The Truth Walk  

At this time people talk about resolutions for the New Year but today we ask for life resolutions. Resolutions kept not only for the year but ones that change your life. We welcome Pastor Ed Buford, Senior Pastor of Sonrise Community Church in Houston, Texas and Pastor Charles Collins, Senior Pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Bluefield, West Virginia. Please join us as we discuss life resolutions.

At this time people talk about resolutions for the New Year but today we ask for life resolutions. Resolutions kept not only for the year but ones that change your life. We welcome Pastor Ed Buford, Senior Pastor of Sonrise Community Church in Houston, Texas and Pastor Charles Collins, Senior Pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Bluefield, West Virginia. Please join us as we discuss life resolutions.

On the night of Friday September 12 and the morning of Saturday the 13 we, a shelter with one hundred residents had about 30 guests (including Kids) stay over until the storm had passed. Most of the staff stayed up all night and most of the next day making sure that everything for the residents and guests ran smoothly. Which it did until the people in charge stopped listening to other staff. Several people made remarks about how to handle the food situation (build a fire) several hours before the people in charge finally realized that they needed to build what? a fire.
Ike had knocked out our power and since we are on a well system (along with most of the area) we lose our power we lose our water and toilets. Now people were still using the restrooms after the lights went out and part of the next day: until we pulled some buckets out and went in them. The children over 10 pulled the buckets out and washed them in the ditches which were full of water. Like Moses we had people complaining about the food and the water. One person asked the kitchen for a glass of water six times in an hour. The same person was begging the children for their food knowing that they needed the nourishment. Several people had decided to leave the facility some residents and some of them our guests. Now we had minor damage, a piece of the facade blew off, another piece was leaning, minor leakage and a few loose ceiling tiles.

A friend and I decide to drive to the only area around with power, Humble. We drive around an find a place with open restrooms. The Hospital. After we empty ourselves we return to get something to eat. The only place open with a somewhat decent moving line was Long John Silver and Subway. Not much was open. He has a house near Downtown and we go to check it out. The freeway's are clear with not much traffic and we get there quickly. Downtown is a mess. Trees knocked down and some uprooted. Glass all over the street and sidewalks. This is after they have been cleaning for several hours. There was one thing about downtown that did stick with me; it looked like New Years Day no one was out. The Downtown streets that had always been full now were deserted. Allan parkway had been flooded by Buffalo Bayou as in any heavy rain that Houston gets, but the guy I was driving with had said that it was the highest that he had ever seen the water get. They had shut down part of I-10 because the water from White Oak Bayou and Buffalo Bayou joined and the water flooded the freeway. My friend ended up leaving and moving down to Corpus Christi.

Sunday 14
We had no church mainly because the power was still out and almost all the staff had been up since the hurricane. Everyone got to sleep in. Breakfast was minimal and the people started to complain we had only eaten twice the day before and was only cereal and stew. today wasn't looking much better. The main activity was setting up the fire and cooking breakfast and boiling water for the black gold; Coffee. Since another storm rolled through the area Saturday night the water level for the ditches had risen almost to the point of worry and sandbags. It got up as far as the fence which is like a foot away from the back patio.
Pastor Buford comes out to inspect the damage takes some pictures.

Monday 15
We finally bought a generator ($13,000) and we expect a single truck to show up the one that couldn't make it last night with the other two that showed. this truck bring along had started to set it up. Wires on the ground and signs saying not to step on them, now the water was a bit of an issue. And so was gas since they had only brought half a tank. That night we got our power back up and we were joyful until it went out again. Pastor through Grace international bought 100 gallons of diesel gas.
I am not around today. I go out with several people to help clean the JW Marriot near the Galleria, the rich area of town the town. The Marriot only got some light water damage. but the hospital just around the corner would take a month to complete. The drive home was short but we had to wait for gas almost an hour. Ironically we burned enough gas waiting to get to the gas as we would have driving home. When we got back we had power. Oh sweet sweet power. I can inally take a shower nope the water is out.
People kept calling in Sunday to ask if we were giving out food we were wondering why. Pastor Buford shows up and mentioned that someone had signed us up to be designated to hand out supplies for the Houston Food Bank and the American Red Cross (thank you Julie :) ) Monday everyone was out on parking lot to hand out supplies. I mean everyone the kids were handing out food. The elderly were handing out water and everyone else was handing out ice and food or directing traffic. The Buford family showed up to help.

Tuesday 16 through Saturday 20
Tuesday through Friday is the same we get one or two trucks that show up and we hand out the food.We got our power back.With problems; apparently the master electricians blew out a part, or was it sabotage, we don't know. But the generator is out and we need to get another one. Some of the kid's go back to school Thursday. Friday and Saturday we are in the dark. A friend of the electrician decides to loan us his generator until we get ours back or get the power turned back on. Thanks friend.

Sunday 21
The friends generator is here this morning and it is an old one and I mean OLD. it looks to be a generator from the forties or the fifties. It's old but it works.We hook up the generator to some romex and the romex to an extension cord and run the PA system outside for church. I get the day off and enjoy the service. F.Y.I. I'm also the Media Director at SonRise.Yay everything works right. We hook it into the building. Apparently the friend didn't mention that it surges badly. People tried to watch TV and the TV stopped working. The lights flicker on and off. The lights brighten then dim. It looks like a horror film. I was half expecting Michael Meyers to come around the corner with his big knife and the head of the head cook (sorry that was not intended).

Monday 22 through now
We continue to pass out supplies to the community power is still out and they said we would have power today but we don't we get it tuesday(i think). Finally power without flickering or failing. THE SHOWERS ARE OPEN!!!! THE SHOWERS ARE OPEN!!!! After 11 days without a shower we can finally get one. 100 smelly bodies doesn't smell good. The washer and drier are hooked up as soon as the power is on, and people are arguing over the washer. Trucks are still coming in and the men are tired the women are worn out and we need a break. Wednesday service is just hanging out and enjoying the electricity and eating some good grilling (thanks Regie). We still need a break but we are serving the community without power
Sunday's service went off without a hitch and went well. Pastor Buford preached about service and listening to those who you should. We think that we are finished handing out food since the electricity is back. Monday another truck shows up in the evening and we only give out half the ice before we head in. All the kid's go back to school. Tuesday he's back at 8 am with the rest of the ice and another truck of food and water. We are at it until 6 pm. Yesterday we get a truck and are back at it all day. By now the community has stopped pitching in as they get their power back on. The kid's are not around and most of the women have stopped altogether. The elderly that helped us have sat by the side and have watched us work. Meanwhile Pastor Buford has suspended the radio show until we are finished handing out the supplies to the community. Most of the able bodied men have left to go to work with several of the disaster relief agencies that have shown up leaving the work to some of those unable to do the work. The spirit of complaint has returned to the center and has struck the workers. They are not complaining about what they are doing or why they are doing it they are complaining about what they are getting out of it. Mainly nothing.

we continue to ask for you to pray for those who are still working to restore power to hand out food to clean our streets and to find those that are missing. We ask you to pray for those who are watching to see the light of christ shine in the work we are doing and we ask you to pray for those who are letting the light shine forth.
Peace Love and God's blessing

What kind of lifestyle do you live? Do you follow what you want to do, or do you follow what God wants you to do? This week we talk about how to remain in a state to receive God's blessing? Join host Pastor Edward Buford, Senior Pastor of SonRise Community Church in Houston, Texas and Pastor Charles Collins, Senior Pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Bluefield West Virginia as we discuss this topic.

What kind of lifestyle do you live? Do you follow what you want to do, or do you follow what God wants you to do? This week we talk about how to remain in a state to receive God's blessing? Join host Pastor Edward Buford, Senior Pastor of SonRise Community Church in Houston, Texas and Pastor Charles Collins, Senior Pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Bluefield West Virginia as we discuss this topic.

Shout, Jump, Skip, Flip. How do you worship? Do you let the mood around you affect your worship? In modern praise and worship we see a lot happening, but is there a right way to worship? Join host Pastor Edward Buford, Senior Pastor of SonRise Community Church in Houston, Texas and Pastor Charles Collins, Senior Pastor of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Bluefield West Virginia as we discuss this topic.