>> JACOB RASCON, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>> PASTOR JOEL OSTEEN IS WITH US THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR GETTING UP EARLY WITH US.
>> GREAT TO BE WITH YOU ALL. >> BY NOW, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH
THE CRITICISM THAT THE CHURCH HAS FACED.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS TO YOU, WHY DID THE CHURCH WAIT
UNTIL YESTERDAY TO START TAKING IN PEOPLE?
>> WELL, OUR CHURCH -- OUR CHURCH DOORS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN
OPEN. IN FACT, WE TOOK PEOPLE IN WHEN
THE WATER STARTED TO RECEDE, A DAY AFTER THE BIG STORM HIT.
WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE CITY, FOUR MILES DOWN THE ROAD, THE
CITY ESTABLISHED ITS BIGGEST SHELTER WITH ROOM FOR THOUSANDS,
WITH BEDS, WITH KITCHEN SUPPLIES, WITH EVERYTHING THEY
NEED. SECURITY.
THEY DIDN'T NEED US AS A SHELTER RIGHT THEN.
WE COORDINATE WITH THEM ALL THE TIME.
IF WE NEEDED TO BE A SHELTER, WE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN A
SHELTER RIGHT WHEN THEY FIRST ASKED.
BUT ONCE THEY FILLED UP, NEVER DREAMING WE HAD THIS MANY
DISPLACED PEOPLE, THEY ASKED US TO BECOME A SHELTER.
AND WE SAID WE WOULD LOVE TO BE A SHELTER.
THAT'S WHAT LAKEWOOD IS ALL ABOUT.
THE NOTION WE WOULD TURN PEOPLE AWAY OR WEREN'T HERE FOR THE
CITY, IS AS FAR AS CAN BE. >> IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU THINK THE
CRITICISM IS UNFOUNDED AND A BIT SILLY.
BUT YOU PUT OUT A STATEMENT ON MONDAY.
IN THAT STATEMENT, YOU SAID, IN PART, WE ARE PREPARED TO SHELTER
PEOPLE ONCE THE CITIES AND COUNTY SHELTERS REACH CAPACITY.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE READ THAT OR HEARDEARD THAT AND THOU
WHY WOULDN'T HOUSE OF WORSHIP OPEN ITS DOORS IMMEDIATELY,
INITIALLY, EVEN PERHAPS BEFORE SOME OF THE OTHER SHELTERS?
>> WE'RE ALL ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE.
THIS IS WHAT THE CHURCHES AND OUR CHURCH IS ALL ABOUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S UNFOUNDED. I THINK IF PEOPLE WERE HERE,
THEY WOULD REALIZE, THERE WERE SAFETY ISSUES.
THIS BUILDING HAD FLOODED BEFORE.
WE WERE BEING PRECAUTION. THE CITY DIDN'T ASK US TO BECOME
A SHELTER THEN. >> DO YOU SORT OF WISH YOU COULD
HAVE A REDO ON THE LAST FEW DAYS?
IT HAS BEEN A P.R. NIGHTMARE FOR YOU GUYS.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?
>> I'M SURE WE'D DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY.
BUT THE FACT IS, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WOULD HAVE OPENED ANY SOONER.
AGAIN, THERE WERE SAFETY ISSUES. I THINK SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW,
SOMEHOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE POWERFUL AND CAN CREATE FALSE
NARRATIVE. IF YOU'RE SITTING IN ANOTHER
STATE AND YOU'RE NOT HERE, MY NIECE WAS STRANDED ACROSS THE
STREET FROM THIS BUILDING, NOWHERE TO GO.
THIS BUILDING WAS ONE FOOT FROM FLOODING.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE OUR FLOODGATES, IT WOULD HAVE
FLOODED. IT IS EASY TO SAY, THERE'S A BIG
BUILDING. WE DON'T HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND
STAFF THAT COULD GET HERE. WE ARE ABOUT HELPING THE CITY.
IF THEY WOULD HAVE ASKED US TO BECOME A SHELTER EARLY ON, WE
WOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND READY TO HELP.
THANK GOD WE CAN DO IT NOW AND HELP THE CITY.
>> WERE YOU SURPRISED HOW FEROCIOUS THE RESPONSE CAN BE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA. WERE YOU SURPRISED AT HOW THAT
REACTION PLAYED OUT? >> YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T -- I GUESS
I WOULD SAY YES. BUT I DON'T PAY MUCH ATTENTION
TO IT. I'VE NEVER READ ONE NEGATIVE
THING. AND SO, I LET THE TEAM TELLS ME,
THERE'S A BIG THING. THE MAIN THING IS, SOCIAL MEDIA
DOESN'T RUN OUR LIFE. WE RUN OUR MINISTRY.
EVERYBODY THAT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE, IS GOING TO HAVE
CRITICS. IF YOU'RE SITTING SOMEWHERE NOT
IN THIS SITUATION, THINK OF THE STORY IF WE WOULD HAVE HOUSED A
BUNCH OF EVACUEES AND THE BUILDING FLOODED.
WE TRY TO USE THE BEST WISDOM WE CAN.
WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR 60 YEARS TO HELP THIS CITY AND BE A BLESSING
TO OTHERS. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO DO, LONG AFTER THE MEDIA AND EVERYTHING HAS DIED
DOWN. WE'LL BE HERE FOR FIVE YEARS
FROM NOW, HELPING THESE PEOPLE. WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHO WE ARE
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING. >> IN A WORD, WHAT DO YOU NEED?
WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO HELP? >> WELL, YOU KNOW, WE NEED
FUNDS. THERE'S THE RED CROSS AND
DIFFERENT AREAS -- DIFFERENT AVENUES YOU CAN GIVE TO.
TODAY, WE'LL BE TAKING IN SUPPLIES.
BABY FOODS, MEDICAL SUPPLIES. WE'RE A DISTRIBUTION CENTER.
PEOPLE ARE DROPPING OFF BY THE THOUSANDS ALL KINDS OF SUPPLIES.
WE FEED THE DIFFERENT SHELTERS AROUND THE CITY.
THE CITY SETTING UP A COMMAND POST HERE, AS WELL.
NOW, WE NEED PRAYER AND SUPPORT. ANY WAY YOU CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE. >> PASTOR JOEL