Weekly Devotions - Sowing Seeds of Faith

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“Katrina & Mission Mississippi: Building Hope" Part 2

Katrina ripped through southern Mississippi and Louisiana with the fury of an atomic bomb but at first, no one noticed the storm surge that came behind the wind: The twenty plus foot wall of water submerging cities and towns throughout the coastal area. The carnage of Hurricane Katrina will surely be recorded as the most horrific in our country's history. The question now is: "How will we respond?"

For days afterward communities and churches reacted by donating tons of supplies. Financial donations across the country are reported as the highest in history exceeding even the response to both the Tsunami and September 11 tragedies combined. In our area: Two women came out of a store with two full shopping carts and headed toward our donation area. We expected them to hand us one or two items but instead one lady reached into the cart, pulled out a paper back book and handed over everything else saying, "They need these items more than we do. Please hurry!"

My mother was born and raised within five blocks of the beaches at Gulfport, Mississippi the nearest city to the full fury of Katrina. None of mother's immediate family lives there now but there are many close personal ties to the area. In addition, one of our church members has family in the area and helped us make contact with a local church in Pascagoula, Mississippi just a few miles away. Rev. Jim Fisher invited our church to send a team to the area to assess the damage and deliver supplies.

Our team was made up of seventeen people: two from the local newspaper, two from our television station plus two nurses, two pharmacists, one mission building trip coordinator, one deputy sheriff, two truck drivers, four all purpose folks and myself. Later, I would find out how urgently each of them and their various gifts and talents were needed. In our fifty-four foot tractor trailer we carried, water, baby supplies, cleaning materials, flood buckets, medicine and food. We also carried cash to give directly to several aid agencies. Plus, we were to deliver two police cars donated by our sheriff's department.

The Apostle Peter wrote: “God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11)

God has given us all gifts so that God's generosity can flow through us. For me this meant using my gifts and those of our team to trust God's will and do God's work. Our team was called to bring help to the people of Mississippi. If we are willing to take risk and make the journey, God would do the rest.

One person suggested we purchase beds to replace the thousands ruined in the flooding. Calling a local retailer, I received a special price on twenty complete twin bed sets plus employees of the store pooled their money together and bought sheets for all twenty. While driving to Mississippi I questioned the wisdom of spending so much money on beds and wondered if they would actually be used.

We drove all night and arrived early the next morning at a Mobile, Alabama distribution site managed by the Red Cross and various churches. In a short time our truck was unloaded and we began looking for places to send the materials. We knew God was guiding our mission when the first church we called in Biloxi, Mississippi expressed a need for cleaning supplies and then asked if we could procure beds for the relief workers. Almost choking with emotion, I asked: "How many do you need?"

"I'm not sure… maybe twenty?"

My exhaustion vanished immediately, replaced by newfound hope and enthusiasm as I excitedly shared the story with the rest of our group. Within hours the beds and materials were loaded onto another truck. Later that same afternoon we would visit the church and help unload those very beds.

Rev. David Cumbest, the pastor accepting the beds gave us a church tour. The kitchen and halls were converted to storage and feeding areas. Sunday school classes became bedrooms. In the sanctuary, pews were moved to the back so beds could be set up to house relief workers. David said, "More than forty percent of our congregation lost their homes. Many more lost their jobs at least temporarily." But at the same time he talked excitedly about helping thousands of people receive supplies and comfort.

At the front entrance was a lady responsible for greeting those needing aid and helping them fill out paper work. Many in this position simply do their job but this lady considered herself a missionary of comfort. Each person was greeted with a tender, "Hi sweetie! May I give you a hug? While you're filling out the forms, please tell me what happened and how you're doing?" She would listen to each story carefully with tender compassion as if this family was her most important job. She personally escorted them to receive aid and then cheerfully walked with them back to their car.

In just one short day, we saw God's miraculous hand at work bringing beds exactly where they were needed, showing us a church on the front lines helping others despite their own severe losses and we witnessed the tender witness of a woman who offered God's extraordinary encouragement and love.

Next: More of “Mission Mississippi: Building Hope.” Part 3 Click Here.

Sowing Seeds Ministry Website set up a way for you to donate to Katrina relief. The money will be transferred to Timberlake United Methodist Church to be used for supplies. Over the next few months there will be a need for medical and building supplies as our church will send physicians and nurses as well as construction crews. No money will be used for overhead, only for supplies going directly to the area. Just click here for the contribution page.

Do you want to join us in prayer for others? Do you need prayer? Click Here.

Last modified August 8, 2005.

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