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Eleven members of Mt. Zion UMC, Annapolis, journeyed South, Sept. 12-19, in their church van and a member?s donated van to offer help to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

?We went to places where people weren?t receiving any help, where you didn?t see FEMA or the Red Cross anywhere? said Carrie Matthews, who directs a children?s shelter in Annapolis.

Her mother and pastor, the Rev. Callie Matthews, had a local contact who gave them a place to stay in Mobile, Ala. They drove daily past scenes of devastation into Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss., to help evacuate residents of public housing units, many of them non-English-speaking Vietnamese immigrants who have lived in the area for decades.

 ?So many people were still in shock, walking around in a daze,? recalled Callie Matthews, who could smell the stench of mold from flooding and saw refuse from a waste treatment plant floating in the streets of one community. ?Many older homeowners tried to stay, expecting the power and water to come back on and everything to return to normal. They just didn?t understand.?

The group brought cleaning supplies and other items with them, including much appreciated gas cards to help people fill their gas tanks to transport their neighbors to safety. They worked in homes, warehouses and shelters. They cleaned, distributed bottled water and food, and ?ministered to many people by simply listening to their stories and demonstrating God?s love by being present,? said Matthews.

?Never have I been so proud and honored to be a United Methodist pastor as I was when I listened to the stories of how so many survivors were helped by our United Methodist churches,? she said. ?For many, it was the only help they received.

Matthews plans to return because there is much more work to be done. ?So many (people) were overwhelmed with gratitude to know that we had traveled so far to help them,? she recalled. ?We thank God for allowing us to be a blessing to others.?