Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Back in NOLA!

Merry belated Christmas!

First of all, let me just note that being home for Christmas was absolutely perfect. I loved seeing my family again and we had a blast!
Me and my sister-in-law, Jamie
God continues to amaze me with the blessings he lavishes on me, both with my family and friends! For example, Jen Jones and I drove 19 hours to New Orleans yesterday and we arrived safely at 10 pm last night. Also, today I was reunited with my fellow former intern Ronnie!! :)
Ronnie and I hugging in the street. Of course, we would!
Today, driving over the causeway and into the city just reminded me of how much I love New Orleans. To be honest, this weekend I was not feeling ready to return to Louisiana. But now that I'm here, I'm so excited to get back to working and blogging! :)  This week will be great as all the interns will have a little reunion. They will all be here by Sunday and we'll be working together all next week!

God is good and I pray that Christ's love is shining through you as you go throughout your day. What an amazing privilege it is to be called by a living God and serve Him! Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love, 
Chelsea :)

Friday, December 9, 2011

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

I'm at the point where I know airports like the back of my hand. Like, just now, I looked up from what I was reading and realized I was in an airport...again. Sometimes, that's a little discouraging. I'd really like to stay in one place for more than 2 weeks. But then again, I realize that a year ago I never would've imagined that I'd be working for a ministry like TouchGlobal. When I think of that, I thank Christ for putting this call on my heart.
Back to the airport! I'm on my way to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania again. I'm blessed to be able to spend Christmas with my family, and I am very excited!
I covet your prayers and am very grateful for them. One way you could pray for me is that I will be looking for opportunities to show Christ's love in Pennsylvania. That God will bring people into my life who I can invest in.
If you haven't listened to the song "Jesus, Friend of Sinners", by Casting Crowns, please do. The Youtube link is right here. Enjoy! Here are some lyrics to it:

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks yours

Keep these lyrics in mind as you encounter sinners like you and me throughout your day! I'm praying right now for the those of you reading this, that your lives will be living testimonies to the great work that Christ has done in you!
Love,
Chelsea :)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Recruiting, recruiting, recruiting

Hello everyone!

First of all, I am so thankful for the work of salvation that Christ did on the cross and the grace that we are able to receive because of it!
Second of all, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to recruit in Pennsylvania, Missouri and Arkansas. In Pennsylvania I visited Messiah College and Lancaster Bible College and I was able to spend some much-needed time with my family.
My brother, Ryan, and I

Now, I'm currently in Missouri staying at Southwest Baptist College. My fellow (and former) intern, Dustin has been driving me around to the different colleges I need to go to. Last Friday was spent at College of the Ozarks, yesterday was spent at John Brown University in Arkansas and tomorrow and Friday will be spent at Southwest Baptist.

Recruiting has gone well so far and has been an awesome experience! Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

 Pray for:
-My boss, Katie, and my friend, Alison, as they are working in Haiti this week
-My friend and coworker Ariealle, and her grandmother who is very sick and in the hospital right now
-That God will raise up a generation of young people who want to be involved with TouchGlobal

Praising God for:
-The blessing of family and having a place to go home to!
-Safe travels around the United States thus far :)
-Using me in a way that glorifies Him!

Love you all!
Chelsea :)
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."
2 Corinthians 3:17-18

Monday, October 24, 2011

Planning My Course...

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Me and George, one of our construction site leaders
This verse keeps coming up more and more in my life, especially in the past few weeks.
For those of you who do not know, I'm currently in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I got here on Saturday and I spent today sitting in meetings with some awesome people who do a lot of behind the scenes stuff. Tomorrow I'm going to a writing workshop with some other communications people from our national office.

Two weeks ago, I had no idea that I would be on a plane to Minneapolis at 6 in the morning this past Saturday (Shout out to Jen who drove me to Mississippi at 4 a.m.!). Again, the reoccurring verse: Proverbs 16:9.
I'm learning more how important it is to have Christ as my solid foundation, the steady person that I can lean against. He blesses me in amazing ways! And He is literally determining my every step, and I am happily following!
The past week was great with teams from California, Maryland, Missouri and old friends from Pennsylvania! During our block party, one of the team members helped to lead a person to Christ. Still praising God for working in the city I love!

Please pray that:
  • I'll travel safely as I am going to Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas and Kansas in the next month
  • I'll continue to give God the glory when He creates amazing opportunities for me!
  • God will recruit interns when I travel to different colleges in the coming weeks
Praising God for:
  • The unique opportunity to learn more about communications in Minneapolis
  • Being able to go home to Pennsylvania for 2 weeks!
  • His faithfulness and steadfastness
Praying for those of you that are reading this, that God is working in your life too! Thank you so much!


Chelsea :)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New Orleans: Round 2!

There is something inexplicably satisfying when you know you are right where you belong. That's how I feel right now.
I'm  in Louisiana and thanks to the generosity of my friends and family, I am at 100% support!
Let me tell you about God's faithfulness: one month ago, I had a total of $200 per month promised to me. This past weekend, I reached $1,100 per month and I can only give Christ the glory.
My first week back in Louisiana was spent with other staff from Crisis Response. We had meetings to discuss the past year and look forward to this next year. I am so excited to be a part of this ministry!
Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me! I'm so blessed by the people here and back home :)
Please pray:
  • That I will establish a good routine between classes and work
  • That this year will be productive and that God will continue to bless Crisis Response
Love,
Chelsea
"The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him." Exodus 15:2

Saturday, August 13, 2011

So Thankful!

I just want to thank everyone that made it possible for me to come to New Orleans. This summer was life-changing and I learned so much about God, other people, ministry and myself. I spent my last night with all my interns last Friday, staying up til 2 in the morning laughing with Katie and Ronnie and Keri. I also want to recognize the staff in New Orleans. We had an intern send-off party last Friday and I realized how much each and every one of them have touched my life. I have truly found a home and a family in Covington, Louisiana that will always welcome me and treat me as their own. Saturday morning, as I watched Ronnie drive away at 5 am, I realized how grateful I am for people like her and everyone else on staff here. The accountability and just the feeling of being home is amazing.
The interns and Katie on our last night!
I have such a peace about coming back to New Orleans in September. This past summer was the first step to something incredible that God is doing in my life. I'm so excited to see what it is! As I'm writing, I am sitting here in my parents living room so thankful for them, the rest of my family and their support as I embark on a new journey. I've been officially accepted by ReachGlobal to return to New Orleans and serve for 11 months! I'm praising God for how steadfast, faithful and sovereign He is! What an amazing God we serve!
As for returning, the projected budget is about $1,100 a month. I need to find supporters willing to give financially on a monthly basis, so I will be spending the next month doing that. I plan on leaving September 10th in order to make it back to Louisiana in time for the annual meetings that the Crisis Response staff holds.

Praise:
  •   Jesus Christ is sovereign, mighty and worthy to be praised!
  • I made it back to Dauphin, Pa safe and sound! So happy to be surrounded by my family :)
  • I've been accepted to ReachGlobal for an 11 month term
Prayer:
  • That Crisis Response will have more and more teams volunteer to serve
  • God will provide the people who are willing to support me financially this year
  • That I will remain diligent in building a team of people who will support me through prayer
Once again, thank you to everyone who has kept up with my blog this summer and has prayed for me! I'm looking forward to writing more when I return to New Orleans in September.
God Bless!
Chelsea
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1

Friday, July 22, 2011

The Power of Christ in Me

This week has stretched me in ways that I never saw coming. Circumstances that I thought I would never have to deal with this summer hit me with full force. This morning I was reflecting on all of the silly little things that tripped me up this week and I knew it was Satan messing with me and my friends. The song "In Me" played in the car and I had to play it over again because I just love the lyrics. They're so encouraging and I just wanted to share! :)

In Me
by Casting Crowns

If you asked me to leap
Out of my boat on the crashing waves
If you ask me to go
Preach to a lost world that Jesus saves

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that you want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

If you ask me to run
And carry your light into foreign land
If you ask me to fight
Deliver your people from Satan's hand

I'll go, but I cannot go alone
'Cause I know I'm nothing on my own
But the power of Christ in me makes me strong
Makes me strong

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability
How refreshing to know You don't need me
How amazing to find that You want me
So I'll stand on Your Truth, and I'll fight with Your Strength
Until You bring the victory, by the power of Christ in me

To reach out with Your hands
To learn through Your eyes
To love with the love of a savior
To feel with Your heart
and to think with Your mind
I'd give my last breath for Your glory

'Cause when I'm weak, You make me strong
When I'm blind you shine Your light on me
'Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability

Please continue to pray for me and the staff as the summer comes to an end. That we'll recognize Satan's attempts to discourage us and that we will have supernatural strength and endurance these last two weeks. I can't believe I'll be home two weeks from Monday! Thanks for all the prayers and support :)

Love,
Chelsea :)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Hurray for People and Progress!

I love people. Especially people from New Orleans :)

Dave and I in front of the working sink!
The other day I was sitting in Katie's car, minding my own business. I had just come from a job site and was in a Wendy's parking lot waiting for my roommate, Ronnie, to get there so we could have lunch. I was blasting Lecrae when a man on crutches walked up to the car and knocked on the window. I rolled down the window and he asked what I was listening to and if I had any cash. I happened to have two bucks on me so I handed it to him. He grinned, thanked me and started to hobble away. I returned to rocking out to Lecrae and jumped when I heard another knock on the window. It was the same man, so I rolled down the window again. He thanked me again for the cash, then proceeded to drop a dirty paper bag onto the passenger seat. He muttered, "Here, I found this in a dumpster." Then limped across the parking lot again. The bag was full of ant-infested trash.
Only in New Orleans, would I exchange two dollars for a bag of garbage. Wouldn't change it for the world :)

I was able to visit Dave's house this week! I am so amazed at the progress made from a year ago! The team from Brookfield was the second team to work on that house last summer. Now, the interior is nearly finished, the kitchen has a sink and running water. This is so exciting! Also, I love visiting with Bridget and Michael; they are such an awesome family!
Dave, Michael and Bridget


Thank you for continuing to lift me up in prayer. As the weeks run down and I only have so much time left, pray for strength and energy to finish this part of the journey strong. I love you all so much!

God Bless,
Chelsea :)

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to  pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:9-10

Saturday, July 9, 2011

King's Reply

Sometimes I don't think I fully comprehend the damage and destruction caused by Katrina. Yes, I work here. Yes, I've seen pictures and footage. On the other hand, my first time coming to New Orleans happened 4 years after the storm.
Ronnie and I were riding into the city on Thursday when we stopped at a red light. Beside us was a maze of highways and interstates intertwining in bridges. I've stopped at that red light many times and occasionally, you might see a man walking up and down the intersection, asking for money.  Ronnie looked over at me and told me about the first year she came down. She said that there were tons of people living under those bridges with tents set up. Some didn't even have a tent, but simply a mattress on the ground, just trying to find shelter underneath those busy highways.
 I talked to one of the staff members last night who is from New Orleans. I asked her about the week of Katrina and what it is like now. She said that some people say it's no different than any other week in the city, but she can tell the difference. There's something on the people's faces when you walk past them.
When I walk around the city and I see empty, abandoned houses my heart breaks. Still, I don't think I can fully appreciate what this community went through. Some team members have asked me why anyone even stays in New Orleans; why would you want to live in a bowl that at any given moment could wash away? The best answer I can think of is that it is their home. They love this city even more than I do. What humbles me and puts me in awe is that Christ loves this city even more than them. He died for the people in this city.
This week, I was reminded why I am here. To let Christ's love shine through me and Crisis Response so that maybe the next homeowner we help will see Jesus through us.

Thank you for your prayers,
Chelsea

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’" Matthew 25:40

Friday, July 1, 2011

Closer Than a Brother

"A man of many companions may come to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
"
-Proverbs 18:24


This week I've been thinking a lot about friendships and how much they mean to me. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by the amazing people I've met here in Louisiana. These truly are friendships that will last a lifetime and glorify Christ. 

Ronnie and I dancing in the streets, as usual.



These are people that will head bang right along with me when we're jamming to Family Force 5 in the car! I LOVE that!!!














Katie, Ariealle, Shelby, Keri, Ronnie, me, Dustin








These are also friends that help me grow as a child of God. People who will keep me accountable and encourage me when I'm feeling down. I just want to praise God for these friends who have blessed me so much!










This week I posted on EFCA's Crisis Response blog for the first time :) Go check it out: The Need in New Orleans (I know it says it was written by Mark Lewis, but don't be deceived! It was me with the help of Katie). Hopefully, I'll be able to help keep this blog updated, along with Katie's blog which I will be working on next week.


Prayer Requests:
  • The incoming team for next week - that they will have a wonderful week shining for Jesus
  • Please pray for those who will be going over my application (Explore 7-23)
  • God will provide a safe, reliable way to get back to New Orleans this fall
Praises:
  • I'm 3 questions short of finishing my application! I'll be sending it in tomorrow :)
  • I met new people this week: Scott Mannstedt and his son Nathan from Minnesota. They were a lot of fun to get to know :)
  • A productive week as far as getting work done along with my application
Thank you all for your prayers and letters! I appreciate all the mail that comes in, I love hearing from everyone back home! 


Love,
Chelsea :)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Bama: Round Two.

Have you ever had expectations that you did not realize you held? I've been learning a lesson in flexibility this past week. Part one of lesson: making a surprise 6 hour drive to Madison, Alabama. Again :) But praise God for having a purpose for everything! I love that there are no coincidences!



As it turns out, I happened to be sent to Alabama the same week a friend from high school was there. It was such a great blessing to catch up and hang out with him and introduce him to my new friends!





So Wednesday morning, three of us made the drive to Bama. We went for a specific roofing job but as soon as we got there, the homeowner told us that someone else was going to work on his roof and provide the materials for him.






We ended up chainsawing trees and cleaning up debris out of a wheat field. Billy was the owner of the farm we worked on. During the tornadoes, the house belonging to Billy's brother was lifted up and it landed in Billy's wheat field. Needless to say there was a lot to clean up.












And lots of chances to drive big tractors! Right up my alley :)






We came back on Saturday and spent the rest of the weekend relaxing. It was definitely needed! I've been working on what my role looks like in the ministry this summer and also if I come back in the fall. I'm really excited about what God's doing in my life and in this ministry! I feel so blessed to be here and thank you all so much for supporting me in every way.

Prayer Requests:
  • Application process (Explore 7-23) for a longer term
  • A vehicle to drive down to New Orleans in the fall
  • That God will continue to work this summer in New Orleans and also in my life
  • That God will provide the funds to live here this year
Praises
  • Safety in Alabama
  • The amazing people I'm surrounded by - both on staff and on teams!
  • That I'm back "home" in Louisiana 
"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38

Love  you all!
Chelsea :)

Friday, June 17, 2011

Hope in Bama

On April 27, 2011 several devastating tornadoes hit the state of Alabama. EFCA Crisis Response set up a connection through Hope Church in Madison, Alabama where teams can come to help the clean up process. I read a verse this week during devotions that really spoke to me: Psalm 29:9 "The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, 'Glory!'" Isn't our God amazing?! I saw evidence of God's voice during my time in Bama. This week, the interns and some of the staff from the Crisis Response office in New Orleans came and served there. I was able to be a part of the amazing work that Hope Church is doing in Madison with the help of the lead pastor, Andy Wulff, and my fellow part-time roommate and co-worker, Jen Jones :)

It was really fun to be part of a team this week and volunteer! I personally met 3 different sets of homeowners. Ronnie and I were with Shelby and Jeremy our first day when we worked with John and Marlene, a couple originally from New Jersey. They were so sweet and Marlene was very hospitable. Marlene had a bout with cancer and it's believed it may be back in her head because of headaches and trouble with sight. Please pray for her and that the cancer won't come back.

Most of the week was spent with Billy and Pat, an older couple who invited us (a dirty, sweaty, smelly team of young people!) into their home and fed us every day. They told me I reminded them of their granddaughter (Their 13 year old, 6 foot tall granddaughter. Not sure how) so I'm excited to keep in touch with them via e-mail! We aren't sure where they are, spiritually, but they seemed interested in Hope Church :)

The third man we helped, Tom, told us his story about how his family lived without power for 8 days. United Way told him they would come clean up his leaning trees last week, but never showed up. Dustin, Jen and I took down two trees ourselves and dragged three out. There was a close call, but it turns out I can outrun a tree :)

The team that was in Alabama this week was from Hershey Free Church so I had an awesome time getting to know fellow Pennsylvanians :) They were a great group of guys and our team loved hanging out with them! We even went bowling last night :) We were also able to serve Pastor Andy and his wife by babysitting their 5 kids. We had a great time with them but half of us were sleeping on couches by the end of the night!

Summary? I used a chainsaw for the first time this week, met some great people and had a near death experience but yay God! I'm here :) Also, praise God we're all back in Louisiana safe and sound and that everyone was kept safe this week using chainsaws and skid loaders. Please pray that my application for Explore 7-23 will go well and I'll finish it in a timely manner. Also, please pray that I will be able to find monthly supporters for this fall. The support I raised for this summer was enough for 2 and a half months, but I will need support to come in monthly as I serve for a longer term.

Thank you so much for all the support and letters and prayers! Also, if you'd like to find out how you can help with the clean up that is going on in Alabama go to EFCA's tornado relief page. Thank you all again!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Hey ya'll!

Good news! All of the interns are officially here! Ronnie and Dustin are construction site leaders, Keri is involved in relational ministries and I'm doing my thing with communications :) And I'm absolutely loving my time with them! They're already like family to me and I'm excited for all the great times we're going to have!

This week was awesome! We had a great youth group from Arlington, Texas come and serve Cammie Carroll, Ruby Augustine and the town of Bush. Bush is on the North Shore, about 25 minutes from where I live. That area was seriously affected by the recent tornadoes that hit southern Louisiana, so a team from Trinity went along with the kids from Arlington. The team from Arlington had this rule about "cuss words". Every time someone said something bad, they owed 5 pushups. Unfortunately for me, "cuss words" included totally normal words like "hate" or "dang it". So if I said "Ugh, Wal-Mart, I hate you!" (which I say daily. Like every time we drive past it), I would have to do 5 pushups. Apparently, I have a really dirty mouth!! Those pushups really added up!

On Wednesday, all the interns and some other staff went crabbing and it was so much fun! Eating them is a lot more work than catching them though. In other news, this Monday all the interns and Katie are piling into a car and driving to Madison, Alabama to work with Crisis Response there. It's really cool because the team that's coming down to Alabama that week is from Hershey, Pa! :)

God's really been teaching me a lot and I've only been down here for 3 weeks. I believe that I'm supposed to be here longer than just this summer. I'm about to start the process of filling out the 'Explore' application, which covers 7-23 months of ministry. My plan is still to come home in the beginning of August and continue to raise support to come back down, hopefully by September.

Prayer Requests:

1) Safety in traveling to Alabama
2) Continuing to raise financial support for this fall

Thank you all for your continued prayer and support!

Love,
Chelsea :)

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Pray the Lord of the harvest...

Good evening! Hopefully all of my Pennsylvania people are not up as late as me :)

We finally moved into our new house! We're loving it and it's definitely a blessing :) This weekend Katie, Ronnie, Jen and I walked around the French Quarter and ate amazing food! We walked a block of Bourbon Street and that was more than enough for me. That would be the last time I go there. Yikes.

This week I got a real picture of what New Orleans is like 6 years after Hurricane Katrina. I was privileged with the opportunity to go to job site assessments with Katie and some of the construction staff. Job site assessments are made in order to meet the homeowner, survey the damage that needs to be fixed and give them estimates on what the materials will cost. With Crisis Response, we provide the labor and the homeowner provides the materials. My job was to take pictures and listen to the homeowner's stories. What I heard was incredible.

I met Ms. Corin, who has been ripped off by contractors and has had thieves break into her home and steal her plumbing, wiring and A/C unit. As Katie and I walked through the house Ms. Corin showed us the traps she's made to keep out intruders. She has done everything she can to fix up her home by herself but she has reached a point where she needs outside help. She lives in her room upstairs and has almost all of her belongings in one bedroom where she sleeps on a mattress on the floor. Ms. Corin was so kind and so grateful. She is so excited for her house to be rebuilt and she wants her home to be in one piece again.

I also met James who has been doing his best to provide a nice home for his grandmother and his two darling nieces, Emmanuela and Esther Ruth. He repaired and restored the inside but he can't tackle the huge job of the exterior. The entire two story house needs painted. And it's a big house. I was able to play and hang out with the two little girls who were just so cute and outgoing! Emmanuela is going into 5th grade and she plays the sax. In fact, she's going to band camp this week. Esther Ruth was a sassy little thing who jumped rope with me. They were just so adorable and I enjoyed talking to them!

It is so hard to see these homeowners in their destroyed homes. They've waited so long for someone to come along side them and help them. Some people say that the people of New Orleans have no motivation and if they really wanted their houses fixed, they would do it themselves. The truth is, they look at their houses and yards that are filled with trash, debris, water damage and mold, and they see a job so big that there is no way one person can handle it. The hardest part of our job was telling the homeowners that they have to wait even longer to see their houses rebuilt. Crisis Response simply does not have the amount of volunteers and staff it needs to keep up with multiple job sites at once. After 6 years, the volunteer response has slowed down considerably. When the rest of the country has moved on and assumed that all is well with New Orleans, there are still 50,000 homes that need to be rebuilt. 50,000 people that need to be loved.

Please pray for more volunteers and long term staff for TouchGlobal Crisis Response.

"Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:38

Love,
Chelsea :)

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

I'm here! I'm here! I'm here!

Goodness gracious! It's amazing how the past two days have flown by so quickly!

First of all, if you are reading this, you probably are supporting me financially or through prayer and thank you so very much! Both of these are so vital to the work we are doing in New Orleans!

My flights went well and after Katie Hooks picked me up from the airport, we went to a work site in New Orleans East. She tried to be sneaky and surprise me, but I figured out that the site she was taking me to was the same site that the Brookfield team had worked on last summer! I was so psyched to see the improvements and progess that has been made in Dave Fermandez's home. It was such a blessing when he recognized me and hugged me. We worked there that afternoon and then went back to Trinity to eat dinner with the team.

There is only one team here this week. It's a group of eight men from Lifesong church in California. This is their first trip down here through Crisis Response and they seem to be enjoying it very much! They definitely crack me up :) They go home on Saturday so they have two more days to work on Dave's house. They are hard workers and filled with joy and laughter! Please pray that the work they are doing will continue to impact Dave, his family and the surrounding community.

Today, Katie "orientated" me and got me working on EFCA Crisis Response's Facebook page. Go "like" it on Facebook if you have not already! This will sort of be my pet project this summer. Through the page we'll be able to give updates on happenings that are going on in Haiti, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Japan and other places where Crisis Response is stationed.

I'll be updating this blog every Friday, along with Katie's blog. I'll update EFCA's blog once a month. Look for these links on my Facebook and this blog! Thank you so much for reading and praying! The Lord is going to do amazing things this summer and I cannot wait to see them happen :)

-Chelsea :)

 "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 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 4:11-12