hurricane katrina
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"Hurricane Katrina" Ground Report from International Director Stefan Radelich
"The Church has really stepped up to the challenge and is doing the work of serving Jesus by serving the disadvantaged—
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' (Mat 25:35-36)
Hundreds of churches have opened up their doors and rolled up their sleeves to do whatever it takes to help and to heal those who have lost everything… imagine turning your sanctuary, gym, Sunday School rooms, nursery, etc. into a barracks with mattresses, blankets, etc. for hundreds of scared and traumatized people. Imagine having to clothe and feed them day after day. The saints here have been working tirelessly around the clock, literally 15-18 hours per day non-stop. On the way back home from the first trip I couldn’t keep my eyes open on the flight… couldn’t even drive home from the airport and had to sleep. Haven’t been that exhausted in a long while. The intensity and pace of what has to be done each day is like an adrenaline rush all day long that does not go away.
Sunday morning at Bethany World Prayer Center (one of the church shelters housing 800 people) they had hundreds come to the Lord and about 300 people were water baptized that evening… this is just one example of the Kingdom harvest that is being reaped in these churches. Like the harvest of souls we saw in Thailand and India and Sri Lanka and Indonesia after the tsunami, God’s Spirit is touching hearts and changing lives in response to the natural loss and devastation these people have gone through.
We received a large donation of Bibles from LeSEA Broadcasting and 100,000 NIV Promise Books from Barbour Publishing to distribute to the evacuees. Bibles have been requested frequently and often, praise God for his provision!
Please pray for the Lord to strengthen our brothers and sisters in Christ who are working so hard day after day. Pray for godly volunteers to come and relieve them so they can be refreshed and recharged. Pray especially for all the good-hearted public servants: police, military, firemen, medics, utilities workers, etc. who are down here voluntarily or have remained faithful to man their posts. Pray for their strength and their safety, and that they will not depart without encountering God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Most especially, pray for the men, women, and children who have suffered so much this last week and a half—their biggest concern is not directed toward what they have lost, but whom… they want to be able to contact their family members, friends, and loved ones so that they may know that they are alright.
And please pray for our partners, supporting churches, and businesses that they will be inspired by what their support is accomplishing for the Kingdom and would be encouraged to do more.
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