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November 06, 2005
Hurricane Update
"He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing." (Deuteronomy 10:18)
Thanks to your gifts, we have been able to help dozens of families replace lost clothing and curriculum as a result of the tragedies along the Gulf Coast. In addition to this, we have also been able to relocate one homeschooling family, the Townsends, from the New Orleans area.
While passing through Houston, the Townsends providentially visited Books on the Path and our church the week before Katrina struck the region. Although their home was spared serious damage, their financial infrastructure was gone. You see, this family, composed of a single mother and two daughters, depended on giving music lessons (harp and flute) and playing at small events and tea rooms in the New Orleans area. These opportunities were wiped out in the post-Katrina city.
After we discovered the new challenges they faced, we determined to do all we could to help them reestablish themselves in another area. It turned out they were already in prayer about moving, looking for a family-integrated church that holds to the historic truth of Scripture. With a team of four men from Family Reformation Fellowship and two trailers, we left Houston on a mission to move them out of the city that had been their home for two decades.
The effects of the storm grew more severe as we approached New Orleans. Homes along the Gulf were destroyed. Steeples were blown off churches. Roads were closed, traffic was snarled. We arrived in a darkened New Orleans at 8:00 pm. It seemed as if we had entered a Third World nation. Refuse was piled everywhere along the roadside. Humvees patrolled the streets while Black Hawk helicopters circled overhead. We had to wait until dawn to start loading due to the city-wide curfew.
Starting first thing the next morning, it took us just a few hours to load up the belongings of this family and begin the long trek back to Texas.
Your funds have helped us move the Townsends to the Houston area, where they have become a part of our family, ministry, and community!
This is just a small glimpse into how you have helped many families. Thank you for being sensitive to the needs of your brothers and sisters in the Lord. May the Lord bless your households and continue to bless your efforts!
"And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’" (Matthew 25:40, NKJV)
Posted by jm at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)