Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Thoughts on Lakeshore 2012, by the volunteers

This is what you get when you walk around camp asking people what they think about Lakeshore. I asked why they came, what they thought, and what it meant to them. Here's what I got:

"I'm doing whatever needs to be done, I'm always trying to make sure to help somebody. It's like being with family, we're all just here to help each other and keep each other on track and focus on God. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'll be coming back as long as I can." ~ Margaret Pasztor

"It's so fun here. It's great to wake up knowing that I'm going to help people." ~ Emily Wilk


"I heard that it was a great opportunity for helping people and just for talking about God and concentrating on the Bible. And that's why I came" ~ Hannah Alexander

"I really like watching the young people work." ~ Chris Dighton

"Being on the ministry team has been a wonderful experience. Folks here have significant needs, some spiritual, some physical. To the folks back home and others who couldn't be with us, pray for these people." ~ Terry Reid

"It's amazing how every year God pulls together different people from all over, but when we come together, we make a very good team." ~ Debra McDearmon

"It feels like it actually benefits the attendee, sometimes more than those being served. When you start to attend multiple years you recognise people who have come here before and the continuing fellowship is wonderful." ~ Stephanie Creasy

"A lot of work goes into the planning so everything runs smoothly. And the focus is in the right place. It isn't just for working but it's also for spreading the gospel." ~ Kevin Stadlander

"I am here because God has given me an avid watch. Any opportunity to serve, you take it." ~ Emily Kate Crnko

"It's made me more confident in doing things for other people. People here recognise talents in you and encourage you in them and give honest feedback. It helps you to grow. I wouldn't normally play guitar or piano in front of people but I'm not afraid to do those things here." ~ Angelle Roddy

"Seeing the power of not only fellow shipping with other brothers and sisters in Christ but living, talking and working alongside the people I'm going to spend eternity with makes me really want to go back home and do this there as well."~ Scott Boehret


"I love working for the Lord, It's the best job I've ever had." ~ Craig Bamberry


So many people expressed to me how life-changing they felt this week and their previous visits to the Lakeshore project had been. And it seemed that almost everyone was comparing it to Heaven, that it was a blessing to work together for the same purpose. That we were all there to glorify God and serve his people. As well as spread His word to as many people as we could. It was incredible to get the chance to grow in Christ together, as well as closer to each-other.
 I would say that this year was a success in our work, and it was beautiful to do it with each-other.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Larry's Final Post

Friday, January 13, 2012

As John Durham, one of our elder brothers on the project says, "This is a Hallelujah day!"  Spirits are high in anticipation of the evangelistic service this evening.  There have been a large number of contacts made in the community and we have been praying with great fervency for the salvation of those who will occupy the seats in the quonset hut chapel.  If the past is any indication, Pastor Matt Foreman will be preaching to a diverse gathering of people.  From my perspective, there are a large number of poor in this community and I expect that will be proportional in our meeting.  When Jesus began his public ministry in Galilee he entered the temple in Nazareth.  He stood up and read this passage from Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor."  We will be following that example unto those who are impoverished, either in soul or goods.  

I just passed the dining hall and the chefs are simmering  a huge caldron of Jambalaya which is a  local delicacy.  These generous men have come over from Clinton, LA just to minister to the locals via their culinary skills.  The aroma is filling the area and it is magnafique!  Our Lord offered bread and fish by the sea and we attempt the same with Cajun stew by the Gulf.  Speaking of food, our kitchen crew under the direction of Debra McDearmon, turned in another stellar performance this project.  One change I particularly enjoyed this time was having our food served on our plates by the kitchen staff.  The dining is so enhanced by the pleasant greetings from our young ladies, like Ms. Kay Andrews.  Feeding 160 plus hearty eaters is no small task!

Last evening was our annual night out for dinner.  We invaded the Bay St. Louis area and split forces between several restaurants.  Pastor Don encouraged us to spend our dollars locally, if possible, since the local economy is struggling to support businesses.    Our party tried a new restaurant overlooking the bay that offered us our own upstairs room isolated from the local clientele.  This enabled us to have a wonderful social experience, talking and laughing with our dear brethren.  It also enabled us to enjoy the time without getting strange looks from our neighboring tables.  Since Laszlo was at our table, we got strange looks anyway.

As I'm writing this entry, the young folks are preparing some special music for this evening.  It is very heart-warming to see the camaraderie that exists amongst this gaggle of young folks.  There is encouragement in seeing this sampling of those who will be leading the church into the future.  If you carefully look past the boisterousness and see the underlying character, which has been nurtured by solid family training, hope arises for the body of Christ through the next generation.  

I just paused for a minute to take a phone call, and one of the locals named Oscar flagged me down.  He's a man in his forties who told me of how his wife died of cancer this past May.  He expressed how much he missed his "Baby" since her passing.  He had been invited to the meal/meeting and arrived two hours early.  He wanted to lend a hand, if possible.  I told him that we were wrapping up and there probably wouldn't much to do, but feel free to roam around and chat.  He replied that he do would take up the offer because he wanted to enjoy some Christian fellowship.  I suspect that he's lonely and hopefully, the acceptance he will find in our midst will be a good tonic for his soul, even if it's only for a few hours.  It made me think of the vast opportunities the hurricane brought to this small church.  This type of interaction is typical in the daily routine of the church.   Just rubbing shoulders with the community is a natural routine.  Sure, it's messy and uncomfortable at times to be accessible.  People can be such a bother when we are busy.   We have so much to do and so little time to do it.  Woe unto the church if we are tempted by those sentiments.  If I could take just one thing away from this week, it would be to make a greater effort to listen to the people who are suffering in this world.  Whether believer or unbeliever it doesn't matter.  I need to be prepared for every opportunity to demonstrate compassion and understanding in the name of Christ.  Having speech that is always gracious, seasoned with salt.  I trust that this same conviction will be carried away by all of our project family.  I hope as you read these reflections you will do the same.

Until next year,

Larry Springer

Semper Gumby "Always Flexible"

At Lakeshore, our motto is Semper Gumby, which means "Always Flexible"

It started when our very own Mr. Larry Springer was in the military and on one of his operations, Semper Gumby was his troop's motto. Naturally, he carried it over to the Lakeshore project. For anyone who doesn't know, Gumby is a flexible toy that looks like a little green man. As it happens, a few years ago on the project, a team was cleaning out a house and, lo and behold, they found a gumby doll. It had a black top hat, a drum and a drumstick. Mr. Larry cut the drum off, made the stick into a hammer, and so, Gumby became our mascot. 

This year, Gumby was left at home, but he's re-appeard here in the form of a T-shirt and the motto still holds. Being flexible in our scheduling and directing has always been an advantage when we come to work here. This year, as Lazlo and Larry were driving up to the camp, they noticed that the Mercy House had no sign yet. Work to make a sign hadn't been put into the schedule but they quickly found a few of the volunteers here, that happen the be art majors and graphic design majors, and assigned them the task of designing a sign. "We are constantly having to adjust our plans here." says Mr. Larry. We have been able to switch people around in their assigned positions and maintained our progress.
And next year when we come back, our motto will stand.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Larry's post for Thursday, January 12th


Last evening was Pastor Don’s opportunity to preach to a combined service of LBC and project people.  His theme was from Romans 8:18.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”  This very encouraging sermon ultimately drew our focus to that glory mentioned in the text.  To help us get a glimpse of that heavenly glory he pointed us to the fellowship we have when we unite our hearts in worship and service.  So many times during the week it is mentioned how this gathering of saints is a “taste of heaven”.  I’ve had this same thought many times, but am careful to use the phrase, lest it become a cliché.  I truly believe, though, that it is descriptive of the experience.  The unity, kindness, cooperation, patience and love exhibited by the members of this effort are refreshing to the soul.   It has always had a unique place in my life, which I will always treasure.

Yesterday was our annual trip to town for a pastor/leadership lunch with Pastor Don as our guest.  It is intended to be a time of fellowship during which Don can report on the progress of the work.  There are some very encouraging signs of progress.  There have been conversions and the addition of a family, which is grounded in reformed doctrine.  One of the stories Don told us bears repeating.  Pre-Katrina he wrote an article rebutting an attack against Calvinism from the pen of a well-known Southern Baptist preacher.  Don dissected and corrected the points one by one.  The country preacher from a small, rural church versus the big city guy with the big city congregation.  The blogosphere picked up on this argument and began linking Don to other reformed sites.  When Katrina hit, this growing collection of links became the conduit for making the masses aware of the work going on in Lakeshore.  It was interesting to see how the Lord had prepared the way for the massive effort, which now has involved more than 600 churches.  We closed the lunch by ascending the stairs up to a balcony overlooking the bay and joining our hearts in prayer for Don, his family and the ministry at LBC.  An interesting side-note concerns two people we met at the restaurant.  Donna was the hostess and in typical style, was very cordial.  Once we mentioned that we were from LBC, and were in a more private setting she commenced to tell us that she lived right around the corner from the church.  When Katrina hit, she explained how the church assisted her in a desperate situation.  At one point her emotions welled, which is often the case when we engage in these conversations.  We also asked our waitress, Inga, to take our group picture on the balcony.  This exceedingly pleasant young lady proceeded to mention how one of our visitation teams stopped at her house the day before.  She had been invited to the community meal and was intending to come.  Brother Mitch asked Don to pray for her.  We prayed accordingly and she thanked us and said this was the best tip she received all day!

It’s another gloriously noisy day on the LBC campus.  Bulldozers, backhoes, chain saws, bush-hogs and the like are singing in unison.  I have never seen as dramatic a footprint as we will leave behind this year.  The fabricators continue to cut and weld the frame for the lift at Pastor Don’s house.  Lord willing this should be completed and in operation by tomorrow.  Our resident masonry artist, Mr. Larry Martin, and his crew are crafting the brick pillars that will support the Mercy House sign.  Larry is one of our reliable vets whose good nature seems to invite abuse.  Dan Stout, one of our team leaders, was relating to me (in Larry’s presence) how his team was so good until they yanked Larry off of the job for something else, then he said the went from good to great!  Larry just laughed.  More of that strange way men show their love one for another.

One of the things I just love about these projects is the opportunity for our highly skilled professionals to showcase their skills, unto the Lord.  We all know how gifted our pastors/theologians are in rightly dividing the word of truth.  We know that because of all of the exposure we can have to their preaching.  With sermon audio and the like, there is no lack of places to feast upon the Word.   But where can these men and women join forces to serve the Lord with the work of their hands within the context of Reformed Baptist theology circles?  Sure, there are many fine venues for doing this kind of work, and far be it from me to take away from the quality of their efforts.  But the unity of doctrine we possess gives us a common theme that is part and parcel of our conversations during the week.  It’s not unusual to hear comments like “Sorry I dropped my hammer on your head, but that was according to God’s sovereign plan.”  Which may be answered, “Hey buddy, you better be paying attention to human responsibility, our I’ll put some fear and trembling in you.”  Perhaps I’m exaggerating a bit, but you get the point.


Sunrise on the Gulf

Our youth walked down to the beach to catch the sunrise and it was BEAUTIFUL











Progress Report

We are making an outstanding amount of progress this year on the project. The construction team has completed the first demolition in the community and is looking into starting another. The on-site construction jobs, working on the pastor's house and kitchen deconstruction, are going well. We are continuing to landscape the property as well as grade the grounds to even them out and prepare for new buildings and a parking area. A sign is being made and built at the Mercy House. Various teams are repairing church vehicles, sorting and repairing tools and equipment. Our media team is busy taking pictures and shooting and editing videos of what's happening on the project. 
"We are making steady and dramatic progress." says Lazlo Pasztor , our operations manager. "This level of co-operation and synchronicity is very telling to the love in peoples hearts." 
  We were blessed last night by Pastor Don's service with the members of Lakeshore Baptist. Later, Pastor Eddie Exposito gathered with the youth for a prayer meeting and devotion.
 Our ministry team is going door to door, ministering to those in need and handing out invitations to the friday night outreach service and dinner. Pastor Matt Foreman of Faith Reformed Baptist Church in Media, Pennsylvania will be preaching there and a few volunteers from Louisiana are coming to cook Jambalaya . We are praying the many members of the community will come and hear the gospel.
 God has continually blessed this project and we ask you to keep us and our mission in your prayers.


~GM

Down with the (Old) Kitchen!

Here's the video many people have asked about. Possibly one of the most visually epic moments of the week! For your enjoyment, I present to you, the falling kitchen. Video by Jamie Dunbar.

Sermon Excerpts

Many pastors and elders are in attendance at the Lakeshore project, so it's not very surprising that we have all heard some excellent sermons. Here are just a few excerpts of some sermon recordings available from the week.

Many Projects at Lakeshore

It's Thursday already, but work at the Lakeshore project certainly isn't slowing down! Here are some photos and videos, shared by others, of work that continues to take place.

Offsite Construction Project:





Painting the Boardwalk

Working on the Lift

The Pastor's Luncheon Group

Mrs. Bea's Story

Mrs. Bea is a member of Lakeshore Baptist Church. She shared with us some of her memories from Hurricane Katrina, and gave us permission to share them with others. How tragic the disaster seems to us, and yet how good God is in what He does through times like this. Please take time to listen to Mrs. Bea and her amazing perspective.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Larry's blog post for Wednesday, January 11th, 2011


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Over forty-eight hours has transpired since my last blog entry and this is the normal course of events, in spite of my goal to not miss a day.  This lapse reflects the busyness that overtakes everyone on the project.  The “having a mind to work” exhortation continues to drive people toward accomplishing a huge amount of work.  
The grounds of the campus are taking on new look and it’s quite remarkable.  Pastor Don commented that he’s afraid that folks might drive right by when coming to church on Sunday because they won’t recognize the place.  This week is an important transition point for Lakeshore Baptist Church.  The primary reason is the demolition of the kitchen, this was more than just a kitchen/dining area.  It was the focal point immediately after the hurricane.  After the storm all that was left on the property, that was useful, was the neighbor’s concrete slab that immediately adjoined the property.  That was the spot for the first worship service.  Later. It was used for distributing the massive volume of goods that the church was given to distribute.  The property was eventually bought and a more permanent kitchen was erected.  It became the hub of social gathering for thousands of volunteers.   It has now been retired into the dust and way is made for a new church on the same site.  Out with the old and in with the new.  The symbolic change should prove as a milestone in traversing from recovery to rebuild.  We have moved so quickly through our punch list that a crew was  moved into the community to demolish a blighted home.  This home is in the middle of a residential community one block off of the coast.  The owner has been trying to remove the home over 3 years but the municipal authorities refused permission due to historical preservation.  That would cost a small fortune and eventually they gave in to a rebuild from scratch.  One project that came across the radar unexpectedly was the installation of an elevator in Pastor Don’s home.  This is the same home that this project framed last year.  Don’s dear wife, Courtney, is experiencing some very debilitating back problems.  To accomplish this would require several thousand dollars of funds not budgeted.  The need was made known and within two days the project was fully funded.  On top of this, it was discovered that one our team members was added to the list the day before the project start date.  He didn’t even know the project existed.  It turns out he also had the expertise to fabricate the structure.  Once again, we see the hand of our almighty God guiding circumstances to fulfill a need.  We have seen these amazing acts of providence lavished upon every project.

Yesterday I saw an interesting interaction.  Mike Williamson, one of our veterans, teaches the trades for Job Corps.  Every day of his working life he is teaching young people the skills required to master the trade of choice.  Can you think of a better person to give a crew of young bucks to mentor?  Mike had flattened out a piece of cardboard and was teaching the technique for painting a straight line.  Since I have never been able to do this, I was observing and learning for myself.  He then took that skill and had them apply the technique to a room they had prepped for painting.  More than that, Mike also is careful to demonstrate a gentle spirit, full of the grace of God, which is so important for our team leaders to have.

We’ve been trying to deal with the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome diagnosed amongst our LSU fans after Monday evening’s loss to Alabama.  We’ve thought about bringing in counselors, but they all were suffering from the same condition.  On the other hand, the Bama fans are getting muscle spasms from maintaining a perpetual grin.  For myself, I found the fans in the room to be far more interesting than the game.  In reality, it was only a game.  It paled in comparison to the serious work we have to do in the kingdom and we were right back on track the next morning.  I don’t really understand all of this hullaballoo over a football game, unless of course, it was Penn State.

Tonight is our time to hear Don preach, followed by some testimonies.  Typically, some of the folks from LBC will speak and this is one of my favorite times during the week.  These brethren are so eloquent in their simplicity.  They have such a warm, sincere way to express their love for Christ and their brethren who stand by them.  If you were here, and for some strange reason couldn’t fathom the impact of our service here, it would quickly be dispelled after this Wednesday night tradition.  Oops!  I just looked at my watch and it’s time for chow.  Pulled pork sandwiches on the menu tonight!


- Larry Springer

A quick update

Our work at lakeshore this year has been incredibly blessed. All of our projects are going well so far. The construction team is ahead of schedule, the camp facilities and buildings are being improved, the ministry team returns to camp every night with encouraging stories of spreading the gospel, and everyone is working joyfully for the Lord.
 We have group devotions every morning, followed by breakfast. Then everybody gets to work. The camp is swarming with people working hard and helping each-other. We have work going on at Pastor Don's  house, where the construction team is enclosing the lower level. Others on construction have gone to work on demolishing a house in the community, as well as continuing the old kitchen deconstruction project. There are also lots of other jobs going on in the camp, from painting the walk-way to salvaging wires to routine maintenance. And our kitchen staff is, as always, hard at work all day to keep us fed.
 The weather is beautiful, so much is being accomplished here and we are so thankful to God for bringing us together for this project.

~GM


Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Thoughts on our Mission

We asked a few people here about their tasks and how they fit into the overall mission of the Lakeshore project. Here are some of their thoughts.

Projects going on at Lakeshore today

Tearing up the concrete slab from the old kitchen

 Building shelving units for the Mercy House
 Sorting clothes in the Mercy House storage building


 Artists working on a sign for the Mercy House
 Landscaping
 Sorting tools and supplies




And a few from yesterday:

Working on the pastor's house
 More from the kitchen deconstruction
 Diggin' holes
 The burn pile

                                                                                 


Life around the Camp

Here are a few photos of Lakeshore Baptist Church's grounds.

The current meeting place of Lakeshore Baptist Church

The bunkhouses where many of us sleep

The kitchen and dining room! (Downstairs, anyway. The upper floor is extra sleeping area)

Inside the dining room

The deck outside the dining room

The serving line for some delicious fried chicken

Inside the sanctuary

Monday, January 9, 2012

A Small Salute to the Kitchen Staff

The old kitchen may be gone, but the kitchen staff is still hard at work creating great food for everyone here at the Lakeshore project.

Kitchen Deconstruction







                                            Safety First!




This year we are deconstructing the old kitchen/dining hall and our construction team is full speed ahead on the job!