Saints Come Sailing In with Relief and Ministry for New Orlean
by Allie Martin
October 18, 2005
(AgapePress) - A Christian organization that delivers relief supplies by ship has been working in the storm-damaged Crescent City area since early September. Just days after Hurricane Katrina hit, a ship from a ministry called Friend Ships was loaded with containers of food and other relief items, headed for Louisiana's Crescent City to set up a temporary base at the Port of New Orleans. Since then, Friend Ships volunteers have spent their days clearing debris from yards, homes, and streets and providing hot meals, clothing, and other necessities to relief workers as well as to local residents who are slowly returning home. Don Tipton, president of Friend Ships, says it is vital for Christians to be in the area as the residents return. (See Friend Ships' reports on the New Orleans relief efforts)
Tipton believes the Christian ministry workers are well placed, not only to provide relief and recovery assistance, but also to be a blessing to the devastated and demoralized people of New Orleans. "We went to the city last week and proposed that we do a 'Saints Come Marching In' [prayer rally and march]," he explains. "The saints would go in there, pray on every street corner, cover the city .... Can you imagine the saints come marching in down Bourbon Street?"
The Friend Ships spokesman says local officials have asked Christian groups to consider New Orleans for conferences and other events. "This is starting to get exciting," he says. In his meeting with the New Orleans City Council, he says the council members were somewhat incredulous about the ministry's plans.
"They said, 'You guys want to have a big convention and rally, and you want to march in the streets, and you want to do all that the week before Mardi Gras?'" Tipton recalls. And he assured them that is indeed the vision for the Saints Come Marching In event. "We need the support and the revenue," he notes. "Man, they don't know what we're bringing in there!"
Around the city, Friend Ships volunteers have also set up tents in local parks for Sunday morning church services. Tipton believes New Orleans and the surrounding area are open to the gospel, and as head of an organization that uses ocean-going vessels to deliver relief, medical supplies and other support, he feels Friend Ships is well equipped to help deliver the Good News, too.
Allie Martin, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
