Tonight, I’m overnighting with a cousin in Baton Rouge after a long day of meetings at Florida Boulevard Baptist Church here. I drove down from Columbus MS Monday afternoon and spent the night in accommodations owned by the Adams-Union Association in Natchez. Across the street in the First Baptist Church of Natchez, some one hundred evacuees were being housed in their fellowship hall. Volunteers from the First Baptist Church of Comanche, Texas, are helping to provide for them.

When I got to the room last night, Charles Wade called. The executive director of Texas Baptists informed me that they are sending one million dollars to assist churches on the Gulf Coast hurt by the storm. That means churches from South Alabama all through lower Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. Dr. Wade assured me Texas churches will be receiving special offerings too, and he estimated a couple more million may be coming. Consider that Mississippi alone has had one hundred churches partially or completely destroyed, and you see how great the need is.

How many churches in our area of Louisiana were hurt? We have no idea. So many regions are still off limits due to the high water, blocked roads, and unsafe conditions. Once we’re able to return, job one will be finding out which churches still exist and which were erased from the map.

Some have asked that I continually give our suggested place to send your offerings: NEW ORLEANS ASSISTANCE, in care of Louisiana Baptist Foundation, P. O. Box 311, Alexandria, LA 71309. We assure you that one hundred percent of your gifts will go to assist churches first, ministers second, and then others as the needs present themselves.

Today, our meetings in Baton Rouge were attended by a half dozen directors of mission (if you are a Methodist, a director of mission would be something between your district superintendent and the bishop), plus many leading pastors and a number of key denominational leaders. Baptists will recognize these names: LA executive director David Hankins, the president of the SBC Execuive Committee Morris Chapman, President of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Chuck Kelley, Charles Wade, mentioned above, and Rick and Kay Warren, he of the “Purpose-driven” fame, pastor of the Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, CA. Tomorrow , I’ll tell you some of the things to come up in and come out of this meeting.

At the post office in B.R., the line snaked out the door and onto the sidewalk. The talk was of the New Orleans residents now residing in that city. Someone said the 200,000 visitors nearly doubles the population. The guy in front of me said some expert had predicted that the population of this city would increase permanently by that same number as a result of evacuees settling down here. We all thought that a little incredulous. Bear in mind there has never been a natural crisis of this magnitude in American history, so how anyone deigns to make predictions on its outcome is beyond me.

One thing I did not contest however, is that an additional 200,000 people had crowded into the city. Most were driving cars on the streets everytime I tried to go anywhere.

When Dr. Bobby Welch, president of the SBC and pastor of the FBC of Daytona Beach, FL, left home yesterday for our meeting (I forgot to list him above), he was flown in a jet owned by–he said this, now–a Methodist and two Jews. And another Methodist paid for the fuel. That was to say how widespread is the compassion people feel and the generosity they are showing toward New Orleans. As they were leaving Daytona, someone called and asked if the plane could swing by his city and let him send a bag of cash to help. They did. Dr. Hankins said the guy gave the bag to Dr. Welch and Welch is going to give it to Hankins. I raised my hand and asked if when all is said and done, could I be left holding the bag.

WWL radio is broadcasting Katrina news continuously on several spots on the radio dial. At various times, I tried to listen, but it’s too painful. I’m writing this Tuesday night, and planning to get up early tomorrow and drive to town to check on my house. We live in a little western Jefferson Parish suburb called River Ridge. My son Neil and his wife Julie made this trek Sunday night and checked out the houses Monday. Neil said the worst mistake he made was opening the refrigerator in my house. Like a decomposing corpse, he said. And no, this beloved son of mine who claims to love me like a father (ahem) did not clean out the fridge. That task stll awaits me tomorrow.

At the meeting Tuesday afternoon, I was glad to run into a half dozen New Orleans pastors whom we had not heard from. At one point, a couple of them sidled up and said in low tones, “Joe, is there any financial help anywhere? We’ve not had a paycheck.” I told them there was indeed. Dr. Hankins gave me money to give them, then Bobby Welch handed me a roll from his famous money bag, a roll which we used to say on the farm would “burn a wet mule,” and I was able to give them some good help. Then I went looking for some of the other pastors.

We’re hearing reports from all over–my friend Bryan Harris called from California–about people taking up offerings and sending money. As you might have noticed, there is no lack of funds being created to dispense funds.

When Pastor Jim Laws of Gonzales was interviewed on Moody Radio, he urged the audience to “keep your hearts warm,” because we’re not able to get disaster relief teams inside New Orleans yet. But as soon as we’re able to get in, we will welcome you. So do not let this be a passing fad soon forgotten.

I said to someone today, that New Orleans–as well as the entire devastated region–is going to receive love and prayers and gifts and volunteers from the entire nation, perhaps to an extent never shown before in any similar situation. It humbles me so much to think that our city may receive more love than any in history.

That should change the culture of this city forever. Pray with us toward that end please.