My heart is still aching after listening to 26 congregations introduce themselves at a Partners for Sacred Places meeting in Galveston, Texas. Represented at this meeting were just a few of the many Churches and Synagogues in Galveston that were affected by Hurricane Ike. The meeting was held this past Monday evening, November 17th. They shared how Ike had wreaked havoc in their community and on their facility. Almost all of them ended their introduction with “and we lost everything.” Many took in levels of water from 3 to 9 feet. I was particularly moved by the Pastor of the St. Paul United Methodist Church that said “I am homeless; I had to sleep in my car for two weeks, me and my children”. Wow!! The damage in this area is devastating and so widespread. This was a meeting of the Sacred Places in Galveston, not to mention the devastation of other areas from Freeport, all along the Gulf Coast to Orange, Texas which is almost to the boarder of Texas and Louisiana. I also had an opportunity to meet with the Interim Director of Missions for the Galveston Baptist Association, Grayson Glass who indicated that of the 57 churches in the GBA Association, 18 of them sustained damage and the congregations are trying to recover. So far we have only mentioned the Sacred Places and haven’t begun to describe the condition of the communities and neighborhoods where hundreds of families have lost everything and their homes have been destroyed. I passed through the Northeast side of Galveston where several housing projects are abandoned and ruined meaning that these families that once lived there are now displaced. The entire business section of Galveston known as the Strand is under reconstruction. It looks as if every business in this area is closed and under reconstruction. Can you imagine the financial loss that these businesses are incurring daily while they recover?
So then what can and should we be doing as the Body of Christ to bring transformation to this area of our State and be the presence of Christ in such a devastating situation? First we need to be praying for churches and individuals that have been impacted by Hurricane Ike. Be praying for the emotional health of those that have been impacted and for resources to reach these individuals expediently. Pray that God’s Shalom (His restoration and peace) will come to these affected communities and in the lives of all that have been impacted. Secondly, you can become a part of restoring and rebuilding these affected areas by making yourself and/or your finances available to the restoration efforts. You can go to www.bgct.org/disaster to discover volunteer opportunities and Church 2 Church partnerships that are available and badly needed. Financial assistance can be donated via this site also. Currently numerous families are still displaced. FEMA is attempting to address this dilemma by providing mobile homes as temporary housing. Each mobile home needs a “Living Kit” with household items that will help a family with their new beginning. Information on how to support a family by purchasing a Living Kit is also on this site. The approximate cost of a Living Kit is $450 to $500 dollars. Please seek the Lord on how you can and should respond. Thirdly, the Local Transformational Missions office is working with the Galveston Baptist Association to assess and compile a list of needs of the GBA Churches and their families. This list of needs will be compiled into a monthly booklet and it will also be place on the www.BGCT.org/disaster website. The needs will be formatted into ministry / mission projects where you’ll be able to respond to a need(s) by offering volunteer support and/or funds to help these families and churches.
We are our brothers keeper and many of our brothers and sisters are hurting and suffering loss along the Gulf coast. Will you be in prayer about what your response should be? Feel free to call 888.244.9400 for more information or contact:
Susan Ater
Disaster Response Field Coordinator
210.286.8414
Marla Bearden
Administrative Coordinator
214.537.7358
Wayne Shuffield
Disaster Response Director
214.543.7442
Carolyn Porterfield
C2C Missions Coordinator
214-828-5374
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