Like you, I am horrified by the natural disaster unfolding before our eyes. From Hurricane Harvey to tornadoes to the devastating floods in Houston, we are witnessing tremendous anguish and suffering.
MercyWorks exists to reach out to people afflicted by war, famine, extreme poverty and natural disaster. We often reach out to people halfway around the world. Now, we have opportunity to minister in our own backyard.
This morning our staff met for prayer for those impacted by Harvey, a storm the head of FEMA describes as a “landmark event that the United States has not seen yet.” The Insurance Information Institute says flood damage may equal that of Hurricane Katrina, the most expensive natural disaster in the history of the United States.
Because of the ongoing nature of the rains and floods, along with requests from officials to stay away until after the storm has passed, we are busy mobilizing our response teams to go to Houston as soon as possible.
MercyWorks has ministry partners in Houston that we will be working with in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Specifically, our teams will focus on three major areas:
- Delivery of baskets of food and water and emergency supplies.
- Gutting of homes for people without flood insurance and helping in the rebuilding efforts.
- Meeting spiritual needs through distribution of Bibles, prayer, grief counseling, fellowship and serving the elderly.
Donations and volunteers will be desperately needed. To donate to the MercyWorks response efforts in Houston, click here. To volunteer with us and be a part in reaching out to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, click here.
