They were told that a hurricane was coming . . . They were told to pack for three days . . . They were told to evacuate the city . . . They thought they would return home . . . But in a single day, the destiny of one church was changed forever! Hurricane Katrina had already struck south Florida as a mild Category 1 hurricane, but after returning to the Gulf of Mexico and regaining strength, she was back! Only this time, she was predicted to be a dangerous Category 5 hurricane, and her next target was none other than New Orleans, Louisiana. For years, the city was warned that a storm like Katrina could eventually strike, but no one knew exactly when. Yet, in 2005, the time had finally arrived. Hurricane Katrina had her eye on the crescent city. As the city's residents scrambled to prepare for the worst, thousands hunkered down while countless others evacuated. But one eastern New Orleans church called Smoking for Jesus Ministry made plans to evacuate and weather the storm together! In a 40-car caravan of approximately 200 members, they began a journey that would mark one of the greatest modern-day deliverance stories of our time. This is a story of the utter devastation, tragedy, and losses surrounding Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More importantly, though, this is a story of how this church experienced the hope of God's peace, love, provision, and faithfulness through the storms. And as they traveled together throughout the states of Louisiana and Texas, they had no earthly idea of the amazing promises of God that awaited them at the end of the journey. But first, they would need to survive! Mount Up! This is the story of How One Church Survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Mount Up! How One Church Survived Hurricanes Katrina and Rita By Willie L. Monnet, Sr. AuthorHouse Copyright © 2010 Pastor Willie L. Monnet, Sr. All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4520-2415-8 Contents Acknowledgments............................................ixWarning: There's a Storm Coming............................xiIntroduction...............................................xiiiChapter 1. The Calm before the Storm.......................1Chapter 2. In the Midst of the Storm.......................9Chapter 3. Shelter from the Rain...........................23Chapter 4. Uncharted Waters................................41Chapter 5. Pathway to Purpose..............................59Chapter 6. Anchored in the Lord............................69Chapter 7. Troubled Waters.................................83Chapter 8. Raging Waters...................................95Chapter 9. After The Rain..................................105Chapter 10. Following in His Footsteps.....................125Epilogue...................................................139"Meet the Members".........................................147 Chapter One The Calm before the Storm New Orleans, Louisiana "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!" Isaiah 26:3 NLT On Friday, August 26, 2005 the weather was beautiful and the afternoon winds were calm. Children returning home from school were anticipating the freedom of the weekend and my wife Claudette and I were looking forward to a few days of much needed rest. We'd just returned home from Destin, Florida after conducting our annual Marriage Refresher for the married couples of our church Smoking for Jesus Ministry , where I am the pastor. However, while getting settled back in, I turned on the local news only to learn that a potentially catastrophic Category Five hurricane named Katrina was threatening to strike our city within 72 hours. The city, though, didn't seem to be too concerned. There was no uproar or sign of panic. Oh, had we only known what was to come. I look back now a bit wistfully at how calm we all were, before the storm. At the time, our church was located in eastern New Orleans and had been in operation since 1996. We had regularly scheduled weekly services such as Monday night Bible Studies, Tuesday women's Bible study, Wednesday night discipleship class, Saturday corporate prayer, and Sunday morning services. We were also in the process of building a new church adjacent to our current structure. That weekend, though, our plans were in for a drastic change. At 6:00 a.m. Saturday morning, I turned on the television to hear the meteorologist report that Hurricane Katrina was looking more and more like she was headed directly for our city. My initial thought was, "Perhaps she may turn and miss us." In the past, we'd evacuated for several other storms, but nothing had ever happened. And to be honest, I didn't really feel like running from another hurricane. I was exhausted from our trip, and simply wanted to recuperate before getting back into my normal routine. For a moment, I seriously considered hunkering down and weathering it out. After hearing later weather reports, though, I knew that I needed to make a decision soon,