Disaster Relief

August 12, 2020

Lisa Garon

Recently, we talked with Roland Johnson, one of our Community Impact Leaders in our Domestic Ministry. Roland serves on domestic disaster relief teams, under the direction of our long-time partner Samaritan’s Purse. Ministering to the physical and spiritual needs to those who find themselves in the wake of a natural disaster, like flood, hurricane, tornado, or a fire, is the specialty of those like Roland who answer the call to go. Below he describes what a typical day looks like.

“After a time of breakfast, devotions, and prayer in the morning, we depart from our base in teams of 8 to 16 people. Our goals are to help the homeowner’s with whatever physical damage their home has experienced, along with sharing the good news of the Gospel through our service. In the case of natural disasters, there is often a physical and mental paralysis that sets in with the homeowner.

When we arrive at a home and hear the homeowner’s story, we can often sense the desperation and grief they either have experienced or are experiencing. We share that we are there to share their burden and help them get back on the road to recovery. We ask if we could pray with them and then we circle up and pray.”

Even though the work can be physically difficult, Samaritan’s Purse is great about providing opportunities for both young and old, male and female, and those who can’t do hard physical labor. We work at a pace that each of us can handle. Be the end of the work, the homeowner’s helplessness has often been turned to joy.

Along with the disaster relief teams, chaplains are provided to come beside us and minister with us. The chaplains visit each homeowner and discuss spiritual matters. As we finish at every home, we present a copy of a special edition Bible which gets signed by all of the volunteers that have worked on the home. This presentation is a special time of sharing between teams and the homeowner. One of the fantastic joys often experienced is seeing a homeowner who has accepted Christ while serving at their home!

Roland recollects an experience like this.

“We were working at the home of a husband and wife whose house had experienced some high wind damage. She had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor some 10 years earlier, at which time the doctors said she probably had less than 2 years to live. She was a Christian and she shared that she had prayed for her husband for 20+ years to accept Christ but he hadn’t done so as yet. Well as it turned out, her husband was home from work sick the day we worked on their house. When the chaplains visited and while we were working on their home, the husband accepted Christ as his Savior! What a praise God moment!”

Please be praying for Roland as he and a few others head to Iowa in a few days to provide relief for the areas affected by the recent storm.

We love to celebrate you going to be the hands of Jesus to those in need. To learn more about Domestic Ministry, including Disaster Relief Trips, visit ccclife.org/domestic.