(Note: this is a little late: we’re now finishing our second week in Ft Myers. We’ll update that soon)
Gail and I are excited to be serving for several weeks at the Ft Myers response site (Hurricane Ian). The ministry has been here for over a year now and continues to help many homeowners to rebuild and recover from the storm. However the big thrill is to see some homeowners coming into a saving relationship with Christ and many growing as his disciples despite their losses in this storm.
The first week we did two major things: (1) worked with staff in homes, and (2) reconnected with homeowners. There wasn’t a volunteer team this week, but there were several Crisis response staff members in town and we worked together to make progress in at least four homes. Here’s a montage:
But the more important part of our time was spent with homeowners. The very first day after we arrived I (Bob) was given the assignment of painting four interior doors which were to be put up later in the week. That first day I accomplished precisely one eighth of my assignment (two coats on one side of one door). When asked why I had to give a one word answer: “peopling.” Gail and I went to see Wanda, who we’ve known for over a year now and caught up on recent events and her first great-great-grandchild. Then we got a call from Wanda’s daughter Lynn and went over to her house (which they recently moved back into) to hear a medical update on her husband Michael and pray for him. We also saw John Geisey and a few other folks from “the park” (Spring Creek Village).
Two days later we went to put up doors and to paint at John Geisey’s home. Johns home has been more or less finished for several months, but he keeps finding things that need to be done and we (Crisis Response) keep doing them because the relationship with John is a beautiful thing.
John’s home was flooded in the hurricane and at first he tried to put it back together himself. But John is in his eighties, and it was just too much. So he allowed Crisis Response to help. Through relationship with Gail and Kat and with others John moved from “God couldn’t love me” to “I’m interested” to “I’m almost there” to a faith commitment to Christ. Now he attends church every week and is growing in the Lord. Just last week, he told us, the sermon was on temptation, and he felt the preacher was talking to him, because he’s got a lot of temptations. This past Sunday the sermon was on forgiveness and “He [the preacher] was looking straight at me again, because I’m not a very good forgiver.” It’s exciting to work with new believers and to be part of what God is doing in their lives.
Well, that’s a snapshot of the first week. In weeks two and three we are working with teams from Wisconsin helping them be the hands and feet and heart and voice of Jesus in this community.
In Him
Bob and Gail
P.S. If you would like to be on our frequent pray-ers team and get more frequent updates by email, send a note to rjdegray@gmail.com, (Bob) gsdegray@gmail.com (Gail) or comment on this post. If you would like to support our ministry financially, visit Giving: Bob and Gail DeGray. As part of our transition to long term ministry, we need to meet our monthly support goal, and we’re still about $1200 a month short. Any monthly gift, even a small one, would be greatly appreciated.