102 fever and she was taking him to the emergency room for blood work because of possibility of infection. Ugh. The kids had to be sent to a friends house and Erika was off to the emergency room. I waited, a 4 hour drive away. If the blood work had not been good, then she would have to go to Birmingham for another hospital stay and I would be in driving back to Montgomery. I just really started praying, "God, can't you give us a break here? I'm trying to do your work, we're really tired, Caelan has been through so much. Can't you just make this alright?" Those are the kind of prayers I'm praying lately. Weak prayers full of desperation.
Well, around 12:30 am, Erika calls and, praise the Lord, said that Caelan was o.k. They were sending them home to go back to bed. I was able to stay and meet with the baptist association and Pastor Clifton of Bay Vista, to, in a sense, begin the process of solidifying local relationships so that we can work and play well with others! I am so thankful for answered prayers. I came back the next day (Wednesday) just in time for worship and Bible study.
God was good and provided for all of our needs! Caelan is doing great, still has not thrown up, and has not run anymore fever. He is happy, laughing, and playing with great energy and joy. We are continuing to trust the Lord and give Him praise as we look to Him through this. He continues to give us what we need for every situation. There are many hard, tiring days, but God is faithful, and continues to lead us through this. I can't help but be thankful when I think of how so many have and continue to suffer on the Gulf Coast. I'll be posting more on how we are preparing for this year's hurricane season - to be a place of refuge and also to be first responders. Amazing Grace - freely we have received, freely we must give.
Cool Ministry and still praying for Caelan and your family.
Posted by: Kevin Bussey | May 26, 2006 at 04:52 PM