We’re back safe and sound from New Orleans, Appalachia, and Arizona. Great testimonies yesterday and a great service. Thank you Lord for safety over the last two weeks. Thank you Lord for the impact that our people made and that was made on our people. Remember to pray for the students in the city this week working with the Chicago Dream Center.

I’ve tried to do a little research as to why they call New Orleans the Big Easy… but I really don’t care so I stopped looking. I can tell you this however, it was certainly easy to show the love of Jesus is this city this week on this our first mission trip for the summer. Twenty people joined me this week from Westbrook as we worked with United Saints organization and the Operation Nehemiah ministry. We split into three teams. Two groups spent the week hanging drywall in two houses that had been decimated by Hurricane Katrina. (Both had over 9 feet of water in their houses). Insurance and federal assistance provided some moneys, but many, many people are relying upon volunteer assistance to finish their houses. Corruption, crooked contractors and crime has added insult to injury to so many people in this region. Another small team spent the week with an elderly lady who hasn’t had running water in her home since the flood four years ago.  They spent the bulk of the week on their backs under her house running water lines.  Ask Chris DiNaso what rats sound like when they are chattering to each other.  Yes- he spent time under the house!     We had a wonderful week of service and ministry but they need so much help. Please pray for the people here.

Excitedly, eleven more missionaries will be leaving Westbrook tomorrow morning for Phoenix and to an Apache Indian reservation for the week. Then on Sunday, sixteen more will be heading out to Beattyville, KY for a week of missions. Please pray for all of our Westbrook missionaries and all of the families that we have served and ministered and who have ministered to us. Missio Dei – baby… Missio Dei!

Oh, and by the way… the work down here is NOT easy. It’s hot and muggy.. and I mean muggy, I haven’t seen this much sweat in years… The Big Easy~ sheesh!

Twenty -three people from Westbrook leave early tomorrow for week one of Missio Dei.  We’re really pumped.  If you’d like to follow our activities and sending God efforts follow my Twitter at Westbrookmitch.  Pray for us this week.

Well this has been quite a month. Two months actually. The result is that any blog updates have been pretty sparse. If you are watching for multi-cultural stuff, sorry about that. My world has been pretty consumed with family stuff. You can see the posts below. I am finally caught up from being buried, and am gearing for several weeks of mission trips. I am leading trips to New Orleans and to the Appalachia mountains the week after. Pastor Amado is leading a group to Arizona to work on an Apache Indian reservation. We are definitely broadening our Missio Dei horizons. Please pray for our teams. The week we get back, Pastor Rick is taking 20 High School students to the city of Chicago for a week as well. Please lift them up in prayer. We’ve celebrated as a family and we’re getting back in the groove. This week Pastor Rob and I are in Louisville, KY for the North American Christian Convention. Every where I turn someone is stopping and probing about doing multicultural ministry. And I just saw a new website that looks pretty interesting. I am going to find some time to look deeper into it. Check it out: www.thenewculture.org. Please be faithful to Missio Dei!