Jesus Our Help

I am on my way home from five weeks in SW Florida as I begin to write this note.  It feels like a very good thing to be headed home.  My husband is there, my puppy dog is there, my very own bed is there, and many family members and friends are close at hand.  My home is safe, secure and sanitary (at least relatively sanitary!), and I expect yours is too.  As I head toward Friendswood, Texas, my heart and mind remain in SW Florida – in the towns of Naples, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers and Cape Coral which were heavily impacted by Hurricane Ian’s 15 foot storm surge.  I have some new friends in those towns, and their homes are neither safe, nor secure, nor sanitary.  My heart breaks for them, and I yearn to do more to help.  It is hard to go back to “normal” when the lives of those you have come to love are so far from “normal”.  My hope is to return in January to help some more.  In the meantime, I want to share a few stories and lessons from the heart of the crisis…

Every Home Has a Story

As we moved about the communities that make up the densely populated and hard-hit west coast of Florida, we were quick to realize that every home has a story.  A crisis like a hurricane doesn’t happen in isolation.  It happens on top of the difficulties that are already being faced in each home. 

• Mimi’s flood came on top of her second foot surgery in six months.  Standing on crutches, trying to avoid putting weight on her foot, the task before her seemed insurmountable.  
• Carolyn’s flood landed on her isolation.  Living as a widow with her only son a long-haul truck driver, Carolyn was fretful, wondering how she was going to be able to tend her needs without anyone to help.
• Wanda’s flood came just as she was getting her footing after becoming a widow three years ago.  Ready at last to step into a new season of life, she had just finished remodeling her home.  Thousands of dollars of improvements were destroyed by floodwaters. 
• Marvin’s flood arrived on top of the crisis of dementia, which was already making normal life difficult for Marvin and his brother, Jim.    

Each of these precious people (and so many more) welcomed staff and volunteers from Reach Global Crisis Response into their homes and lives in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. We were privileged to be the hands and feet of Jesus, coming alongside to help quell the crisis that landed on top of their crisis.

Hope is Just as Important as Help

We met John about four weeks after Hurricane Ian had flooded his home.  An eighty-year-old man, he was living in his recently flooded mobile home.  Rescuing what he could from the flood, John and his two cats set up housekeeping in the living room heedless of the mold that was beginning to creep up the walls.  Too overwhelmed by the task of cleaning up the wet insulation and collapsing floors, John figured that his alternative to staying in his mold-infested home was to “move into a box under a bridge.”  But then the power of community stepped in.  Two men John hardly knew showed up and announced, “we are here to help.”  Together these three octogenarians began the slow task of removing the crumbling particle board flooring, hoping to replace it with plywood.  It only took a few days for the men to wear themselves out, and for family and friends to reach out asking Reach Global Crisis Response to step in and help.  We received no less than six referrals for this one home.  Clearly, many people were concerned.  We were glad to go visit John and meet the neighbors who had come alongside to help. Kat and I stood and visited with John, listening to his story, as the assessment team looked over the home.  After the assessment, we were able to affirm that, yes, we could come alongside to help.  John was moved to tears – and to hugs.  Lots of hugs!  I think each member of the team received multiple hugs from this grateful man.  After we wrapped up the paperwork and prayed with John, he turned to Kat and to me and said, “My neighbors brought me so much help, and that was great, but you have brought me hope.”   John was at a very low point when his neighbors walked through the door offering help.  Now we had the privilege of adding hope to his story.  What a joy that is! 

Please pray for these wonderful homeowners as they begin to recover from Hurricane Ian. Thankfully many of them are beginning to take steps down the road to recovery. We are looking forward to taking that journey with them as well!  As the Reach Global Crisis Response team comes alongside, pray that we would be able to offer practical help along with emotional and spiritual support.  Our heart’s desire is to point them to Jesus every step of the way, so they can find that Jesus is truly their help, their hope, and their healing. 

How Can You Help?

You can help by praying for the effectiveness of the ministry of Reach Global Crisis Response. Pray for God’s presence to be made known in the lives of those impacted by Hurricane Ian.

You can help by serving in Florida with a church team, a small group or even as an individual. Volunteers make a crucial contribution to the long-term impact of this ministry (Contact gail.degray@efca.org or respond@efca.org).

Finally, you can help by giving. The EFCA Hurricane Ian Relief Fund will help Reach Global Crisis Response sustain a ministry presence in Florida as we can come alongside churches and homeowners through a long season of recovery. You can also support me personally by making a one-time donation toward my expenses, or by giving on a monthly basis to support me long-term in this ministry. Gail DeGray-2312

Because Jesus is our help, hope, and healing,
Gail DeGray
Trauma Care Associate
gail.degray@efca.org