September 25-26, 2020
By: Clint Wright, Associate Pastor, Bethel Whitehouse
Five of us went down to DeRidder, Louisiana to assist with cleanup in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. My wife’s family lives in DeRidder, so we are very familiar with the area. I was shocked when I saw the destruction all over town. Acres and acres of pine trees were decimated. Some were ripped out by the roots; others were snapped in half. Neighborhoods were a sea of blue tarps.
We joined up with people from all over the country through Samaritan’s Purse. I can’t express how encouraged we were by believers from places like New York, Florida, and Missouri who had been there for several weeks to serve those in need. They were a joy to serve with and our team had a great time with them.
The need was great. I remember one family who had six huge pine trees leaning at a 45-degree angle resting on a single tree. Their insurance company wouldn’t help because they said the trees hadn’t fallen all the way to the ground. Their property was destroyed, they had several kids, and these trees were a risk to their lives as they could come crashing down at any time. At the same time, the husband (who was a pastor) was out helping to install a new roof for someone in his congregation.
Our team came away thankful and humbled by the chance to serve alongside some wonderful people and demonstrate Christ’s love in that community.
