UPDATE FOR MONDAY THE 10th.

Ministry Memo

TO: Blog – all ministers and churches
FROM: Katrina Disaster Relief Office
REGARDING: Update on our Whirlwind Tours
DATE: Monday, October 10/2005

Rick Kulhman and his crew of almost 150 students, leaders and helpers from UT, Knoxville are ready to go! The first of our Whirlwind Tours will be headed off this Thursday leaving from the UT, Knoxville campus at about 7:00 AM. They will meet at parking lot C-1 near the baseball field.

The next weekend our UT, Chattanooga trip will head off to follow in the footsteps of UT, Knoxville. These 2 student dominated trips will be followed by the one week trip in November (The 5th -12th ) and the final trip leaving December 26th.

Today’s notes:

1)First and foremost, THANKS for your support! God has indeed blessed us with Presbyterians and Presbyterian Churches that are stepping forward to assist these trips with time, talent and treasure.

2)TOOLS ARE NEEDED – If you have a hammer, crowbar, pair of leather gloves, shovels or other hand tools that can go with the students this week please deliver them to the Presbytery Office by Wednesday at 5:00 PM. If you put your name on the tool we will get it back to you.

3)FUND RAISERS – If your church can organize a creative fundraiser we still need funds to help with our trips and the work they will be doing. Special offerings, fund raising brunch/supper, church yard sale or other fund raisers your church can do will go a long way to help pay for our ministry. The ongoing costs will not end with the Christmas trip. We are being asked by the Synod to adopt a church near Gulfport Mississippi. Their needs and the needs of the church members will be our continuing project and concern.

4)VOLUNTEERS Get your applications from the Presbytery web site home page and get them in to the Presbytery office ASAP. We need to know how many people to plan for, not only at this end but down in the areas the trips are headed to. We have lots of room for now but that may change quickly. We have a limit of 50 for the November trip and a limit of 150 for the December trip.

5)RV’s – Yes, bring the RV or camper on the November and December trips. We will be staying at a Presbytery Camp and they have hook-ups for RV’s and parking spaces much like here at our own John Knox Center. (This may be subject to change but plans for now include the RV’s)

6)SPECIAL TOOLS AND SKILLS – Yes we are looking for people with special skills and tools. Doctors and Nurses are needed for the trips. Contractors who know how to tear out and fix-up homes and buildings are needed. Front-end loaders like Bobcats are needed. If you have a special skill call us and we will let you know how we can use you.

7)PRAYERS and more PRAYERS. Pray for our leaders and the students going on this first trip and for each of the other trips and when you’re done praying – start all over again.