Hurricane Irma Response: Still There and Praising God!

by Joel King, Regional Disaster Response Coordinator, Key West, Florida (November 10, 2017)Work continues in Key West to rebuild in the community. Pastor Bill Welzien’s house has had a number of repairs performed and is in the process of getting the siding and windows replaced on the house. The church has sustained only minor damage, and most items have already been repaired. The church sign is destroyed but a temporary banner hangs instead, telling the neighborhood that the church is still there and praising God!In the community, debris in common areas is starting to disappear, but a great deal remains when you venture away from the main streets. Piles of debris and garbage have long littered the sides of roads, but the process of picking it up continues steadily. Repairs have been made to a few homes in the church family, working on soffits, siding, flashing, and doors to prevent further water intrusion. However, there are several families with work still remaining. Drywall, roofing, soffit/flashing work, and electrical problems are still evident. An added challenge in Key West is the height for working on a few of the projects, given that so many houses are elevated on posts due to the low-lying area.Three visits (comprising 4 teams from 5 churches) have occurred so far since Irma hit Key West about two months ago, including a team that is currently onsite in Key West. We are extremely grateful for those teams and their work, but have needs for continued help, particularly from skilled workers. Please pray for the continued clean up, the onsite team making further assessments and repairs, and that additional skilled workers will be available for the work remaining.  The Lord has already seen fit to use this storm for Pastor Bill and others to witness to neighbors and friends further, and our hope continues to be that the Lord would see fit to use this time to call others unto Him!

Other Reports from Key West:

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Thank you, Volunteers!

Many thanks to those who have served with OPC Disaster Response in Key West to date:

• Patricia Baldeo
• Peter Bartuska
• Mark Brintnall
• Matt Gertler
• Taylor Imperi
• Chad Mullinix
• Zion Needham
• Matt Neumann
• Elisabeth Neumann
• Eric Pastorek
• Jerry Poulette
• Rhonda Riffe
• Michelle Strassel
• Bonnie Sturgis
• Tevis Thompson
• “Rescue” Raun Treible
• Tim Warner
• Bill Welzien
• Billy Welzien