Hurricane Ike Need for Relief

November 7, 2008

Greetings to members of the General Assembly Council, Middle Governing Body executives, and friends,

While headline-grabbing news of the ongoing economic crisis and national election fever has dominated our airwaves and front pages in recent months, the cries of our brothers and sister whose lives were overturned by Hurricane Ike have gone primarily unheard and unheeded.   Hurricane Ike hit land over the Texas Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm late in the night of September 12, with wind gusts up to 160 miles per hour, and was considered to have caused some of the worst storm destruction in U.S. history.  The damage in the greater Houston area alone is estimated at $8.9 billion.
In the wake of such devastation, what is Christ calling us to do?

From Bridge City, Texas, a second grade teacher reports that not only did she and her family lose everything in their home, but at the school where she taught – which stood flooded in ceiling-high water – she sustained losses of all of the resources and materials that she had acquired over two decades of teaching.  What is Christ calling us to do?
Because news of the devastation created by Hurricane Ike – like this teacher’s story – virtually fell off the front pages of our newspapers, while also rapidly disappearing from evening news broadcasts and major websites, donations and volunteer sign-ups have been at a record low number.  We have not even begun to approach the level of resources that we need to help the affected individuals, families and businesses with long-term recovery, a ministry that Presbyterian Disaster Assistance [http://www.pcusa.org/pda/] does so well.   What is Christ calling us to do?

A GAC team from assembled on Tuesday of this week in order to update our strategy for continued presence of this tremendous need within our synods, presbyteries, congregations and the mainstream media.  This will include letters to middle governing bodies and pastors, news articles, frequent web updates, an ad this coming Tuesday in the New York Times, and possible other messages in the mainstream, where there is a large concentration of Presbyterians.  Presbyterian Disaster Assistance staff will also be meeting with the Katrina and Ike stakeholders next week.

Because Christ is calling each of us not to forget or forsake our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster, I appeal to you now to encourage those with whom you come into contact to pray without ceasing – worship resources are available through the PDA Website [http://www.pcusa.org/pda/tools/resources-worshipresources.htm] - and to give generously of their financial resources and their time, so that we as the church can reach out with Christ’s love.  [ http://www.pcusa.org/pda/donate.htm]  PDA issued a church wide appeal in the weeks after Ike hit.  PDA’s initial ask was for $7 million, which has recently been pared back to $4.5 million.  To date, we have received less than $80,000.  It will take at least $750,000 simply to establish three volunteer villages in PDA’s mission to help the most vulnerable.  What is Christ calling us to do?

With resources to be able to do so, we will touch people like an elderly couple in Surfside, Texas, whose home was destroyed by Ike.  The husband is paralyzed and in a wheelchair.  The wife suffers from stage 4 cancer.  They have only disability income and no resources to repair their home.  When asked why they hadn’t contacted anyone for assistance their response was, “We know that there are others out there in a lot worse shape than we’re in and we want them to get help first.” 

What is Christ calling us to do?

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to continue to encourage those you know to support PDA’s efforts so that we may be the love-scarred hand of our Savior, reaching out to the least of these and seeing that the last are made first.

Faithfully yours,
Linda 

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