After staying home for the holidays, Gail and I went places in January. This post talks about our visit to a church in Bastrop, our drive to Nebraska and our return to a rare Houston snow storm. The next post will talk about our first trip to the response site in North Carolina.
Meeting a Church
It’s always a joy and a privilege to meet with those who are supporting you, or are considering supporting you. Gail and I got to meet with Bastrop Bible Church on Sunday January 12. We attended Sunday School, spoke during the service, got to talk with many church members and had a nice lunch with pastor Robert Oliver and his son. They were especially interested in how Crisis Response would be involved in the Los Angeles fires, because their people had been impacted by the Bastrop County fires in 2011. We assured them that Evangelical Free churches in the fire area were mobilizing to respond and Crisis Response would help, especially with crisis trauma care. In fact, Katrina will be there this weekend (February 1-5).
Finding Hope
Speaking of trauma care, this month also saw the final editing and publication of the book that Katrina, Gail and I worked on last summer. Finding Hope is a set of five Bible studies specifically tailored for those who have been through a crisis. We decided to publish it on Amazon, and you can find it by searching for “Finding Hope Katrina Welch”
Camping Gail and I decided to camp in the van near Bastrop, even though the weather was cold. We stayed at Granger Lake and got to take a nice hike near Georgetown. We do love staying in the van. It was one of the best purchases we’ve ever made.
Nebraska The week after our trip to Bastrop we drove to Nebraska (in the Camry, not the van) to attend the memorial service for our co-worker Brett Huss. Brett died tragically in a non-work-related fall in Florida last November. The service was sad but joyful, as his years of service to God were dearly remembered. As Brett always used to start his prayers, “Thank You, Jesus.” About a dozen Crisis Response folks were able to make the trip, and the Fort Myers staff had a quilt made from the many t-shirts Brett had worn.
Bartlesville Gail and I have a dear friend in Bartlesville, Oklahoma whose home was perfectly situated as a stopping point to and from Nebraska. We had a great time catching up with each other and also got to see the site of “the little house on the prairie” from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books.
Snow Day We arrived back from Nebraska on Monday, January 20th, and on the 21st we had an exceedingly rare Houston snow day. We only got about four inches in the Houston area, though others further east got as much as ten. Still, it was a joy to experience and a joy to see so many of our grandchildren playing in their first snowfall.
Thanks to all those who support us in this ministry. Your partnership makes it possible for us to help others. If you would like to support us, with ongoing or one-time gifts, visit Bob and Gail DeGray Giving. If you would like to be on our frequent pray-ers team, just reply to this post or drop us an email.