Dearest People of Cameron Parish,

It is with a very heavy heart I write to you but yet still with encouragement to move forward. During this year and even in the midst of hurricane recovery we have lost many loved ones that were both family and friends of course. Of the most recent was our Tax Assessor Elect Darrell Williams. Darrell had the heart of a public servant. He was very enthusiastic about taking office and had optimistic plans for the Parish and the office. This was a big loss for the parish and certainly his wife, Helen, and his children, Derek, Erica, and Ethan.

We all know that the destruction of the houses can be fixed but it takes much more to heal a family after a loss.

I ask you though to consider our beautiful Cameron Parish. We know it is full of debris now but that will be cleaned. We all realize the actual storm prevails but a few hours. After the storm we prevail. We clean, build, and repair because it is Cameron Parish. I imagine it’s hard to understand unless you are a part of the parish. I had a reporter ask me why would you go back? I simply said it is my home.

Also realize we are stronger when working through a tragedy. Helping each other with other people also coming in to help. I see our churches now serving more people than we did before the storm. In the midst of this destruction lies our opportunity to serve others. Each morning when I wake up I just smile when I realize God is in control.