Hurricane Katrina

I am alive. My wife and two kids are alive. My family survived Hurricane Katrina. Still numb from the devastation around us, I can’t help but praise God for the safety of my family and the assurance that God’s providence works all things together for our good and his glory.

We live in New Orleans, or I should say we used to live in New Orleans. We still do not know about our house. We assume its underwater and perhaps a complete loss. We evacuated to my parent’s house in Baton Rouge. We may not be able to return for weeks or even months. Its hard to watch our city fill with water like a bathtub and try to decide where to go from here. Our hope rests in the firm foundation of our sovereign God who holds us in his right hand. This morning I think of John Newton’s words, “Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.”

I still have not heard anything from any of our church members from Lakeshore Baptist Church. Most of them live very close to the water. I know most of them evacuated.

For those not familiar with the gulf coast, Lakeshore sits about half way between New Orleans LA and Gulport. MS, just outside Waveland/Bay St. Louis. Our church is only about a mile from the gulf, in a very low lying area. As soon as the roads open I want to get in and assess the damage. I will be very surprised if any of our church buildings still stand at all.

Now that I have internet access I will post updates as I find out more information. I just wanted to post this to let everyone know that we are safe. Please pray for us as we pick up the pieces, rebuild, and move forward to the glory of God.

36 Comments

Don,

I’m glad to hear that you are safe, but I am devastated at your losses! I’ll be praying for you and your church members. I can’t imagine what you’re going through right now. We’ll have prayer for you all tonight at our prayer meeting!

How can we help? Can you give me some practical suggestions on how a church or association in Middle Tennessee can help your church and your community? What do you need? We are already donating to the disaster relief of TN but how can we help your congregation specifically right now?

Glad you and your family are safe, Don.

I’ll mourn with you if your house and church and lost, but they can be rebuilt.

I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m being glib or callous. Brick and mortar can be replaced, not flesh and blood.

My prayer is that all of you remain safe, and that God uses this catastrophe to bring glory to His Name.

Hi Don,

Please let me know what we can do, in addition to prayer, to help you and all of the families you know who were impacted by this. I’d prefer to send anything we collect to someone I know as opposed to a govt. agency.

I am relieved to know that you and your family are safe, yet saddened at how you must feel about your church and home.

Keep close to Him; He is truly good all the time.

I just emailed the Savannah Baptist Association about helping. I know that at this point, no matter how much I’d liek to be there, I’d just be in the way.

But as rebuilding starts, especially for the poor, I’d like to see a group from this area go out to help build some homes.

If anyone has info on who I can contact in the area for talking about this, please let me know.

Been praying for you guys — glad to hear you’re safe. The folks at the FFF are worried about you — even the deist!

You’ll be in our prayers this week, and in the weeks to come.

Hey Don, glad to hear you are safe. Let us know about the church and anything our little church can do to help. We have lots of construction workers here. Thanks for putting a human face on a tragedy that seems almost unreal in scope.

Glad to know you’re OK. I’ve been over to Bay St. Louis many times with my wife’s family. Its hard to believe that the Hwy.90 bridge across the bay that we drove over so many times is just flat gone.

We’ve finally heard from our people in Florence and Monticello, MS and all are OK. Much destruction and no power or water but at least all are unhurt.

ChuckBob

Don, thank God you and your family are safe. I have been praying for you and your church members. It must be distressing to be out of contact with them.

I was laid off just today and am still reeling from that, but your brave and faithful words were such a comfort and rang so true. It may have been one of the most powerful sermons you’ve ever preached, at least to my soul.

I hope that at some point I will be able to talk with you, but either way, I thank God for your faith and am keeping you and all your flock in my prayers.

Jeri

Don,

You and others affected by the storm have already been in our prayers, and will continue to be. You are aware of God’s sovereign control over nature (Isaiah 45:7 God says “I create calamity”), may you rest in that.

Please do not hesitate to call on the Church when you need help. You can email us individually, or just post in on your site. I’m in GA, but could make a drive if necessary. Others will drive as well if that is necessary. Whether its labor, food, shelter etc, please let the Church do what we do! We are servants; please give us an opportunity to serve.

At one point in the life of John Bunyan, he seriously doubted his salvation. It was at this time he penned these words:

“I saw old people hunting after the things of this life as if they should live here always . . . [and] I found [professing Christians] much distressed and cast down when they met with outward losses, as of husband, wife, child, etc. Lord, thought I, what ado is there about such little things as these. What seeking after carnal things by some, and what grief in others for the loss of them. If they so much labor after and shed so many tears for the things of this present life, how am I to be bemoaned, pitied, and prayed for. My soul is dying, my soul is damned. Were my soul but in a good condition, and were I but sure of it, ah, how rich should I esteem myself, though blessed but with bread and water. I should count those but small afflictions and should bear them as little burdens.

Don,

I want to help. My church will want to help. I was asked tonight by several members what we will be doing. I told them about your church and they all seemed to like the idea of helping another sister church. Please email me about where we can send some money. you and your church folks will be in our prayers

Phil

Don,

So glad to know that you & yours are safe. Let us know what your needs are. You sure have the attention of the FFF crowd right now!

jm

I am going to suggest to my church that we partner with your church to help them. I am willing to come and hit my thumb a few times with a hammer. Please let us know how we can help the Lord’s people at Lakeshore. Let them know that God’s people are praying for them. Even though, I do not know the members, I love them so very much. My heart is burden to help them. I pray that God in His mercy will allow me to help His people at Lakeshore. I pray that for God’s blessings on them, and for God to be glorified in all this.

Don,

Glad to hear that you and your family are okay. It is hard to imagine that an entire city has been destroyed by the storm..

I am not even watching any coverage on TV. It is too hard to watch because of the devastation.

Please keep us updated and know that there are a lot of people praying for you, your family and others who have been affected by this tragedy.

Don,
Your family has been in our prayers these last few days. My kids immediately remembered you from our visit a couple of years ago and have been very concerned as well. I am so thankful to know that you are all safe.

I cannot even fathom or pretend to grasp what you all must be feeling but this I KNOW…God is in Heaven on His throne and the earth is His footstool…while it may be too massive for us it is still under His feet, He is our refuge and strength and even this is not too much for Him.

we will continue to pray
Deanna
Ps 40:1-3

Don,

We want to add our praises with the many that have been expressed in the comments here. God’s providential watch care over you and your family is truly remarkable. You and the dear folk at Lakeshore will continue to be in our prayers in the weeks and months ahead. It is comforting to know that as His purpose for you unfolds that the day will come when you will see why He has brought you through this experience.

Highlander

Don:

Very glad to know that you and the family are safe. We’re praying for you. There’s really nothing that I can say which feels adequate to match the devastation of the situation. God bless. Keep up posted.

Stephen Brittain

Don;
I am glad to hear you and your family are well. We will add you and your church to our prayer list(Brea Center Baptist Church, Brea, California). It is amazing, and also sad, how it often takes tragedy to bring people together. We can take comfort that God’s plans are perfect and that the circumstances we are in are not outside of His control.

Tony

Don,

Thanks be to God that you and yours are safe.

I have been blessed by your ministry through this site, as have many others. God will continue to use you, I have no doubt. I will pray for you, your family, and your flock in the days and weeks to come.

Don,
Good to hear that you’re alive. Email me sometime. If i remember correctly, your house was close to I-10 and Clearview (from your Christmas pics…). The aerial shots that i’ve seen show that relatively dry. i’ve also been checking with WWL-TV’s forums for damage reports and haven’t seen anything really bad in that area. Are you going back on Monday to get essentials and survey the damage?

i don’t know you personally but i came across this site while looking for a way to help. i watch the news and i feel the overwhelming urge to get in my car and go do something to help, but i have 3 small kids and i know we would just be in the way. however i feel like i am being guided through god to do something and the same thing comes to mind everyday, i want to bring a family to come and stay with us for as long as they neede. i live in sc and i could help them get here and i know we are not rich but we surely have more than a lot of refugees right now. I can’t find any website that tells people how to help with things other than money. If you could let me know how i could help i would really appericate it. I am mormon and my husband is in the service and we have 3 daughters and we REALLY want to help. please help us to find the right way to help – 803-234-2864
thanks and may god bless you and the many countless victims

Hi. I live in Houston now, but my heart resides in Sportsmans Lake/Turkey Bayou where I grew up. I hear that both have been completely wiped out clean. If you or any of your church members get a hold of some aerial photos of Lakeshore, can you please put me on your distribution list if you plan on FWDing them to members who have left the area. I will pray for you as you begin to rebuild your community. Thank you, and God Bless You.
Monica Duran

I have some stump socks (these are used by some amputees) and would like to sent them to you by my daughter Monica Miller if there is anyone in your area that has a need for them. My husband no longer uses them.

Elouise Parker

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