Free Church of the Annunciation Family

Palm Sunday Procession

Here is Fr. Jerry Kramer's latest update on Church Army Gulf Coast's graduate, Van. (He's at the foreground of the foto inset at right.):

Joining us today for the first Sunday in a while was our beloved cook, Van. He's been away, taking some time to rest and learn skills to stay well. After a warm round of applause, Van told the congregation that Annunciation is the only real family he has and he's grateful for our accepting him, loving him, and standing with him. That's the kind of thing that makes all the hell we have to wade through absolutely worthwhile.

Van and his New Family

Hi, all! Long time no post. Here's a quick update on the success story of Church Army Gulf Coast graduate Van. When Van came to us he was broke, homeless, living under the Gulfport pier, and addicted to crack cocaine.

But now he is doing wonderfully in his role as chief cook for the rebuilding efforts of the Free Church of the Annunciaton in New Orleans. He has been welcomed enthusiastically by the community and is relishing the role of being one of a beloved member of the extended church family, while he cooks for dozens—and even hundreds—of volunteers who come to help New Orleans rebuild from the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. Fr. Jerry Kramer posted his photo in their latest newsletter, which I'm sharing with you here.

You can keep up with my own latest doings in my personal web log, where I expect to post a new entry within the week.

Feather Falls Fotos (Fixed)

Last November I posted a report of my hiking and camping trip to Feather Falls in California. At 640 feet high, this is the fifth tallest waterfall in the United States. There's no way to capture the entire falls in one shot without a fisheye lens, so I took multiple shots and sent them to my brother Roger. He stitched them together and here are the fruits of his visual composition. Roger normally spends his time producing digital music: his musical compositions can be found over here.

Missouri Update: James and Mary Giles

James and Mary have been called by God from the Gulf Coast to a new ministry in Missouri. I received the following email update from James, and arranged it below:

Hello dear family,

Mary and I are living in our travel trailer in a large mobile home park in Desloge, MO., sixty miles South of St. Louis. This area is what is known as the Leadbelt, scattered amongst old abandoned lead mines and a few small ones still in operation. This whole region is also known as the methamphetamine capital of our country.

I know this is going to sound crazy but I can’t begin to express how blessed we are to be here at Church Army of the Leadbelt. Yes there are and will continue to be many challenges ahead and the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been our pre-school concerning this culture of substance abuse Mary and I now live and call home for a season. Only a supernatural God could open our hearts so quickly to these dear yet broken and hurting people. As Mary would share, “every drop of love I give them they return to me double”.

But all does not always turn out well:

Becca was found by her sister yesterday, dead of a drug overdose. The news spread through the Church Army Leadbelt community like a California wild fire. Base planter, Mark Hedrick preaches continually, ”substance abuse is a life or death issue”. This first Monday of March his mantra has wrung persistently in my ears as I reflected upon the short friendship I had with Becca and helped pastor those left behind to weep over this tragic but harsh reality of the ministry God has called Mary and me.

Like the rest of the community, I find myself in turmoil over Becca’s death. I’m not unfamiliar with death and I’ve been close to several friends who have taken their own lives which left me second guessing whether I could have intervened in some way. But Becca’s death is different. Relapse equals eviction from our program as the consequences administered in tough love. Becca had relapsed on several occasions in her working towards sobriety. This last time refusing to go back to a treatment center she opted to go live with her sister to fight her disease alone, against all advice.

I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul advising the Church of Corinth to drive one of their own out, to “deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” I Cor. 5. I can’t imagine Satan being any more present than in substance addiction. Speaking for our community, we all grieve this tragedy and I personally wonder how Paul must have felt with his advice to the Corinthians.

For some this is especially trying as one woman shared how this is the first death she has had to struggle with sober. I reminded her of the story of Lazarus’ death. How our Lord Jesus wept even though he knew first hand of Heaven and maybe even that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. These are our feeling and we have a God that not only understands them but validates them in us.

This tragedy does end in victory. Two weeks ago Becca had come forward in our evening service declaring Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. She prayed the sinners prayer with Mark and several others. She is now in glory where there is no pain, no sorrow, no sickness and no more tears. Hallelujah!

Personally, though I grieve, my only regret is that I did not take the opportunity to hug her and tell her she was loved as many of those around me did before she left. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love,
James & Mary

PS. Mary’s stopped praying for snow. She’s had to survive being snowed in and iced in with me three different times over the last month. (James)

To make a donation to the ongoing ministry of James and Mary Giles, you may send a check or money order to: Church Army USA, PO Box 178, Leetsdale, PA 15056. ON THE MEMO LINE PLEASE WRITE: JG058

Continuation in Discipleship

UPDATE: I've settled in to my new digs in Ambridge much more than I had expected, and I have unexpectedly become the caretaker for a grade school lad who will be living with me over the next few months. I already have learned a new lesson in discipleship: this lad contradicts everything I do and imitates everything I do. The lesson: shut up and do right.

You can find my current musings and latest news on my reflections blog.

God is good.

CEEC Christian Worker Martyred in Asia

One of our Christian workers in a Muslim country in South Asia has been killed for preaching the Gospel, in one of the most dangerous places on the planet to be a Christian. He was one of the leaders of the Diocese of St. Paul under Bishop Kevin Higgins of the CEEC. The following message was sent by Bishop Kevin and forwarded by Archbishop McClanahan. I have corresponded with Bishop Kevin and he has given permission to post the message here, after changing the names of the people and places involved.

Kevin writes:

I got the email below from one of our main Leaders, Andrew. Another man named Alan, one of the leaders of the [People’s] movement has been killed. I know some of the English and Islamic terms will be a bit hard to follow in Andrew’s writing but I think you will get the "feel" for it....

Please pray...

+Kevin

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As I was planning to go to the north for the leader training I have received a call from one leader he said “Alan the leader of koleo not showing from last night is he came to you?” I said no. they said “when ever he came to you we knew and he told us that he is going to visit you. But know he is missing from this morning pleas pray that he will be fine and get beck to home his wife and his mother are wetting for him.”

I said yes brother I will pray for him and I will ask other friends to pray for him and pleas let me know when he will come back.
Alan was leader among Koleo People.

As you know I asked you all to pray for him and we all start praying for him next morning again they called me and said pleas came as soon as you can because we have found his dead body bring other leaders those who know him they can come for barrying Mr Alan.

They said He have been killed last night and they found his dead body near the water channel of Makate Lake I think he Killed before we start to pray for home and also they have Found a letter the killers left this letter to Alan's right hand in the letter it have been written

we know that Alan is teaching essayeath to the people and he is muratad Kafar (blasphemy) he left Islam and he need to be killed. If any other will do this kind of activity we will kill him too.
(This is translation from our tongue)

I'm sorry for him and for his family I don't know what to do know we start arranging to get there we have to be there for his Janaza.

We reached there we where 5 leaders from other area of the Koleo when we got there his brother Mr Mateo came and hug us and start crying and said with big voce that Alan is not dead he is shaeed for Jesus my brother give his life Like Jesus give for us.

I was feeling very havey and I asked Lord what is going on Lord please protect our your workers and help us to continue the Kingdom work. I was just asking Lord they took me to his family his mother and wife saw me they start crying they make me cry. I did not know what to say to them. I just sit with them and I was praying for the family in my heart .

They show me the letter but the all family decide to not show this letter to any one only they gave it to me and said he is not dead he is with Lord this first shaeed (sacrificed in Koleo Nation ) [deleted: nation, tribe, and subtribe explained] I feel very encourage because his family in thinking that our Son is with Jesus.

His mother was saying Alan my son is not dead he is with Essa and you are here to tack care of us tack care me and Alan’s family he left wife and four children I said to her don't wory mother we are together our Lord will tack care of us I will help you. I'm with you guys. Our Lord Is With Us.

there were many people I couldn't spent more time with his family because the other men asked me to I need to go and do the service of the funeral we prayed a lot before to coming here for the funereal this is the first Christian funeral in the Koleo people.

We the leaders of the tribe and the spiritual leaders we there I asked the tribe leader to give us permission to start the funeral rusm and pray.

they look with a suspicion eyes but they said yes we start the rusm as we do with other Christian friends this rusm is little different the normal K people we put the dead body frient of all as they do the Janaza Namaz the Imam's place one by one his friend those know him they come and share about the dyad's life and his all good stories what they know and after that we do the Janaza Namaz and tack the body for the barying after barying we all gather and give thanks that He idea with you with faith with spirit we are happy that know he is with Lord..

After these rusms and all we came back to home very late and next day we start preparing to live to the North with other leaders.

Servant of Jesus

Andrew

The Car Chronicles: '94 Mazda RIP

"But David," I asked my former employer,
"why do you want to give me your car?"
"Because," he answered in his clipped Taiwan accent,
"you're working for God."

He had me there. I had originally figured that my bicycle would get me around Orange County, CA just fine: Work, School, Church, Post Office, etc. (boy, was I ever wrong). So I reluctantly gave in and accepted the gift. But now I had two cars! The first one had just been given to me the previous month, by my niece's husband at my B.A. graduation. He came to the graduation, and told me, "God told me to give you my car." It was a small Toyota sedan, and ran great.

So now I had an argument with God: "God, why do you want me to have a six-passenger van with cargo capacity? Are you planning for me to haul people and stuff around? And what do I do with the other one? David says I should just sell my Toyota."

And God said, "What do you mean, your Toyota?"

Oops. I couldn't sell the Toyota because it wasn't mine. It was God's.
I ended up giving it as a high school graduation present to a young African-American lady who went on to be the first person in her entire extended family (since slavery!) to graduate from college.

So. Mazda MPV. Needed a new radiator. But then, after I finished my M.A. it was ready to take me through the United States starting in California, crossing over Native American Territory (foto above) and on to Church Army Pittsburgh; with all my kitchen, all my office, and half my library packed inside. And after that it was on to Church Army Branson (where I modified the front end—foto at right) and on to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where God confirmed my call to serve as a missionary for a season.

But first I made a run all the way to California and back to pick up the rest of my library. I did indeed haul stuff around—around the whole country. And in Mississippi, I repeatedly used it to haul people around to distant church services and meetings, etc.

So finally, last month, it was time to move up north to Pennsylvania. But how to get there? Would the Mazda make it? To haul all my stuff I had to add a trailer hitch (not recommended) and tow a U-haul (not recommended) up and down the Appalachians (not recommended). It made it. Thank you, Lord.

But Alas, yesterday was the last of the MPV. I had been driving around hill and dale in PA, and just arrived back in Ambridge when the motor quit. Call AAA. Talk to the mechanic. The timing belt had stripped and the valves and pistons were damaged. Total mileage on the car: 207,000. Today I watched the tow truck haul it off to oblivion.

So here I sit at my window, looking out at the snow and my bicycle (yes, I still have it) with its flat tire. Am I sad? Well yes, a little. But am I joyful? My joy is in the Lord!

Thank you, Lord, for loaning me this car. Thank you for knowing what kind of car I needed when I had no clue. Thank you for 65,000 miles of reliable transportation. Thank you for safety and your protection on the highways of America. Thank you, Lord. You are Faithful.

And I thank you Lord, for your plans for me now. I do not know what those plans are, but I do know that they are for my good, and not for my harm. Thank you, Lord, for whatever Your plans are for me and for my transportation. You know my needs, Lord, and you love me. Thank you, Lord.

January 2008 Update

Dear Friends,

Last month I celebrated the seventeenth month of my commitment to serve the least, the last and the lepers along the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast, following three months of preparatory training with Church Army USA. Now God is calling me into a new training period, while He prepares me for the future in His service.

I have been reflecting upon all that God has blessed me with over the last twenty months through Church Army Gulf Coast, its partner God’s Katrina Kitchen, and the newly formed missionary diocese of Saint Aidan Lindisfarne.

In Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, I learned that every person who walked through the door of Church Army’s coffee shop was a ministry opportunity. In Branson, Missouri, I learned that the Twelve Step Program properly applied was a doorway to a relationship with God, and observed how that door led to the next door, a relationship with Christ. In Albuquerque, New Mexico, I learned how a Native American can open doorways to Christ for his brothers while they recover their ancient heritage.

In the Mississippi Gulf Coast cities of Pass Christian, Gulfport, and Long Beach I worked alongside God’s Katrina Kitchen as they housed thousands of short term volunteers, coordinated relief work for thousands more, served hundreds of thousands of meals, cleaned up innumerable cubic yards of debris, and mucked out and helped to rehabilitate hundreds of homes. I was blessed to serve under Fr. James Giles, who, backed up by his wife Mary, coordinated volunteer efforts, served as assistant director, and became Pastor to the two dozen or so long term staff, all serving without pay.

In its first two cities the Kitchen was open to the public for three meals a day, seven (later six) days per week. Through the red-and-white dining tent walked every manner of people, from displaced homeowners to struggling construction workers to homeless drifters with devastated lives. Each person had a story, and each felt loved by the simple act of someone who would take the time to listen to their stories.

For some of the men, along with homelessness and desperation there came alcohol and drugs, before and after, one reinforcing the other in a slow death spiral. These are the men I invited into the bunkhouse to live alongside me, teaching them sober living, spiritual disciplines, the message of the Bible, and the doorway to Christ. Statistics and numbers cannot tell their stories, only their names and their remembered faces: Dale, Doug, and Mike; Barry, Jeff, and Nate; Bill, Sam, and Larry; Ron, Ed, and Terry; Fred and Van; and the one who would not come in out of the cold, Tom. Each one touched my life as I touched theirs. Each one saw Jesus: some a little, some a lot. Each one grew, some a little, some a lot.

In Pennsylvania I met Alan Morris, a true man of God dedicated to Making Disciples Who Make Disciples. I was welcomed into a fellowship of Anglicans similarly dedicated, meeting in their homes, at house churches, and even in campgrounds. I participated or was present at the ordinations of Kirk, Andrew, and Colin; the consecration of Alan as bishop of our missionary diocese; and of course my own ordination as a Missionary Deacon.
I assisted our archbishop, Russ McClanahan when he consecrated Henry Roberts as a bishop for a cluster of black pentecostal churches in Mobile, Alabama, challenging our church to expand its boundaries.

God's Kitchen continues to operate in Long Beach, Mississippi. They are currently accepting volunteers who want to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, housing them at the Long Beach church, feeding them, and coordinating work sites. My prayers are with them, and I invite you to pray for them also.

My friends, each of you has played a part in this season`of growing God’s kingdom, by your prayers, by your financial support and even just by my knowing that someone cared enough to read my stories in my newsletters or read through this web log. Thank you. Knowing you were out there and that you care has been a blessing beyond words.

Now we find ourselves in a time of transition and waiting upon the Lord for direction as to what comes next. James and Mary are looking toward St Louis, Missouri as Church Army’s ministry there continues to expand to addicts and their families through the leadership of Mark Hedrick. I have moved to Ambridge, Pennsylvania to work with Alan Morris on developing ways to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples. I am looking forward to learning much more working alongside my bishop.

James and Mary recently sent out a letter (which I unashamedly have imitated here) to their supporters, recommitting themselves to be Disciples of Christ. I am also recommitting myself in ministry to:

>Serve those who struggle with homelessness and addictions,
>Seek opportunities for others to be transformed by the calling of Christ,
>Encourage religious community among all manners of peoples,
>Provide practical spiritual discipling of the followers of Christ, and
>Love the least, the last, and the lepers of our society.

I will actively pursue these goals wherever God sends me. I‘ve prayed and believe that God is calling me to do His work for a season in Pennsylvania. Leaving behind the room and board provided by God’s Katrina Kitchen has required me to accept the financial penalty for early activation of a pension from my former career. Please prayerfully consider whether God is challenging you to help financially with ministry expenses in this next season as I play the part of a servant sold out to God.

In God’s Love,
Rolin

Ambling to Ambridge

The ambient ambivalence amassed among the inhabitants of the Gulf Coast toward the ministries of God's Kitchen and Church Army (i.e., "You're doing really good things, but could you please do it somewhere else?") has slowly been displacing its volunteers. Although ample ambition is available, we have been invited to ambulate our aspirations elsewhere. That "elsewhere" could turn out to be the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, where we may be back up to speed about 6 months hence, if that is God's will for us.

During this transition period, many of the long term volunteers with the former God's Katrina Kitchen were taking refuge on the back lot of a church in Long Beach.

Along the property line are RV's and trailers for long term staff, e.g. (left>right), temporary homes for Greta, me, Nashua, and Van.

Farther back, vacant cabins that formerly housed short term volunteers are waiting for new locations with other Gulf Coast ministries, while space in the church buildings is used for short term mission teams still arriving.

The former site for short term mission teams lays denuded of its cabins, its utilities, and its life, seen here beyond my "big rig" packed for the journey north.

The big blue building at Camp Avenue is still in use as storage for the food and construction supplies for God's Kitchen.

Mr. Bill (left) is a graduate of the NoAH program of Church Army Gulf Coast, and he is staying on the Camp Avenue property to keep an eye on it. Nashua (right) has been an associate of the program; I dropped him off in La Grange, Georgia, with a Christian community who will appreciate his construction skills.

In Cartersville, Georgia I attended Sunday church services with my sister's Grandson, Michael and his family. He gave his life to Christ two years ago and is miraculously picking up the pieces of his shattered life. He has moved in with his mother, is looking for a job, and is participating fully in the life of Liberty Square church.

Next stop was Black Mountain, North Carolina for some fellowship with Colin Munroe and his lovely family. The last time I saw him was at his ordination (pictured).

Then it was time for the 11-hour drive north to Ambridge, stopping only for this photo of the longest single-span arch bridge in the U.S.

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There I was welcomed by Bishop Alan and his wife April, who put me to house-sitting for a few days. They helped me find, rent, and move my stuff into a lovely ground floor apartment right in town.

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The front door leads upstairs. My entry is through the back door, on a spacious deck overlooking the Ohio river gorge.

None of the feared snow or ice appeared during my drive north (although it may yet appear for New Year's Eve tonight). However, back at my sister's place in Paradise, California it did indeed snow, and she sent me this picture of her house.

For the next few months I will be working with Bishop Alan on developing ways to make disciples who make disciples. In the Gulf Coast, the Holy Spirit brought me just the right people at just the right times to show me, one step at a time, how discipleship might be done, especially among the lost and the lepers. I am looking forward to learning much more at my bishop's side.

That will have to suffice for a New Year's resolution, and for the last post of 2007. Thank you, all of you who have encouraged me with prayer or funds or just a kind word,

Rolin,
December 31, 2007.

Traveling North

Van has graduated from the Jacob Project in the Life Transformation Program here at Church Army Gulf Coast, and is headed east to New Orleans. Praise God for His faithfulness, and pray for steadfastness in the Word for Van.

I'm headed north for a while, to work with my bishop in Pennsylvania.

My daughter sent me this cautionary video.
I'm not sure I wanted to see this.

CEEC Consecration of Henry Roberts

Dr. Henry Roberts is founder and pastor of Word of Life Community Church in the Mobile, Alabama area, which operates in multiple locations. The largest location (pictured below) houses a very active School of Ministry (off camera to the left), a health and fitness center (off camera to the right), a 1200 seat sanctuary, conference rooms, and bookstore.On Sunday December 9, Archbishop Russell McClanahan of the Communion of Evangelical Episcopal Churches consecrated Pastor Roberts as a Bishop of the Church Universal.


Here is Archbishop Russell, assisted by yours truly as chaplain.
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The laying on of hands is a tradition which stretches back in an unbroken line to the 12 Apostles themselves.

Here +Russell is assisted by four other co-consecating bishops as they lay hands on Henry, strengthened by his wife Sherry.
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Henry Roberts is a powerful teacher at the vanguard of life transformation in the black communities of southern Alabama and Mississippi. He leads a fellowship of 20 or more churches who support one another in building disciples of Christ.

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My own bishop, Alan Morris, flew in from Pittsburgh to assist in the con-secration. He also had a chance to renew his friendship with fellow Trinity Seminary graduate Fr. James Giles and to counsel me as we seek God's path forward for my own ministry.

Some 60 or so bishops, elders, deacons, and ministers participated in the processional and recessional for the consecration, which was attended by 700 or more people in all.

This is convergence of the three streams of Christianity: the Liturgical, Evangelical, and Charismatic traditions. Convergence of another sort took place on the same day, as multiple bishops took part in consecrations that will fuel the emerging Common Cause.

New Wineskins and the NoAH project

The Fall 2007 edition of ReachOut, the bulletin of the New Wineskins Missionary Network, is out in print (but alas, not apparently on the web), with a 4-page lead article which features the now-closed God's Katrina Kitchen and our own Church Army Gulf Coast NoAH project.

The article, "WHO IS FEEDING THEM NOW?", was written by the stalwart Mary Edna Thompson, who is currently back among us working diligently, plastering drywall in Katrina-damaged structures, meeting and praying with political figures who would rather that we disappear, and leading nightly Bible studies. Here are some condensed excerpts from her article:

The images of the victims of Hurricane Katrina are haunting and stir a deep desire to reach out and do something to ease their pain. Two years later, Hurricane Katrina is still wreaking havoc on the lives of many. Concrete slabs and piles of rubble are all that remain of many homes and businesses.

The work of God's Katrina Kitchen was awe-inspiring. GKK has fed an estimated 20,000 volunteers, most of whom work in reconstruction and restoration of storm damaged homes. Not only did GKK feed the volunteers but they also fed residents who needed to be fed. On July 2, 2007, the Gulfport City Council voted not to renew the permit for GKK to continue to provide meals for the residents in need, though God's Kitchen (renamed) can continue to provide meals at a nearby church to volunteers.

HOMELESS ON THE GULF COAST: Homeless is too broad a term for the people who came into the big red and white tent to receive three meals a day. Let me introduce you to some of the regulars at GKK—names have been changed.

SALLY is a cute little four-year-old who lives in a minivan with her Mom and Dad. Black plastic covers one area that used to be a window. Sally won the hearts of everyone. Sally always received a hearty meal three times a day. Her mom would fill plastic jugs with water for her bath. They came to Gulfport in response to a promise for employment. The employment opportunity never manifested and now they are caught up in a homeless situation with occasional day-to-day jobs to help them. So now, who is feeding Sally?

MRS. CORA. Across a field beside the kitchen are FEMA trailers which currently serve as homes for survivors who are struggling to rebuild their lives. Mrs. Cora lives there and walked over to the kitchen at mealtime. She is a quiet sort of woman but never hesitated to say thank you to the volunteers. She suffered great loss from the storm. When your eyes meet her eyes you see pain. But, she is quick to tell you about her faith in Jesus. Who is feeding Mrs. Cora?

VAN AND FREDDIE. No report about GKK would be complete without the inclusion of the on-site ministry of NoAH and two of its participants, Van and Freddie. NoAH is dedicated to the rehabilitation of the homeless and the addicted. Van and Freddie were living under the pier and caught up in a lifestyle of alcohol and drugs. They came to God's Katrina Kitchen one night for a free meal. They received far more than food for the body; they received hope and saw a possibility of a new beginning. Jesus led them to GKK and He received them with open arms. Both were given a place to call home while they worked in the kitchen as lead cooks.

Not only did they accept all the responsibility of running their shifts but a great deal of their time was spent in devotions, Bible study, and accountability sessions. Both Van and Freddie graduated from the NoAH program. Freddie has left GKK in order to support his daughters. Van is now with God's Kitchen, in charge of feeding staff members and volunteers. God answered his prayer to use his talents in food service to serve the Lord.

There is much more to Mary Edna's article, along with a photo of NoAH residents Terry, Van and Freddie. Perhaps if you write or call the contact below, New Wineskins will send you their fall bulletin. And don't forget to send something along to these good folk. .

Looking at the New Wineskins Website, there is a page summarizing the 2007 seminar led by Steve Brightwell, the National Director for Church Army USA. Sharing in Jesus' Heart for the Poor reviews what the bible has to say about our response to those around us who are poor. .

Tuxachanie Trail - Mileposts 6 and 7

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Time to stretch my legs again (not to mention exercising my broken mended hip and broken mended knee). Before I left California I had found a cobbler who repaired my special shoes with the 2cm lift under my damaged mended left leg, so I was ready to roll; off to the De Soto National Forest in south Mississippi.
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But not ready enough to get there on time, apparently. After ruling out POW camp with its 7-acre lake (finding some 50-60 campers there, all outfitted in combat fatigues), I landed at the 1.5 acre Airey Lake, pictured at right and below.

In spite of the lateness of the hour, I tackled a two-mile segment of Tuxachanie Trail from Airey Lake to Big Foot Road near Horse Camp. I found the junction of the western and eastern legs of the trail where a sign advertised 5 miles to POW camp (west) and 7 miles to POW camp (east). The eastern leg showed no evidence of any maintenance since Hurricane Katrina, with major trees still laying across the trail.

Continuing on the western leg, I arrived at Big Foot Road in the gathering dusk of 5:30pm, faced with a decision: return along the moonless trail with no flashlight, or go the long way by following the roads. I chose the fool's route, and before too long I was crying out to God to light my path and protect my feet from stumbling.

After my prayer, the clouds dissipated and my trail ahead was dimly lit by faint starlight. What startled me most was when I entered a more deeply wooded section in the shade: I had been seeing lights off and on for a while, thinking they were distant airplanes or radio towers. But no: in the deep of the woods I was being accompanied by dancing fireflies. I stopped in the pitch dark, and just then a firefly lit up long enough to show me where the trail led.

Back at Airey Camp (7:30pm) I broke out an MRE that I had been saving for just such an occasion as this, and slept overnight in the car. I feel much better today; the pains from my old injuries have subsided, to be replaced by that tired feeling one has after a good bit of healthy exercise.

Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth,
And teach me your laws. (Psalm 119:108)

Farewell to California

Sunday I attended Saint Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church (TAC, Anglican Province of Christ the King). I arrived an hour late (actually, they started an hour early) because the new archbishop and diocesan was visiting for confirmations, etc. This is one of the historic buildings of Chico, California.

Saturday I went for a hike on the Sacramento River Rail Trail near Redding. Aside from the ATV's, dirt bikes, and Jeeps it was a pleasant place to be.

I fly out this afternoon at 2:30pm, but I won't arrive in Gulfport, Mississippi until 8am tomorrow. I'll have time in Portland for a late supper at the airport with my brother Roger.

Wednesday update: Make that a late gourmet supper cooked and served at Roger's house floating on the Columbia River, including Picante Vegetable Stew and Maringo Chicken. Delicious!

Heading Back to the Briar Patch

Apology: for those of you who were expecting to find the Briar Patch Dictionary at this post, it no longer exists (there were only four words in it, anyway). I have withdrawn the acerbic Dictionary because it seemed to be taking me off the track of Making Disciples while Christ builds his Church.

However, the photos are too good to pass up, so here they are:Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, California
After farming and its supportive waterworks structures (1800-1931) had destroyed most of the wetlands of the central California flyway, this portion of the wetlands was reconstructed north of Sacramento on land of a former hunting club. This set of well-regulated lakes and dikes includes a three-mile auto loop (pedestrians not allowed) and a two-mile hiking trail. Most of my photos were taken out the window of my mom's car while on the auto loop. This photo was from the hiking trail. Out of the gentle murmers of placid waterfowl on a misty afternoon, suddenly ten thousand geese launched themselves into the sky simultaneously, with a sound not unlike a jet airplane passing overhead. I was so startled I almost forgot I was carrying a camera. Placid.
Below: A carpet of geese on the misty lake.

The View from Feather Falls

Hi! I'm on leave, visiting friends and family in California.
Here's my latest activities and news (updated as of Nov. 15).
Update (Nov. 30): Renegade Radio (see item 4 below).

It's been too long since I updated all of you on "what's going on" with the Resurrection Community, so here's another post before I return to Mississippi. In this post I'll be covering:

1: Camping at Lime Saddle;
2: Hiking and Camping at Feather Falls;
3: A Visit to Saint James Anglican in Newport Beach;
4. A Visit to ELM Community Church in Reno;
5. Caring for my Mom in Northern California;
6. The Hope for the Future in Gulf Coast Ministry; and
7. My Schedule for the Coming Weeks.

1: Camping at Lime Saddle:.
I've been visiting my sister in Paradise, California, high on a ridge above the Sacramento Valley, just a few miles north of Oroville. Not five miles from her house is a state campground called "Lime Saddle," perched on a bluff overlooking Lake Oroville. The weather was sunny and marvelous, with temperatures at night dropping into the low 50's. So... you know me... It's time to go camping! . I expected to see some wildlife (squirrels, birds, etc.), but I had not expected to see flocks of wild turkeys browsing in the fields and commuting from and to the lake each morning and evening. I camped here three nights (@ $13 per day) with my rented minicar under the spreading big (!) manzanita trees.

2: Hiking and Camping at Feather Falls:..
At 640 feet tall, Feather Falls is the fifth tallest waterfall in the United States. Without a fisheye lens, there's no way to get a photo of the entire falls in one shot. .. Here's the falls in three parts, taken from the overlook platform. Getting there requires some effort: the falls are some four to five miles from the parking lot at the trailhead. The water comes crashing down the cliff in great clumps of liquid, in an incessant, undulating roar. The splendid overlook platform clings to a rocky outcrop in the Feather River Wild River District, 650 feet directly above a branch of the river. .

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This should be called Tall Country, for I had the same vertical challenge when trying to take a picture of my campsite. These spruces and firs vault some 180 feet into the air, forming an aerial canopy that only allows an occasional shaft of sunlight to break through. A gentle semi-twilight pervades the atmosphere at ground level, where crickets chirp softly at mid-day. This is riparian forestland, where the ground never quite drys out and the trees feast on a constant supply of plenteous water. A brook babbling nearby made sleeping in my borrowed tent a restful treat.

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3. A Visit to Saint James Anglican in Newport Beach:
This church was my home for three years as I completed my Master's Degree at nearby Vanguard University. One of my advisers there was Fr. Richard Menees (at right), who is now the Vicar. I was there on October 10 to witness three ordinations overseen by Bishops John Guernsey and Evans Kisekka of the Anglican Church of Uganda. Those ordained were: 1) Cathie Young, Deacon, the very active discipleship pastor for St. James; 2) Brian Schulz, who now will serve as the Priest at Christ Church in Highland, CA, one of St. James' five church plants; and 3) Chuck McKinney, who goes back to serve as Priest in the vibrant new church of Flagstaff Anglican Fellowship in Arizona.

Before leaving Southern California, I was able to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon exploring the Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island with my daughter, Amber (at right) and her fiancé, "Turtle." We rode the ferry from Balboa Peninsula over to the Island and found a small and tasteful restaurant where we ate a small and tasty late lunch.

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4. A Visit to ELM Community Church in Reno:
In 2005 a job offer in South Lake Tahoe, California, led to my meeting Fr. Karry Crites (at right), the nearest ACN priest and the only one in Nevada. On October 21 I visited his independent, storefront church north of Reno, where a gracious congregation of 18 people warmly greeted me and encouraged me in my ministry. ELM Community Church holds the candle of Anglican orthodoxy for the state of Nevada.

Update: One of the things that lights a candle in Fr. Crites' eyes is talking about his work to support Renegade Radio. The antenna for this 50,000 watt youth-oriented broadcast service is on a remote roadless peak in an Indian reservation, running on wind and solar power. Fr. Crites talks of hiking up the mountain with backpacks to service the antenna site, sometimes in foul weather. It's also available on the web; click the link to give it a listen.
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5. Caring for my Mom in Northern California:
Back when I bought the airline tickets, I had planned to return to Mississippi October 20. But on October 1, My 92-year-old mother, Alma, fell and broke her elbow and bruised her hip, which she had broken two years previously. With my ministry in a dormant phase in Mississippi, I was able to extend my stay in California to help with Mom's recovery. I brought her back to her house from the rehab facility this past Tuesday, and I'm helping around the house as she recovers her strength. She's doing fine, and is determined to resume independent living in her new and spacious duplex in Paradise, CA.
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6. Hope for the Future of our Gulf Coast Ministry:
First, a quick update on the past: I've been working alongside God's Kitchen (formerly God's Katrina Kitchen) which has been on site in the Gulf Coast for over two years. I came in under Fr. James Giles (at right), of Church Army USA to help build a ministry to the homeless. The Kitchen was succesively forced out of the Gulf Coast towns of Pass Christian, Gulfport, and now Long Beach for the unforgivable crime of feeding the homeless.

For unrelated reasons (a lease expiration), as of September 30 the NoAH Project (housing myself and Van) left our "undisclosed location" in the Sanctuary leaving James scrambling to find us alternate housing. There are some 20 long-term volunteers for the Kitchen, some of whom have been working for up to two years without drawing a salary. The city of Long Beach has been increasing the pressure to have them vacate the church property where they are currently living. The message is clear: the political structures of the Mississippi Gulf Coast no longer want us there.

Now, the hope: Fr. Giles is working to close out an agreement to work alongside a ministry which is currently setting up shop in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. That ministry is similar to the Kitchen's, in that it services the groups of church volunteers that come south to help rebuild from the Hurricane. There is no area devastated by Katrina that is of greater need than the Lower Ninth Ward, and the resources available to that ministry are a good fit with those of the Kitchen; sort of like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that exactly fit together. Church Army's outreach to addicts and homeless looks as if it also could coexist well with the other ministries in this location, and the need for this ministry is great there.

Housing for the incoming church volunteer groups has been secured. The major hurdle remaining before joining forces with this group is housing for the 20-odd unpaid volunteers from the Kitchen. Specifically, we are seeking permission from the government authorities in New Orleans to move our travel trailers and motor homes to the Lower Ninth Ward. This permission is required so that electrical power poles can be requested from the utility services. That process is under way, and I solicit your prayers for favor from the political structures in New Orleans.
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7. My Schedule for the Coming Weeks:
My flight from the major metropolitan airport (not!) of Chico, California to Gulfport, Mississippi is booked for November 27-28. It routes through San Francisco, Portland (!), and Houston. One advantage (!) to my circuituous route is a five-hour layover in Portland, where I will be able to have dinner with my brother Roger, who lives on a floating house there on the Columbia River. Roger has been helpful to me in processing digital photographs for this blog. He might even take on the challenge to attempt to stitch together my snapshots of Feather Falls into one tall photograph of its entire 640-foot height.

On December 8, I will be travelling to Chickasaw, Alabama (near Mobile) for the consecration of Robert Henry as a bishop of the CEEC. His Walmart-sized church facilities there serve the black community of Mobile assisted by several of his satellite churches. I have attended his worship services there and brought the men in the NoAH program to the Saturday breakfast of their Men's Week, where we received a challenging message from Rev. Henry about our responsibilities as Christian men. My archbishop, Russ McClanahan will be the principal consecrator, while my bishop, Alan Morris will also be there along with James Giles.

James has cautioned the Kitchen's volunteers to have a backup plan in place, in case the New Orleans negotiations fall through. For those of us in Church Army, backup opportunities include a move to Church Army posts in St. Louis or Branson in Missouri. But Van (at right) and I both feel a call to ministry from New Orleans; we may look to other possibilities there if Ninth Ward is not an option. This may seem confusing to you; at times it seems confusing to us.

Please pray for us.

Welcome!

Welcome to the web log for the ministry of Rolin Bruno (me). I have been working on the post-Katrina gulf coast since August 2006, and began this blog with the help of Alan Morris in January 2007.

As a missionary deacon, my goal is the Great Commision: to make disciples for Christ--not just converts, but true disciples.

As a captain for Church Army USA, my ministry is to the least, the last, and the lepers of our society--especially those afflicted with chronic homelessness or addictions to drugs and alcohol.

I am currently on leave in California. I will be attending ordination services at Saint James Anglican in southern California, then spending time visiting my mother and sister in northern California.

My most recent newsletter for this ministry is well down the page, beginning here. Older newsletters follow that post.

Before I left, I spent time in New Orleans helping Kevin Kallsen of Anglican TV; that post is here.

Immediately below is the introduction to a 14-part series of posts describing pictorially how this ministry got started.

Again, welcome! And check back every once in a while to see what God is doing!

The Great Leap: a Photo Journey

On September 19, I began a series of posts that illustrate my transcontinental journey in 2006 from student to missionary. There are some great photos. The posts are best enjoyed by starting below at this entry (click here) and working your way back up the blog by following the "newer post" link at the bottom of each page, until you come back to this post.

Enjoy the photos!

Great Leap Epilogue: People and Places

Here are some of the photos from October through December 2006, before this blog was born. ..Here's a view of our destination: our new home-to-be in Gulfport.....
These are our nearest neighbors. The man who said he was the owner of the demolished house on the left was known to sleep there on occasion, even though the interior floors had been removed and sold for the value of their rare old-growth lumber. Big Johnny lived large in the house on the right: he spent the first few weeks after the Hurricane wondering what to do with the new skylight Katrina had left in his roof.
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Volunteer teams from out of state came to help us clean up and move, while we served refresh-ments to curious neighbors. .. Here's Dale and Barry, two of our first Church Army residents, with James, Mary and me. .. .. The trucker delivering more of the Mennonite-built cabins
helped us load up and move out of Pass Christian,

while Smiling Al waves good-bye to Pass Christian and its spectacular view of the seaside sunrise. .. .. ..
The Church Army program of spritual discipline was intensive, and a break to go camping was well appreciated. .. .. Back in Gulfport, long after the cabins were unloaded, we were still running generators to keep heaters running at night, while we waited for new power poles to be installed. .. .. And there was still much work to be done to convert the apartments to warehouse space, and to grace the grounds with garlands. .. Jeff (below, on left) filled out the available cabin bunkspace for men struggling to transform their lives. Some did well, some did not. Some partings were tragic, others were hopeful. All of us learned. All of us heard from God. ..

Thanks for coming along for the Great Leap. For more about Church Army Gulf Coast and its history, go to the archive and begin with the first post in January, 2007.

Great Leap: The Landing.

A Calling Made Sure; plus, California and Back.

.. Arriving at God's Katrina Kitchen in Pass Christian, Mississippi,
I was put up in one of the six bunks in the leftmost cabin shown here. I began working with folks who did not fit the profile that the Kitchen was helping most, that is, home-owners with devastated houses. Most of these others were homeless, many were addicted to alcohol or drugs, and some were violent. Allowing these folks to camp nearby had been a disaster.

James looked at me with a look that said, "What took you so long to get here?" Then he looked around the bunkhouse and said, "We can put five of them in here with you." I looked around the tool-shed-sized cabin and said, "I'm going to need an office." (James later repented: we would bring no more than 3 men into those cramped quarters.) The following days were filled by meetings with homeless people in desperate situations, some of them the victim of lawless violence and attempted murder. Within two weeks I knew: this was where God was calling me: no doubt at all.

.. So now it was time to make a run to California to get the rest of my stuff (i.e., my theological library) out of my mother's garage, before she moved north. On the way west, I stopped and visited with Church Army's Captain Bob Dudley, a Lakota Sioux living near Albuquerque with his Navajo wife. Bob is a native dancer, and disciples Native Americans in how to live a Christian life while recovering their native heritage.
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While in California, I visited Saint James Anglican and set up a booth at their community fair, with photos of the devastated Gulf Coast.
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Here is Fr. Richard Menees at the fair giving away rides in his new-found red toy.

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On Sunday I attended all three services and manned a Gulf Coast information table outside the door, then it was time to drive back to Mississippi.

. I was determined to find a way to avoid the dread 800-mile tip-to-tip trip across Texas, so I turned left at El Paso and headed for New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. I was startled to see these majestic cliffs in the distance, glowing purple by the light of the setting sun, creating their own misty weatherclouds in the lee of the balmy west wind. .. ..

On the eastern slope of Guadalupe Peak there is a National Forest campsite where I threw out my sleeping bag and woke to the sound of redbreasted robins.

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Carlsbad Caverns was spectacular, but in its subdued interior lighting, photography was next to impossible. Here is a trailside grotto,1200 feet below the surface.

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When I arrived back at the Kitchen in Pass Christian, James found office room for me and my library in a converted bunkhouse. .. ..

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In Mississippi, the town of Pass Christian had been maneuvering behind the scenes to convince God's Katrina Kitchen to move on. We had had our eye on a beachside site in lovely Long Beach, or even on the nearby Walmart site. But by the time I returned, our choices were narrowing. God was closing the door on the lovelier sites and opened the door wide on a site in Gulfport, just two blocks from a notorious "red zone" known for its prolific drug traffic.

Here is my first view of our new site in Gulfport. The concrete apartment building is all that remains of a complex of 5 or more apartments of similar size, reduced to mere slabs by shipping containers and barges tossed ashore. Across the street (at right) is an RV resort converted into a FEMA trailer ghetto. .

. Next (and final) post in this series:
Great Leap Epilogue--the People and the Places.