Faithful Steward Ministries and FSM Women's Outreach

As I am sure most of you are aware, Naida and I made the move to Lakeshore Mississippi, to join Pastor Don and the great folks of Lakeshore Baptist Church in the work here. we had planned on quarterly updates but folks have been asking so here ya go.

Our main focus since arriving a month ago has been two-fold, first find a permanent place to live and second to begin work on the new church building.

Both items got off to a great start. We were able to find a home reasonably within our budget and are due to close on it Thursday January 31st. It is a little bigger that we envisioned but we believe it is the home God set aside for us. Besides it has plenty of room for visitors (HINT).  For a picture of our new Casa click here http://goo.gl/maps/9c6fn.

As for the building of the church, we had the 40 telephone poles (officially 40 ea. Class 5 wooden pilings 10” diameter) driven in the ground on the 4^th of January. On the 5^th a group of 110 volunteers representing ARBCA, Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America, from 29 churches across the US descended upon Lakeshore. The hope was to get much of the foundation done while they were here but the weather had other ideas. It rained in various amounts for much of the week and our building site turned into a giant mud pit. We did get the 10 spread footings with rebar formed, set and concrete poured. We also managed to get most of the 48 additional holes for the 12”x12”x 20’ or 24’ pilings dug. Headway was also made in other areas. In all a great time of fellowship and work for God’s glory was accomplished.

Since then a few local folks have come out and helped clean up the site, build forms for the concrete columns and other needed tasks. It has been very encouraging to see folks from the community take and interest in the rebuilding of God’s house.

In other news, Naida has been working steadily with Ms. B at the Mercy House distribution center. She loves her work there especially having the opportunity to share her faith and to invite folks to church.

Pastor Don and I were able to attend the Deep South Founders Conference on the 17-19th of Jan. What a blessing it was to meet and here from like minded men expunding the word of God. Dr. Sam Waldron the academic dean of the Midwest Center for Theological Studies and professor of Systematic Theology was the key speaker, this years topic from the London 1689 Baptist Confession was “God’s Covenant”. Check out the web link on the right of our site for the sermons.

Speaking of Church (the body this time not the building) LBC has in recent weeks seen an increase in visitors. There is the potential for around a dozen or so new members could be added to the rolls soon. God is working along the Gulf Coast and in Lakeshore for sure.

Prayer Requests:

Lakeshore Baptist Church/rebuild Lakeshore:

                        1) that we may reach many in the community

                        2) that the recent visitors will find a home here

                        3) that volunteers needed to complete the build will sign up

                        4) that God withholds the rain so we can finish the foundation

                        5) that God will be glorified throughout this process

Naida and I

                        1) that we can be a help to Pastor Don, the church and community here

                        2) that the enormity of the work will be an encouragement to us

                        2) that we can get the help we need to move into our home

                        3) that we can get the financial support we need to stay in the field.

 

Naida Helping Do the Site Layout for the new Church Building

 

Our Site before construction started

The beast drove 40 telephone poles 30′ in the ground in a little over 4 hours

The ARBCA crew worked some 42 hours straight trying to get the holes dug.

(You can not tell but thats me operating the excavator at 2:30am)

 

Pouring the concrete spread footings (me in the hole, I told ya’ll I really do work, at least once in a while :))

Volunteers screeding the concrete, the women worked as hard as the men

 

One of our church members Angelo Morales and a spread footing

 

 

Brian Owens from, First Baptist Clinton, LA and Angelo in our mud pit

 

After nearly 10 days of clear warm weather things had begun to dry out then the heavens parted and the rain poured out today.