Category: Hurricane Response 2017-2019
by David Nakhla, OPC Disaster Response Coordinator Almost from its beginning, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church has been concerned with bringing “a cup of cold water” in the name of Christ to those affected by disasters. Yet most would agree that it was Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that served as the catalyst for our current form of disaster response. The Lord
This is a brief overview of the OPC’s disaster response efforts in 2019. If you would like to register as a Disaster Response Volunteer, sign up today!
I don’t think I would have this door for ministry with “S” had it not been for an unlikely providence of the Lord, as follows…
It has been a wonderful experience to do this work and I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this important ministry of the OPC ..
The much-forecasted arrival of Hurricane Florence finally occurred on September 14, 2018, in Wrightsville Beach, NC, as a Category 1 hurricane. Florence caused a storm surge of as much as ten feet above sea level in New Bern, NC …
I persisted in trying to open up some form of positive conversation and did succeed in getting her to converse a bit. She was intrigued by the topic of grieving and community …
By the grace of our Lord and the assistance you gave, we are once again made whole. Words cannot express the impact you’ve had and how grateful we are to you…
This trailer provides a preview of the video on the story of the OPC’s Hurricane Harvey Response efforts in Houston, Texas …
Find out where OPC Disaster Response is currently mobilized and how to get involved…
NEW HORIZONS, March 2019: Stirring up gifts in the body of Christ in Houston and throughout our presbytery means helping one another to see the wide-open door for compassionate service in the wake of the hurricane. Having a full-time evangelist here for Harvey households includes his role in equipping all of us to do this work…
Many thanks to Hurricane Florence volunteers who have served in North Carolina since the autumn of 2018…
Many thanks to Hurricane Maria Response volunteers who served in Puerto Rico…
Many thanks to Hurricane Harvey volunteers who have served in Houston since the autumn of 2017…
David Chism from New Hope OPC (Frederick, MD) led a hurricane response team to Puerto Rico in November 2018. He created this video to document the trip…
NEW HORIZONS, December 2019: The development of a response plan by the disaster response team and diaconal committee of the PSE, in conjunction with information from local church officers, allowed us to ensure that each of our church members was accounted for and property damages were assessed once the storm hit…
Check out this 1 minute video clip from one of the families helped by OPC Disaster Response volunteers in Houston…
“They want to share God’s love with everybody…”
Serving on a disaster response team or short-term missions team is an opportunity to live out your faith by working at the intersection of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission…
Please do not consider this the end of the story in Houston….The impact of this storm on the lives of millions of people and thousands of businesses is still being profoundly felt and experienced…
There are truly no words to express the gratitude we feel having such a church as the OPC to come around us and help in our deepest time of need. I will never forget what God has done for us, and my faith has strengthened…
NEW HORIZONS, June 2018: Not only had God sent them to Houston to serve and to give, but also to be served and to receive the blessings of fellowship awaiting them among the saints in Houston…
This has to be one of the greatest things the OPC has done recently…
Our prayer is that through the outreach ministry of disaster relief and recovery, we in the OPC can help people find an enduring answer to the question of “why?” It will be manifested by the work we do of physical and material assistance we provide in the name of Christ, and by the testimony of the gospel that we proclaim
From Jeff Davis, Site Coordinator: I was blessed to spend time with the team of 37 volunteers from the URC Youth Group in Dutton, Michigan. They proved to be very well organized and joyful in their work and play time…
Every person that we helped was so genuinely thankful and appreciative of the work. But while the help that we gave was very beneficial to the people, the impact that these people made on us was so much greater than the help they could have received from us…
The work here is unquestionably important and an incredible opportunity for us to reach people spiritually. I am confident that our love in action has touched many, many people and has borne witness to Christ’s love…
Great photos of a combined Reformed Mission Services and OPC team that traveled to Puerto Rico in May 2018 to work on damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017…
What began as a frenzied effort to respond to the immediate aftermath of the worst hurricane to hit Texas in decades, and the worst flooding in the Houston area in living memory, has blossomed into a sustained work of mercy and outreach in one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the United States…
Now that daily life is returning to normal in Puerto Rico with the restoration of electricity, water, internet, etc., more attention can be directed to buildings and property that sustained damage in the storm…
Daily devotions set the tone for the outreach aspect of this ministry which is focused on being the hands and feet of Jesus. This leads to occasions almost every day for evangelistic conversations…
On behalf of those in Key West, we wish to express thanks for the concern, prayers, volunteers, and gifts sent…
Hurricane Maria exposed our vulnerability and revealed the power of God. Spiritual needs have now come to the surface, and the restoring power of Jesus is seen even more clearly . . .
NEW HORIZONS, February 2018: “We know that God calls us to do our work with devotion, and we want to spread the gospel where God puts us … Our goal is to be present and minister … “
Photos of hurricane response leaders and volunteers who have served in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico since 2017…
Thank you to all of you who have expressed interest in traveling to Puerto Rico to help with disaster response. THANK YOU for this desire and willingness to go. It’s wonderful. What a blessing…
Thank you for coming and pulling out sheetrock, spraying vinegar and mold control, pulling out nails, demolishing bookcases, packing, cleaning, running errands, moving furniture, sweeping, repairing sheetrock . . .
Hurricane Irma volunteers who served in Florida in 2017…
NEW HORIZONS, December 2017: “Why has God blessed us? So that we would be a channel of God’s blessing to others…”
NEW HORIZONS, December 2017: “We don’t want to be known as ‘OPC Building and Construction’….We want to be known as ‘OPC Building and Ministry…'”
As Christians, we must refuse to resign to feelings of helplessness and must instead stand in the great promises and instructions of our great shepherd, King Jesus – who has not left us helpless…
Members of the Presbytery of New Jersey would like to see individuals and teams visit Puerto Rico to bring encouragement and to assist in outreach opportunities. There are many occasions to point to the true hope found in Jesus Christ…
The conversation became an occasion for our Christian friends to testify how God has been helping them through their flood recovery. These kinds of conversations happen regularly and God continues to open doors for ministry…
The Lord has already seen fit to use this storm for Pastor Bill Welzien 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 . . .
Because of the work that we were able to do on behalf of our neighbors, the reputation of our works of service and our church have risen significantly…
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…
The team was able to finish with the debris at Pastor Bill Welzien’s house and at the home of a friend of his. This friend, who doesn’t attend Keys OPC, was overwhelmed with the support shown to him and came to church the following Sunday…
With no power, cell, internet, and unpredictable water…life has completely changed for this young family of seven and all in their community. It’s like civilization stepped backwards 100 years . . .
God’s grace was truly evident to us through the recent hurricane. I would like to share a couple of tokens of that grace . . .
After four days and and still little news to report out of Puerto Rico, we are concerned. We are not assuming that “no news is good news.” Please be in prayer for the 3.4 million inhabitants of this island, and in particular, those from our churches there . . .
Ellen wrote: “Three angels named Jeff, Rick, and Kenley came over today. They left us delightfully encouraged, prayed over, and feeling rescued. God knew what I needed more than I did. Jesus blessing to you all.”
The debris that is scattered everywhere is overwhelming….The sheer volume of the debris is substantial, as most trees across the Keys are either down or stripped bare…
“… it’s a huge deal. Huge.” To her, the pastor-led volunteer group was a gift from heaven . . .
What a great day this was with the team from Michigan and the Haitian Hurricane Heroes. Thanks for your prayers! Tomorrow we will be working in our neighborhood, The Shores. Please pray for opportunities to share the hope of Christ . . .
We have entered homes and businesses inundated by flooding to tear out and clear away ruined furniture and household belongings, walls, floors, carpeting, cabinets, and plumbing. We are endeavoring to offer solace and support in the name of Jesus…
Brothers and sisters, there is much to thank the Lord for with this initial report… More details will be forthcoming as more assessments will be made on others homes and property . . .
Reports from our churches that were in the path of Irma…
Good morning from Naples on what will most likely be, simply put, a day of enormous calamity here in Southwest Florida . . .
What seems like an impossible task that can lead one to despair can suddenly become bearable when the Lord’s people respond to the call to serve one another generously and without reserve. God has been good . . .
It has been surreal here the last few days not knowing where this storm will make landfall: People are on edge all over town as I’ve seen loud parking lot arguments, road rage incidents, and shopping-cart-rage incidents in stores! Some gas stations have long lines down the street, others are completely empty because they have no more gas . . .
Reports from around Haiti are encouraging. We are grateful for your prayers and the fact that the path of the storm was well to the north of Haiti…
The structure of our church didn’t suffer any damage. All the members are OK, to my knowledge. The only problems are: electricity and water. We praise the Lord that He preserved us from that huge Hurricane . . .
A number of families from two OP churches in the Houston area have been impacted by the flooding in various ways. This presents us with the opportunity to come alongside and help them to recover . . .
OPC Disaster Response has been in contact with the OPC church leaders in the Houston area all through the weekend. Stay tuned to our Facebook page . . .
Hurricane Harvey is expected to make landfall in Southeastern Texas on Saturday morning. Just to its east in Houston there are two OPC churches, an OPC Bible Study work, other sister churches, and more than 2 million people…