Rebirth International

Filling in the Details…

Posted on March 4th, 2008 by Mo Leverett.
Categories: ministry updates.

Bible Study for the Clark High School students is tonight – the first night that we will have use of our new/used van to take them home in!  Of course, as has always been the case, there are more kids than there is room in our vehicles.  Last week, we had about 30 kids in Sam Rauschenberg’s little shot-gun house’s living room.  We taught on Salvation by Grace Alone.  About four of them prayed to receive Christ! Praise the Lord!

We intend to take the Bible Study across Lake Pontchartrain this Saturday, as well, to play Capture the Flag and cook out and stuff.

Ellen and I are thinking through church planting issues here in the city and will have more to report on this front in the near future.

Our board is shaping up – this takes time.  But we intend to have three tiers: trustees, pastors and indigenous leaders.  So our local board is made up of guys I had the privilege of leading to Christ in my early days in New Orleans.  Now they are my best advisers and supporters!  Amazing, huh?

This weekend a group of college students from the University of Connecticut will be joining us on a week-long work project and mini-internship.  Please pray that the trip goes well and that lives are transformed by the word and work of the gospel.

This month is the least busy month of the year for me in terms of travel.  I have no travel engagements at all.  This is great at one level.  It allows me to get caught up on ministry initiatives here in New Orleans, family issues and such.  But I’m a little concerned as well.  The income from concerts, speaking engagements and CD sales has been what has kept us afloat.  With no income from these activities expected, I’m concerned about the finances, but I know that God is good, in control and to be trusted.

We are still trying to sell our house and are working on locating the right floor plan for our new home.  Property values have  dropped so significantly that we will do well to sell our house at the price of purchase.

We are also struggling a little with the educational dynamics in the city.  Private education is outrageously expensive.  The drop-off in quality with public education is dramatic.  The options are slim.  Our kids have attended numerous schools over the last few years. And while they seem to be enduring quite nicely, I often grieve over the ways in which post-Katrina New Orleans is not a kid-friendly place.  Nevertheless, my kids are committed, sometimes more than we are.

Lindsay is now 16, will be taking her driver’s test soon.  Look out y’all!  She’s also already exploring college possibilities.
Lacey is 14 and planning to attend McDonough 35 in the Fall – a historically black High School in mid-city.  She is likely to be the only white student there.  She is very excited!

Maggie is 11, almost 12, and is still my hugging buddy – not sure for how much longer.  She’s doing exceedingly well in every way.
Manning is 9, almost 10, and is constantly asking me to teach him wrestling holds and moves that I learned when I was his age.  I can’t imagine a cooler son than the one God gave me.
Ellen is working at St. George’s Episcopal Academy, helping to run their after school program.  She’s also brushing up all of her administrative skills by taking classwork at Delgado Community College.

While I’m sometimes discouraged about all that is required of me in this new ministry launch, sometimes disappointed about the challenges of raising a new donor base from scratch, sometimes amazed at the difference that over 40 has made in my capacity to do, I am nevertheless thankful to God for His great faithfulness, His infinite mercy and enduring love!

Keep praying for us.  We appreciate you all more than you could possibly know!

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