The church has left the building

Dear Friends,

God has provided an incredible opportunity to serve Him in New Orleans. The Lord has blessed me so much and I want to be a blessing to those I come in contact with on a daily basis. I'm posting this to ask for prayer. That is the most important thing you can do for me and my team. A tangible blessing He has provided in my life is my girlfriend, Cindy. She went to New Orleans last summer and decided to actually do what she learned. She sold her house in comfortable suburbia and moved to Harrisburg to develop relationships with her neighbors. This has encouraged me in so many ways because God has challenged me to live out what I'm learning and this is a real example of that.

Here's the letter that I sent out to my supporters.

I am asking for support for a team of young adults from the Evangelical Free Church of Hershey, (a.k.a. EPIC) who have been called to travel to Trinity Church in Covington, Louisiana to minister to those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

I did not go last year, but 22 of my friends did. Last year the EPIC team spent a week in Louisiana, and they had the opportunity to minister in several different ways. From gutting houses, to picking up trash, to challenging each other and growing as at team, each day we had new opportunities to be the Lord’s hands and feet, and to see how He has “shown up” in the midst of this devastating situation.

This year, we have again been given the opportunity to travel to Covington and again serve the people living in a post- Katrina reality. Almost two years into Katrina’s wake, New Orleans and many of the surrounding communities are still in a serious state of need. While much progress has been made in the “gutting out” and cleaning of people’s homes, there is much that needs to be rebuilt - physically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually. This July 6th-15th EPIC is
returning to Trinity as a team of 20 (11 returning from last year, and 9 new members), and although we have no idea what kind of tasks lie before us, we are excitedly anticipating what the Lord has in store for us!

My team thanks you in advance for your support, and your willingness to serve “along side” of us.

In His Service,
Nate