During the continued chaos of response and rebuilding, your love and concern for us have been communicated through the work made possible by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. We wish to celebrate with you the ongoing commitment, patience and trust shown by the General Assembly Council through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance that have allowed our presbyteries the time needed to create and establish plans for the effective use of the resources which were made available to us through your gifts. Your gifts have made possible the volunteer villages, building supplies, tools, truck and trailers, and challenged us, in the face of great chaos, to create infrastructures to support this lengthy recovery process. Each of our presbyteries has responded in different ways to the chaos and trauma of the storms of 2005.

Our work is not done; progress is all too slow; recovery seems still a dream. Yet we continue. Our five presbyteries recently met together with our partners in Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to review the experience of the last two years and to look forward to the coming four years. We together have agreed upon a plan that makes, we believe, effective and efficient use of the remaining financial resources (including your continuing gifts to the recovery process plus accumulated interest). This plan will be interpreted to the coming meeting of the General Assembly Council and then to the entire General Assembly meeting in San Jose. In the meanwhile, please allow us to share with you some of the basic financial facts, so that you may be assured that we all together are seeking to be faithful stewards of the gifts you have entrusted to us.
        Initial amount of financial gifts received in 2005:                      $22,415,091
        Total financial gifts received as of Nov. 30,2007,
               including interest, village fees, specific gifts:                     $26,797,451
       Total amount of gifts spent as ofNov. 30, 2007:                         $13,157,245
       Projected amount for four year (2008-2011) recovery plan:       $ 17,400,000
       Estimate of resources to be available including interest
               and village fees                                                               $15,900,000
       Needed additional gifts to meet the challenge of this ministry:     $ 1,500,000

Our five presbyteries will also continue the partnership we have established together to tell the
stories of faith and recovery for we are witnesses that, through your prayers, presence, and gifts, the plenty of the "loaves and fishes" is coming true in our lives.

Thank you again for the financial gifts that you so generously have given in the past to this ministry of compassion, and for your continuing prayers and participation. May Christ likewise be a blessing unto you as you have been Christ blessing into those who are in need.

Mike Cole
General Presbyter
New Covenant Presbytery

Harland Merriam
Pastor, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Beaumont, TX
Board member of Southeast Texas Interfaith Organization

William A. dePrater
Executive Presbyter
Presbytery of Mississippi

R.L. Richardson
Administrative Commission for Disaster Recovery
Presbytery of Mississippi

Graham Hart
General Presbyter
Peace River Presbytery

James J. Kirk
Chair, Peace River Presbytery Disaster Preparedness and Response Task Force

Alan Cutter
General Presbyter
Presbytery of South Louisiana

Jean Marie Peacock
Associate Presbyter for Congregational Development and Disaster Recovery
Presbytery of South Louisiana

Arlene W. Gordon
Executive Presbyter
Presbytery of Tropical Florida

John Stewart
Associate Presbyter for Disaster Recovery and Nurture
Presbytery of Tropical Florida