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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

LCU students learning to live off the land, homesteading in Winn Parish

By Elizabeth Clarke, LCU News PINEVILLE, La. (LCU News) - When Elijah and Kaleigh Jones aren’t on the campus of Louisiana Christian University, you will probably find them—if you try hard enough and have a GPS—at home about a mile-down a heavily forested long, red dirt road in Grant Parish. The area is so remote, in fact, Kaleigh said they can choose between three “nearby” towns for the place they live. The nearest grocery store is Walmart, 40 minutes away. And the couple makes a daily hour-long trek to campus for classes. Keeping up with these Joneses wouldn’t be the choice for many in our culture, but this couple has chosen to live a modern homesteading lifestyle. Contemporary homesteading is marked by growing your own food and making other essentials, raising livestock, making homemade products for use and resell, and living a simpler lifestyle close to nature. Their lifestyle isn’t for the faint of heart. But the couple said the struggle has only brought them closer together and closer to the Lord. Elijah, a senior business administration—marketing and management major from Winn Parish, and Kaleigh, a junior public relations major from Shreveport, met in the fall semester of 2023 in Dr. Scott Pickard’s … [Read more...]

Two years after the Maui fires: how follow-up care extended far beyond initial relief

By Craig Webb, Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention LAHAINA, Hawaii (Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention) - On Aug. 8, 2025, we mark the second anniversary of the devastating Maui fires that forever changed the landscape of Lahaina and surrounding communities, displacing thousands of families with fewer than 50 homes rebuilt from the nearly 2,000 destroyed. In the midst of this ongoing struggle, what began as an unthinkable tragedy became the backdrop for an extraordinary ministry of hope and healing. Building on the foundation laid by Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief in the first months after the fires, the Maui Fire Caring Ministry, led by Pete and Donna Beal, took the extraordinary step of contacting 748 fire survivors over 14 months. This systematic follow-up ministry communicated the love of Christ, shared the Gospel message, distributed Bibles, and provided practical assistance while building lasting relationships that continue today. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers mobilized under the leadership of Hawaii Pacific Baptist Disaster Relief co-directors John and Gay Williams. Send Relief, the Southern Baptist Convention’s compassion ministry arm, played a vital … [Read more...]