Katrina Victims Fundraising Banquet (FEI)

Dear Prayer Team,

Saturday night (11/5/05) we had a really great time singing at a fundraising banquet for Forward Edge International, an organization which is funded by many churches and Christian organizations which has a "22-year history of delivering aid and assisting in reconstruction projects following natural disasters. FEI teams were dispatched earlier this year to Sri Lanka’s tsunami-ravaged coasts... to Manhattan’s Ground Zero following the 9/11 attacks (2001)... to earthquake-stricken El Salvador (2000)...to Nicaragua following Hurricane Mitch (1998). "

They received a matching funds grant for one million dollars for Hurricane Katrina victims, and they have raised about $630,000 towards the million dollar goal so that they can take full advantage of the grant. Their goal is to have 53 families placed back into their repaired homes and churches by Christmas and many more by Easter 2006. They are targeting families who don't have insurance and are too poor to be able to repair their own homes. One of the really great things about the matching funds grant is that the administration and fundraising costs are being paid for ABOVE the million dollar grant, so 100% of the money being donated by their fundraising attempts and the matching funds amount will be going to the needy families who have been stricken by this distaster. The testimony of a particular woman who was helped by FEI was really touching as she described the workers who came to help her as "Angels".


Here is an earlier photo of the woman who spoke to those in attendance at the banquet as she was being helped by FEI.

"The Bible says that we may be entertaining angels unawares," she said, "Sometimes I think that maybe the ANGELS don't even know! 'Angel' simply means messenger from God. I must admit that there was a fleeting moment where I wondered if God had forgotten about me, but these beautiful people brought the message home to me that God was very aware of my situation, and that I was not alone!" There are about 700 volunteers who are receiving training and are being sent to help.

If you'd like to learn about how you can put a team of people together to go help the survivors or make a donation to this wonderful organization, find them online at: http://www.forwardedge.org

I know that all of us who are involved with RESCUE were so honored to be a part of such an incredible effort.