“Angela Pierre, her husband and son live directly behind her elderly mother, Rhetta Jacob, in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. On February 7, the New Orleans East area which was torn asunder by a huge twister around midday. Both houses are right along the Chef Menteur Highway corridor, which was the central path of the meandering funnel cloud.” – David Hammer, WWL
These words came from journalist David Hammer of WWL News only a couple of weeks ago. The question you may be asking is, “why is this relevant to the LAC Family here in Southern California?”
Back in 2006, then LAC Pastor Albert Tate, connected LAC & LACF with the New Life Church in New Orleans to help individuals and families rebuild their lives after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.
We sent a team to assess the damage to the church and congregation’s homes, and see how Lake Avenue Church could help. Angela and Richard Pierre family and their entire family were absolutely essential partners in our work in New Orleans - without whom, the work done could not have been accomplished.
On both the initial scouting trip, and on the subsequent work trips, the Pierre’s home, and Angela’s mother’s home next door, served as a command center. These two homes were miraculously undamaged by the flooding as they were located on a very slight rise, just enough to keep the waters away.
Angela Pierre identified the 10 houses of church members that were most significantly damaged and most in need of assistance. Richard and Angela hosted all of the teams from Lake Avenue Church, feeding them in their own homes and doing much of the cooking. The tools and supplies were all coordinated by Richard Pierre. The Pierres also coordinated volunteers to feed all of the hungry Californians, and give tours of the devastation. David Powell, LAC Member and Vice-Chair of the Ministry Council recalls, “Richard provided logistical support on every project. They are wonderful people and I am so grateful for our partnership.”
This most recent storm did not spare the Pierre’s home or that of their mother, Rhetta Jacob, who lived in the house next door. It was only through a miracle and God’s grace that Rhetta survived. It was just mere minutes after they pulled her out of her home through a window, delivering her untouched and uninjured to the waiting firefighters, that the whole living room collapsed.
The Pierre’s know that they are blessed to be alive, having escaped the initial storm and the following potential calamities: “This is hard, but this is material things, and we just thank God for life, that everybody got out OK.” - Angela Pierre said.
Would you please consider joining both Lake Avenue Church and Fellowship Monrovia in the donation efforts to be used in aiding the rebuilding process of Pierre’s home and the New Orleans East Community. To donate to their GoFundMe page click here.