On Sept. 15th, Steve Guinn, Sr. Project Specialist in Charlotte traveled to Alexandria, Louisiana to participate in local disaster relief efforts. Steve along with members of his church, joined the Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief Ministry and similar teams from at least a dozen states to help the people of the community in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 storm and although Alexandria is located in the center of the state, 125 miles inland from the Gulf Coast, the city received wind gusts up to 86 mph which resulted in widespread fallen trees throughout the area. The team removed trees from roofs, houses, sheds, vehicles, driveways and yards as well as providing spiritual encouragement.
In particular, the group helped a woman named Donna. She had lived in the same house for 35 years, having raised her family there. On the morning of the storm, a huge tree from her neighbor’s house came crashing through the roof above her bedroom. The tree was so tall, it fell on 3 houses. It took a group of about 12 a full day to get all of the limbs cut down & hauled off. But the best part was that Steve and the team captain we were able to dig through the rubble to find a curio cabinet where she kept photographs of her children & grandchildren, important documents, and other precious items. To their astonishment, under the tree limbs and broken rafters they found the cabinet completely intact. There was no explanation for it remaining in one piece other than Divine intervention. It was a joy for Steve to empty that cabinet and give the rescued items to a surprised Donna overcome with tears of gratefulness.
Steve’s take away from the trip is that if the opportunity to be part of a disaster relief team ever presents itself, he highly recommends participating regardless of your abilities or experience. Meeting & working along side new friends, providing tangible help to those in need, observing miracles, delivering hope out of tragic circumstances, and eating fried crawfish tales for the 1st time at Robbie G’s all made the trip unforgettable.
