It’s been four years since “Hurricane Katrina” hit the southern Gulf coast, you would think that things would be back to normal but for some they are not. This was my first time to go on a mission trip to help those in the New Orleans area after Katrina. My thoughts when all of the disaster happened is that it was absurd to have a city that was built under sea level and that this was a perfect opportunity to get rid of the city. As always God breaks our hearts when we get involved with those who were affected. I can say that I do not see it that way anymore. Katrina was one of the worst disasters in American history and yet there are disasters wherever you live. I have lived in the Midwest/Southwest and have always dealt with tornados. I never thought I should pick up and leave because it could destroy my life but yet I thought those who went through Katrina would just pick up and leave. This is their home and they have a love and a draw to that region just like I have to the Midwest.
I went on this trip with 20 other people. We had 17 from Calvary Baptist Church in West Lafayette, 1 father of a member of Calvary, and 3 men from First Baptist Church Pocatello, Idaho. This was the 8th trip since Katrina for Calvary Baptist Church. I had always wanted to go but it never worked out in my schedule. We worked with the mission’s lab at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) for this project.
We were blessed to have our pastor’s wife’s mother in Tuscaloosa, Alabama to help arrange housing on the way down and on the way back. We worshiped on Sunday at First Baptist Tuscalosa which was a great blessing to hear a member of their congregation preach, Rich Wingo. Rich was a linebacker at the University of Alabama in the mid 70’s and then went on to play for the Greenbay Packers. The message was challenging and good to hear as we were headed down to the mission site. After church we headed on down the road to New Orleans.
Monday morning we headed over to the job site, as we were driving along I noticed this house on the other side of a divided road that was up in the air on concrete pillars with a FEMA trailer out in the front yard. I thought this house was interesting and as I was thinking that our caravan of vehicles make a U turn to go back to the house I had noticed. This would be the house that we would be working on all week. I had been told we would be working on a wheel chair ramp and I thought that it would be a long ramp to get up to the house since it was now over eight feet in the air. The ramp was actually in the back but was not finished.
The owner of the house, Steve, was a single man that was disabled having no lower part of his legs. He had been working on the house for 3 ½ years before the NOBTS mission teams joined him. This was one of the biggest complements to our work as Southern Baptist. We shared Christ by being construction workers for someone who is not able to finish it without help. This just reassures that the disaster relief of Southern Baptist is very effective and we must continue to work together in Christ name.
Steve was so touched by the workers and what we were doing for him. A couple from our group went with him to Lowes to pick up some materials and while there he was talking to the Lowes workers who all knew, and was telling them how great this team was that were helping him this week. Several times Steve spoke about the former work teams and all they had done for him. Not only had Steve’s house been flooded but just shortly after that he was in an automobile accident where another person ran into him and totaled his vehicle. He has also been having medical problems with his kidneys. This man had so much to be upset about but was trying to keep his spirits up. He has been living in the FEMA trailer in the front yard for now over four years. This trailer was not meant to be lived in that long and did not have much room, especially for a person in a wheel chair.
The week was great for me to be able to not only get to minister to this man but also for me to be ministered to by what was being done. I also was so blessed to be able to connect with other church members that I had not spent that much time with.
I had several prayer requests that were answered on this trip. The first was that my back held up and I had no physical problems. The second was that the ministry at Purdue went smooth while I was gone. My wife did an excellent job taking care of the ministry and our children. The last prayer request that was answered was that I would not struggle with not being in charge. Because I am usually leading mission trips that I am on, I find it difficult not to be in charge. God blessed me to be able to follow the leaders and not be stressed about not being in control.
We ended the week by praying with Steve on Friday. This was a great time for us to circle around him and pray blessings over him. It was difficult to leave with just a few things to finish before he could move in but knowing that the next team would help finish it up.
God used this trip to show me that He uses us in many different ways to minister to people. He gave me an opportunity to see the people that were hit by Katrina and have compassion for the people in the entire area. Many people were saying that this city was hit hard because of its sin but we know that we all are sinners and that God desires everyone of us to turn from our wicked ways and live for Him. I will continue to pray for this area and all those who are still trying to recover and rebuild.
