Thursday Afternoon Update...

ALAMO CITY HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORT CONTINUES:

• Volunteers are still needed as more people arrive in San Antonio from the US Gulf of Mexico coast.
  
  Below is a listing of some websites that contain information about volunteering in our community, state and around the nation. Being a volunteer can provide amazing opportunities for the church of the Lord Jesus to minister outside the "walls" of our congregations.

Alamo City Christian Fellowship
Blood-n-Fire, San Antonio
San Antonio Red Cross
USA Freedom Corps
USA Freedom Corps Kids
Samaritan's Purse
Operation Blessing
Somebody Cares

These links are provided in the hope that they will prove helpful in connecting people with organizations that will allow them to be both compassionate as well as salt and light.

• This report comes from Blood-n-Fire, San Antonio. Alamo City has been partnering with and supporting Blood-n-Fire for many years. Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit, we have stayed in very close contact with them. Here's the latest report - slightly edited:
  
  "Mark Roye and the Blood-n-Fire Team are now in the "Golden Triangle" of Texas are witnessing events unlike anything any of us have ever seen as result of Hurricane Rita..........
  
  They set up two smoker pits to feed the Police, Firefighters, utility workers, and got some music going. No one from the public is allowed to enter the hurricane zone yet.
  
  They are in Bridge City, between Orange and Port Arthur, in the parking lot of "Grace Center."
  
  There is no power and no water in the area. Trees and powerlines are down everywhere.
  
  BUT THEN.......
  
  .....while cooking briskets and pork loins on our smokers, people started coming out of the woods,walking down the roads, coming toward "Grace Center."
  
  .....toward the food they smelled, toward the music they could hear... asians, hispanics, blacks, whites...
  
  .....these people rode out the storm, and until now had not heard from anybody for three days...
  
  .....all of their homes suffered bad damage.
  
  .....as of nighfall Tuesday, the team from Blood-n-Fire were the first outsiders into this area...
  
  .....as of nightfall Tuesday, the Blood-n-Fire Team had fed at least 300 residents of Bridge City...
  
  .....thankfully through your generosity, we had the means to feed 300 unexpected guests!........
  
  .....they came and came, walking up out of nowhere, so glad someone came to them...
  
  .....then they started bringing meat from their freezers that was still good:
  Catfish, Shrimp, Red Fish, Hamburger patties, Pot Roasts, whatever they brought us we put that on our smokers, everybody ate their fill, everybody shared!
  
  Finally about 9 pm it was just too dark to do anything else.
  
  Life began again today, Wednesday at daybreak. More people for lunch, word has gotten out!
  
  FEMA Reps did come and ask if Blood-n-Fire would represent them in Bridge City.
  
  Well.... OK, why not?!
  
  Will send pictures when able.
  
  Thanks again to our friends that have enabled us to be in this place, to have food to serve, and to put hands and feet to the love of Jesus."
  
  A note to you from:
  Mark & Susie Roye
  Blood-n-Fire, San Antonio
  21519 Tenore
  San Antonio, TX 78259
  
  Mark can be reached on site in Bridge City, TX at: (210)274-6545
  Susie can be e-mailed in San Antonio at: bloodnfiretexas@earthlink.net


• Per our request in the last post, the Lord has supplied at least one big-rig truck driver to assist in getting supplies to the Texas Gulf of Mexico coast. Thank you for praying that this need would be supplied!
  
  There are additional supplies which still need to be loaded and delivered into that region.
  
  So, if you are a big-rig truck driver, with a commercial license, and would like to volunteer as a driver, or if you are interested in assisting with the loading of the trailer, please call (210)654-7880 or e-mail worship@alamocity.org.


• Please continue to pray and participate.