ORANGE, Texas – The traditional gift for a first anniversary is paper. Tenth is tin. By 50, a couple is up to gold and at 60, the supposed gift is diamond. And for one Texas couple, their 62nd wedding anniversary “gift” was 9 inches of water in their home. James and Jackie’s home was flooded last month by Tropical Storm Imelda, casting a damp cloud over what should have been nothing but a joyous celebration of their 62 years of marriage. Fortunately, God had another gift planned for the … [Read more...]
MSSU students bring relief, hope to hurricane hit Panama City
PANAMA CITY, Fla. – For most college students, spring break provides a welcome rest. But for 16 Missouri Southern State University students with the school’s Baptist Student Union, spring break brought an opportunity to provide relief and hope to those ravaged last year by Hurricane Michael. The team, which also consisted of three adult chaperones, drove from Joplin to Panama City, Fla., where the city and surrounding area remain largely in ruins. MSSU students joined forces with students … [Read more...]
MBC Disaster Relief volunteers respond to Hurricane Florence
WALLACE, N.C. – It hasn’t necessarily dominated the national headlines, but the scope of Hurricane Florence’s impact on the east coast – North Carolina, in particular – has been massive. It may have been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, but the U.S. Geological Survey says the storm still dumped more than 18 trillion – yes, trillion with a T – gallons of water. Fortunately, the flooding rivers and creeks were also met with a flood of aid, including dozens of Missouri Baptist Disaster … [Read more...]
Ham radio message leads to salvation after tornado
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – Ham radio can be the ultimate communication tool during a disaster, and Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief communication volunteers are trained to set up networks and relay messages when all other forms of connection are down. But after a tornado in Iowa, ham radio provided a different type of connection for one man who lost his garage and roof. Jerry Palmer, a communications “Blue Hat” (team leader) from Lawson, was working at the Incident Command Center as Missourians … [Read more...]
NAMB’s SEND Relief aims to bring compassion, aid DR
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Seeking to fill gaps as Southern Baptists serve disaster survivors and other people in need, the North American Mission Board two years ago began Send Relief. The ministry identifies five main areas of need: poverty, refugees and internationals, foster care and adoption, human trafficking and disaster response. “While Send Relief aims to send hope by meeting material needs, the primary reason Send Relief exists is to send the eternal hope of the gospel through compassion … [Read more...]
Mo. Baptists respond to Conn. tornadoes
SOUTHBURY, Conn. – When tornadoes ripped through Connecticut this May, they left chaos in their wake. Thousands of homeowners were left with downed trees, debris and nowhere to turn for help. In the midst of such devastation, teams of volunteers from across the country stepped up to assist in recovery. One of those teams was a group of Missouri Baptist Disaster Relief’s collegiate interns. Armed with a chainsaw, a wood chipper and the Word of God, DR volunteers provide hope, healing and a … [Read more...]
Missouri Baptists send $60,000 to Texas for Harvey Relief
DALLAS – The Missouri Baptist Convention has contributed another $60,000 for the continued recovery of victims of Hurricane Harvey. Missouri Baptist Convention Executive Director John Yeats delivered the check to Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Director Jim Richards while attending the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas, June 12. The MBC sent an earlier check for $275,000 for victim relief through the processes developed and managed through SBTC. … [Read more...]
Deadly central-U.S. storms mobilize DR in 5 states
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers are on the ground and others are on standby after weekend tornadoes and flooding killed five people and damaged homes in five states. Two disaster relief teams have been deployed in Tennessee; Illinois is assessing a response to flooding there; and teams are on standby in Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio, according to reports from state DR representatives and the North American Mission Board (NAMB). About 25 volunteers … [Read more...]
Generous gifts bless Texans in aftermath of Harvey
BEAUMONT, Texas – In its 69-year existence, East Gill Baptist Church here has survived four catastrophic events. But last August, when Hurricane Harvey ripped through the gulf coast, the church’s building met its match. After the storm passed, Pastor Jearon Chew took a boat to the sight of the church. “We were only able to see the roof of the building,” Chew said. For seven days, the church – located in a lower-income area of Beaumont – sat under water. Once the waters receded, they … [Read more...]
FEMA sets Feb. 4 cutoff for Harvey aid applications
WASHINGTON (BP) - Texas churches wishing to apply for federal disaster aid funds following Hurricane Harvey have until Feb. 4 to do so, according to a notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Though such funds long had not been available to churches and other houses of worship, FEMA announced a policy change Jan. 2 amid the pressure of a lawsuit by three small Texas churches and urging from both President Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Now houses of worship … [Read more...]
Missouri university students repair homes in flood-ravaged Houston during the holidays
HOUSTON – Turkey and all the fixings on the table at grandparents house in late November. Nope. For students in Baptist Student Union groups across Missouri and several other states, it was a trip in church vans to Houston, Texas, to begin the rebuilding process for homeowners who were hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. Twenty BSU students from Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Southern State University, Missouri Western University, Missouri Science and Technology University and the … [Read more...]
FEMA: Churches now eligible for recovery funds
WASHINGTON (BP) – Churches whose facilities have been damaged by natural disasters now are eligible to receive relief funds from the federal government, according to a Jan. 2 announcement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "Private nonprofit houses of worship will not be singled out for disfavored treatment within the community centers subcategory of [public assistance] nonprofit applicants," FEMA Recovery Directorate Assistant Administrator Alex Amparo wrote in a guide … [Read more...]
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