Men's Breakfast Report, July 2010

The Men’s Breakfast Group met Saturday, July 10.  The featured guest, Gilbert Arispe, Freeport Assistant City Manager, did not show.  However, Ondra Waddy, pastor of the First United Missionary Baptist Church, was present after a long absence, and filled in as Featured Guest. 

Ondra talked about a mission trip that his church took to New Orleans.  They took ten youth and four adults from his church plus ten people from his brother-in-law’s church, First Baptist.  The group stayed for a week at the New Orleans Baptist Seminary which had dormitory facilities and provided training to the participants.  During the day the students received training, witnessed and worked on service projects and participated in fellowship during the evenings.  The service projects were in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward where the devastation from Katrina still hasn’t been cleaned up.  People are gradually moving back but the lack of funding and support from the city make this a slow process.  Ondra described one case where the team cleared the brush from a yard where the city was threatening to fine the owner for not keeping the lawn mowed, but the owner was trying to take care of her disabled mother in the house.  The owner was so grateful that anyone was concerned about her that she actually cried. 

The youth came back fired up about missions and helping people and want to continue doing this in Freeport.  In the discussion, it was pointed out that many youth programs are about how to be a Christian youth, but what the youth really need is teaching about how to be a Christian adult.  The mission trip was a success in this regard.  Other churches are invited to participate in subsequent missions. 

Because of Keith Irby’s funeral, the session was cut short so we did not get to ask about other aspects of Ondra’s church.  However, we did have an informative discussion and a good breakfast.  Our next meeting will be August 14 with Lee Attema, nurse practitioner at the Freeport Clinic, as featured guest.