Update As Of Wednesday, September 3

We’re grateful to be alive and well and reporting that God has taken care of New Orleans, our people, our homes, and our churches.

Talked to John Faull, pastor of Kenner’s Williams Boulevard Baptist Chrurch, this morning. He’s back in town. He discovered their buildings have taken some roof damage, especially over the office area and somewhat over the sanctuary. After Katrina, their church served as a hospitality center for law enforcement people all over the country since Troop B of the Highway Patrol is across the street. That was the plan this time, but John says Baton Rouge took far more damage than New Orleans, so the law enforcers are gravitating to that area and working out of it this time.

No power, John reports. They will have a 10 am service this Sunday, and nothing else. No power in LaPlace where the Faulls live either, although his home had no damage (in contrast to the neighbors’ homes which all lost shingles).

John says as people think of coming home, the absence of electrical power is only one consideration. Only one service station is open in that part of the world, he said. The one in St. Rose has lines extending a mile. Mayor Nagin rushed the invitation for people to re-enter the city, John believes, and residents should bide their time.

Jim Caldwell, pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in River Ridge–a mile from where I live–drove back into town on Monday after depositing Susan and the kids in Atlanta. “How were you allowed to enter?” I asked. He laughed. “The storm was so bad, no one was on the highways to stop me.” Jim has a passion for ministry and “had” to be back at the church to help people.

He drove around my home and reported no damage anywhere, for which we give thanks.


My son Neil checked on the interior of our house today, Wednesday, and said all is well, but no power. Before leaving early Sunday morning, we emptied the fridge and freezer. Some of the things we gave to Neil and family, since they were evacuating only to Slidell to his in-laws, some we took with us, and some we threw away. Anything to save the refrigerator; a hard lesson learned well from Katrina.

I told some who called us last Friday and Saturday that we were planning to ride out the storm. Margaret is not well and travels poorly and we just absolutely did not see how we could leave. However, Saturday night, all the reports were so frightening that Sunday morning at 4:30, I woke her up and said, “We have to go.” At 9:15 am, we joined the mass exodus on the interstates and found ourselves in the mother of all traffic jams. Nine hours later, we arrived at the home of friends in Jackson, Mississippi, a trip that normally would have taken 3 hours.

Monday, we drove to my Mom’s home in Nauvoo, Alabama, and we’re still there. Still undecided on when to return.

My situation is somewhat complicated by starting a revival this Sunday, September 7, at the First Baptist Church of Fulton, Mississippi, near Tupelo. In evacuating, I brought along a sport coat and pair of dress slacks–and jeans, sneakers, etc. So, I may have to make a quick run to Wal-Mart or somewhere and buy a couple more pairs of slacks and dress shirts. Either that or the good people of Fulton will wonder why I’m wearing the same outfit at all the services!!

If you’re in the Tupelo area, you’re invited to join us. Sunday morning at 10 am, Sunday night at 6 pm, Mon-Tues-Wed at 11:45 am (lunch) and 6:30 pm.

Evacuees from all over Southern Louisiana are filling church fellowship halls and motels in this part of the world. Reading the newspapers from Jasper, Tuscaloosa, and Birmingham, and watching television news, the reports are generally favorable that a) our people are behaving themselves well and b) are appreciative of all the kindnesses shown them. However….

I heard an NPR report from Tuscaloosa in which a resident of New Orlans was griping about the food in the shelter. I grimaced at that. It perpetuates the image so many have of our people as wearing their sense of entitlement as a badge.

On the television news, rioters were breaking store windows. I thought, “Oh no–more looting in New Orleans?” But it turned out to be demonstrators in Minneapolis-St. Paul where the Republicans are holding their convention this week. I will not say I was glad they were breaking windows up there, but was so pleased it was not happening in New Orleans. If there has been any looting in New Orleans during this evacuation, a) I haven’t heard about it and b) I wouldn’t be surprised. Evil-doers are everywhere and are eager to use any excuse from a convention to a catastrophe for an occasion to indulge their greed. It’s the nature of mankind, unfortunately, and one more reminder why we all need a Savior.

Thank God for the Savior.

What would you bring along during an evacuation? Everyone has his own answer to that. New Orleanians have gotten much smarter since Katrina and take more emergency stuff and precious papers. However, you will find it interesting (or funny perhaps) to hear what we brought along: a dozen western novels. I went to the library Friday and stocked up. Of course, I thought we’d be stuck at home with nothing to do, and this is our (Margaret’s and my) favorite time-waster. Her dad loved Zane Grey, so she came by it honestly.

Being raised on the farm with horses and cows and pastures and woods has turned many a boy into a lover of western movies and novels. I was interested to find out during our Sunday night stopover with our Jackson friends, Mary and Larry, that Larry reads only non-fiction and sees novels as a complete waste of time. “If it didn’t really happen, if someone just thought this up, I can’t get into it,” he said.

When Larry was a child, if he wanted something to read, his parents told him to take a volume of the World Book encyclopedia off the shelf and read it. He did. He loves history and all non-fiction, but cannot get into a western movie or novel, and him raised on the farm. I mean, is this guy stunted and deformed or what!! (smile. Larry will read this and he knows I’m ribbing him.) He’s as smart as anyone on the planet, built his own house (really), built much of the furniture in his house, and builds things for a living. But he doesn’t read novels.

I said, “Larry, a good western movie like ‘Open Range’ is a two hour vacation. And the book by Lauran Paine is a six hour vacation.” And don’t we all need one of those sometimes.

A couple of days prior to Gustav’s arrival, when we were all getting antsy and stressed out, a New Orleans newschannel showed some woman feeding money into a one-armed bandit in a casino. She said she needed to get her mind on something other than Gustav. At the time, I felt critical of her. It felt like the party-goers on the coast prior to Hurricane Camille in ’69 (they were never found or heard of again ater the storm passed through). However, I changed my mind two days later. One can take only so much stress and then he/she needs to do soemething to relieve it. So, maybe the casino is her way.

I’ll take a good western novel any day of the week.

If I had my druthers, though, I’d like to be going home. I’ve read enough westerns to take care of the next year!

6 thoughts on “Update As Of Wednesday, September 3

  1. Dear Joe,

    being on a retirement outcome I wear the same outfit every sunday morning, and whenever I preach. Idf it is neat and clean, there is nothing wrong with that. Besides, maybe the church will buy you a suit, if the Revival is good.

    The main thing is this; Don’t be full of pride and self worth. God gives Grace to the humble.

  2. I spoke with Pastor Oscar Williams of the Good News Baptist Church, Destrehan, last evening. He and his wife are fine and their home was virtually undamaged. They had just gotten home and the curfew was on so he couldn’t go and check out the church. He will go and do so first thing this morning. We pray that all will be well but we rejoice that Pastor Williams and family are safe and back in New Orleans. God bless you all.

  3. Hear hear. The good people of Tupelo will not care in the slightest.

    I’ve been hearing the news reports and so glad that things turned out not-so-awful. Whew.

  4. Joe,

    So glad you guys are alright. Steve and I are still in the Shreveport area looks like we will not be able to come home just yet. St John Parish is still without ALL services. The ministry center in Reserve has some roof damage and probably some water damage from rain inside. However, the bldg is still standing. Our mobile home in St Rose appears to only have lost the skirting. We are so grateful. This is our first time being evacuees and I must say it is an experience. Our hosts have been wonderful but we are sure looking forward to coming home and getting back to ministry.

  5. Glad to hear all is well (for the most part) in New Orleans. We’ve continued to PRAY BIG.

    Lauren Paine is one of Dad’s favorite western authors. I print lists of all of the author’s books and then order the large print editions for the local library.

    Some of your fellow citizens didn’t behave well in Shreveport. They played the entitlement card ad nauseum. Guess there will always be folks like that!

    Take care and know we’re continuing to ask God’s richest blessings on the Big Easy. I know it’s precious to His heart!

  6. Joe,

    So glad to hear that you and Mrs. Margaret and others in your area faired Gustav better than Katrina. Take care of yourself! God is good!

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