| Psalm 55:22 – “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall.” |
My wife and I just completed a four night stay in New Orleans. She came as a young girl with her family on a brief visit. It was my first trip.
My wife thought I would enjoy the World War II museum. It did not disappoint. We sat in a theatre in the Liberation building listening to one survivor of a death camp, a Jewish young woman. An American soldier walked up to the camp gate. She: “I am a Jew.” There was a long pause with silence. He: ‘So am I.” He: “Ma’am, where are the other women?” She commented that she had not been referred to as a woman in so long. “He held the door open to the barracks and allowed me to preceed him. And he has been doing it for the last 50 years.” I was crying as I watched. And I could not have left until I had heard each witness’ story.
We heard Dr. Ronald Helbert, a docent at the church on Jackson Square, tell how he lost everything when Hurricane Katrina flooded the city. “It was a blessing. Katrina showed me that my possessions were not important.”
We stayed at the Chimes Bed and Breakfast. Very good bed, nice shower, the best breakfasts (with pastries from La Boulangerie), beautiful patio. But what I enjoyed most was our conversations with our hostess, Jill Abbyad.
Jill cooked our breakfast omelettes and served us. She also sat and talked to us. I couldn’t resist asking her some questions. She has been hosting travelers to the city for 37 years. Her husband, Charles, was the maitre’d at Arnaud’s.
Me: “What happened during Katrina? Was this area high ground?” Jill: “Yes, it was high ground.” The flooding stopped just off their property. “But there were no services. There was water, but you weren’t sure it was safe.” So they evacuated to Baton Rouge.
Charles got a restaurant job making a meager wage working in the kitchen. Jill feared they would lose their home that also doubled as their source of income. A few nights in, the restaurant manager came into the kitchen. ” We have more than we can handle out there. Every news media service is here for dinner.” Charles offered to help wait the tables. The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters. They were all there.
He drew a table of Thompson- Reuters journalists. One of them asked about a menu item. Charles explained that he was a Katrina evacuee from New Orleans where he and his wife operated a bed and breakfast inn, and as such he was not familiar with the recipes. “What condition is it in?” Before long, Charles had contracted with them for room and board. With their press passes, they (along with the Abbyads) were permitted into the flooded city.
For a full year, they lodged there. Four generators lit the home, but there was no A/C. Trucks brought supplies in daily. They had been gifted a beautiful blessing. They were saved. Their tenants paid them well. And Jill and Charles regained access to their home. It was a God-send that was totally unexpected. Jill has much respect and admiration for Reuters’ professionalism.
I truly fell in love with this city in many ways. So much history. And everyone has a story. Father in heaven, thank You for watching over us in our dark hours, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
- Jeff Beall
