Word from Laurel, MS and Rev. Roy Pearson

Grace and peace,

"May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:23

Jesus prayed for unity. The Christian Church has been divided for centuries between the East and the West, between Catholic and Protestant, between Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. Tomorrow, we will receive a team of 14 from the state of Colorado to assist us in the our efforts to recover from Hurricane Katrina. This group consists of Catholics, Lutherans, Christian Church, and non-Christian. We have had Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and even Mormons helping us this last week. Out of something tragic, comes something good. Last night, we had a communion service for all who were here.

Yesterday, we fed 434 adults and 104 children through the food bank that we have been running. We have been feeding that many on a daily basis for the last ten days. Isn't God good?

Laurel was established and grew from the lumber that so flourished in this part of the state. Our city and our streets were filled with big, beautiful trees. Many of our homes were hit with trees. Our yards were filled with them. In the subdivision where our parsonage is located, we had so many trees in the streets and on our homes that we have just now been able to receive electricity. Last night about eight p.m. the parsonage had lights once again. I cannot tell you how that felt. We owe a great deal of thanks to the teams of volunteers who have come to help us: United Methodist Church of the Palms, Palm Beach, FL; Alabaster United Methodist Church, Alabaster, AL; John Paul Robertson from Henderson, TN; Buck Furr from the Hollandale United Methodist Church in Hollandale, MS; Rev. and Mrs.. Greg Hazelrig who serve the Glen Allen and Avon Charge in the Mississippi Delta, the Schweitzer United Methodist Church of Springfield, MO. Isn't God great?

When I was child, I was taught to pray this prayer as a blessing over the meals, "God is good, God is great, we thank you for our food. AMEN! Today, I pray that prayer differently. God is good, so good that I cannot comprehend it. God is great, so great that I am beyond words. Thank you God for creating us, for seeing us all through the storms of life, and thank you for reminding us that your are our refuge and strength!

My thanks to all of you have prayed for us. I know those who receive this daily email do so! Thank you and praise God for you.

We will continue our efforts of feeding and cleaning up. But now that our lives are returning to some sense of normalcy. (Our lives will never be the same). Our focus is now turning further south to those areas of Mississippi where the devastation has been the worse. It is still a heavily restricted area. No one can enter without permission of the government. We are now getting a better idea of what has happened. I am going to attach some websites for you to visit if you would like so you can get an idea of what has happened there. You have heard about New Orleans daily.

http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.859767/k.EC2F/United_Methodist_News_Service.htm

http://www.mississippi-umc.org/ ( on this website be sure you look at the special edition of the Advocate)

Roy Pearson