Mickey Noah

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called to thank Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who have diligently served since Hurricane Isaac hit the southeast Louisiana coast 10 days ago. Napolitano Thursday (Sept. 6) personally expressed gratitude to North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell. "She called to say how much she appreciates everything Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are doing and to acknowledge that our efforts are a key part of the response," Ezell said. "The investment Southern Baptists have made in disaster relief over the years has helped us become a key partner in times of crisis. I am grateful for all of our partners who make this happen. We know that many needs will be met and that ultimately many lives will be impacted with the Gospel." Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, said "without a doubt, disaster relief is one of the things we're really good at and that I'm most proud of," when told of Napolitano's call. "It's unbelievable that seven years to the day both Hurricanes Katrina and now Isaac hit our area. We're still trying to rebuild from Katrina. "By the grace of God, New Orleans didn't flood this time, but we can identify with the folks in Plaquemines Parish and LaPlace," said Luter, adding that 60 of his church members were going to the New Orleans hard-hit suburb of LaPlace to help on Saturday (Sept. 8). "I look forward to seeing those yellow shirts tomorrow." SBDR feeding teams have cooked and delivered more than 130,500 meals at field kitchens in Baton Rouge, Kenner, Covington, Houma, Westwego, Belle Chasse and Slidell, La., and in Long Beach and Pascagoula, Miss., since Isaac hit. Isaac-related outreach has led to at least five professions of faith and nine other faith-related decisions. SBDR has recorded 78 chainsaw, 54 mud-out and 8 roofing jobs; provided almost 2,200 showers and laundry loads for victims and volunteers; provided childcare for 41 children; and made 2,231 ministry contacts and 47 Gospel presentations. Feeding units deployed to date have come from Louisiana, Texas (Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and Texas Baptist Men), Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Southern Baptist feeding kitchens from the six state conventions have the capacity to prepare up to 225,000 meals a day in Louisiana and Mississippi. After SBDR volunteers cook and package the meals, the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army deliver the food to flood victims.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called to thank Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who have diligently served since Hurricane Isaac hit the southeast Louisiana coast 10 days ago. Napolitano Thursday (Sept. 6) personally expressed gratitude to North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell. "She called to say how much she appreciates everything Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are doing and to acknowledge that our efforts are a key part of the response," Ezell said. "The investment Southern Baptists have made in disaster relief over the years has helped us become a key partner in times of crisis. I am grateful for all of our partners who make this happen. We know that many needs will be met and that ultimately many lives will be impacted with the Gospel." Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and senior pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, said "without a doubt, disaster relief is one of the things we're really good at and that I'm most proud of," when told of Napolitano's call. "It's unbelievable that seven years to the day both Hurricanes Katrina and now Isaac hit our area. We're still trying to rebuild from Katrina. "By the grace of God, New Orleans didn't flood this time, but we can identify with the folks in Plaquemines Parish and LaPlace," said Luter, adding that 60 of his church members were going to the New Orleans hard-hit suburb of LaPlace to help on Saturday (Sept. 8). "I look forward to seeing those yellow shirts tomorrow." SBDR feeding teams have cooked and delivered more than 130,500 meals at field kitchens in Baton Rouge, Kenner, Covington, Houma, Westwego, Belle Chasse and Slidell, La., and in Long Beach and Pascagoula, Miss., since Isaac hit. Isaac-related outreach has led to at least five professions of faith and nine other faith-related decisions. SBDR has recorded 78 chainsaw, 54 mud-out and 8 roofing jobs; provided almost 2,200 showers and laundry loads for victims and volunteers; provided childcare for 41 children; and made 2,231 ministry contacts and 47 Gospel presentations. Feeding units deployed to date have come from Louisiana, Texas (Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and Texas Baptist Men), Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma. Southern Baptist feeding kitchens from the six state conventions have the capacity to prepare up to 225,000 meals a day in Louisiana and Mississippi. After SBDR volunteers cook and package the meals, the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army deliver the food to flood victims.

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Southern Baptist Disaster Relief feeding operations are now in high gear in nine Louisiana and Mississippi venues, with 83,500 hot meals prepared and delivered to Hurricane Isaac victims in the two hard-hit Gulf Coast states by noon Sept. 4. Most of the feeding is underway in the greater New Orleans area, where some 100,000 people are still without electricity in sweltering heat six days after the Category 1 storm brought torrential rains and flooding. At one point, 700,000 were without power. In some areas -- especially Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist and Jefferson parishes -- the rain resulted in more flooding and residential damage than that caused by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. Much of Plaquemines remains under five feet of water. "Our greatest need is for more mud-out people," said Gibbie McMillan, state DR director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. "We're in the process of trying to get in some mud-out teams from Florida and Alabama. "In Laplace, there are 150 homes in need of mud-out," McMillan said. "Water is just now receding in some areas, so we can get teams in. We're trying to get people as close to affected areas as possible, but we can't bring in people unless we have a place to house and feed them." McMillan said Celebration Church in Laplace, pastored by Chris Williams, was hit hard by the floodwaters and has some 18 inches of water standing in the church's sanctuary. Many of its members are in shelters in Shreveport and Alexandria, La. Post-traumatic stress has set in for many south Louisiana residents, especially those who also went through Hurricane Katrina in 2005, McMillan said. "We appreciate the prayers of the people. Prayer is getting us through some difficult times. One thing I've learned in 12 years of doing this is that you have to take one day at a time. No two storms are alike. You have to learn to act but not react to everything going on around you," McMillan said. SBDR feeding units from Louisiana, Texas (Southern Baptist Convention of Texas and Texas Baptist Men), Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma are preparing meals in Baton Rouge, Kenner, Covington, Westwego, Houma, Belle Chasse and Slidell, La., and in Long Beach and Pascagoula, Miss. If necessary, Southern Baptist feeding kitchens from the six state conventions have the capacity to potentially serve up to 225,000 meals a day in Louisiana and Mississippi. After SBDR volunteers cook and package the meals, the food is being delivered to flood victims by the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. ...

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Southern Baptist Disaster Relief feeding operations are now in high gear in nine Louisiana and Mississippi venues, with 83,500 hot meals prepared and delivered to Hurricane Isaac victims in the two hard-hit Gulf Coast states by noon Sept. 4. Most of the feeding is underway in the greater New Orleans area, where some 100,000 people are still without electricity in sweltering heat six days after the Category 1 storm brought torrential rains and flooding. At one point, 700,000 were without power. In some areas -- especially Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist and Jefferson parishes -- the rain resulted in more flooding and residential damage than that caused by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. Much of Plaquemines remains under five feet of water. "Our greatest need is for more mud-out people," said Gibbie McMillan, state DR director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention. "We're in the process of trying to get in some mud-out teams from Florida and Alabama. "In Laplace, there are 150 homes in need of mud-out," McMillan said. "Water is just now receding in some areas, so we can get teams in. We're trying to get people as close to affected areas as possible, but we can't bring in people unless we have a place to house and feed them." McMillan said Celebration Church in Laplace, pastored by Chris Williams, was hit hard by the floodwaters and has some 18 inches of water standing in the church's sanctuary. Many of its members are in shelters in Shreveport and Alexandria, La. Post-traumatic stress has set in for many south Louisiana residents, especially those who also went through Hurricane Katrina in 2005, McMillan said. "We appreciate the prayers of the people. Prayer is getting us through some difficult times. One thing I've learned in 12 years of doing this is that you have to take one day at a time. No two storms are alike. You have to learn to act but not react to everything going on around you," McMillan said. SBDR feeding units from Louisiana, Texas (Southern Baptist Convention of Texas and Texas Baptist Men), Arkansas, Mississippi and Oklahoma are preparing meals in Baton Rouge, Kenner, Covington, Westwego, Houma, Belle Chasse and Slidell, La., and in Long Beach and Pascagoula, Miss. If necessary, Southern Baptist feeding kitchens from the six state conventions have the capacity to potentially serve up to 225,000 meals a day in Louisiana and Mississippi. After SBDR volunteers cook and package the meals, the food is being delivered to flood victims by the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army. ...

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Following a prayer by North American Mission Board evangelism vice president Larry Wynn, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief drivers Larry Kirkland and K. Ray Helms fired up NAMB's two 18-wheelers and departed today (Aug. 29) for Mobile, Ala. Each of the 60,000-pound Freightliner rigs is filled to the max with 20 pallets containing 320 rolls of plastic roof sheeting, wooden strips and nails destined for the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast, where dozens of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers will use the materials to protect the homes of Hurricane Isaac victims. While the slow-moving hurricane continues to grind across the New Orleans area today with 75 mph winds and drenching rainfall that may top 20 inches, Kirkland and Helms will make camp tonight in Mobile, avoiding the current gusty winds and downpour in New Orleans. On Thursday, they'll proceed to staging sites in the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. Kirkland and Helms are members of the Tennessee Baptist Convention's disaster relief team. Kirkland is from Loudon, Tenn.; Helms from Johnson City. "This is our first opportunity to deploy this roofing material, and we're excited to have this resource for the states," said Cathy Miller, disaster relief team member at NAMB's offices in Alpharetta, Ga. "Residents can use it to get their homes covered up so further damage can be prevented until permanent repairs can be made." Miller said trained Southern Baptist DR volunteers across the SBC should immediately advise their state directors if they are available for assignment to the Gulf Coast. Volunteers in several states are on standby for feeding, chainsaw work, childcare, mud-out, chaplaincy and laundry/shower units. "Southern Baptists need to pray for the hurricane victims, the first responders and for the safety of our disaster relief volunteers who will go in," Miller said. "We also need to pray for patience because we have to let the storm get out of the way so our state disaster relief directors can get folks in to assess the damages and the needs. "More than anything, we need to pray for opportunities to use this disaster to share the Gospel," Miller said.

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) -- Following a prayer by North American Mission Board evangelism vice president Larry Wynn, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief drivers Larry Kirkland and K. Ray Helms fired up NAMB's two 18-wheelers and departed today (Aug. 29) for Mobile, Ala. Each of the 60,000-pound Freightliner rigs is filled to the max with 20 pallets containing 320 rolls of plastic roof sheeting, wooden strips and nails destined for the Louisiana-Mississippi Gulf Coast, where dozens of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers will use the materials to protect the homes of Hurricane Isaac victims. While the slow-moving hurricane continues to grind across the New Orleans area today with 75 mph winds and drenching rainfall that may top 20 inches, Kirkland and Helms will make camp tonight in Mobile, avoiding the current gusty winds and downpour in New Orleans. On Thursday, they'll proceed to staging sites in the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana and Mississippi. Kirkland and Helms are members of the Tennessee Baptist Convention's disaster relief team. Kirkland is from Loudon, Tenn.; Helms from Johnson City. "This is our first opportunity to deploy this roofing material, and we're excited to have this resource for the states," said Cathy Miller, disaster relief team member at NAMB's offices in Alpharetta, Ga. "Residents can use it to get their homes covered up so further damage can be prevented until permanent repairs can be made." Miller said trained Southern Baptist DR volunteers across the SBC should immediately advise their state directors if they are available for assignment to the Gulf Coast. Volunteers in several states are on standby for feeding, chainsaw work, childcare, mud-out, chaplaincy and laundry/shower units. "Southern Baptists need to pray for the hurricane victims, the first responders and for the safety of our disaster relief volunteers who will go in," Miller said. "We also need to pray for patience because we have to let the storm get out of the way so our state disaster relief directors can get folks in to assess the damages and the needs. "More than anything, we need to pray for opportunities to use this disaster to share the Gospel," Miller said.

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- "We are as ready as we can be at this time," Gibbie McMillan, disaster relief director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, said as slow-moving Hurricane Isaac plodded toward southeast Louisiana.

BELLEVUE, Wash. (BP) –- Many recent mornings, Warren Mainard has awakened in the Pacific Northwest asking himself: “What was I thinking?” His family — wife Leah, daughter Krista and son Micah — were 2,900 miles away in Florence, S.C., although they have reunited as a family in time for the new school year. [QUOTE@left@180=“It’s not […]

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- "We are as ready as we can be at this time," Gibbie McMillan, disaster relief director for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, said as slow-moving Hurricane Isaac plodded toward southeast Louisiana.

BELLEVUE, Wash. (BP) –- Many recent mornings, Warren Mainard has awakened in the Pacific Northwest asking himself: “What was I thinking?” His family — wife Leah, daughter Krista and son Micah — were 2,900 miles away in Florence, S.C., although they have reunited as a family in time for the new school year. [QUOTE@left@180=“It’s not […]