A Few Good (Young) Men.

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. -- 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

With a group of about 30 guys, we had the luxury of dividing our effort up into separate teams. One of the things that long will be remembered by members of Guy Kleintop's team was when we said goodbye to George Hicks. We worked for and alongside George for a couple of days, helping him to get new drywall up on the walls and ceilings in his house. There was a strong mutual feeling between him and the guys on our team. Needless to say, it was an emotional moment.

However, when we were leaving, George not only wanted to say "thank you," but he also wanted to specifically address how impressed he was with the young men on our team. He noted how much is made these days of the perception that many young men are not very much engaged in their communities or the world around them, preferring, instead, to watch TV, play video games, or just hang out with their friends to no visible or lasting purpose.

Our young men, he noted, were different. He was very complimentary of their efforts and their diligence and the way that they handled themselves. That really applies to all of the young guys who were on our trip, and not just the ones who happened to be with us at George's house. These young men are a real credit to their families and their church community, and it was a great privilege to serve alongside each of them in Mississippi. Way to go guys. Here is the honor roll of young guys from our trip:

Kyle Benson
Jordan Cowles
Dan Crabtree
Tim Crabtree
Renat Currie
Sam Kleintop
Keith Long
Reece Long

From Lowell Mininger.

Immanuel Bible Church sent a team 26-man team to Pass Christian, MS, July 15-22, to work with Bible Fellowship Church (BFC) to assist in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina. The trip was a great success.

The group helped the church prepare for construction of an outdoor pavilion and installed siding on the new sanctuary building. Teams of men worked on ten homes and on Friday afternoon, presented personalized Bibles to the homeowners, who seemed to have been touched by God’s grace during the week. We provided information to BFC’s Pastor Don Trest who has already made pastoral visits to some of them.

One of the goals was to raise $1000 per man to pay for tools and materials. So far, receipts have totaled more than $32,000. Thanks to generous friends! Stay tuned for an after action report.