Phone: (301) 336-6200

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Operation Restore: Bayou La Batre, Alabama

Victory in: Gulfport, Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana

by  Maj. Byron E. Martin

In September and October of 2005, we sent two separate teams to help deal with the devastating hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  We Worked through the Christian group called Christ in Action.

Many thousands were fed because of the help that we gave to these two locations

The American Rescue Workers National Organization came together for a common goal and all of us who shared in that experience agree that God was in that work.

If we sat back and fed off of our past accomplishments we would be satisfied for awhile and maybe even content that we did our part. But there is no room in His kingdom for those who would settle for contentment while there were still people in need and souls to be won for the Kingdom.  Looking back, we have accomplished a great deal in this ministry.  But now, let us look forward towards the prize set before us.

Matthew 25:35....40

"for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in;...Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me"

Rebuilding Efforts in Bayou La Batre, Alabama

We are preparing to head to Monroeville, Alabama in March 2006 and will be setting up a base of operations at the Monroeville Nazarene Church. Pastor Freddie Lindsey, of Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, is the Operations Coordinator who sets up the task forces and job locations for volunteer carpenters and other workers to lend their strength and abilities to help people to reclaim their homes from the disasters of 2005.  We will be working in the Bayou La Batre, Alabama area where devastation is still widespread and many have not been able to return to their homes. The first group will head out from the American Rescue Workers DC Corps early on March 1st of this year and return on the 12th.  Each member of this eight man team will need $300 in donations to help pay for fuel and food for this trip.  Donations will be made to the American Rescue Workers and will be tax deductible.  We will also be renting a U Haul truck One-Way to take much needed pallets of water, Gatorade, Crisis Care Kits, cleaning solutions, mops, brooms, and food items to the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries storage facility where it will be distributed to those who need it most.  Thank you for your continued support and may God bless you richly.  Please PRAY for us.

Hurricane Katrina Briefs…

 ……Real Giving

by Major Byron E. Martin

Real Giving. It wasn’t the uncomfortable 1,200 odd miles or the 20 hours traveled to reach New Orleans in an old converted Winnebago.It wasn’t the long, hard days working at the site known as “Camp Hope” scrubbing, sweeping, hauling, cooking and serving in tremendously hot, sticky weather. It wasn’t even the passing out of hot meals and water in the surrounding, hurricane devastated New Orleans cities to people who had nothing left to hope for.

True, all of these things were gifts of hope that many Christians from many different churches all over the United States were sharing with the hurting victims of Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. And all of those things were great sacrifices made by caring people who wanted to do their part to help ease the pain of great loss. But the “real giving” was something so small, so simple and so understated that you might almost miss it.

We were driving our Disaster Relief Vehicle in and out of hurricane ravaged streets of what must have been some of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Lakeview, a Parish of New Orleans.Most streets were impassible and many times we had to back out because the street was blocked by a large tree, telephone pole, car on its side, or even a house. But we were able to find people that were hopelessly sifting through their demolished houses for anything they might be able to preserve. We gave them cold water and hot food. Earlier in the trip, we were about the work or helping. But as the days passed, we began to see the real need. Yes, we had to continue the hard work and long hours, but there was something else.

I first recognized it when we stopped to see if a couple needed anything to eat or drink.Col. Dawn Astin, from our Williamsport Corps, listened as she heard the heart of the woman speak and said “You need a hug.” She dropped her serving utensils, took off her gloves, stepped away from the “work” to wrap her arms around this stranger whose heart spoke to her. Soon, Debbie La Valla had dropped her serving spoon and the three women hugged and cried together.

I believe that God ordained Debbie from Connecticut and Dawn from Pennsylvania to drive down with our own crew from Washington, DC to show Christ-like love for a woman in Louisiana at that very moment. That is how Americans act at their very best. That is how Christians act at their very best. That is how God made us to act at our very best. And we are at our very best when we are in tune with His call. He speaks not to our intellect, our wisdom, our patriotism, our strength or our sense of decency. He simply speaks to our heart and if we listen to the small voice that he places there, we learn that perfect act of “real giving”.

Power companies work to restore power to all parts of the city of New Orleans. -more-.

SPCA volunteers Anna Strates, of Rockville, Md., left, and Cheri Templeman,of Medicine Lake, Minn., walk down a flooded street in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. -more-

The American Rescue Workers Disaster Relief Unit is set up to...

...Respond to fires/disasters in the DC Metropolitan area covering Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

...Feed the Hungry with local trips to downtown Washington, DC. Feed and give blankets and clothing to those who are living in the streets. We leave at 6pm and return before 10pm.  It is a great time of giving to others in need.  Sign up today to become part of our Wednesday Disaster Relief Crew.

...Be prepared to respond to large disasters with a 300 mile radius for long-term coverage that is needed during natural and national disasters.

...Be prepared to respond to large disasters on a National Level.

We are providing people in need (as well as the firemen and rescue personnel) with hot meals, Emergency care packages, blankets, clothing, coffee, bottled water, sandwiches and spiritual counseling when needed.

We have an ordained minister on call whenever we are out as well as a member of ICISF (International Critical Incident Stress Foundation). ICISF specialized in working with victims and rescue personnel of catastrophes.

L to R: Maj. Byron Martin, Mr. Tom Bowen, Gen. Claude Astin

DISASTER RELIEF

I realize, of course, that this is nothing new under the sun. Not only do we have some wonderful pictures from our past that show this very work being done in the early 1900’s and that other organizations have been doing a wonderful job of reaching out in this way to their communities but I happen to know that this same work was being done as early as the time that Jesus walked this earth in the form of a man. It was Jesus himself, who constantly turned from his travels to reach out to those who were in need of help. He fed the hungry, healed the sick, forgave the sinner and even raised the dead.

For myself, it began after September 11, 2001. I remember clearly what I was doing and the effect that it had on me as I watched those planes crash over and over again into the twin towers and witnessed the destruction to the Pentagon. I was working in Arlington, VA at the time and actually heard the explosion at impact to the Pentagon. One month later, I was asked to come back into the work. My father, Gen. Paul E. Martin (who served the Washington, DC Corps as their Commanding Officer for over 46 years) was retiring and I was asked to take the position to continue his work.

I struggled to create a plan that would encompass this three-part program;

Weekly trips to downtown Washington, DC to give food, clothing and blankets to those living in the streets. Respond to fires covering Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland.

Be prepared to respond to large disasters occurring on the East Coast during natural and national disasters.

Things were going too slow for my intentions but coming along. Then, I met Mr. Tom Bowen last year in June at our Buffalo, NY Council Meeting.

Tom is a bona-fide Christian hero of Ground Zero in New York, New York.

He began the ministry, as he and his fellow rescue workers would recover bodies and parts. They would pray over them for the families they left behind. He began a ministry of healing while he worked to help recover the wrecked bodies to be properly laid to rest Tom took the time to help me by leading me to the CISM Training Program (Critical Incident Stress Management) and the ICISF. An organization that trains for disasters.

In case you think this is new...check out Col. Clark from one of our South Philadelphia, PA Corps back in the early 1900’s. Yep. That is a horse and buggy. The sign reads;

Disaster Relief Ministry continues in Bayou La Batre, Alabama
by Rev. Maj. Byron E. Martin