Remembering Hurricane Katrina six years later

August 27, 2011

Remembering Hurricane Katrina six years later

By Jodi Marze, Lifestyles Editor The Picayune Item

PICAYUNE — Six years ago today, Gwen Williams (a.k.a. Ms. Chocolate) left her home in New Orleans and her church ministry as a story teller behind as she evacuated to escape Hurricane Katrina.

“It’s hard to believe that it has been six years,” she says.

She recalls when she returned to her home, after the flooding had subsided.


“I came home, after Katrina, to my house that held 30 years of my life, momentos, and furnishings. That day that I came home I saw that my house was gone and every earthly thing that I had in it was gone with it.”


She says (referring to the rose made of dollars that she brought with her), “I found this rose laying inside my front door, blackened and disgusting from the flood waters. My mom had given me the rose for my birthday. My brother warned me not to touch it. But I took it because I saw the value and the lesson in it. It will always remind me that you can be ugly and still have value. The petals are still legal tender and have not lost value because they went through a disaster. Your life can be ugly and still have a purpose. All is never lost. There is always hope.”


Williams, who wrote a book about her experience titled, “The Birthday Rose — What Katrina could not destroy ...” says she is doing better now and feels very settled in her home in Nicholson and community.


“All of us have been moved around and settled places; some of us have healed while others are still dealing with fraudulent contractors and higher home taxes because of the flood.


“People always ask me, ‘Are you a hurricane survivor?’ So I tell them ‘No! I am a hurricane overcomer. If I were just a survivor that would mean that I was back on my feet and ready for the next one; but I am here to tell you that I practice F.I.D.O. which stands for Forget It and Drive On! Through Jesus I am an overcomer!”


Williams has embraced some big differences coming from “a big city and huge church to small town and small church with different racial demographics.”


She says, “What I perceived to be Mississippi and what I have experienced in Mississippi are two very different things. I didn’t think that the community would be so warm and welcoming. I love nothing more than meeting people up at Treasures. There are no friendlier people around.”


Williams continues to build her ministry out-reach for children by writing her third book in the “Effie and his Encouraging F-words” series; launching her first DVD called “Ms. Chocolate: For Real” in its second production and staying active in her church. She attends First Baptist Church in Picayune where she sings in the choir, and teaches 5th and 6th- graders.


“They love my stories and can probably tell them now better than I can! I love it when they see me out and they call out to me, ‘Hey Chocolate!’ Everyone just looks like ‘What did those kids just call you?!’”


Williams is known for her humor and big smiles, but you can see the hurt in her expression when she speaks about local children who go to bed hungry.


“The hurt in my heart is for those children. I don’t see how someone can support children in other countries while the ones in their own back yard have no food. We have got to get the message out that these children need our help; they do not have uniforms for school and are not eating like they should.


“But this issue really goes deeper than that,” she says, “we have got to reach these babies that are out there having babies. These children grow up in survival mode and this is all they know. We have got to reach them before they start having babies and teach them that abstinence is a better way. We must help them do better than this.”


Williams says her next step in her ministry is to put her “Effie” character in costume take her act into schools.


She says, “I’m not an entertainer; I’m an inspirational story-teller. I’m not a survivor; I’m an overcomer. God has blessed me and opened many doors for me. He has brought me here and I feel that by the grace of God, I am in the group that has healed since Hurricane Katrina.”

A Call to COMMUNITY

by Dawn Bechtel

As a young child I attended a Christian School from 1st-9th grade.  Even though I went to a Christian School and church every Sunday, I never had a personal relationship with Jesus Christ until I was saved by Jesus' love and grace in November of 1994.  In March of 1995 I was baptized and my life changed forever!
I was like a 'burning bush' for the Lord.  Wherever I went and whomever I spoke to, I spoke about Jesus.  I loved people so much that I couldn't wait to tell them about how Jesus' love and forgiveness had changed my life and how He could change theirs.  I kept telling the Lord, "Here I am; send me!"

One day my nephew invited me to go minister with him on a street outreach in New Orleans.  At first I was a little hesitant, but I felt such a stirring and nudging at my heart that I couldn't wait to go!  On Saturday morning we headed to New Orleans East to minister to the needs of children and families in a broken down neighborhood.
Several groups of people from Andy's church followed us as we drove into the neighborhood where we were going to minister. As we were pulling up to the location, a truck driven by one of the church family members pulled up and unloaded tarps, a sound system and food.  His church family quickly broke up into several teams.  One group started getting games together for the kids to play.  Another team was preparing food and the other team headed out to knock on doors to get the families to come to where we were located.
Over 100 kids and parents came out.  As I watched the street outreach, I saw the hunger, pain and brokenness of people who did not know Jesus.  They had no hope!  What they needed was Jesus in their lives.  My heart broke.  That day the Holy Spirit began speaking to my heart about reaching out to the people in the community of Picayune.

Within a couple of months after that first outreach, I attended a training in Tampa, FL, where I was trained in street ministry.  Upon returning to Picayune, with the covering of my Pastor, I met with the Director of the Housing Authority and the Police Department and I shared what we wanted to do.  They directed us to the most needy areas of the city.
Over the next 4 1/2 years God did amazing things in our city.  He unified the hearts of the people in our church to reach the city for the Lord.  The Lord multiplied the street ministry from one to three locations.  We 'went to the highways and byways and compelled them to come in.' (Luke 14:23)  Jesus was exalted, people accepted the Lord and lives were changed.

The Lord opened doors for us to obtain free produce, food and snacks.  We were able to provide snacks, vegetables and other items to residents in the housing areas, trailer parks and throughout the city.  Many nights several of us went on 'midnight runs' to load food into a Suburban and then unload it in our storage garage where we would sort and bag food to be delivered to locations throughout the city.  We even went into dumpsters behind area grocery stores to get food for the needy!  Rain or shine, hot or cold we did it because of the love of people and the Lord.  Lives were changed; hope was restored -- the only Hope, Jesus Christ.

Throughout this time we began several community outreach ministries; clothes ministry, baby baskets to young unwed girls' babies, outreaches at The Pines and Convalescent Home, Thanksgiving baskets, a bus ministry, 'Back to School' bashes and a community Easter egg hunt.  The Lord continued to multiply.  His glory was revealed!

The Lord called us to go minister in Honduras to over 5,000 people in parks, hospitals, an orphanage and on the streets in the poorest areas of town.  People were healed and lives were changed forever for Jesus!

Over the past 17 years the Lord has used me in our community in ways I could never have dreamed or imagined.  Whether serving the youth at RLM, developing programs as Teen Director and Director of the Boys and Girls Club, coordinating after school and summer camps in multiple school districts, Teen Court Judge for Picayune, teaching Young Ladies of Virtue and overseeing outreach projects in our community, God never ceases to amaze me that He could use 'this foolish thing of the world, to confound the wise.'  (Ninth Ward Girl, you know!)

To be used by God takes a humble spirit and a willing heart.  I am truly humbled to know that the Lord is continuing to grow and trust me with some of His work to be done here.  Giving myself selflessly to the Lord to serve His people is truly a privilege, blessing and honor that I do not take lightly.

One of my life's goals is for the Lord to use me to leave a 'Legacy' to the children and families of Picayune.  Knowing that my life was spent selflessly to love and serve His people and to exalt Him is what I am here for -- to help people see that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, that He has a plan and purpose for each one of us, and that everyone is valuable in His eyes.  Only by accepting Him as Lord and Savior will their lives change and restoration take place. 

When I meet Him face to face, I pray I hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  And when I do, I know that I will have fulfilled my purpose and call to His people of this community.
Posted from Life Signs Magazine July-September 2011 with permission

GREATER THINGS

By: Wendy Mims

I have heard it said that nothing good comes out of Picayune, MS., that it is just a small & insignificant town with a high teen pregnancy rate and a hub for drugs.  Well, I beg to differ...

A while back I had the privilege of listening to a dear friend in her very first radio interview promoting the publishing of her 1st devotional book for women.  As I listened to her talk about the journey that led to the fruition of the book I couldn't help but think of times that we had experienced.  I began to think about where she had come from, where she was and where she was going!  As I continued to listen my heart became overwhelmed with pride and love and I was honored to call her my friend.  I started to think about my own life and where I had come from and I began to think of all the amazing women that I am surrounded by every day, my inner circle, the ones I call my 'Godfriends'!  I thought about each friend and the journey they have traveled.  Where they had come from, where they are now and where the Lord is taking them and my heart became filled with joy and I thought... "Who ever said Picayune is insignificant?  Great things are coming out of Picayune"!

So who are the Great Women of today?  Where have we come from and where are we going?

We are 'Our Father's Daughters', we are the lineage of the Mothers of Old, and we glean of the wisdom gained from each one.  Wisdom such as that of Hannah, the 'Barren Woman', Naomi, the 'Widow', Ruth, the 'Faithful Servant', Esther, the 'Chosen Queen' and even the wisdom to be gained from the lives of Gomer, the 'Harlot' and Rahab, 'Prostitute'.  They were mothers, sisters, daughters and friends.  Like us, they experienced times of grief & sorrow, shame, insecurity, heartache and rejection.  Just like us they dwelt in Egypt for a time, they had a Jordan to cross over and a promised land to inherit.  Each one had a story to tell, wisdom to offer and each one played a strategic role in the lineage of Jesus Christ and of us.  We are following in the footsteps of an army of Warrior Brides who have gone before us and left their mark on the pages of history.

What could take a young woman having been abused or neglected by men who vowed to love her, from a place of brokenness into a place of wholeness?  What could take a broken heart that once grieved so bad the pain of living seemed unbearable and turn it into a place where healing waters have made joy and laughter its song?  And what could take a mind filled with questions and doubts, fears and uncertainty and make it a place where God's Grace has become its Anthem...NOTHING BUT THE HEALING HAND OF A MIGHTY GOD HAS DONE THIS!!!...these are the places from which we've come, they are our Egypt, our Crossing over the Jordan and they have lead us into our Promised Land.  It is a Beautiful land flowing with springs of joy and laughter and a place where the cry of brokenness has become our captivating dance of redemption ...and the best is yet to come!!!

Yes, I'd say..."Great things are coming out of Picayune"!!!

GREATER THINGS HAVE YET TO COME, GREATER THINGS HAVE YET TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY!!!

Posted with permission: taken from Life Signs Magazine Summer 2011 RLM

Cleansing Streams

Cleansing Streams

(c) Jennie Heberg

Thank You, Lord, for

This cleansing stream

Pouring over me!

Lord, I give my all

Into Your hands.

Thank You for Your

Cleansing streams.

I love You Lord

And look to You

To pour over me

Your cleansing streams

Over and over and over again!

Thank You, Lord for

Your cleansing stream!

Here in this house

You’ve filled the air

With Your Cleansing Stream!

The above just poured out of my spirit as I was worshipping during the final service of this year's Prophetic Conference at Resurrection Life.  I look forward to hearing the music to go along with it.  I usually sing to the Lord during worship and the words just flow.  I pray you'll enjoy this writing.



WHEN PRAYER becomes PERSONAL by Charles & Barbara Grantham

WHEN PRAYER BECOMES PERSONAL

By Charles and Barbara Grantham

As I begin my day I have a track to run on. “Father, I thank you for the love of God that prevails in my heart; because I come through the blood of Jesus; because I am crucified with Christ and filled with the Spirit of the living God. I ask you to fill me now. I thank you for the desire that is in my heart to walk in the law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus in obedience – because the law of the Spirit of Life that is in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death – receiving the Grace of God as an intercessor and as a soul winner, wearing the whole armor of God in Jesus name.


As a result of this prayer my focus is no longer on me. You and I who are born again must dwell in the light. Once we have tasted and have an appreciation of the light, the contradictions are obvious and cause discomfort; rightly so?


I would like to share with you answered prayer. For quite some time I have noticed when praying with other people, words would come up out of my inner man calling for liberty. After going through the Cleansing Streams led by Bro. Carey, I recognized a light came on; my prayer has been answered. I have an appreciation in me; thanksgiving that the leadership of this RLM fellowship has emphasized and encouraged liberty of the individual to function in the Kingdom of God.


About 5∏ years ago Bro. Allen asked Bro. Dan to put together a prayer team to hear God. A dozen people participating in regular times to pray together formed the healing team. In an all night prayer meeting the Lord gave us an assignment to form the Gatekeepers. The Gatekeepers then formed the Watchman on the Wall. The New Year began with the Watchman in place. We are being flooded with dreams, visions, and revelations. To put it another way, the perfect law of Liberty is coming into effect right before our eyes. The perfecting of communication between God and man is taking place and we are in it. This is not an exclusive club. Stay tuned and be aware, the Holy Spirit is one fine recruiter.


There are no heroes here but we will honor our leadership to the point that they will be effective for the Glory of God. I can see it now: the RLM House of Prayer will become the instrument in the fulfilling of Jesus’ Prayer in the lives of many, ‘THAT THEY BE ONE.’


Bro. Dan has preached to our team for almost six years that we should not be “need oriented” people but that we should have a testimony of an over comer; that my God meets all my needs. So the simplicity here is recognizing and appreciating Almighty God’s perfect plan of Redemption and learning to function in the perfect law of Liberty. The perfecting of communication, that is to say, learning to hear the voice of God and responding in obedience is the way we are going to get it done.






Last year during the Week of Prayer and Fasting Mary Pitts came to our prayer booth in the sanctuary. She had been diagnosed with cancer. After praying for her she received healing in her body. Recently the last PET scan came back negative. Since then every time I see Mary she has a big smile on her face. She shared with me that she is so thankful that the Lord led her and her family to RLM. When you see a woman at church with a smile on her face that can’t be wiped off you will know it is Mary Pitts. Look what the Lord has done!


People who come to the healing room for prayer receive salvation as well as healing. About a month ago a couple brought their seven year old son, Warren, to the healing room for prayer because he was having his tonsils removed the next day. After we prayed for the operation I asked Warren if he had asked Jesus into his heart. He said, “No!” His mother said, “Do you want to right now?” He quickly answered, “Yes.” When he left the room he not only had been covered in prayer for the operation he had also received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. His mother shared with me that her prayer was answered: Warren went into the operating room with no fear. What a difference prayer can make!


For years the intercessors of RLM have prayed for a prayer room where intercession and prayer could be made without interference. The House of Prayer building is an answer to the intercessors’ prayers.


People are being saved, set free, and healed in Picayune and Pearl River County. Prayer is being made night and day by Gatekeepers, Watchman, and faithful Intercessors who have answered the call to prayer. No matter the situation Jesus is ready to hear and answer. You can’t tell me God doesn’t heal today.

Jesus is Lord over Picayune

and Pearl River County!

My Pieces ..by Ejay Harris

...anything to bring Glory to God and trade my ashes for beauty...I just pray that it may bring hope to someone who may be feeling broken and down trodden...

Love in Christ,
Ejay
---------

My Pieces .. by Ejay Harris

When I was age 12, I surrendered my life and heart to Jesus completely and innocently. Soon there after, my Mom and Dad passed away within 8 months time of each other. My Mom was the last to leave passing only two days after my 13th Birthday. She threw me a big party and away I went for the weekend with some relatives. Life was getting better after losing my Dad only 8 months prior to that. I remember the day she passed like it was yesterday...I also remember looking into the clouds and saying "Thanks God, some birthday present". After I gave my heart to the Lord, I begged her to start attending Church with me, which she never did, saying "maybe some day". Neither she nor I ever had that day, so in hurt and disbelief I turned my heart away from Jesus saying, "if there is a God then He certainly doesn't care about me".

I was immediately moved to the Picayune area where I lived in an environment of mental, physical, and sexual abuse at the hands of not just one relative but several. When the secret was out, I met my social worker Tana Walker and was moved first to a girls shelter, then through several different foster homes, until I finally landed in the loving home of my Mom and Dad, Larry and Dottie Wilson and all of my sisters and brothers. Tana Walker reminded me through the example of her life and love that Jesus is real and that He loves me. Larry and Dottie and the rest of the family showed me, through their acceptance, what living as a person who is unconditionally loved is all about. Mom and Dad took me in when I was 18 years old and they, and the rest of the family, have always loved me and treated me as one of their very own. I thank Jesus every day for each and every one of them.

At the age of 17, I gave my love and soul back to my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Though I now knew that Jesus loved me even though I was used and abused, I still had not learned to love myself. Those of you who have known me since school days probably remember the change. Between my 11th and 12th grade High School years I went from being a pot smoking, beer drinking, cussing like a sailor heathen, to a Bible thumping, Jesus loving, Jesus t-shirt wearing, Word preaching Child of God. Yet during all those years in school there were not many people who knew of the abuse and hell I was enduring at the same time.

During my walk with Jesus I have made some very bad choices such as abusive relationships, drugs and alcohol, wrong marriages, and divorces. I have been rejected, beat down, ignored, disowned, overlooked, hated, used and abused. I have lost so many loved ones that I started to feel like Job. The only difference is that each time someone I loved died, I cursed God and walked away. Eveytime I lost someone I became angry, discouraged and confused. I was saddened by the losses but angry because I felt that God chose them over me. You see I had prayed and begged for Jesus to just take me home almost every day of my life since I can remember. This life I had been walking, even as a Christian, was brutal and I was tired.

After my last divorce, I decided to take that leap out from under the covering of the protection of God. I am in no way blaming my ex-husband, infact I thank him for helping me get my life back once I gave my life back to Jesus. I soon found myself once again abused, used, on drugs, homeless, helpless, and hopeless. I was tired of the walk around the mountain...like the Israelites in the wilderness...so I began to pray that Jesus would place in me a new heart. A heart that is not tossed to a fro with the winds of life, but one that is secure and at peace even during the strongest of storms. Jesus has answered that prayer in a way I would never imagine.

Jesus has taken my pieces that were so shattered and broken, He has carefully and purposefully placed each one in its place. Like the loving Creator He is, He has changed my heart, delivered me, restored me, accepted me, acknowledged me, caressed me, lovingly touched me, and set me at His right hand as His beautiful bride and the DAUGHTER OF THE MOST HIGH KING!!

Here is my hearts desire...I have allowed God to make me vulnerable and use my pieces to hopefully spark just a glimmer of hope in someone's life that may be feeling rejected, hurt, confused, and broken. If there is but just a glimmer Jesus will do the rest.

Here is God's promise to me and to anyone who will believe that He sets the captives free, brings sight to the blind, makes the lame walk again and restores back to all everything that the devil has stolen!!

Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;" (NIV) another translation Isaiah 42:3 "He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged." (NLT)

Matt. 11:28 Then Jesus said, "Come to Me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."
At the feet of Jesus I have found my healing, deliverance, restoration, peace and rest!

Love in Christ,

Ejay

Rise and Go Toward the South...to Picayune, MS

Carl, Jennie & Jonathan Heberg
May 2010

The first part of Acts 8:26 reads like this:  Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Rise and go toward the south..."

This has been resonating in my heart of late.  As you continue on to verses 34-35 we see one particular man, who had been reading the Scriptures and really didn't understand their meaning.  Amazingly, Philip came up just at the time he needed direction and explanation.  When Philip asked him if he knew what the writing meant, his response amazes me, 'how can I know if someone doesn't explain it to me?'  Philip then had an opportunity to lead him through 'what we in our society call' the plan of salvation and upon coming upon a body of water desired to be baptised. 

What a great intro to what God is doing in our lives today.  We have lived the theme "Don't Limit God" throughout this year.  At the beginning of each year my husband is given a specific theme for the year.  This theme runs throughout the messages he preaches, passages he teaches on, and everything that occurs during that year.  Our family adopts this as a constant part of our daily lives.  At the beginning of this year, 2010, we had no idea how real it would resound in our daily living.  As having been a pastoral family in a particular denomination for several years, he felt that God had specifically instructed him to take 'a little time off' in that area.  However, that being said, we ARE NOT AT ALL to step out of the ministry He placed in our lives.  We walk daily in the reality of walking in ministry He places before us.  Having lived in the Henleyfield area for 4 years, going south for us is to Picayune, MS.  We sought the Lord and He truly spoke to us to make Picayune, MS our home on this earth.  I had told Carl that I'd be willing to go wherever he heard from God we were to go and even Jonathan wrote in his birthday card this year that no matter what we do for the Lord, or where the Lord leads us as a family he would be there for him and would encourage him and pray for him.  Jonathan, being a twelve year old and very close to his Dad, really touched his heart.  We are in full support of all that God calls Carl to do and we'll be with him and minister side by side with him, be at home when he has open doors to travel or can travel with him.  The Lord will do the leading and we'll all do the following. 
My husband has been in some sort of jail/prison ministry for over 20 years but within a week from actually relocating to Picayune the Lord opened wide a door for him to weekly lead a Bible study for Federal prisoners, those no one else would go see.  For various reasons these prisoners, even if they really want to attend a Bible study, were not willing to attend services out of their block.  The door has been opened wide for him to go into their block.  It began because 1 (ONE) person was interested in a deeper relationship with the Lord, however since then nearly a dozen men have joined in the study, although as in these type situations, they are not always allowed to continue in this group simply due to the fact that they are relocated in various facilities in the nation. 
There are also other areas of ministry Carl continues to walk in, (ie. Nursing/Assisted Living Homes, etc.)
As we've begun to attend church we have been able to plug into various areas of leadership and God is opening many doors for him in ministry as well as opening things for me to walk in also. 
So my reason for saying that 'Jesus Is Lord Over Picayune, MS' is that simply He, our Lord and Savior, called us here to Picayune, MS, minister to everyone He places in our lives.  We are to work on our own lives, keep ourselves ready always to be Jesus for others, and see just what 'Great and Wonderful things God will do', as Carl always says to end his prayers of benediction and blessings spoken over congregations.
We look for God to begin to open doors for us to minister in local and distant churches, retreat situations, revivals, etc.  When God opens a door we will know it, and will see Him walk us through that door.  We know that as God has promised He will allow us to only walk through those doors He opens and will close all doors that are not His.  What a great encouragement to know our Lord and Savior is so interested in our lives to the extent that He will keep us as we seek His face and direction in all areas of our lives.  This is true for everyone who will do so.
I'm probably the greatest advocate and supporter for the call of God on Carl's life and love his teachings as he has a great gift of teaching and administration on his life.  A variety of teachings have been developed over the past 21 years since God spoke the call to him.  Here is just a small list of topics God has developed in his spirit:

• New Life in Christ (a concise yet expanded explanation and teaching of walking out our faith in Christ, including discipleship)
• The Blessing (the importance of the blessing of the parents/especially the father over the children)
• You Have Not Many Fathers (mentors, fathers in the faith, etc. for men who really are not walking in their proper place because they are not confident in God's leading due to the fact that they don't have a Father view of God as there are no Fathers of the Faith they can pinpoint in their lives)
• Prayer Walking (taking the city/community for Jesus by walking, riding or coming together with others to pray, encourage and minister with a purpose to see Jesus' love permeate their lives)
• and a host of other teachings

Contact me for info about his schedule.  Be blessed and always know that God has a plan and a vision for your life.  It is up to you to walk in it.

In His Love and Service,

Jennie
Eph. 3:20