Hope Admidst The Heartache
When flash floods descended on Texas Hill Country on the morning of July 4, over 135 lives were lost, so many more were missing, and more than 2,000 homes and structures were damaged or destroyed in Kerr County alone.
In the midst of it all was the tragic loss of so many children, including those at Camp Mystic and the surrounding areas. Time seemed to stand still. Together, the nation grieved as they faced the heartache and absorbed the shock.
As the flood waters receded, massive efforts would be required to clean up and rebuild what was devastated. More than that, hearts would also need to be mended. And thanks to you, so many families were met with the physical and spiritual help they needed.
Rick Johnson and his wife narrowly escaped drowning by climbing through a rear window of their home. “How I got that window open I’ll never know. God’s strength, period,” Rick attested. “God gave me strength first, then He gave me light with a lightning bolt.”
In that critical moment when the lightning flashed, Rick managed to grab a tree branch in his backyard. Holding his wife, he swung up higher into the sycamore tree then wrapped his legs around it. Rick and his wife held on to that tree for nearly two hours, shivering in the cold water until it was safe to climb down.
During their time of crisis, Rick said he felt “heart-swelling love and appreciation” for the helpers who showed up to assist the people in their community. “This house was gutted in no time. It was emptied in no time,” said Rick. “Now [the wreckage is] getting hauled away as fast as possible.”
Through your support, Hand of Hope, Joyce Meyer Ministries World Missions partnered with Mercy Chefs and Transformation Church to serve thousands of meals to survivors and first responders and provide essential supplies to families, like the Johnsons, who had nowhere else to turn.
“Churches [are] working together with one common goal and that is to get people’s lives back in order,” Pastor Jeff Talarico of Transformation Church said. “Right now, there are people that have no place to stay. There are people that lost all their clothes. There are people who might not [have] as much damage in their house, so it’s a quick gift card to Lowe’s and they’re back in business. But whatever that need is, we’re trying our best to fulfill it.”
Sometimes that need is a simple meal and an encouraging word. Someone to stand with you in the fight.
“All the people along the river…especially all the children who lost their lives. This is different on so many levels,” Mercy Chefs founder Gary LeBlanc said. “We just want these meals to bring a little hope, a little comfort. We pray that it’s a place where they can begin recovery and restoration. We also know that we can only go if someone sends us. We only get to go because of the folks that support Joyce Meyer Ministries.”
Amidst the pain—amid the heartache, the mess, and struggle to figure it all out—you were there in central Texas to share the love of Jesus in real and tangible ways.
Restoring Hope in St. Louis
On Friday, May 16, a mile-wide tornado tore through metro St. Louis, Missouri, leaving behind a 22-mile path of downed trees, destroyed homes, rubble…and heartbreak. The twister claimed five lives and damaged over 5,000 homes and other buildings. Tens of thousands lost power and stunned survivors checked in on loved ones and began searching through their scattered belongings.
Because of your support, Hand of Hope partnered with God’s Pit Crew, Mercy Chefs, and Eight Days of Hope to respond immediately. Together, we helped to clear debris, tarp damaged roofs, cut down fallen trees, and provide life-sustaining meals. In fact, from May 19-24 alone, we served over 5,700 meals to those in desperate need.
“It’s one thing to see devastation on TV, it’s another thing to see it firsthand,” said volunteer Connie Lyle. “We were honored to deliver some of the meals. It lets people know that you love them and you care, and that the love of God is real. The joy in these people’s faces when they received this food is pretty staggering.”
Partners, you were there as these precious people stood in the rubble, in utter shock, looking at what was left of their family homes. Together, we let them know that God loves and sees them…then rolled up our sleeves and helped them start again.
“We’ve gotten to pray with people, and to bring some peace and life into a very hard and dark situation,” said Melanie McClure, Hand of Hope’s domestic outreach manager. “But it’s going to take a while for this part of the city to come back.”
This year, you sent a lifeline to thousands of people in St. Louis and Texas. After the winds calmed, and the waters receded, you were right there—with meals, some extra muscle, supplies, and a message of God’s love to carry them through it all.
