Hurricane Harvey Response: Shared Work, Prayer, and Generosity

by Mark Sumpter, Regional Home Missionary, Presbytery of the Southwest (October 13, 2017) What do you get when six OPC volunteers join a family of four for a brief moment of reflection on the hard work accomplished in their home the day before? A brief season of thanksgiving to God!The group included two of our deacons, one of whom led us in prayer. Then we gave the family a door-step gift bag of Bible reading resources, gospel booklets, and a $25 gift card, before we left.The family comes from a Roman Catholic background. As two of us headed down the driveway, the wife caught up with us. She wanted a hug. She teared up, and said, "I can't believe the help we're getting."She not only had in mind the reconstruction work we'd done (our OPC crew worked alongside this family, shoulder to shoulder, putting in insulation and hanging dry wall), but the additional gift cards they'd received to purchase building materials at a local home improvement store.

Jeff Davis, our current Site Coordinator in Houston, commented a little later, "This is exactly what we want our outreach to look like -- sharing the work with a family, combined with generosity in the name of Christ."

God is answering prayer!