Next Step STORM

It got me thinking though about how even when we step out of God’s plan He’s always protecting us.  Romans 8:28 says: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”  He loves us and guides us even when we have gone off track; however, we still have to deal with the consequences of our actions.  In my case, I had to patch the ceiling and clean up the insulation and drywall that fell.

We are beginning to pull out of Texas as fewer teams are scheduling to come down.  There is still plenty of work to do so don’t wait to grab your crew and visit us in Texas!  It has been a great experience to work with Centro Cristiano Iglesia Rios de Agua Viva (say that 5 times fast!) and I have really enjoyed everyone that has been able to help with rebuilding what was lost in the area.  La iglesia de Jesucristo es mi hermanos y hermanas!

Everything at home is going well.  If you missed the Facebook announcement, we are expecting baby Matthias near the end of September!  We are both excited and looking forward to seeing how God provides throughout this new adventure.

As always, thank you for your prayers and support.  We couldn't do it without you!​

Almost every time I go down the highway there's someone stopped on the side of the road.  I would imagine this is a pretty true statement for just about anyone with a driver's license. Pretty common thing, they'll figure it out eventually right? The thing that gets me is that even though I see someone with a definite need I'll justify my need to continue and usually just keep on going.  I know I can't help everyone but why not help at least one?

But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”   Luke 10:29
(Watch the story HERE)

I doubt the Samaritan was a trained medic equipped with everything he needed in his donkey ambulance traveling around just to help folks in need.  I like to think he's more like your average guy and just grabs whatever he has on hand to help.  He cuts up an extra shirt for bandages, patches the guy up, abandons whatever stuff he needs to in order to make room for his new passenger, loads him up, puts him in a hotel, AND pays the bill.  Not something you see every day.  It cost the Samaritan a lot of time, effort, and money to help someone who probably would have hated him any other day.

How much more then should we help just the "average" people around us?  Maybe it's not trying to fix everyone's problems but instead just helping one or two people around us with the little things. It is often too easy to just turn a blind eye to those in need especially when we live in such a self-centered culture.  One of the reasons I really enjoy working with Next Step Storm is that my job enables me to actually focus on the people.  I genuinely enjoy getting to work with the volunteers, meeting with the homeowners, and getting to be a part of what God is doing wherever we may be at the time.  It's amazing to see the change in everyone involved.

Take time to help someone today.  It might even be as simple as stopping and offering to make a call for the guy on the side of the road.  Don't look at what you lack: time, money, or skill. Instead give from what you have because we serve a Father who lacks nothing.  Ask God for His timing, His wealth, and His ability because we recognize that we can't do anything without Him. (Eph 3:14-20)

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”  Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. Acts 3:6-7

Ready to take the next step?  Join us as we serve those in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey! There are many people that have lost everything and by volunteering you can restore homes and give hope to those that need it most!  Click HERE to learn more!

By Josh Brenneman

Around a year ago Elizabeth and I made a big step in our walk of faith as I came on board with Next Step Storm to serve as volunteer coordinator and content creator for our website and social media outlets.  We have been blessed by your faithful prayers and financial gifts over this past year; it continues to amaze us how God always provides for our needs!

We have completed our run of service in Denham Springs, LA!  Back in August 2016 over 200,000 homes were flooded in the Baton Rouge area.  We were able to partner with an incredible church that immediately welcomed us to use their facilities to house and organize volunteer crews. I had the privilege of working with many homeowners and volunteers to rebuild homes and restore hope to the Denham Springs community. Praise God for sending the right people at the right time to those that needed it most!

We are stationed back in Birmingham working with low income families and individuals to provide safe, sanitary, and secure homes.  The need for volunteers continues as we just had an EF-1 tornado hit nearby Fairfield, AL.  Thankfully there was no damage to our facility.  However, many homes and businesses sustained roof damage and were without power for several days.  Pray for the families affected by this storm.

My position at Next Step Storm is fully funded until September this year thanks to your gifts of financial support over the past year.  Elizabeth has been blessed with a position at the Fresh Market to help cover any additional expenses that we encounter.  Your ongoing support, through prayer and finances, is a critical component to the ministry.  I can't express how thankful I am for your support as we continue to serve in Birmingham and beyond!

​Josh

Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.                                                                                          Colossians 3:16-17

Today I wanted to share with you about our health care. Our family uses Samaritan Ministries and has since we went into full time disaster relief in 2007. We've had several medical related incidents where we've had to present our needs to other members and we've had nothing but positive experiences every time! I'll admit, it was scary at first, mostly overcoming our "gotta have insurance" mindset that the world teaches us. As is often the case, the Lord has a better way; in this case being this ministry based on scripture found in Galatians 2:6 to "bear ye one another's burdens." 
After looking at several other share ministries, there are several reasons why we chose Samaritan's. Probably the thing we like the most is that we send our check, or "share", to a different and actual person every month who has a need. The administration is performed by Samaritans but we only send our "share" to them once a year for administration costs. Each month they send you a person to whom you can share and what the condition is so you can pray for them and maybe send a card of encouragement.You see, when the Bible talks about bearing another's burden, it's saying to actually pick up some of the load to relieve them, to walk beside them. 
I could go on with other reasons, (feel free to call if you want to hear more first hand) but I'll cut it short and let you research it yourself if you like. You can click on the logo above to go to their website or learn more at My Samaritan Story.
I am sharing this with you because I want Christians to know that there are alternatives to government mandated insurance and government mandated spending of what your insurance money pays for (health problems as a result of sin). All of Samaritans guidelines have been voted on and instituted by the members. And all members are born again Christians, or at least much effort is made by Samaritans to prove such. 
With all that said, please note that members (of which I am one) are entitled to a $180 credit for each household that we tell about the ministry that becomes a member. So if you're gonna become a member, please put us down as a referral! 



**From the Samaritan Ministries monthly newsletter:
Claim your health insurance exemption on your tax return, not a government exchange.
During the open enrollment periods for the Affordable Care Act, you will see many news stories about the federal health insurance requirement. You may also receive information from tax preparers about tax implications of the "individual mandate". Remember that there is no reason for members of Samaritan Ministries to use the government exchanges. Members of health care sharing ministries are exempt from the federal health care law's requirement to have insurance. You will demonstrate your qualification for this exemption by completing Form 8965, a simple one-page form, when you file your 2015 federal income tax return. Visit samaritanministries.org/tax for the form and instructions.

We've missed a few days because of rain but the project continues to progress. The truss truck was too long to maneuver around in the private area of the reservation so the driver parked on the hotel parking lot and craned them across the fence. We've had quite a time getting materials around as it seems to be quite soft anywhere off of the road.

Christmas day Kim, Sophie and I just hung out in the hotel. I found this really cool (unusual to us) pine cone and Sophie saw a Christmas tree in it so she decorated it and we even found a Christmas light necklace that worked perfect for the lights! Though we're not inclined to spend time in the casino, our routes in and out of the hotel and to the place where we eat go around the machines so we can't help but see the activity. We were a bit shocked by how many folks spent their time gambling on Christmas and Christmas Eve. 

This is the treated lumber made for ground contact. I'm not familiar with the treatment process but it must be something like the brown or green stuff that appears to be perforated in, must scare off water. It certainly doesn't penetrate as you can see by the slice. 
Also, they use "green" wood for regular framing members. ("Green All the wood we've gotten so far has been spruce which is usually light weight. Light weight in our neck of the woods because our framing lumber is dried to around 19% wood moisture content. When I questioned a friend at the local lumber yard, he said "we have always used green wood for framing in CA". After doing a little Googling, it seems that using "green" wood in CA is typical.
Though I'm not used to some of this stuff, I must say this has been the nicest looking wood I've seen in 30 years of construction. 
Hmmmm, we often talk about Romans 12:2....renew your mind!

We have not moved! This CA project is temporary. We are still living and accepting teams in Birmingham, AL. You can schedule your team here.
We've got rain again today so we're holed up in the hotel room. Sophie is teaching Kim her schoolwork and I'm doing this and figuring out some material needs for the home. The trusses are scheduled for Tues afternoon so we're not gonna be ready with the rain forecast for tomorrow also. The truck delivering them was going to set them on the walls but we'll figure out another way now. 
Yesterday we went to Middletown Bible Church, one of the churches involved in the relief effort for the Valley Fire. It was good to be with other believers. They asked first time visitors to raise their hands and give a report so we gave them our names and told them we were representing the "Hope City" that was coming to town and working on a house for them. This home is one of the first being built after the fire and seeing it go up will give the residents hope. You can talk all you want but seeing something is being done and rebuilding is actually taking place, well, that shows you're serious. (Hmmmm, Christians are you listening?! Being in the Bible belt back in AL, everybody can talk the talk of Jesus but the silence of the walk is deafening!) 
Anyway, we've come full circle in our work with Hope City; that being the first place we worked with volunteers in disaster rebuilding. Kevin Cox with Hope Crisis Response Network (HCRN) is leading the charge out here in setting up a new Hope City. There are again many partners involved, with Team Lake County being the fiscal agent recognized by the National Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD). This area is where Kevin is originally from so he already has familiarity with the region along with family, friends and contacts. If you want to know more about this Hope City, you can visit their website here. We're glad to be a part of getting this off the ground (pun intended) and wish them well!
  
If want to see more pics of our trip, visit us at NextStepSTORM Facebook Page

And like us! 

We worked for a few hours this morning in drizzling rain and had to quit around noon due to steady rain. We did get the first wall up.

SOMETHING NEW:
Studs in CA measure 92-1/4" 
The lumber is beautiful but extremely wet. 

The vehicle we have been provided with for our month here had some issues so Justin took us to a friend he trusts. Turns out the radiator was bad so he fixed it. When we went to pick it up, someone had paid the tab! I'm not sure why I'm so amazed at God's constant and consistent provisions?! God is good! 

As I said a couple of days ago, every new community we build in brings changes. This is for our "Something New" department. I'm convinced we're not done with new things so we'll try to report something new when we see it. It may not be new to you but it is to us. I've found myself having to make a choice here- I know enough I can just play along and not ask questions for fear of someone thinking I'm ignorant, OR, I swallow my pride and ask questions and learn new things and in the process open up communication. I've chosen the latter and it has been humbling to ask "what is that?" when I know it's something basic to them, whether it's terminology or a product..... I've also found that most folks don't really care where I'm from or how we do it there. I can relate as I use to not care to chat much with strangers but in my "occupation" change I've had to force myself to be more outward and have found I actually enjoy it now (most of the time). Besides learning new things it gives one the chance to zone in on the spiritual and possibly be a vessel of God's mercy and grace. Vessels come and go, receive and deliver....
Anyway, the above pic is of the headers cut to size for us. Solid spruce 6x8's and 4x12's. We don't get those out east!

Some new help came out today! From left to right - that's Donovan, Justin, Landon, and James. They are all friends of Justin, and Tribal members. It was great getting to know these guys and we are very thankful for the help!

The end of Thursday. I couldn't get a good pic because it was raining again. It's supposed to rain for a few more days. While that's a bummer for the project, the area is in an extreme drought so I'm glad we came and blessed them with rain. Trusses are coming with wall top delivery Tuesday so we gotta have a break to make that date. BUT, I've submitted to the idea that this trip is forming up differently than we expected. Hmmmmm....