By Message Staff The first Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief teams have been activated in response to Hurricane Florence. Gibbie McMillan, state disaster relief coordinator for Louisiana Baptists, told the Baptist Message mud-out teams from Eastern Louisiana Baptist Association, Northshore Baptist Association and Washington Baptist Association will leave Sept. 21 for New Bern, North Carolina. They will help clean up debris resulting from the hurricane that sent water into 4,300 homes, about one-third of houses in the city. McMillan said Louisiana Baptists unable to participate can pray and consider donating Visa gift cards for distribution by disaster relief teams. “Please continue to pray for our teams and those they will minister to in the coming weeks,” McMillan said. “This response is made possible through your generous giving through the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering.” Statewide response Lonnie Wascom, director of missions for Northshore Baptist Association, reported in his daily e-mail blast that New Life Missions, a ministry sponsored by Loranger Baptist Church, is collecting items for Florence victims at its warehouse, located at 129 Calhoun Street in Independence. Items will be collected … [Read more...]