This is Jim Van Matre, formerly of FBC, Jonesboro, and now serving Dauphin Way Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama. I got here just in time for Hurricane Ivan, and that is why I am emailing you.

The response of our Southern Baptist Convention has been amazing. I was there helping my parents, who live on the Gulf Breeze peninsula, with clean up. While working in the yard, I spotted a Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Unit driving up the street. I promptly waved them down and introduced myself.

I found out that they were going to assist a widow who had signed up for assistance to have her yard cleaned up. They mentioned that Georgia Baptists were serving two hot meals a day at the elementary school. My twin sister and I drove to the school and picked up meals for our family because water was not yet fit to drink. I talked to all the volunteers and they talked about how much joy they had in serving and helping. I thought this was a terrific example of simple Christianity with a face on it! What a great ministry!

We came home and my parents' neighbors, who have been here over 40 years, saw us. They came up to greet us and hugged our necks. They were so glad to see us and to know that we all were okay. Then they mentioned other neighbors, the Sorrells, who needed help. The neighbors were not home yet because Mr. Sorrell has cancer, is undergoing chemo, and they had fled from the hurricane. I promptly told my Dad's neighbor, Mrs. Harvil that Georgia Baptists were here in force and were able and willing to give assistance. I explained that you just had to sign up and she got right in her car and went to sign up for assistance.

The next day a big group of Georgia Baptist relief volunteer workers came and cleaned up the yard. They removed all the wood on the windows, checked the house out, taped up the fridge saying it needed to be removed before being opened because the odors would fill the house, and then they gathered everyone including Mr. and Mrs. Harvil to have prayer for the Sorrells. The Sorrells could now come home because our Georgia Baptist disaster relief volunteers had done all this work as a ministry to these neighbors.

Oh! Did I mention that both of these neighbors are Catholics and not regular church attenders? Before we left Mrs. Sorrell called on the cell phone and was so grateful that she wanted to make a donation. The leader of the Georgia Baptist disaster relief team responded, with his hand raised to heaven, "Ma'am this was all paid for 2000 years ago on an old rugged cross." We all responded Amen and Praise God!

How I am so thankful for our Cooperative Program of the Southern Baptist Convention!