Archbishop Gregory Holley

Hurricane Humberto Hits High Island 5

The lights are back on in High Island and all affected areas tonight!  This major milestone begins the long road to reconstruction.  Future teams of other relief organizations will help in the rebuilding.  Insurance companies will assess and begin the work of getting back to normal. We will be needed less and less as the days go by as we ready ourselves for the rest of the 2007 Hurricane Season.  It is far from over as these last days are among the most at risk!

We thank all of you have helped and given of yourselves and your finance to once again make it all work.  Keeping the home fires burning, the missionaries building and preaching and the storm satisfied is a juggling act. This is made easier by great friends like www.operationcompassion.org  headed by Dave Lorency.  I have a few pictures of some of the high quality gifts they sent to us to work with.

Enviga is a calorie burning drink made by Nestea. This strange drink also is packed with vitamins and nutrients needed in a dehydrated condition. When we received this gift for the storm I did not know how it would go over but people took it quickly and on return trips took more so I know it was a hit!

Clorox,  409, and who could forget the Liquid plumber and sos pads.  All such a blessing. There were miscellaneous food items through these loads but the needed items for this type of storm was cleanup items!

Cleaning buckets with an assortment of cleaning supplies were a hit as well. Easy to pack. Easy to give. Easy to use. This great idea gives me an idea for the future as we consolidate miscellaneous gifts throughout the year. If you have access to buckets or products in truckload quantity please email me and we can set up arrangements to make a pickup and put these items to great use in the future!

Garbage bags are always the ticket in a cleanup. Who can get enough? Throughout the area this is a coveted and sought after item. When you get use to using them who can be convinced to use other methods.   Rubber gloves and work gloves also in the 'wanted' category!

Our thanks to all. Barry Woodward of Tire Source continues to be the greatest friend and help in time of need. Always with a truck available and encouragement to keep going! Thanks, Barry after all these years you and Jesus can still make it happen. And to all the great saints at New Life, thanks for sharing Gayla and me with the rest of the world!                                                                                                                                                            

Hurricane Humberto Hits High Highland 3

The storm is over.  The Points of Delivery (pods) are established. The machine is working. I am back at New Life this morning to meet our home folk and Praise the Lord!  It all began with a few phone calls.  Calls to Bishops and Pastors to see where to begin and who to work through in the storm zone.  We met with Bishop Herrin and Mike Black on Galveston Island to chart out the plan.  His advice was to call Pastor Harold Jones over in Winnie 18 miles northeast of the storm center at High Island. 

Pastor Harold gave us Michael and Brittany Stark's cell phone number and said they had been able to get in through Hwy 124. We were on the Galveston side and the Hwy 87 was shut at Rollover Pass.  Brittany gave us Buffy Diebell's cell number to call in High Island.  Jarod answered her phone and gave us info that we were in the right spot with the right folk.  Buffy called back quickly and suggested that we us Pastor David's building at First Baptist.  And the rest is history in the making!

As soon as our permission to travel into the area was granted we were on the ferry and headed in. Thanks to all those who called everybody from the Governor to Senator Kay Bailey Hutcheson to Galveston County Sheriff Department and Homeland Security. Permission for our mobile command post to move in allowed us to move in right behind the National Guard!

Helicopters were hovering overhead.  We were dodging power lines and debris and in hog heaven.  It is in my DNA to be deep in the heart and matter of helping those in need and truly we were headed toward brothers and sisters waiting for somebody, anybody to come and help.

Early in the evening we arrived at the First Baptist and Pastor David guided us right in to his driveway next to the church! In minutes we had our side flood lights and searchlight on and the darkness turned to light and the work was on.  Satellite up. GPS signals sent out and soon everybody knew right where we were set up. We hurried back to our tow vehicle to go find the support trucks of hot food we knew were wandering around looking for the Point of Delivery. We were there to announce where it was and here it came!

There is a lot to find in the storm zone.  A fork lift has to be secured because of the trailer loads coming in.  The local Pastor is our valuable ally because he knows who has everything. We have never been refused in any situation. From nothing to feeding 3 meals a day to passing out first responder packs and drink is a gathering of the available miracles that are transpiring.

In the storm it takes all relief organizations to make it happen.  Blending with the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross, the Armed Forces and other Christian Organizations is the key to bringing about a successful relief operation.  No one does this better than Dave Lorency of Operation Compassion. Through his guiding hand and supplying of resources we were able to do what we do.  I need you to go to www.operationcompassion.org and make their site a favorite of yours. They need your help as they rebuild in many storm torn areas.  Without these types of friends I would be unable to be in the field pulling the loose ends together. Throughout the weekend we will be assessing what our obligations will be next week. Thank you and God Bless!

Hurricane Humburto Hits High Island 2

Visit www.gaylasmagazine.com  for more pictures throughout the days ahead!

The food is flowing from 3 sister groups!  Breakfast, lunch and dinner serving at the 1st Baptist in High Island. Sleeping quarters set up and the church family is working their hearts out. Pastor David is a champ and I am so proud of him!  He lit up the most at the Bibles that were brought from Operation Compassion!

Teams are going house to house, street by street making sure no one is left behind.  Operation Compassion has again sent around 80,000 pounds of goods to multiple sites.  Please visit them at www.operationcompassion.org and see what you can do to help their ongoing Hurricane Dean rebuilding efforts. Thanks David Lorency!!! You are a great leader and I am thankful for your guidance!

I want to spend some time today thanking our Governor Perry and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for their outstanding support! The National Guard Amory from La Marque were sent in to work with us at  from the very first night, bringing Generators, water and ice!  HEB so lovingly rolled the trucks in and out for distribution.  But the Boots on the Ground were an amazing tribute to our Armed Forces.

Sargent Dreama Whitaker and Corporal Caroline came aboard to talk things over and what a beautiful attitude of service and readiness they possessed.  Sargent Whitaker is a member of a motorcycle club and they are looking for projects!

Sargent Lazarin and Sargent Castillo came aboard next to charge some equipment and to map out the early morning strategy to clear the long lanes up to people's houses, look for the elderly, deliver ice and water. The decision was made to call in trucks to haul off the limbs and debris blocking these citizens from the outside world!

The next morning starts bright and early with the helicopters hovering and the equipment moving out! I am always so impressed with our Men and Women of the Armed Forces. Their dispositions and service was excellent! Governor Perry, I know you are proud of your men and women but these are of the finest I have met!

The young people of High Island were in high gear!  Gilbert Andreas was a great example.  I drove him home and when we pulled up his, long country lane trees were down everywhere. I asked if they hit the house or cars. To my amazement he said all had been spared.  It was dark and I was tired so no pictures but my hat's off to Gilbert and his family.  He had walked 3 miles to get to the church for help!

I guess this is how we all feel.  We Americans love our country and even though this family lost their complete top of their house the American Flag flies proudly. We will rebuild and be a better people because of it.  Our expenses have been heavy. Won't you clik on the support button at the top and ease the old aching back a bit?  I know you will because you have for all these years and we have done well with what you do.  As I write the trucks are rolling from the warehouses in La Porte and once again the Joseph Principle is in operation! Thank you and God Bless You!

Hurricane Humburto Hits High Island, Texas

Check our location at http://map.datastormusers.com/user4.cfm?user=2867  Keep mouse clicking on the 2867 and it will take you to the street level so you can see where we are. Or go to google earth map and find us at 94.3936W longitude and 29.56678N lattitude.

Nightfall finds us in the front yard of Pastor David Pursley of the First Baptist, High Island, Texas.  Our friends at Winnie's Trinity Tabernacle, Pastor Harold Jones had guided us to this precious pastor in the midst of the aftermath of Humberto.  When we arrived there was little to help with and the roads had been mostly shut because of down power lines. A little water and smile goes a long way and Pastor David was doing just that.

But he was waiting on the food.  And the Generators.  And the National Guard.  And the hungry folks were standing around , hot and sticky, swatting mosquitos.  Hurriedly the church fellowship hall had been set up with tables and chairs but no food.

On our way in we had seen trucks wandering around looking for a place to light.  You know the rest of that story. In fifteen minutes they were feeding people at 1st Baptist and are coming back in the morning with breakfast.  The Guard sowed up with a Humvee filled with supplies and a generator (thanks to Harold Jones) and set up shop with us.

In the morning we will get some pictures.  We need shovels, chainsaws, fuel and energy.  The Sarge has a plan to get out and get some of the houses cleaned up.  He came over to our mobile office to ask for shovels and trailers.  We need a hand with that.  Barry Boren over at Nederland will help as soon as he gets himself cleaned up.

It seems the power being off is going to be the biggest problem here.  With no refrigeration and no fuel or groceries for 20 miles we need to bring supplies in for a bit until they get caught up.  Thanks to Dave Lorency and the great Operation Compassion  we will get the trucks rounded up.  Thanks Dave, you are the greatest help in the storm.  Please go on line at www.operationcompassion.org and help them meet the financial needs of this horrific event.

Gayla is blogging and has wonderful pictures at www.gaylasmagazine.com so I know you will want to go there.  Those of you who wish to help with our fuel and Pastor's Aid clik on the support button at the top of the blog!  Pray for people to do what they normally would not do and for our name to come upon the lips of all who wish to bless the Lord's work through us!