Hurricane Ivan arrives; relief logistics begin from Alabama coast to Florida Panhandle
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)—With Hurricane Ivan’s landfall and northeasterly push through Alabama Sept. 16, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief officials deployed assessment teams to survey damage along the state’s Gulf Coast region as well as the Florida Panhandle -- areas initially expected to have sustained the brunt of Ivan’s force.
NAMB offering low-interest loans to damaged SBC churches
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--The North American Mission Board will provide low-interest loans quickly and with virtually no paperwork to Southern Baptist churches damaged by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, as well as other natural disasters.
As Hurricane Ivan heads toward Gulf Coast, volunteer kitchen crews resume Fla. relief
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--With Hurricane Ivan expected to make landfall along Alabama’s Gulf Coast region early Thursday morning, more than 40 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief units remain on standby in staging areas in Georgia, Louisiana and Alabama.
Meanwhile on Sept. 15, two Florida mobile kitchen units had resumed meal preparations for victims of Hurricanes Charley and Frances at Southside Baptist Church in Deland, Fla., and First Baptist Church Chiefland, Fla., while a mobile kitchen unit from Michigan was returning to First Church of God in Vero Beach.
Christian bookstore’s ‘graffiti’ Bible verse offers God’s comfort amid Fla. hurricanes
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (BP)--Some of the customers have labeled it “Grafitti for Jesus.” Fortunately the graffiti on the plywood covering most of the storefront of the LifeWay Christian Store in Fort Lauderdale didn’t necessitate a call to the police.
“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age -- Matthew 28:20” was sprawled across the convenient canvas. “Y ne aqui yo estoy con vosotros todos los dias, hasta el fin del mundo.”
Father & son minister to congregations after Frances
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (BP)--Using flashlights for 52 hours and subsisting on sausage and bread until their electricity was restored after Hurricane Frances, Lielson and Veronica Penido hardly paid attention to the fact that she could deliver their child any day.
Amid Hurricane Frances’ furor, layman led prayer in city hall
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (BP)--As the winds of Hurricane Frances howled across Port St. Lucie, more than 350 people, including city employees, their families and pets huddled in the 58,000-square-foot city hall, not knowing what horrors they would find when the storm ended its long, relentless march through their area.
Hurricane victims find hope from Fla. churches along I-95
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| Praying then going North Carolina Baptist volunteers have a morning prayer meeting at First Baptist Church of Melbourne, Fla., before they leaving to staff kitchen units and chainsaw recovery teams. Their work, however, was cut short by an evacuation notice prompted by the threat of Hurricane Ivan. Photo by Ken Touchton/Florida Baptist Convention |
On the whole, however, people were growing hopeless after days without electricity, air conditioning, ice or gas. Enduring leaking roofs, mildewing carpets and rotting furniture and walls, many residents were unable to repair homes on their own. Others had little time to cook while cleaning their homes. Few could afford to eat out each meal even if they could get to a restaurant.
FIRST-PERSON: Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
POTOMAC, Md. (BP)--Across the entire length and width of Florida, millions of people were without power as the result of two huge hurricanes in weeks. With rotted food in refrigerators, some had nothing to eat for two days, and many were without hope.
Waiting out Ivan, Southern Baptist disaster relief units ready to resume work in Florida
LAKE WORTH, Fla. (BP)--Dozens of motorists drove hopefully into the parking lot at Palm Springs Baptist Church in Lake City, Fla., Sept. 9 for what could be their last hot evening meal for a while.
FIRST-PERSON: Finding God amid Charley & Frances
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BP)--Not again. It's almost as if our state has been marked with a huge X.
