AFTER KATRINA
FOR FOLKS IN NEW ORLEANS AND
BROUGHT THEM INTO OUR ASTRODOME.
WE'RE GETTING READY NOW TO TALK
TO JOEL OSTEEN.
LET'S SET THIS UP A LITTLE BIT.
THERE HAD BEEN SOME CONTROVERSY
AT LAKEWOOD CHURCH ON SOCIAL
MEDIA BECAUSE THEY WERE SAYING
HOW COME LAKEWOOD CHURCH IS NOT
OPENING THE ADORATION TO
EVACUEES, TO PEOPLE WHO NEED TO
GET SOME PLACE THAT'S HIGH AND
DRY.
>> INITIALLY, LIKE EVERY PART
OF THE CITY, THERE WAS
FLOODING, SO OBVIOUSLY THERE
WERE CONCERNS ABOUT PEOPLE'S
SAFETY.
THE DOORS AT LAKEWOOD ARE OPEN
AND WE WILL ALLOW JOEL AND THE
PEOPLE AT LAKEWOOD TO BE ABLE
TO SPEAK AS TO WHY IT HAPPENED,
TO MANY PEOPLE'S CRITICISM, BUT
TO OTHER PEOPLE'S THANKS,
BECAUSE AS I WAS DRIVING INTO
WORK TODAY, AND I PASSED BY
LAKEWOOD CHURCH, I SAW A LINE A
MILE LONG OF PEOPLE EITHER
NEEDING HELP OR WANTING TO HELP.
JOEL, IT'S REALLY A SIGHT TO
BEHOLD.
>> LET'S BEGIN BY TALKING ABOUT
THE CRITICISM THAT WE SAW ON
SOCIAL MEDIA THAT LAKEWOOD HAD
NOT OPENED ITS DOORS TO FOLKS.
>> YOU KNOW, BILL AND
DOMINIQUE, WE WERE WAITING FOR
THE RIGHT TIME.
LAKEWOOD IS ALWAYS OPEN.
WE JUST DIDN'T KNEELS HAVE THE
STAFF HERE THE NIGHT THAT IT
FLOODED OUT HERE.
LAKEWOOD HAS BEEN A PART OF
THIS COMMUNITY FOR 60 YEARS AND
ANY THOUGHT THAT WE'RE GOING TO
TURN PEOPLE AWAY IS SO IRONIC
AND SO WRONG, EVEN YOU GUYS
3,000 PEOPLE.
THIS IS WHAT LAKEWOOD IS ALL
ABOUT, SO WE COORDINATE WITH
THE CITY AND THEY ASKED TO US
USE CITY SHELTERS FOR THE TIME
AND THEY SAID, HEY, LET'S DO
OURS AS A SHELTER AS WELL, AS A
DROP-OFF CENTER AND THINGS LIKE
THAT, SO WE'RE PART OF THIS
PEOPLE.
>> EXPLAIN THE PROCESS TO US
FOR THOSE WHO NEED HELP OR
THOSE WHO WANT TO OFFER IT.
>> Reporter: WELL, THEY CAN
COME DURING THE DAY STARTING
EARLY IN THE MORNING, IF YOU
WANT TO DROP OFF BABY SUPPLIES,
DIFFERENT ITEMS YOU CAN SEE ON
TWITTER, YOU CAN DROP IT OFF
RIGHT HERE IN OUR CIRCLE DRIVE
OFF 59 AT THE LOCATION.
IF YOU WANT TO HELP US SORT THE
ITEMS, YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
IF YOU NEED A PLACE TO SAY,
SHELTER IS A PLACE AS WELL.
WE LOVE HELPING PEOPLE.
WE'RE HERE, WE'VE GOT THOUSANDS
OF VOLUNTEERS THAT WANT TO
HELP, AND LIKE YOU SAW TODAY,
DOMINIQUE, THE PEOPLE OF
HOUSTON ARE SO GENEROUS, THE
PEOPLE OF LAKEWOOD ARE
INCREDIBLE, THEY WANT TO HELP
AND SOMETIMES THE WORST OF
TIMES BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN
US, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE SEEING HERE TONIGHT.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
COMPARISONS, PASTOR JOEL, TO,
YOU KNOW, FOR TROPICAL STORM
ALLISON, AND BACK THEN, 16
YEARS AGO, LAKEWOOD WAS LOCATED
IN AN AREA THAT WAS DEVASTATED
BY ALLISON.
A WHOLE DIFFERENT SITUATION
WITH HARVEY, RIGHT?
>> IT REALLY IS, BILL.
IT BRINGS BACK MEMORIES, BUT
THE WAY THE WHOLE CITY IS HIT
THIS TIME IS JUST UNBELIEVABLE
AND OUR HEARTS BREAK LIKE
EVERYBODY'S STRONG, GOD IS
STILL STRONG, NIECE CONTROL OF
THIS, AND EVEN WHEN WE DON'T
UNDERSTAND T-WE HAVE TO TURN TO
OUR FAITH SO WE DON'T GET
PEOPLE GET THROUGH.
>> PEOPLE REALLY NEED WORDS OF
ENCOURAGEMENT, A LITTLE BIT OF
UPLIFT, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SUCH
A DARK THREE OR FOUR DAYS HERE.
>> IS THERE A PRAYER YOU CAN
OFFER, JOEL?
>> LET ME TELL YOU, DOMINIQUE,
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS JOY COMES IN
THE MORNING, AND I BELIEVE IT'S
MAYBE NOT MORNING YET, BUT JOY
IS COMING, MORNING IS COMING,
SO I LOVE TO PRAY.
SO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THOSE
THAT ARE AFFECTED, AT OTHER
SHELTERS, LORD, WE KNOW THEY'RE
HURTING, SOME OF THEM ARE NOT
SAFE NOW, AND WE JUST PRAY THAT
YOU GIVE YOUR ANGELS CHARGE
OVER THEM, HELP THE FIRST
RESPONDERS, I PRAY YOUR WISDOM
FOR OUR LEADERS, MAYOR TURNER
AND ALL OF THE OTHERS.
LORD, WE JUST PRAY THAT SOMEHOW
OUT OF THIS DARK TIME THAT YOU
CAN BRING A BRIGHT LIGHT, THAT
YOU BRING US CLOSER TOGETHER,
NEW BEGINNINGS, THAT PEOPLE
WOULD FEEL YOUR PRESENCE AND
POWER AS THEY NEVER FELT BEFORE.
IN JESUS' NAME.
>> THANK YOU, WE APPRECIATE IT
VERY MUCH.
I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING FORWARD TO SUNDAY
SERVICE AT LAKEWOOD CHURCH, AND
THANK YOU FOR OPENING YOUR
DOORS TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING ON OUR
AIR AND FOR OFFERING THOSE
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO
JOEL, YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE