Fannie via Skype

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A few months after moving back into her new home, the threat of hurricane Gustav forced city officials to give the order to evacuate New Orleans. Before leaving, Fannie made certain to grab her crown. "Everywhere I go, my crown goes. It's very important to me. It keeps me grounded. It lets me know that good things do happen," Fannie says.

After seven anxious days waiting out the storm, Fannie was finally able to return home. To her relief, there was only minor debris in her yard. "Somewhere in my spirit, I just knew that my house would be okay because God had already blessed me to have it done, which was a huge blessing," Fannie says. "I knew it wasn't going to be taken away from me just that easy."