For 33 days after Katrina, Dry Creek Baptist Camp served as an evacuation center for more than 400 folks from the New Orleans area. Amid the tension, uncertainty and helplessness of the evacuees, the camp became a
DRY CREEK – For 33 days after Katrina, Dry Creek Baptist Camp served as
an evacuation center for more than 400 folks from the New Orleans area.
This was our third time in recent years to serve as a center.
However, all of the previous times had been for 2- or 3-day
periods.
When the levees were breached and everyone realized they were not going
home soon, if ever, it created a great time of tension among the
evacuees. This uncertainty and helplessness created extreme
stress. Nonetheless, it also opened a wonderful door of
opportunity to aid these new friends who were now our long-term guests.
During that first week, our evacuation center received its official
name: “The City of Hope.” We were so proud of what the name symbolized.
These folks, from every walk of life, race, culture, and background,
came to a rural camp in Beauregard Parish and found hope, comfort, and
the love of Jesus.
Our evacuation center officially closed the week after Hurricane Rita,
through which most of the New Orleans evacuees stayed. We closed due to
loss of water and electricity.
About Rita:
Due to the loss of both water and electricity, the week after Rita was
tough on everyone. Meals, MRE’s and bottled water were distributed
through Southern Baptist Disaster Relief in nearby DeRidder.
Everyone helped each other in clearing roadways and checking on
neighbors. It was one of the worst times ever – yet it was also
one of the best as rural people shared what they had and helped.
One of the enduring memories I have is the sight of Foreman’s Meat
Market, located in Dry Creek, opening their freezers and refrigerator
trucks to give away tons of meat before it spoiled. Evacuees
still at Dry Creek Camp had a three- day BBQ as they cooked and gave
away sausage, boudin, and pork chops.
There was a spirit of sharing and helpfulness that has continued to be
evident in our church and community. The blue tarps are all
gone and all the trees have been cut, but that spirit of
cooperation lingers on.
There is a saying, “Crisis doesn’t build character. Rather, it
reveals it.” The many untold unseen acts of kindness and
character exhibited by Christians during the unforgettable year of 2005
continue to have a ripple effect in Louisiana and beyond.
Over and over throughout our state we’ve heard people say, “I’ve never
been more proud to be a Southern Baptist than after the storms.”
The work done by Baptists, both formally and informally, has advanced
the cause of Christ.
Iles retired earlier this year as Dry Creek camp manager to be able to
devote more time to writing. His latest book, Hearts Across The Water,
is about the hope that one can find even in the worst of circumstances.
In this case, it’s about the struggle and triumph during the events of
the recent natural disasters. To learn more about this collection
of inspiring stories from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and the Asian
Tsunami, click on www.creekbank.net.