HURRICANE!
1985 brought Juan to our bayou. As a matter of fact Juan came right up the bayou, across the marsh, and into our houses. He took our furniture, ruined our floors and cabinets, and destroyed our cars. He left after three days, but we were left with foul, stinking, dead fish and animals all over the place. After ten days the water dried up but the salt water had killed all the grass, so everything was a muddy mess. Mosquitoes, snakes and alligators were all around with nasty tempers. It took a couple of years to get everything straightened up after Juan left. We hoped to never see him or any of his kin again.
Such was not to be, since Juan has relatives that seem to enjoy the Louisiana coast. Every year in the late summer we keep a watch out for Juan's brother, sister, or cousin. Most years they go on by, but we have to be on the look-out anyway. If one really angry cousin came for a visit, and we could be totally wiped out. So in 1992 we carefully watched the weather reports as Andrew (Juan's really mean brother) visited south Florida and kept on coming, heading our way. Sure enough, with 140 mph winds and a wave of water fourteen feet high, Andrew came for a south Louisiana visit.
Most everyone ran for higher ground, and those that stayed on their boats feared for their lives. Andrew ripped through our homes, tore off roofs, flattened whole houses, tore down our barns, and killed our cattle. With all the fury of the storm, we were surprised to find anything left. Some people cried, but most just got busy helping to clean up the terrible mess. We all knew it could have been a lot worse, most families have lost friends or relatives in past storms. Andrew took none of our people.
After "the storm" the little mission church on Bayou DuLarge became a command center for repairs and relief work. Some people stayed in the building for weeks while their homes were being repaired or rebuilt. Volunteer work crews came from churches across the United States to help in the work. Money, food, clothing, and workers all flowed to the mission church and then out to the people who needed help. Money and work on the new church building was diverted for a year and a half to meet the urgent need of our bayou people. What a busy, hard time it was, but there wasn't much complaining, just hard working.
The news people called it a disaster. We sure didn't ask for Andrew, but since he came anyway, the people of the mission church decided to set aside their own needs and use the situation to help others. Sometimes the others that we were helping didn't need help as much as we did, but the opportunity to serve others in the name of Jesus was too good to miss. Many people changed their attitudes about the believers that meet at the mission church. Some people were drawn to the Lord through this "disaster." So, you see, we don't look at it as a disaster at all, just another opportunity God gave us to reach out to people with His love.
Juan, Andrew, Betsy, Hilda, Danny. . .wonder which family member we'll meet next. Hopefully it will be a long time, but we are now working to get ready even as we finish cleaning up the last of Andrew's mess.
Please pray for the believers on the bayous that they will be busy telling people the Gospel of Jesus Christ, helping people to be ready for the hard things in life that must come to everyone. Pray for hundreds of people that we have told about Christ Jesus in these past few years, but who are still lost without the Savior.