So here we are... wherever that is.

First off... thanks to everyone who has left notes, comments, emails, voicemails, prayed for us and gave us words of condolence and comfort in this time. All were tremendously appreciated. Please continue to pray for my mom and Amy & I, as well as all of Bill's 8 living children, their spouses, and 20 grandchildren, as we grieve the loss of this wonderful man. 

Well, it's been a bit of a whirlwind since last Friday night. We just arrived back to Chicago from Tulsa, OK where we had a funeral service and burial for my step-dad, Bill. We had a wonderful service in the Chicago area. Most of Bill's kids made it to that. That was Monday night. Tuesday night, we flew to Tulsa for a Wednesday night/Thursday morning service. We had a great time at both, getting to see some friends and family and honoring Bill's life on earth and his new birth into eternity! It's funny how death can bring people together and offer a tremendous amount of healing. It's also hard to not see God in all of this. From our presence in Chicago for my mom during this time, to some of the things we're all learning from interacting with one another, God's fingerprints can be seen are all over. 

The interview for the job I applied for a couple of weeks ago was this morning. I feel that it went pretty well. I should hear something in the a couple of weeks. Continue to pray for this opportunity as we plan our transition back to IL, whenever that may be. 

My mom flies back to Chicago tomorrow night, so pray for a safe, uneventful flight for her. (Unlike ours this morning, Amy's still not feeling well.) Pray for a restful time for Amy and I this weekend and coming week. We are extending our stay here in the Chicago area at least another week, so we look forward to catching up with as many people as we can. Hope to hear from you soon. 

Phil  

Urgent Prayer Request

My step-dad, Bill, passed away last night. We have already seen God working in this situation. The fact we're home this week has been one of the many mercies we've seen from God through this. Please pray for my mom (Noreen), Amy and I, Bill's children and several grandchildren. Pray for strength, peace, and guidance these next several days.
Lastly, Bill loved the Lord with all his heart and we know he's with our Savior this morning. We're thankful for that and grateful for the time we've had to know a wonderful, loving, caring, man.

Just about there

We're catching our flight back to the Chicago area tomorrow AM. Be praying for our trip; for a relaxing time with friends and family, and re-juvination of our bodies, minds, and spirits.

I'll try to update the blog while we're home, so check back every so often. Hope to see many of you soon!

Phil

Prayers for the 7th Ward (Rock of Ages area)

I wanted to post a quick prayer request for the area around Rock of Ages, where I and several volunteers have been and will be for the next few weeks.
There have been at least 2 separate issues that I know about and have seen in the last week. On Thursday, another staff member and I were at the church delivering some supplies. Suddenly there was a storm of NOPD in the area, blocking off streets, etc. We found out later that some was shot and they were looking for him. They quarantined a school that was in session near by.
The other incident was today. Just blocks from the church at a gas station, a man was shot in the back of the head. They don't have any suspects in this shooting.
The scary part about both of these incidents is that they happened in the middle of the day, in heavily populated areas.
Please pray for this area. For safety for the people of the community, the volunteers and the staff that work in the neighborhood. Also pray for justice for the men or women responsible for these crimes, but more so that God would be seen and glorified through these tragedies.
Thanks for all your support!!

Phil

A busy one

We've been a bit busy as of late. Between all the vehicle problems I had the last few weeks and getting ready for teams each week, I've been pretty tired. Last weekend, I don't think I really moved until Sunday, then it was back to work. Not to mention, Amy's been really busy in the kitchen.

So, I'm heading off to Pensacola, FL with a couple guys from CO here for the next couple weeks and another staff member. We're hoping for some good conversations and relaxing time on the beach. Pray for our time there this weekend and for Brandon and Charles, the guys from CO.
We're also gearing up for our trip home. We'll be flying there one week from today and will be there until the following Saturday. While home, we'll be trying to catch up with as many people as possible, check out a baseball game with my dad, and top it all off with an "interview" on Friday. I was poking around online and came across a job that I had applied for before, but didn't get because I needed some more experience. Well, I got that and even worked part time for the company before departing for New Orleans. Amy and I are really excited about this opportunity and another opportunity. We're praying about all these things and asking that you would join with us in prayer for the Lord's will in this area.

A quick update on our friend that was sick. She's feeling much better now. She had to go to the hospital one night because she passed out. While waiting for the doctor to see her, she and her husband just prayed for about an hour. The tests came back totally normal. Kinda strange since she had been diagnosed just days earlier with Mono. But praise the Lord. She's been getting better and better as of late. Thanks for all your prayers for her and our team in her absence. We really appreciate it.

We look forward to seeing those of you in the Chicago area in a week and always look forward to reading your emails and comments. Have a great weekend.

Phil (for Phil and Amy)