‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

When we arrived in Florida after Hurricane Michael, nothing could prepare us for what we saw! The vast damage went on for miles & miles and well into Georgia & Alabama. We met Pastor Jim & Debbie after seeing their Charis Bible College sign on their church. They helped us find the most needy in their area, & we also helped them with the damage to the church. The people in that area will forever be etched on our hearts.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3: 22-23

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." Isaiah 43:2

Little to our knowledge at the time of first deployment, we would be here for sometime & later return again & again. First, Hurricane Laura left SW Louisiana in rubble, then came Hurricane Delta a month later. Just as many of the residents were making the finishing touches on the new remodeled house, the spring brought rains & more flooding. Many homes were gutted twice by spring. Just a year after Hurricane Laura hit, Hurricane Ida made landfall in already ravaged Louisiana. While we were there, we met the most exceptional & resilient people. Mr. Elray touched our hearts in a special way. When we showed up, he was living in his gutted his home. He was in his eighties & we had to help. After mentioning Elray to Operation Blessing, they stepped in & helped. We were able to help Elray have not just a safe & warm home before winter, but it became a house of worship for his church who’s building was demolished after the storm. We tarped & gutted many homes in the area & had to evacuate for Hurricane Delta in the middle of it all. We returned in the spring flooding & then in August of 2021 after Hurricane Ida. We were blessed to help

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92:12-15

Palm Cedar Ministries reached out to us to help with a demo. We have learned a lot about bees on this job, as the walls were full of bees and honeycomb. Jim bought bee boxes and started moving the bees. This is not a simple demo, as we will be saving much of the lumber, as costs of material has skyrocketed. They plan to build a ministry retreat center here. We will be helping with this effort when we have time between disasters. We have already gutted most of the house thanks to wonderful volunteers willing to help. Special thanks to Joshua an 11 year old who told me, he came to serve & not be served. Love his heart! Also, Becky who when we were called to flooding in Louisiana, she changed her schedule and followed us from Georgia to Louisiana! People really are awesome!

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

A 17” rainfall produce a deadly flood that affected three counties in Tennessee. Last we heard 18 confirmed deaths and three still missing. Many homes were lost completely. We were so blessed to team up with Toby from Good Works & Pastor Jamie from Compassion Church. Tennessee is known as the volunteer state for a reason, they are selfless servants & amazing people! When Casey lost his families house, his mother opened up her home to his displaced family of 4. His home was scheduled for demo & they were currently living in a hotel. The mothers floors needed replaced, so Charis Kardia donors bought the flooring & installed it as well as repaired some doors. We had the pleasure of meeting Papa Joe & Chris. They thank God for their lives as they sit on lawn chairs where their house once stood. They lost everything, their house, their cars, & more, but they had their lives. Stuff can be replaced! Mr. Beech lost all his tools in his shop to the flood, but his Desert Storm hat & his American Flag survived on the wall! We spent a day scouring the fields by his house trying to recover what we could. So sad, but uplifting at the same time! A past volunteer offered to replace some of the tools he lost. Love the people God places in our lives, selfless servants ready to help another in need!

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love & His wonderful deeds for mankind. Psalm 107:8

Hope for those ravaged by tornadoes December 2021…

Thanks to volunteers, Christian disaster relief organizations and local communities coming together, many were given the opportunity to rebuild their homes and lives. We were so blessed to come along side Russellville Volunteer Fire Department, Walking with a Swagger & Operation Blessing. This in turn made a bigger & better impact in Kentucky and Tennessee. We restored many homes, gave building materials and dropped free sheds for those who lost so much.