As his military helicopter approached the landing pad in Chalmette, Randy Harper was awestruck at the terrifying scene that awaited him on the ground.
Editor’s note: Louisiana Baptist churches throughout the state have
responded to the needs of Hurricane Katrina and Rita evacuees. The
following article about efforts of Bellaire Baptist Church is
representative of many others in the state who have taken multiple
disaster relief trips to South Louisiana.
CHALMETTE – As his military helicopter approached the landing pad in
Chalmette, Randy Harper was awestruck at the terrifying scene that
awaited him on the ground.
In what resembled a war zone eight days after Hurricane Katrina
devastated South Louisiana, water engulfed Chalmette homes and
businesses, while there were news reports of snipers still in the area.
“It was like time stood still,” said the pastor of Bellaire Baptist
Church in Bossier City. “I still get emotional just thinking about what
I saw.
“The scene was chaotic,” Harper continued. “Rescue workers were
everywhere and the devastation was far more worse in person because a
television camera can only show so much. I’ll never forget that day as
long as I live.”
Throughout the course of his weeklong stay in Chalmette, Harper
ministered to firemen, police officers and other disaster relief
workers through crisis debriefing.
While he was in Chalmette, Harper noticed volunteers from throughout
the nation were lending a helping hand to Katrina victims, spurring a
burning desire for his church to be proactive in ministering in South
Louisiana.
The result was six relief mission trips to New Orleans.
“We felt that since this was something that happened in our
state, we had a strong obligation to help our fellow Louisianians,”
Harper explained.
Bellaire Baptist’s first relief trip was in mid-September. Six members
from the church delivered water, food and other perishable supplies to
disaster relief workers in Baton Rouge. The congregation’s other trips
were to Slidell and the Algiers section of New Orleans. Bellaire
Baptist plans a return trip to the area next month.
Their disaster relief projects included placing sheetrock inside homes,
removing debris scattered across yards and mudding out houses.
The sleeping quarters during each trip included a church choir room,
Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer and supermarket that was
converted into a relief center.
“Never before have I seen so much devastation in my life,” said Toney
Charles, who has participated in five post-Katrina relief trips. “The
only way to describe what’s happened in New Orleans is to see it
yourself.
“And you’ll be blessed if you go on a relief trip,” he continued. “After you make one trip, you’ll be wanting to go back again.”
Harper said that behind every house was a story and an opportunity to share the gospel.
During a September 2005 trip to the Algiers community, members of his
congregation were gutting out a couple’s home. Through this process,
these short-term missionaries led the wife to a personal relationship
with Christ. When the volunteers returned to the site two days later,
the husband accepted Jesus as his personal savior.
“Our church is evangelistic,” Harper explained. “This is something that goes hand in hand with all we do.”
In addition to ministering in South Louisiana, the congregation
operated disaster relief shelters at the Bellaire Baptist South Campus
and a fire station in Bossier City.
The church also manned a clothes distribution center for Katrina victims at its main campus.
Harper said it was second nature for his congregation to lend a helping hand in the Shreveport area.
“Our church is very active in missions,” Harper said. “The efforts in our area were nothing more than a God-thing.”