--- Begin Message ---
- From: "Marty Lehman" <MartyL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <KarenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <lebe@xxxxxxxxxxxx>, <cowbell@xxxxxxxx>, <diener10@xxxxxxxxx>, "Sue and John Gerber" <gerber@xxxxxxxx>, <m.lehman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <rondiener@xxxxxxxxx>, <hoolster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <elkaho@xxxxxxxxxxx>, <bbhool@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <rexhoo@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2005 13:52:40 -0500
Thought you might like to see this news about Katrina's impact on
Mennonite communities in the south. -Marty
________________________________
Subject: Katrina and Gulf States Mennonite Conference
To: CLC, Executive Board, all Mennonite Church USA staff:
Dear Friends,
This is to share some brief information about our members and
congregations in Gulf States Mennonite Conference in the aftermath of
Katrina. Your prayers for our brothers and sisters there, and their
neighbors and communities, are requested.
I spoke yesterday evening with Duane Maust of Meridian, Miss. Duane
and his wife Elaine are co-pastors of Jubilee Mennonite Church there and
Duane is the moderator of GSMC. Duane's phone service had just been
restored last evening, he told me, and they are without power and
running on a generator, but fuel is scarce. He expects it will take a
long time to restore power. His area, almost 200 miles north of New
Orleans, sustained winds of almost 100 mph with the damage mostly to
trees.
Duane had no word on the Gulfhaven Mennonite Church of Gulfport, Miss.
(see MDS report below). He said that the congregation recently
dedicated a new sanctuary and its attendance had doubled in the last
year to 160. Nelson Roth is pastor and David W. Weaver is assistant
pastor.
Duane also expressed serious concern for Des Allemands Mennonite Church,
Des Allemends, LA, 50 miles west of New Orleans, and also for
Lighthouse Fellowship Church at Buras LA. There are no congregations
in New Orleans.
If I receive more information on these congregations, I will pass it on
to all of you.
The following was taken from the MDS website. The most current report
is listed first:
MDS Completes Flyover of Disaster Area
MOBILE, Ala. 10 AM--September 1, 2005 ``It's everything you see on TV
and more. We've just completed a flyover of disaster sites,'' Kevin
King, Executive Coordinator of Mennonite Disaster Service, reported
Thursday morning. ``We flew from Pascagoula to Biloxi and Gulfport. It's
currently restricted air space but we were able to get permission to fly
and were able to fly at an altitude of 1000 feet.'' They also flew to
Hattiesburg, Miss., before returning to Mobile.
At Gulfport, ``For the first ten blocks from the ocean, it looks like a
steamroller went through. In some cases, you can't even see where the
buildings were.'' The damage is primarily water damage.
King said, ``We could tell when we were approaching a town because of
the miles-long lines of cars looking for distribution centers for ice,
water and food.
``All the major highways are now open including I-10 east and west and
highway 49. We are currently traveling west on I-10 to Gulfport to make
contact with Mennonite churches and pastors along the way and in the
region.''
King was able to fly over the Gulf Haven Mennonite Church at Gulfport
and reported seeing ``no major structural damage.'' Family and ministry
colleagues report that Pastor Nelson Roth had some damage to his home,
including a wall blown in and that there is some undetermined damage to
the church. Kevin King will travel there later Thursday and will be able
to give a clearer report of damage by Friday.
King and an investigation team arriving in Mississippi today will be
looking at damage and assessing where MDS will be most effective in
helping. Another team will enter the affected region through Florida and
travel the Gulf Shore to Gulfport beginning Saturday.
MDS local Units and regional volunteers will begin chain saw cleanup on
Saturday beginning in the Meridian area of Mississippi.
MDS provides free labor for cleanup, repair and rebuilding homes after
disasters. They are currently accepting donations on the website at
<https://secure.mennonite.net/.cWadmin/> or by phone at 717-859-2210.
MDS Begins Response to Katrina
AKRON, Pa.-- MDS will have leadership team members on the ground in
Mississippi beginning Thursday. Starting in Macon, Mississippi, the team
will move south to Meridian, where the Mennonite Pine Lake Camp is
located, and eventually reach Gulfport. Another team will enter the
region along the Gulf shore, joining the other MDS investigation in the
Gulfport area.
MDS Churches and MDS volunteers will serve as connection points along
the way. They will provide local information and help guide
investigators to damage sites in their local areas.
On a conference call Tuesday morning, involving MDS members from
Mississippi and Alabama, MDS Binational staff heard about a wide
variety of impact. In Mississippi, the area most severely impacted is
from Meridian south, where the storm remained hurricane strength. Most
in that region are without power and telephone and cell phone service is
patchy.
Further north, in Macon, MDS Unit Chair, Lloyd Miller reported that
there are lots of limbs down but no sign of major damage. According to
local police, a large ``feeder'' line is out and electricity is expected
to be down for the next few days. Long time MDS volunteer, Ottis Mast,
also at Macon, reports a lot of debris and many shingles off his own
home to the extent that his roof will likely need to be re - shingled.
In Alabama, Mobile area is without power and has trees and limbs down
with a large amount of debris. J.D. Landes, overseer of the Good News
Fellowship Churches reports that some shingles are off roofs away from
the shore . C loser to Mobile Bay and in the bayous severe damage is
reported.
Pastor Steve Cheramie Risingsun at the Poarch Community Church reports
that many in his community and native Christian churches within
Lousianna evacuated to as far away as Texas, Tennessee and north
Alabama. While little damage was done in the Poarch area, about 40
evacuees from Louisiana have been staying at the church to wait out the
storm.
MDS would like to emphasize that t his is not the time for volunteers.
Right now, search and rescue operations are in still in effect and this
will remain a priority for the next few days. People are asked not to
enter disaster regions with the hope of volunteering as officials will
either escort you out of the area or arrest you . Residents themselves
have not been allowed back to their homes and will not be allowed to do
so for several days. Check the MDS website for volunteer opportunities
beginning in the next several weeks or join with a recognized voluntary
service organization with ties to established disaster response
agencies. People seeking information about relatives in affected areas
are encouraged to call their local office of the American Red Cross.
MDS is accepting monetary donations only at this time. You can donate
through the main page of the website or by mailing a check to MDS. In
the USA at: Mennonite Disaster Service, 1018 Main Street, Akron, PA
17501 or in Canada at Mennonite Disaster Service, 306-2265 Pembina Hwy,
Winnipeg, MB R3T 5J3.
Please continue to watch the MDS website for information. The site will
be update as information becomes available and pictures will be posted
as the investigation team moves through the affected areas.
Site content (c) 1999-2005 MDS. Email delivered by SquirrelMail
<http://webmail.mennonite.net> .
Powered by Caravel CMS <http://www.caravelcms.org> , (c) 2003-2005
Mennonite.net <http://www.mennonite.net> .
Jim Schrag
Executive Director
Mennonite Church USA
--- End Message ---
