Saturday, December 03, 2005

Blue Roofs in New Orleans

Hey all "Ugo4God-ers,"
 
Dot and I just returned home to Los Angeles from our trip to New Orleans. We were able to deliver a U-Haul truck full of food and relief supplies to Pastor Troy and Melanie Bohn, RAVEN Ministries, for them to distribute to needy families.
 
As we drove down Veterans Highway into New Orleans, one thing we began to notice were so many of the roofs on the homes being restored were covered with large blue tarps. It was amazing to see all of the "blue roofs" throughout New Orleans.
 
I joined Pastor Troy and the RAVEN team down on Bourbon Street Thursday night and we had a great time winning souls to Jesus. I was standing on a street corner, playing my guitar and lifting up the Lord when John and Gina, a young man and his wife from Sarasota, FL, came upon me ministering. (Troy and one of the team were shooting video of the outreach at the time.) They were in town working on a clean-up team.
 
John came up and tried to put $3. in my guitar case as a tip for the music. I stopped playing and singing and told him I play for Jesus and it is all free. We ministered to them and Troy and I led John and Gina in a prayer for Salvation. As we all rejoiced, I told them all the angels in Heaven were rejoicing right along with us.
 
John began to tell Troy and me they think their 4 year-old daughter has cancer. They were in tears. We told them our Jesus is the Healer and we prayed over them and agreed on the Word that declares, "By His stripes, we ARE healed." The Holy Spirit told us to tell them when they returned home, they were going to see their daughter IS healed. Hallelujah!!
 
Because so many people were so hungry to be ministered to and prayed for, our team didn't get off Bourbon Street until almost 3:00 AM. As they say, "Time flies when you're having fun!!" (Let's get ready for Mardi Gras Outreach in February!!)
 
Before leaving on Friday, Troy and Melanie took Dot and me into the east side of town where the devastation is so horrific. Miles and miles and miles and miles of homes destroyed by the hurricane. Blocks and blocks and blocks of abandoned homes that will never be able to be rebuilt. These homes were not even good enough for blue tarps.
 
One home we took a picture of had two of their children's teddy bears sitting in a chair on the front porch with a demolished car in the front yard and a shorn tree laying across the roof.
 
We rode down I-10 weeping for the families who have been ripped apart and their homes destroyed. We must all stay on our knees asking God to revive and restore these families.
 
We stopped in one neighborhood and Troy and I prayed for a man who was working all alone in the neighborhood, trying to reclaim any thing possible from his home. His family was scattered out in Baton Rouge and other states. He lost his home and suffered a double whammy because he was a school teacher and lost his job as the schools were closed.
 
We assured him Jesus had not forgotten him and his family and that God would bring him peace and provision. Let's be sure we "ugo4God-ers" do not forget about these precious souls... and let's stay in prayer for Pastor Troy and Melanie and the RAVEN team as they are faithful to stay on the front lines of this disaster, bringing the light and love of Jesus Christ to those who so desperately need Him!
 
I told Dot when we returned home last night, "I feel like we live in a mansion." In light of what is happening in New Orleans, we feel rich in the things of God... the things that matter!!
 
Dot and I look forward to seeing you all in Tijuana, Mexico in a couple of weeks as we bless the children in Jesus' Name.
 
Going For Jesus,
Bobby and Dot Chance  <><
Streetwise Ministry

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