In this view up the street, until recently the "middle ground" was a junkyard of dead cars and household appliances. Right now there are some men putting up signs saying "Broadmoor Lives!" to announce a neighborhood festival to encourage the efforts to rebuild the community.

It will take many years to recover from all this. Meanwhile, as people slowly return and confront the task of getting their lives back together, please pray that they come to recognize that the only true and permanent foundation in this world is Jesus! It is a blessing to see many Christian groups from around the country involved here helping in the cleanup process, and living out the testimony for all to see that He is the only lasting Home.

In His astounding love,

Dick & Gladys Funnell

For information on our mission to Wales, please visit http://walesawakening.org

Home: 011-44-1239-810825 Mobile: 011-44-7796-316626

Our new home address is: Genaur Glyn Beulah Newcastle Emlyn, SA38 9QB Wales, U.K.

Support can be mailed to: Verbo Ministries - Wales (Please write "Wales" clearly in Memo area) P.O.Box 190 Kenner, LA 70063

Office: 877-723-4129 Toll Free

Back in New Orleans!

Dear Friends:

We arrived back Louisiana Wednesday night after a busy and blessed time in New England. We were a little worn out, but what a great way to get tired! We visited with my extended family, and even got to celebrate my niece's 40th birthday with lots of festivities, so that was great fun!

We also had a chance to meet and share with many friends and a couple of churches, which was also a very rich time. We encouraged others with our testimonies of prayer in Wales to pray for New England, and we received prayer and encouragement from them as well. The Lord is Good indeed!

I am still in a bit of shock upon seeing New Orleans. Just as I had heard, the many pictures and video footage just don't convey the reality before our eyes. Wednesday on the way to Grace's apartment, we took a long route through some of the huge areas that have been left abandoned - block after block after block of empty homes with huge mountains of garbage piled in the yards and spilling out into the streets - carpets, furniture, appliances. The clean-up operation is slowly underway, but the scope of it is MASSIVE, and we have only seen a fraction of it. What the winds of Katrina didn't destroy, the flooding ruined. And it just goes on for miles.

Yesterday afternoon as we drove through neighborhoods of friends near our church, it was like a huge bizarre campground, with white FEMA trailers parked at 80% of the homes while residents gut and rebuild. And here they got off very lightly. It is heartbreaking to see so many families and homes turned upside down forever.

Here we are staying in the middle of it, houses all around are in various states of disrepair, repair, or abandonment. In this picture you can see the watermark on Grace's apartment. Another couple of inches higher and she would have lost everything. The Lord is good.