Disaster relief volunteers bring hope to Louisiana

Sep 30, 2008
STACEY BILLGER
Louisiana Baptist Convention

In Houma, La., flood waters and high winds from Hurricane Gustav and then Ike destroyed homes and left others uninhabitable. Photo by Stacey Billger/LBC

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HOUMA, La. (LBC)—Gary Jones stands in his yard watching as a team from Florida cuts and hauls away piles of branches in his yard. A heart attack three years ago prohibits him from doing heavy manual labor for longs periods of time.

“I sure appreciate this,” Joes said. “I couldn’t do it by myself.”

Ed Brunette of Ocala listens to Jones share about his surgery. Jones insists he wants to donate to their cause. Brunette pulls out a tract and shares with Jones “the reason why we’re here.”

Once the job is complete the team prays with Jones before heading to the next job.

“We have an opportunity to open doors that were previously not open to us before. People who were skeptics are now open,” Joe Arnold, Director of Missions for the Bayou Baptist Association in Louisiana said.

Isle de Jean Charles, or “the island” to locals. Photo by Stacey Billger, Louisiana Baptist Convent

Teddy Steger of First Baptist Church in Lutz volunteered first after Hurricane Gustav hit Louisiana and now he’s back after Ike dumped even more water in the area, uprooted trees and left debris strewn about. Serving as a skid steer loader for chainsaw teams he’s had opportunities to share Christ with 16 people in the two weeks he’s volunteered.

“Running the skid, it’s fun,” Steger admitted. “But the joy comes from sharing Christ, and leading them to the Lord” he said. “I am task oriented but evangelism is what’s important.”

Trained in Evangelism Explosion and FAITH, his training and experience has helped him gain boldness and confidence in sharing the Gospel.

A typical day includes as many as four work orders and every job is completed by praying with the homeowner and then sharing the Gospel.

Ed Brunette of Ocala, Florida shares the Gospel with homeowner Gary Jones during a chainsaw job at Jones home. Photo by Stacey Billger, Louisiana Baptist Convent

Asking direct questions and sharing Scriptures, Steger has led two people to the Lord. One, a “spirited Cajun lady, was full of joy after accepting the Lord,” Steger said. Another lives in a neighborhood where four households also heard the Gospel.

“People whose physical needs have been met [by Southern Baptist volunteers] are saying ‘I’ve been meaning to visit that Southern Baptist Church [and] now I think I am going to try it,’” Arnold said.

Three people asking for the assistance of volunteers were led to the Lord as they were filling out the paper work at Mulberry Baptist Church. Barriers that existed in the past no longer exist. Neighborhoods recognize that the yellow shirts are there to help.

“We have a great opportunity to share the Gospel. We need to seize the moment,” said Bret Morin of First Baptist Church in Lutz. Morin is serving as the Florida disaster relief operations coordinator.

Morin reports that of the 629 work orders 290 have been completed. Now that flood waters are slowly receding and the mud is drying, there are opportunities to go to other areas in need.

The team prays with a couple who had two trees fall in their yard. The 84 year old homeowner had attempted to clear the trees himself, however was unable to complete the job. Photo by Stacey Billger, Louisiana Baptist Convent

“Because of the response [to Katrina and Rita] people know they can count on the Southern Baptists. The ministry opportunities are enormous,” Arnold said.

“Trees are just leverage. This is our opportunity to connect with and share with people from so many different circles,” Steger said. “It’s the disaster that gives us the opportunity to share Christ.”

“The Lord uses His people for His purposes of healing, restoration and transformation. Florida Baptists are the Master’s hand and voice to show those wounded by the storms the way of hope and faith,” John L. Yeats, Louisiana Baptist Convention, director of communications said.

Financial contributions to Florida Baptists’ disaster relief efforts may be sent to the Florida Baptist Convention, Business Services, P.O. Box 5579, Jacksonville, FL 32247. Checks should be made payable to the Florida Baptist Convention and designated for disaster relief. Donations through credit cards can be made by going to www.flbaptist.org.

For more information on how individuals can assist with disaster relief efforts. visit www.flbaptist.org.

Stacey Billger is the Louisiana Baptist Convention’s missions media strategist.