UPCOMING EVENTS
On August 12, 2016, prolonged rainfall in southern Louisiana resulted in catastrophic flooding that submerged thousands of houses and businesses. Louisiana's governor
called the disaster a "historic, unprecedented flooding event" and declared a state of emergency. Many rivers and waterways reached record levels and rainfall exceeded 20 inches (510 mm) in multiple parishes. The "no-name storm" dumped three times as much rain on Louisiana as Hurricane Katrina.
Approximately 280,000 people live in the areas that flooded, In those flood-affected areas are 110,000 homes, and more than 7,000 businesses — about one in every five businesses in the region — that together employ more than 73,000 people. With an estimated 110,00 homes damaged in the flooding—characterized as the worst US natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012]—thousands of Louisianians were forced into shelters.
Because many of the areas that flooded were not in "high flood risk areas", the majority of homeowners affected by the flood did not have flood insurance.
Many people around the United States and Canada are just now realizing how significant the disaster was and there is a desperate cry for help! Bridgehouse Ministries is answering the cry and will be taking a team to Baton Rouge, September 30 to October 9. As many of you know, Alicia is from Baton Rouge and Peter and Alicia lived there after they were married for over 14 years. 
Our team focused on rebuilding 2 houses. The first was Alicia's great uncle's house. He was on palliative care with hospice living at his daughter's house after his house
flooded. He
passed away two weeks after we left Louisiana and his daughter said: "Thank you all for coming all the way to Louisiana , all the hard work, & for ministering & delivering the Love of Christ to mom & Dad. I'm so glad dad got to see the house coming together , I think part of his peace is knowing she is going to be ok."
We were able to help other family members that were working on the house and all the sheet rock work was finished, walls were primed and painted and cabinets were being installed in the kitchen.
The second house that we helped with was for a young family with 3 kids in Walker, La. In this house we did some needed prep work for the walls, installing insulation and hanging most all the sheet rock and began mudding and sanding. 
Some of the ladies spent some time at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church and helped out in an area 
where the church was preparing and serving meals daily. Our team was able to get some lunches at the church and we really appreciated their hospitality as well as the tremendous hospitality at the church where we were housed, Fellowship Baptist Church of Central. Everywhere we went people would thank us for coming all the way from Canada to help. Everyone was blessed, including our team, by this great trip.
The team took the last day of the trip to visit New Orleans and do some site seeing.
Thank you to everyone for your financial support and prayers.
s. 
