Another Not So Ordinary Day...

Today started at 2 this morning Gary Richhart left for Indiana, taking Jed with him. We are already missing Gary, especially Dad! (We miss you too Jed!) As many of you probably heard, Mom was on wbcl this morning talking about Hope City. We are trying to recruit more volunteers so that we can finish the homes that are on our list.

Richard Waite was here this morning for breakfast, and then again tonight; that was nice to be able to see him again.

The First Missionary team left tonight after supper. Please pray that they get home safely, and that they adjust back into "normal life" with a renewed fire for sharing God with people.

Tonight I babysat for kids at church because of a "50's mystery dinner theater". It was fun, but very tiring! I did get to know a couple of other girls that were there babysitting, and we had fun.

I guess that's about all I have for tonight. I need to get some sleep; I'm babysitting again tomorrow night! Have a great weekend everyone!! We love you all!

Untitled Post

Ok, first of all, about the title....Chris Rice has a song called "Untitled Hymn", so why can't I have a blog post called "Untitled Post"? This is one of my all-time favorite songs! Here are the words for those of you who don't know it:

Chris Rice - Untitled Hymn (Come To Jesus) Lyrics

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!



And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

Every time I hear this song, it makes me cry! It is pretty much the whole Christian life condensed into 3 minutes and 49 seconds. It starts at the beginning when we, as weak, sinful people, first come to Jesus. Then it goes through meaningful times in our lives, such as trials and joy; eventually ending with a new beginning!

I guess I wrote about this particular subject tonight because I have been thinking about all the people that come through Hope City. Every person is at one of these stages in life, some not knowing that my Jesus can be their Jesus too! I can only pray that I will be able to live the verses to this song in my life, and be an example to everyone that I come in contact with. Someday we can all dance with Him!!

Hebrews 9:14
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

1 Peter 1:3
[ Praise to God for a Living Hope ] Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

Machines....and God's Will

This has been a great week so far, as I have gotten reacquainted with a friend from last year; Deborah Schwartz. We have had a couple adventures, and hope to have more as the week goes on!

I also got to learn how to drive a bobcat yesterday, and this is where my analogy of the day comes in! Are you ready? Ok..........

Dad and I came home from Geraldine Payne's house where we moved stumps from her yard to the road with Deborah and Janelle. (Actually Dad did most of the moving since the stumps were so HUGE!) Then he told me to get the bobcat off the trailer.
I looked at him kinda funny and said, "but Da-ad, I have never driven a bobcat before", and he just told me to get in and he would tell me what to do. Now I have to give you a little bit of my driving history....From the time that I was probably 8 years old, Dad made me learn how to drive the different machines that we had around, such as the tractor, mower, truck, etc. I always said the same thing: "but Da-ad". I don't think that I have ever just gotten on something without him making me! I still haven't learned........

Anyways, I reluctantly got into the bobcat and followed his instructions. As soon as I figured out how to make it move, I knew I was going to like it! It has always happened that way; after every machine that I was forced into driving, I loved it, including the bobcat! If only I would learn to just trust him without the "but Da-ad", I would have enjoyed it even more!

Same thing with our Heavenly Father. When He tells us to do something, our response is often similar to mine, not wanting to do what He has planned for us. We need to learn to trust Him the first time He says something, because He knows that we will eventually love what He "told" us to do, and that it will benefit us. When we know that we are doing something that pleases those we love, it makes that action; whatever it may be, enjoyable to us!

If anyone has any questions about a certain homeowner that I haven't ever mentioned, please comment and I will try to answer to the best of my ability!

Love from Sunny Mississippi,
Sam

Colossians 3:22-24
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

A Great Day of Worship!

Today was a wonderful Sunday of worship and relaxation. After church, we went to the airport to pick up a First Missionary Church volunteer, went out to eat, then came home and took a nap! The rest of the team got here around 7, then we had orientation and are getting ready for bed!

This month's sermon series has been on parenting and the scripture today was from 3 John verse 4: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. It was on leaving a legacy for your children. We also had a wonderful worship service, although it was too short in my opinion!

Well, tomorrow is the start of a new week, the start of getting to know more family members, as well as getting closer to people that we met from past trips down here!

Prayer requests and praises:

Richard Waite is doing better and his house is almost done!! Pray that we get the funds to finish it.

Pray that the volunteers have a safe, energetic, and God-filled week as they work!

Richard and Linda Morse are having some setback with paperwork and funding, so please pray that everything gets smoothed out and that they can stay positive in the midst of everything.

Jed lost his wallet Friday night, which means that he also lost his license, among other things. Please pray that someone will turn it in, or else that he can get everything settled.

Goodnight to all!!!

Criday!

Today many tears were shed as Fellowship Missionary packed up and headed for home. They all had a great last day of work, then came back to camp, cleaned, and loaded everything. Then we all went to Richard Waite's to see his home because it's almost done and they wanted to pray over it! One thing that he said that really got to me was "the harder the experiences we go through, the stronger we become" I thought about all the trials that we have faced as a family since we moved down here, and then I thought about the ways that we have grown in our walk with the Lord and our relationships with each other. What he said was so true!


As Dad always says, "you think you came down here to bless, but you're the one who will be blessed". I know I'm kind of rambling, but I thought I should just share what's on my heart. I hope everyone has a great weekend! Stay warm!!

John 1:16
From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.


1 Corinthians 9:23
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Another Great Day

We got our kitchen sink today!! Stan Carney and Ryan Overholt, both from Fellowship Missionary, worked non-stop all day to get everything done, including Ryan spending a lot of it under the house in the mud, and they did an amazing job! Thanks so much to everyone from Fellowship that finished our kitchen this week! Also, thanks to everyone who worked so hard to turn our house into a home. Now that the kitchen is finished, Mom has a lot of birthday cakes to catch up on!

Today was rainy, therefore very humid, but it still sounds like a good amount of work was done. Linda VanderPol's house is almost ready to move into, and Richard and Linda Morse's house is moving along at an amazing rate! They are so excited, as we all are!

We have also had several euchre tournaments this week; that has been fun! It's always good to see our "fellow euchre players" haha, only in Indiana and Ohio!

Share time was encouraging last night; we sang hymns and almost everybody shared experiences from the week. We had a lot of laughs and there were several tears also. Tomorrow more of our family is leaving; it's growing bigger every week, and although it's sad to see everyone leave, we know that it isn't forever! Someday we'll all be together again, whether it's in Indiana or Heaven!

As I close, I thought I would share one of my personal "God Moments". I had been looking in the Bible for the verse about clean hands and a pure heart because I remembered it from a song that we used to sing in youth group, but I couldn't find it. Then today we were having devotions at breakfast, and guess what one of the verses was? I'm sure you guessed right! God is so awesome! I'll share the verse with you; it's another one on my long list of favorites:


Psalm 24
1 The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;

2 for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false. [a]

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD
and vindication from God his Savior.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob. [b]
(New International Version)


Have a great week!!

Blessings....

Today was a day of many blessings! Steve Binkley and Stan Carney put our long awaited kitchen counters in, Jeanine Carney painted an awesome palm tree in our bathroom, and Char Binkley and Linda Richhart took Shaina and I for a girl's day out!

Also, tonight we had guests for supper; Richard and Linda Morse, and Lois Parker; two of our new builds! We got to hear a little of their "Hurricane stories", and it's always nice to have homeowners here to get to know over a nice dinner!

Thanks again for all the prayers!

A Homeowner's Story

Fellowship arrived around 6 Sunday night; Thanks to all who prayed for safety. It was great to see some familiar faces!

Tonight one of our new homeowners came to supper, her name is Orlanda Booker, and when Steve gave her the opportunity to share some of her story, she did. She lived in Pass Christian with her two daughters in a small "quaint" house. When the storm came, she and her family evacuated. When they came back to their house, it looked fine and so she was relieved; believing that she was one of the few blessed to still have her home. Her brother went in to investigate and found the opposite to be true. Her house had been flooded with 8-10 feet of water; and it wasn't just the Gulf water either, it was the muddy water of the Bayou! Miss Orlanda said that "it looked as if it was just a big huge filthy washing machine; everything was strewn all over. They had to force the door open, and when they got inside, it was a disaster!" She then went on to say that she found her mattress moved from her bedroom up a step into the kitchen, her fridge was turned, and there wasn't one thing in place.

I think about her and I know that she's just one of many who still have to face this tragedy every day! Even two and a half years after the storm, for some, it is as if it has just happened. Every day, as they live in the cramped quarters of their FEMA trailers, MEMA cottages, or even their cars, these people have to face the devastation with virtually no escape!

I know that the people of the Gulf are extremely grateful for all the help that they have received from volunteers, but they still need it! People think that after two and a half years, everything should be done, but it's far from it.

Please pray for Orlanda and the rest of the people still without homes; for encouragement and hope as they face the days ahead.

Also, please continue to keep Richard Waite in your prayers, as his health is still not good.

A praise! Linda Vanderpol's house is almost done! A couple volunteers went over today to do some finish work; hanging towel bars, etc.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support! It can never be said enough!

A verse that was used in devotions this morning:


1 Peter 3:15
15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

(New International Version)

Another Great Unexpectation.....

Today Linda was running errands for camp, so she took one of the camp vehicles. (This particular vehicle has a little trick to starting.) She did fine getting it started on her first three stops, but when she got ready to leave Home Depot, she couldn't get it started! She tried several times, and then called Gary, who was back at the camp. Mom and Shaina went to pick her up, but by the time they got there, she had been waiting 45 minutes and was "freaking out" as Linda so eloquently put it. Between the three of them, they got it started and came back to camp. Just another one of the great "oops" moments!

Some of the group from the Chapel are leaving tomorrow morning at 3, so I said my goodbyes tonight! I think one man left tonight, and the remaining are leaving tomorrow around 8 or 9. Then the camp will be empty for the weekend, besides us........

Well, I guess that's about it for tonight. Have a great weekend!


Colossians 3:22-24
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Wow, no matter how small our job may seem to us, God wants us to do our best. To Him, there are no small jobs!

Valentines Day

Today was another pretty uneventful day in Hope City. The crew this week has been great, and again, tomorrow is going to be a "Criday" as Mom so aptly named Fridays, the day that the groups leave us! Our "family" just keeps growing! Just one of the many things that God has blessed us with since coming down here! In case I haven't mentioned it, this week was a group from The Chapel in Fort Wayne. Next week is Fellowship Missionary in Fort Wayne, led by Steve Binkley! It sounds like he's bringing a big group! We all look forward to seeing Steve again, as he has become a very close friend.

Also, Gary and Linda Richhart are still here, and will be staying a week longer than originally planned! YAY! Gary is still working on the computers, and Linda is doing some office work and still cleaning. She and Mom have also made some of the meals this week, so that was a nice change of pace for them both.

Prayer Requests:

Please continue to keep Richard Waite in your prayers, as he's still not sure what is wrong.

Pray also for everyone at camp to be protected from the cold that's going around. We are all fighting it!

Pray for The Chapel's safety as they will be heading out sometime tomorrow or Saturday; and also for Fellowship's safety as they will be on their way down.

I would like to share a couple of my favorite Bible verses before I end:

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.


Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [a] 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."


Psalm 24:3-4
3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

(all verses are NIV)

I could go on and on with a list of my favorites, but I'll save some for another time! Have a great week!

President Lincoln Was Awesome!

Ok, Today was just a normal day in the life of "Hope Cityians" but it was also special day because it was President Abraham Lincoln's birthday! I have always admired President Lincoln for his boldness to stand up for his beliefs, even when people didn't like them. He made a huge positive impact on the American culture forever by freeing the slaves. What would have happened if he just caved in to peer pressure and said "you're right, forget that I mentioned it" and just gave up. Can you imagine what our country would be like today? NOT GOOD!

Next time you are in a situation where peers are trying to convince you to do something that is against what you think is right, remember President Lincoln and the positive affect that his decision had on our country.

Beauty and the Beach

Today I went for a walk on the beach with Linda and Shaina, and was again amazed by God's creation! It never gets old; the colors change every day! Even after all the destruction from Hurricane Katrina, there are still beautiful things; you just have to take the time to look. We get so caught up in our everyday lives that we forget to "stop and smell the flowers", which I think means to take time for the small enjoyments of life. "Down here" in Mississippi, it's easier to remember that because, even though frustrating at times, everyone around here is really slowwwwww!

Try to remember to take time this week to do something you really enjoy, even if it's something as small as getting up a little earlier to watch the sunrise, or taking the time to call or write a letter to a relative you haven't talked to for a while. You will be surprised at how much better your day goes.

Some prayer requests:

Richard Waite needs continued prayers as he is still having problems with his colon.

Safety for the volunteers this week as they work on numerous projects.

Dad is under the weather this week, so please pray that he gets well soon, as I know that he doesn't like being in bed instead of working. (I think y'all know that "Dad" is Monte Brenneman, but just in case I'm telling you again!)

Thanks again for all your prayers and support!
Love From Mississippi!

Practical Living Tip of The Day!

Don't forget to take your magnets off your vehicle BEFORE you go through the car wash!

Today, on our way home from church, that's what we didn't do! haha We lost our HCRN car magnet in the car wash. A couple of the workers looked for it, and after coming back out wet and empty handed, the manager said he would go down into the pit after closing and call us when he found it. AAaaahhh I think I should make a new blog called, "Great Unexpections" in the lives of the Brenneman's!

Well, I just thought everyone might enjoy one of our "oops" moments! Have a relaxing Sunday!

Who Likes Cleaning Their Room?

Haha, Can you guess what I did today? I cleaned my room! And not just a simple pick up the clothes and books kind of cleaning,I'm talking about the "grab the trash bags, get an energy drink and GO" kind of cleaning! My room was in serious need of a makeover! Other than that and school, not much happened today in the lives of "hope city people" I really don't have too much to write about so maybe I'll just think of some random things about some random things that have been happening around here.......

The "A Team" from Illinois finished the roof on Linda Morse's roof today! It's amazing to see how fast her house is taking shape! She and Richard were here at the camp for supper last night, and as always, it was great to see her. Just a few weeks ago, Bethel College poured the foundation, and now there's a house! She and Richard are so excited. I will work on getting some step by step pictures up on the facebook group so that everyone can see the progress.

I feel bad for y'all who are stuck in the cold weather of Indiana! It was almost 70 degrees today, sunny and beautiful! I missed the snow at first, but now I'm enjoying all this sun.

An experience from youth group........ One Wednesday a girl from the youth group came up to me and asked me how old I was, where I went to school, where I was from, etc. When I told her I was from Indiana, she started asking me a bunch of weird questions about "you people" like we "Northerners" are a different species! One of the questions was *in a southern drawl* "So do y'all like, say 'you guys' up there instead of y'all? Cause I like, met this guy that moved down heah from Chicago, and he said 'you guys', it was the cutest thang! So what do you say, y'all or you guys?" I had to laugh, and she looked at me kind of funny then! Yeah, I have had several odd encounters with people in the youth group, but I'll save those for another time.....

The beach is a mess right now, because they are doing what looks like pulling up more sand from the water. There is a huge dirt water break on the beach right in front of the camp and the pump is going most the day as far as I can tell. It is kind of cool to watch sometimes.

Bikes..................And Walks With God

Today I went on a bike ride with Linda, Josh, and Shaina. Wow, I thought I was in shape, but now I'm thinking differently! haha

My experience today reminded me of a Christian's walk with Christ. We think that we're "in shape" as Christians, but then when we're tested, we sometimes have to rethink that! We need to remember to "exercise" our relationship with Jesus and maybe next time we are tested, we will be more "in shape" as Christians.

Hope City is a kind of spiritual "boot camp" for believers, as well as any missions trip that you go on. We get back in shape and ready to exercise our faith at home. It's really hard to keep up the exercise once we get back home to our normal routines. We need to keep going strong and help each other remain committed to making an exercise routine and sticking to it!


Ephesians 6:10-12
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Isaiah 40:30-31
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

(New International Version)

First Post!!

This week a team of men from Illinois is here, along with the Bradford brothers from Warsaw, working up a storm! Gary and Linda Richhart from Woodburn Missionary are also here for an extended time to help out around the camp. Gary, who is a "computer geek" is working on establishing a more organized database so that Hope City office work goes a little easier. Linda is deep cleaning and organizing the camp supplies as well as playing with Sophie. We're having a great time with them, and hope these next couple of weeks pass slowly, so we can spend as much time as possible with them!

Please keep Richard Waite in your prayers, as his health is failing. He says he thinks that he has cancer again. I believe the last news I heard on his house is that they were working on trimming it. Pray not only for his health to improve, but also for encouragement; I can't imagine having the excitement of a new house and not being able to enjoy it fully!

Thanks again for all the prayers!