Louisiana pastor thankful for N.C. Baptists

From staff reports

The pastor of a Baptist church where N.C. Baptists are helping victims of Hurricane Rita says the group has impacted the region in tremendous ways.

Mike Walker, pastor of East Bayou Baptist Church in Lafayette, La., praised the more than 90 N.C. Baptist disaster relief workers in an e-mail message to Richard Brunson, head of N.C. Baptist Men.

"Only heaven will be able to tell us of all that your servants have done for kingdom business," Walker said. "They are precious and tireless as they labor in our devastated land."

Walker said the Lafayette newspaper, The Daily Advertiser, did a story about the disaster relief team.

"I want you to know how significant your state convention and members are in being the hands and feet of Jesus," he said.

Brunson said in an e-mail message to supporters that the volunteers are providing hot meals for people in the hurricane-ravaged area. A shower unit, generator unit and water tanker are also in the area. Administrative, chaplaincy and recovery teams are being mobilized, he said.

N.C. Baptists continue to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, as well, providing more than 370,000 meals and more than 11,000 showers. Workers from North Carolina have completed about 1,500 recovery jobs, washed about 1,900 loads of laundry and served more than 200 children in emergency childcare.

In all, N.C. Baptists have provided about 15,000 "volunteer days" of labor for Hurricane Katrina victims.

Some N.C Baptists are also helping people on the N.C. coast who were impacted by Hurricane Ophelia.