AMAZING!! FREE GAS GIVE-AWAY Generosity of Living the Word International member stuns local residents, as they get free gas on Good Friday in community giveaway

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
The Slidell Independent

SLIDELL -- Disbelief. That would be the best word to describe the thoughts and feelings of Slidell drivers on Fremaux Avenue late Friday morning.

As they came into town from the Interstate 10 exit, passing Ninth Street, then Eight Street, the sign they saw was not to be believed.

“Free Gas Line.”

Standing in the road were dozens of church members from Living the Word International in Slidell. Wearing colorful purple T-shirts, they were organizing a line of cars that would turn into the Texaco station at the corner of Fremaux an Seventh.

And yes, it was to get free gas.

“This is such a blessing,” Betty Boston said, as she not only sat in her car to get free gas at the station, but had church members pump the gas and clean her windows. “I do a lot of running wit my grandkids, and this is such a blessing.”

Boston was just one of many people to be blessed that day, thanks to the vision of Pastor Lawrence Weathersby and his wife Chiquita Weathersby. As pastors of Living The Word church for seven years, they have been involved in numerous community outreaches that help those in need.

“The New Testament church had its first offering that asked those who have, to give to those who have not,” he said. “We are just following what the Bible teaches in the book of Acts.”

But the idea to follow the teachings of the Bible, and doing it, did not come inexpensively, and that’s where Weathersby said his church members stepped up. “We asked church members to help us raise $5,000 so we could gibe free gas to people,” he said.

“We wanted to bless the community in some way, and we’ve already done many food and clothing giveaways. But right now, everyone is touched by these gas prices, so we decided to give free gas.”

When Weathersby took the offering from his 1700 member congregation (from four services), they not only met the goal, but exceeded it, raising $6000.

That provided enough money to give 200 people a voucher for $25 worth of free gas, and Weathersby formulated a plan to give the other $1000 in the form of $25 vouchers to seniors 60 and over who had come to his church in the past month.

The pastor also wanted to hold the giveaway on Good Friday, since he said it was the day Jesus gave the ultimate price for all mankind.

“We tried to think of a way we could really be a blessing, and this seems to be it,” the pastor and his wife agreed, walking down the street an greeting people in the gas line.

The response to the free gas was shocking to most people, but no more than the person who happened to be the 200th recipient. Nora Bowers of Slidell began to cry when the pastor and his wife greeted her, and said she was the final person.

“I only had $10 and didn’t know where I would get the money to go to work next week, and take care of my grandchildren,” she said. “This is unbelievable.”

But the “blessing” was just starting for Bowers.

As she pulled up to the pumps, Weathersby said to fill her tank up, rather than just get $25, and then he told the church members there to bless Bowers if they had a few extra dollars, by throwing money in her car widow.

The church members responded and quickly had a pile of dollar bills including many $20 and $10 bills, on her seat as they hugged her amidst her tears.

“We just kept having people say thank you,” Weathersby said. “The people were loving this and we’re happy we could do it.”

No church members were allowed to get in the gas line, he added.