The following is from an email/letter that I sent after Martie and I had left our "known" way of life for a life of service in places devastated by natural disasters. We stayed in Mississippi until 2010. Martie found the email in one of the many binders we have. After I read it, it rekindled the same fire in my heart - that burned some 17 years ago. My hope is that you will read it and then consider what they Lord would have you do. I am not suggesting you follow our steps - but to follow Jesus.
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Supporting Katrina Disaster Relief
12 September 2005
Friends
The following is a synopsis of our journey in support of the victims from Katrina. God is moving through the hands and pocketbooks of His people. We praise His name and give glory and credit for everything that has been done so far and what will be done to Him and Him alone. There are so many personal stories that can be told. Everyone who joins us in ministry has their hearts broken for these people. We have been blessed to be a blessing. Like the story of the good Samaritan, some are too busy, so are not concerned, some say they must have deserved what happened, some don't want to be inconvenienced but there are some who say, it doesn't matter the personal cost, I will not pass by. For them, I thank God ..... Where He leads me, I will follow, I'll go with Him all the way. Charley
At a Gateway Baptist Church Elder' s meeting on Tuesday, August 30, we were unanimous in our desire to act on behalf of the Katrina victims on the Gulf Coast. We began the organization process to send a team into Mississippi that Friday. We were told that we could not go to the area without the proper credentials, so we contacted the Red Cross. That Thursday, the American Red Cross came to Gateway for the purpose of conducting volunteer training. The training lasted 90 minutes. We were told that we would be going to Pascagoula, MS to assist the Red Cross efforts there.
I recommended that we organize as an advanced party consisting of 5 vehicles with the main body departing in the afternoon. The advanced party departed about 0700 Friday morning. As we passed though Evergreen, AL we received notice that the active-duty military had been called back by the Maxwell commanding general. We transferred the cargo from Rob Wheatley's truck. He and Mike Brake reluctantly returned to Montgomery. Just a few miles further down the road, Alan received a mission change from the Red Cross. We were to proceed to Ocean Springs, MS.
Upon arrival at Ocean Springs, we bivouacked the trucks in a church parking lot. Alan and I went out to scout the area and coordinate with the Red Cross. We were told that they wanted us to establish and not just support a Red Cross shelter in a local Lutheran Church (Christus Victor) located on highway 90. Alan and I discussed who should manage the shelter, and I recommended my brother-in-law, Chuck Huston. Chuck has 20 years’ experience in the Navy and has run hospital procurement in a county hospital in Elmore County and at the VA hospital in Montgomery, AL. He is the "best" manager that I have known. We hadn't intended to stay long. Just a few days. We hadn't intended to lead anything, just to serve and help where we could. But apparently God had other plans for us. We returned to the advanced party to share our findings. Alan explained the mission we had and asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to be manager. Everyone looked at the ground - trying to avoid eye contact, I suppose. I spoke up and said Chuck should be the manager. Chuck nodded in agreement, and no one dissented.
We moved out to the Lutheran Church. Upon arrival at 1200, we met Suzy Harvey. She is the church administrator and in charge of relief operations. After a brief conversation, we could see that she was done in. She had been running 20 hours a day since Katrina hit. We asked when the first displaced victims would start arriving and were told in 2 hours. 2 hours later, we had established a rudimentary shelter.
The Lutheran church hosted four support organizations: the American Red Cross, the Lutheran Disaster Relief, a Local Samaritan ministry, and the Christus Victor local mission. It provided a shelter, medical clinic, soup kitchen, and food/supplies redistribution. None of which was in place except for about 40 -5 gal bottles of water and about 100 cans of vegetables and canned meat on Friday morning. By the next day, every aspect of the facility had exploded. The distribution facility grew exponentially.
Everything the Red Cross had told us would not happen -did. And everything they told us would happen-didn't. We were disappointed and disillusioned to say the least. We asked about food and water support. Neither were available from the Red Cross. The national Guard had set up a water and MRE distribution site and the city hall was supplying support as well. We sent "scrounges" out to find supplies, which they did. As supply trucks began to arrive, we used some of the supplies to feed to victims staying at the shelter as well as those who came in for assistance. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ship, the Oregon II lost power in Pascagoula. They brought the ship stores which included "cheesecake". The people who ate at the shelter were thrilled. The word got out and soon another shelter was asking how we did it. Jehovah Jireh! (We did share)
It became clear that volunteers were the key to success, particularly in the food distribution area. Many were only available for a few days at a time. Coordinating that flow is a challenge today. The locals can help but only to a limited extent. Most are trying to recover physically, emotionally, and mentally. Many of the volunteers are not prepared to deal with the devastation -not only the terrain -but the hearts of the people. It is overwhelming. The Gulf Coast is a war zone - the only thing lacking is "incoming".
I organized the food distribution into three functions; 1. trucks and trailers going to areas where people were unable to leave to obtain food and water, 2. Three-day food boxes for families that came to the church for assistance (these boxes were built for different family sizes and tailored for those who had and did not have cooking capability), and 3. redistribution to other distribution sites.
1. Each morning teams would load pickups and utility trailers with food, equipment, medical supplies and water which they would take to people who were isolated. These people had no money, no transportation, food, water or medical supplies. Often times, one family would be sent out to find food. When they did they would take enough back for everyone or alert us so we could send a team in. One of the team leads is a man named Eric who is from Vermont. Eric has only one leg, uses a wheelchair to get around and does the work of 5 men.
2. When people would come to the shelter for food, we gave them a hot meal and food for three days. We asked only that they tell their neighbors about our facility in return.
3. On the first Sunday, Gino and Jimmy stopped by the local hospital to see if they could use some water they had left over from a trip. The hospital administrator told them that they had 350 employees that did not have food for their families. We asked them to come to our facility and we would supply the food directly to the hospital who then gave it to their employees. We had the same experience with 6 nursing homes and a fire station.
Our goal was not to let the food and supplies sit on the floor but to push them as quickly as possible to the people who needed them. My guidance to the volunteers was to error on the side of giving too much and not to deny a request.
9-11 showed the country that the Intelligence communities were stove piped, there was no cross flow of information, and they were slow to respond because of their bureaucracy. I believe that Katrina will show the same is true for the National Relief Organizations. To make the alliance/coalition work, we had to selectively ignore some of the "rules of engagement". Our facility was acknowledged as the best on the gulf coast and a model for others. The reason - we are meeting the needs of the people. We give God the glory ... and say Praise the Lord and pass the green beans!
Martie and I returned to Montgomery this past Friday. When we left, I asked the head nurse of the clinic what they needed. She said Tetanus serum and Neosporin. Martie and I went to SAMS and the local CVS to buy all of the Neosporin they had. ($1200.00 worth) I called my mom and asked her to try to raise part of the cost since we used money need for living expenses to buy the medicine. She called back this afternoon reporting she had already raised $1000.00 (PTL) We left again the next morning for the Lutheran church to deliver the medication. The nurse was thrilled. In the middle of our conversation a young man came in with a chain saw cut to the leg. The nurse treated him and used some of the Neosporin. The amazing thing, I was in the work crew assignment office when he walked in asking for the next assignment-his jeans were cut and bloody. I love the American warrior spirit.
As I lay in bed Saturday night, I could not help but think about the men and women in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. I was so comfortable in my cool home. No noise. Plenty of food and water. My wife next to me, sleeping peacefully. I may be physically in Montgomery, but my heart is in Ocean Springs. I felt like Elijah in the cave. God asked him and me, "What are you doing here?" I am returning to Ocean Springs Tuesday. Martie will join me the week after. There many "worldly" issues that are up in the air for us. Raising support for one. But we know this, where God guides, He provides. We may not see how but He does. For that we praise Him and rest in His power and might.
Charley
1 Chronicles 28:20 " ... Be strong and courageous, and act; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you until all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished."
