Some Katrina Related Messages I've Gotten...

[Seagoon]

Hi All,

New Orleans and the ongoing disaster there has been consuming most of the media's attention of late. But several friends in the ministry on the gulf-coast indicate that the devastation down there is also terrible.

One Pastor in Biloxi informs me that although the church is still standing (barely) several of the homes and churches in the area were totally destroyed, including those of several church members including this one:



(More pictures of the devastation in his area of Biloxi are available on his blog)
 
I'm currently trying to track down friends in the LA, MS, AL area and make sure they are ok, after that we are going to be concentrating as a congregation on getting assistance to those affected in the area. We also have guys deploying now, both for Iraq and disaster relief, so we are going to be very busy for a while.

Here are a few messages I've received plus the contact info for our denoms consolidated disaster relief:

TE Richard Bailey, pastor of Plains Presbyterian Church in Zachary, La., reports that "we will be opening our church as an evacuation shelter on August 31. We can keep about 75 – 100 persons. We have never done this before and are putting policies and rules and volunteer schedules together tonight. The folks who will be coming here, most have lost everything. We already have one family who showed up today. Seven folks in a small car. All that they have is in the trunk of their car. The enormity of this is mind boggling. It is almost surreal. They may be here for weeks. Most will have nothing to go back to, Nothing.

"This is a big blow to Southeast Louisiana Presbytery. We may have lost three churches, two church plants and a Ministry. They are: Desire Street Fellowship plant, Desire Street ministries. Three Rivers Presbyterian Church in Covington, Trinity Presbyterian in Slidell, Redeemer Church plant in New Orleans, and Grace Presbyterian Church, Metarie. The fate of all of these is unknown at this time. Life around here has changed for a while. Pray that we will minister and the  church should during this lengthy event." Contact information: plainspc@juno.com; 225-654-2960.

"TE Rob Oates, pastor of Faith PCA in Brookhaven, Miss., has reported that about 250 people in the church are without a place to live as a result of Hurricane Katrina. He reports: one man needs kidney dialysis; a woman heard that her home was completely destroyed; at least half of his immediate congregation has damaged homes and businesses; and one 90-year-old lady and her daughter were sitting in their family room when a huge tree split her home in half and she lost everything. There is no power and it may be weeks, and in some instances months, before electrical power is restored.  He asks that we pray for them. 601-833-0081

"Other areas of Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, especially the coastal and south central areas, have experienced significant damage. There are a number of PCA churches in these areas hit hard by the hurricane, which include the following Presbyteries: Southeast Louisiana, Louisiana, Grace, Mississippi Valley, Southeast Alabama, Evangel and Gulf Coast."

If you would like to volunteer to assist the effected areas, you can do so through the PCA Disaster Response Coordinator.

Please visit their website at http://www.pca-mna.org and enroll as a volunteer with their Disaster Response team.

[Curval]

Hey Seagoon...can you provide an address to send some funds to please?

I'd rather send funds somewhere where I know they will be used 100% rather than the Red Cross et al who have huge overheads.

Seems like all the focus of this disaster is on NO...but the devastation in Mississippi is unreal.  Please pass on my best wishes to your contacts.

[Seagoon]

Hi Curval,

Originally posted by Curval
Hey Seagoon...can you provide an address to send some funds to please?

I'd rather send funds somewhere where I know they will be used 100% rather than the Red Cross et al who have huge overheads.

Seems like all the focus of this disaster is on NO...but the devastation in Mississippi is unreal.  Please pass on my best wishes to your contacts.

Thanks for asking, several of the ministries down there are sheltering hundreds of displaced people from the surrounding community and many church members have lost everything. The worst part is that those on the coast may not even be able to claim on insurance as this is being classified as a "tidal surge" which is exempt. So they'll be dependent upon those churches, at least until FEMA can give a little additional assistance (having been flooded out myself I can tell you FEMA assistance just never covers your loss).

Here is the direct link to our denominational disaster relief fund donations page. Remember to click on the "HURRICANE KATRINA" Button.

If I get any numbers for direct assistance, I'll let you know. Our Inner City mission in New Orleans was totally destroyed. Not only did all the workers lose their homes and belongings, but the free Pediatric care clinic and the school they just finished building were also destroyed. Very sad.

Check out the vids of the destruction in the Gulfport area on the WLBT site. Those of you who remember the Tsunami videos will see an eerie resemblance.

- SEAGOON

[Seagoon]

Just got this in, some of you may know someone this could help...

Friday, September 2, 2005, 9 AM


To whom it may concern:


Geneva College will accept up to 10 students who
are/were enrolled in a college or university that has
suspended operations due to Hurricane Katrina and its
aftermath.


Tuition, fees, room and board will be discounted by
50% for the Fall, 2005 semester.  Further discounts
will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  The
College commits to working with these students who
will have special needs resulting from the
displacement.


Students (or their representatives) should contact Dr.
Ken Carson, Vice President of Academic Affairs, no
later than Wednesday, September 7, to initiate the
accelerated admissions process.  Our semester has
begun and we do not want to admit students so late
that they cannot catch up with their studies.


Dr. Carson may be reached at 724/847-6605 or
kpcarson@geneva.edu


Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college
located in Beaver Falls, PA, 45 north of Pittsburgh.
More information about the school can be found at
http://www.geneva.edu


Our prayers are with the thousands of victims of this
catastrophe and with those who are hard at work to
provide relief.  May God be gracious and merciful.



------------------------
Ken Carson, Ph.D.
VP for Academic Affairs
Geneva College
3200 College Avenue
Beaver Falls, PA  15010
724/847-6605
kpcarson@geneva.edu