Denham Springs, LA

I had the honor of attending Grace Community Bible Church (in Denham Springs) today for worship. Each person in that church was weary and hurting, heavy with loss and exhausted by stress and physical labor, but they gathered in a sanctuary of peace to worship our great God and show each other the love of Jesus. It was beautiful. As I sat and listened to Pastor Tim and his church family express their thankfulness and appreciation for ReachGlobal Crisis Response (among many other churches and organizations) and the love displayed through us, I was humbled. I was reminded of why we come alongside those in the midst of crisis, and why we are here on this earth: to shine forth as light in the darkness with the Love of Jesus Christ. It was refreshing and I rejoice to have played a small part in it.

The response to the flooding in Baton Rouge/Denham Springs continues with volunteers helping residents to gut their homes. We worked in roughly 6-8 different homes this week, plus the church building at Grace. We also worked with the church to put together and distribute care boxes to homeowners that contained food, cleaning and household supplies, while checking to see how else we can come alongside them in prayer and service. 

I spent several days out at Grace Community Bible Church, and a home in a nearby neighborhood, pulling out insulation from under the house. Grace Church has two buildings: one that they currently use to worship in, and another older building that wasn't currently being used. The one they use was not flooded, the older one was. In that building we worked to gut the little bit of wall that had gotten wet, scrape old tiles and carpet off the floors and generally clean up/repair the damaged areas. The goal is to come alongside Grace and use that building to house volunteer teams in the coming months and years. The central location of Grace Community Bible Church in Denham Springs makes it a perfect base of operation to reach out to the surrounding neighborhoods. And almost all the them need help. 

Driving anywhere in Denham Springs you see the streets lined with piles of household belongings, old carpet, drywall, flooring, appliances, and furniture. All this came from the homes that sit behind them. The piles vary depending on how much damage the home sustained, or how far the homeowner has come in cleaning it out.  Many people have lost everything. It is sad to see and the extent of it boggles the mind. It really has to be seen in person to get the full impact.


 







That being said, here are the top three ways you can help out and be involved with what God is doing in Denham Springs, LA. 

1. Pray 

Prayer is what will drive this response and keep us focused upon the Lord. People are hurting, grieving the loss of their homes, and growing tired as the restoration process continues. Pastor Tim and his wife, Linda, at Grace Community Bible Church are exhausted from orchestrating the relief response, but are realizing that this a marathon, not a sprint! Pray for them. Our staff are working incredibly hard to get the response up and running, building a partnership with Grace. People are asking questions and wondering why...only Jesus can fill that void and answer those questions; may we have the wisdom to know what to say. 

2. Be a helping hand

Come! Come on down for a weekend, a week, a few weeks...we'll take you. :) Click here for details.

3. Give

If you feel led to give donations you can give in two different ways. 1. Give towards the ministry account for this specific response. 2. Send gift cards for Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, etc. Click here for those details...scroll down near the bottom. 

I will be in Louisiana for three more weeks, splitting my time between serving in Denham Springs and working on my transition home and preparing for future involvement with the ministry. I personally appreciate your prayers as I trust God in this slightly stressful and busy time. :) Can't wait to meet with y'all in person and share stories of how God has been working around and through me! Shoot me a message/email/text if you have ANY questions or just want to chat.