As she prepared to evacuate from the approaching hurricane, Muriel Petty stood on the porch of her small home in Petal, Mississippi and prayed, "Lord, take care of my little house." Muriel treasured the home she had shared for many years with her husband and it held countless memories of their time together.

Before his death two years earlier, Abe served as a pastor in Mississippi for more than 40 years. "We had the most wonderful experiences with God’s people," Muriel told us.

Abe often supplemented their income by tuning pianos, but he and Muriel still struggled to make ends meet. In later years, Abe continued the Lord’s work by supply preaching whenever he could and ministering to local nursing home residents.

Once Abe and Muriel began receiving assistance from the Adopt An Annuitant ministry in 1997, their burden was lightened. "It was and continues to be a real blessing," Muriel said of the help.

When Hurricane Katrina’s 130 mph winds roared through the Gulf coast state, Muriel wasn’t sure if she’d have a home to come back to.

Returning just days after the hurricane, Muriel was relieved to see that God did indeed keep her home safe. The little house had suffered only minor damage to the porch and the loss of a few shingles. But Muriel still faced numerous obstacles. All of the trees in her yard had been toppled by the storm — one coming to rest on top of an old van — and it would be weeks before electricity, running water and phone service were restored.

The loss of all the food in her refrigerator and freezer due to the extended power outage left Muriel with only a few canned goods to sustain her.

"One day I flagged down firemen to get some water and another day I got sandwiches from the Red Cross," she shared.

On the afternoon a GuideStone employee reached her by phone, Muriel was beginning to feel overwhelmed by her circumstances. At the time, John Ambra, Director of Development for the Adopt An Annuitant ministry, happened to be in Mississippi on another commitment. When he learned of Muriel’s situation, he drove several hours south through heavily damaged areas to pay a personal visit to ensure she didn’t run out of food.

Through the use of emergency grant funds earmarked for the Adopt An Annuitant ministry, John bought a supply of food to replace what Muriel had lost. Because of emergency guidelines for the ministry, Muriel and other adopted annuitants affected by the recent hurricanes were eligible to receive additional funds to help with limb removal, minor home repair expenses, replacement of lost food and payment of insurance deductibles.

"Because of the hurricane, God has given me the opportunity to witness to so many people. I can’t begin to thank John, the Adopt An Annuitant ministry and God’s people for making this possible," Muriel wept, "I am so grateful for this help."

The Adopt An Annuitant ministry relies on the support of churches and individuals to provide this vital assistance. You can participate in this ministry by sending a gift, funding a Charitable Gift Annuity, designating the ministry as the beneficiary of your life insurance, will or estate plan, or requesting materials to share with others.