K.C. Wahe - Follower of Jesus, Husband, Father, Pastor, Student, Blogger

Toby is a wonderful guy with a big heart. He was one of the first chaplains called to New York on 9/11 with FEMA. When I was leaving church this evening this was an email I received from a pastor buddy of Toby’s wanting his friends to pray for the Gulf states and for those who are grieving. I will post this pastors emails as I receive them.

Pastor Toby Nelson, formerly of Sierra Presbyterian Church, Nevada City CA, called me on his cell phone today with this report. He was “activated” Sunday afternoon as part of a FEMA Response Team, and flew out to Little Rock, then on to Louisiana by vehicle (presumably bus). He says new Orleans looks like a war zone. Indeed, looting and general unsafe conditions required that an armed National Guard unit escort the team into the Superdome, the site of their assignment. He said media is not able to paint the full picture. The situation in the Superdome is dire, critical - no power, darkness, no water for plumbing, with all kinds of crimes taking place including stabbing and rape among those trapped there. He discerns significant demonic activity and a great spiritual darkness over the New Orleans region. Significantly, for the first time in his service with FEMA, his Team asked him to pray over them before entering the city.

He made his report from the only quiet room he could find: the morgue at the Superdome. Toby said his cell phone battery was going out and he has no way to recharge it. I will forward next message when I receive it.

When I think of learning about the life of a church, I think of some of the old tricks of the trade. I know these are not new to you veterans. I try to have special youth group nights or events at kid’s homes throughout the year. It gives me a chance to learn about the student and their families. One oldie of a youth event is the “traditional thanksgiving progressive dinner.” It draws kids out and it’s also a way of getting kids together, especially the ones who don’t usually celebrate thanksgiving or who don’t have much of a family when it comes to the holiday season. I also have tried this last year to venture out and visit some of the older persons of our church. These fellowship groups or Marinerships have met for years. They’ve watched their children group up, have celebrated weddings, and have even celebrated being grandparents together. They’ve also celebrated loss together. These Marinerships have been a form of community for folks in many ways. It’s also a quick way of getting to know the church and its history. It gives me a chance to visit and to cast some vision for what the church has called me to do as one of their pastors. One comment I received this past year was, “we didn’t know all of the things that were happening at our church for youth and families, until we met you.”