Taking missions beyond the festival scene and to disaster field areas, evangelist Franklin Graham will be providing US hurricane evacuees the keys to a new home to kick off the Ark-La-Tex festival on Friday, Nov. 11.
The evangelistic festival at the CenturyTel Centre in Shreveport, La., USA will feature top Christian artists and a message of hope on the grounds of a state where more than 280,000 homes were destroyed from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Before the voices of Nicole C. Mullen, Salvador and The Katinas ring throughout the city, Graham plans to fulfill his first mission in providing a family the chance to rebuild their lives."Hurricane evacuees have been through some harrowing times," said Graham in a released statement. "The first step to helping these families return to some degree of normalcy is to give them a home and let these compassionate churches embrace them in the community."
Graham had visited the evacuees in Shreveport after the first hurricane made havoc on thousands of homes. He listened to stories of loss and grief and at the same time, witnessed examples of compassion and generosity.
On the opening night of the Ark-La-Tex festival, Graham, who also serves as president of the international Christian relief organisation Samaritan's Purse, will recognise both the displaced storm victims and the devoted volunteers who have aided them.
Samaritan's Purse donated 100 mobile homes to Shreveport, one of which will be given to Leisa Cole-Johnson, her four children and her brother as Graham presents them with the keys on Friday.The organisation is continuing aid work with dozens of churches in the local areas to help shelter hurricane victims. It has provided more than US$30 million in aid to Katrina victims. With the added disaster of Rita, relief units with nearly 1,800 volunteers are working in New Orleans, Port Arthur, Texas, and parts of Mississippi, making it the largest hurricane response in Samaritan's Purse history. Samaritan's Purse newest Disaster Relief Unit was sent out to Broward County in Florida after Wilma made landfall.
The Ark-La-Tex Franklin Graham Festival begins at 7:00 p.m. Friday and will conclude on Sunday, Nov. 13.
Audrey Barrick
Christian Today Correspondent
