Your charitable contributions enable us to continue to bring disaster relief to communities in need. All donations are tax-deductible....
REMEMBER OUR MINISTRY IN YOUR MONTHLY GIVING!
" I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me." (Matthew 25:35-36 CSB)
Click to visit our BLOG for staff musings and to read the archive newsletter updates.
Sunday Has Come!…. Driving over the causeway on Wednesday, September 10th, headed off
anxiety and fatigue she told her, “It’s okay, Baby Doll, we will go back to Grandma’s house on Sunday!”
from the front seat of her car to where her granddaughter, Faith, was sitting in the back. Shaking with
Galveston Island, as Hurricane Ike was hammering down on the coast of Texas, Sonia looked back
Hurricane Ike hit bull’s-eye onto Galveston Bay, the night of Saturday, September 13th, leaving Galveston Island
without power and under a federal state of emergency. Residents who had remained on the island were being evacuated
rescue went door to door, and the devastation was far worse than even initially believed, as many of the homes appeared to be in decent shape from the exterior, but once you got inside a different story was to be told. Many had suffered feet of water, from the storm surge.
The volunteer team welcomes Mr. Jerry HOME after they have completed the work on his house, last week. He was all smiles, as he rode around in his scooter, exploring his newly completed house.
Little did Sonia know, that for her, as well as so many others, Sunday would come and go, and the authorities would not let anyone back on the island. Barricades were set up, just as you approached the entrance to the causeway, where it became a maze of debris and boats that were deposited there from the storm. This was actually the very first day C4C was able to get access to the island, but local residents were not permitted through.
When they did finally open the island to residents that Wednesday, Sonia and her son came in to assess the damages to their home. To their surprise, the house had taken on over six feet of water, and all that remained was a soggy mess. Sonia, with her compromised health status immediately became physically sick, and had to leave the island, leaving Anthony, her teenage son here to try to see what he could do to begin cleaning up and help other family and friends as well.
Sonia returned a couple of weeks later to the island, determined that if she was not going to just give up and walk away from it all, she had to fight. She began coming to our site at Church of the Living God where we served nearly 30,000 meals to the general public, eating with us regularly. She and her adult daughter and granddaughter were initially living in her car, as their home was completely uninhabitable. Eventually, they moved into a motel, and then a FEMA trailer, but for 11 months have had no HOME.
Well, this past Sunday morning, after spending Saturday shopping and delivering furniture, Sonia called me before church started and left a voice mail on my phone… With a broken voice, “Vicki, SUNDAY HAS FINALLY COME! Grandma’s back HOME and I am cooking dinner for my grandbabies today! Thank God! And, thank you for not giving up on me.”
Sonia's home after Hurricane Ike....
Jerry, a citizen of Santa Fe, on the mainland, had been trying to get work done on his home even prior to the hurricane. When Ike hit, it was a slap in the face, as he now had even more needing to be done, and with his deteriorating health was unable to do it himself so he was depending on his children. With the storm though, they too had suffered damages on their own home and were limited on what they could assist with, on top of the arrival of two beautiful twin baby girls in October.
Jerry was staying in a RV he had parked in his front lawn, which after the storm was leaking severely. With the RV full of his belongs, he had nowhere to even move, and as a result of poor circulation due to Diabetes, he was hospitalized numerous times with the removal of toes and other health issues.
Little by little, he began to believe his home would never get finished, until one day he was there and some volunteers suddenly showed up. Initially, he was shocked and a little upset that he did not even know they were coming. In no time at all though, as they began working around him, he warmed up, and was very appreciative of their presence.
We are in serious need of skilled construction volunteerwho can come one day, week, or month. Your skills will allow families to return home quicker or when they otherwise would not be able to.
We coordinate skilled and unskilled work teams to work on homes and churches in the community.
To schedule your team, please register on our website by visiting our volunteer page of our webiste and filling out the registration form.
Please contact us at info@c4crelief.org for further informaiton or to sign up to volunteer.
HOUSING, MEALS, AND WORK COORDINATION IS PROVIDED TO TEAMS. WE HAVE A SUGGESTED DONATION OF $25/PERSON/DAY.
Donations can be sent to us at our Galveston address given above or through our secure link on our website with your credit card.
Each team that came began getting a little more accomplished, and after his most recent hospitalization and being told he could not return home till the house was finished due to his health concerns, we were able to get things situated at least in part of the house, so he could stay in that portion while the remaining work was completed.
Jerry loves the volunteers being there. One day, I stopped by with building supplies, and he had cut up a water melon for them, as a way of showing his appreciation. I had never seen him smile as much, as when the young volunteers were building him some shelves out of scraps of lumber.
Some of Our AMAZING Teams.....
More Fun Pictures.....
These are some of our AMAZING teams we have hosted over the past couple of weeks. We have had so many wonderful people over the past year who have come to the coast, given their time, sweat, and sometimes even their blood, just to share the love of Christ in practical ways by bringing hope in a hopeless situation.
Homes have been worked on and even rebuilt, but most of all, lives have been changed....Last week alone we had numerous salvations and at least three young people baptised in the Gulf! Love So Amazing!!!!
out, as local authorities insisted, “This is no place for anyone to be right now.” Bodies were being recovered, as search and
After C4C Volunteers!!!
Sonia with daughters, Heather and Liz, and Grandchildren, Faith, Jade and Brooklyn, and neighbors, Pastor and his wife.
Faith playing on Grandma's new bed...
Sonia loves her new, expanded bathroom
At the Open House held on Tuesday, August 11th, Sonia is sharing with her next door neighbor a photo album given to her by C4C of the progress on her home . She admitted to those present, "I had forgotten just how bad my house was till I saw the pictures. I could have never done it without all the volunteer help!"
FACEBOOK
Search for "C4C Relief" under the group application.
This week, our teams have been able to finish the work on the house. We are now working on getting Jerry the remaining furniture and items he needs to finish off this project. He will now have a HOME, and not just a house, to live in.
Sonia's House NOW....
Mr. Jerry with twin grandaughters, Hannah and Kathleen, who were born after Hurricane Ike.
Jocelyn and Vanessa with the PA team, working at Jerry's house.
A hospital bed and handicapped bathroom will make life much more comfortable for Jerry, now that he is living back HOME!
Men from Berlin, PA team with Mr. Jerry
Ladies from Berlin, PA team with Mr. Jerry
YWAM MA team from MN
YWAM MA team from NC
INDIANA TEAM
The Chapel team with Sonia
YWAM MA team from MN
CALIFORNIA TEAM
TEAM COLORADO
MINNESOTA YWAM TEAM WORKING WITH DWAYNE AT THE CHURCH OF CHRIST PARSONAGE
Our YWAM MA summer staff....
Left to right: Chris and Kim each spent two weeks with us, Dale has headed up the YWAM MA here all summer and served as the head cook, and Jordan has served all summer... Not pictured, but part of the summer team was Luke.
Doug Stringer, Founder of Somebody Cares and Turning Point Ministries, shares his personal testimony with volunteer teams and local congregation. Author of such books as, "Whose Your Daddy, Now?"
CA team painting Ralph and Ana's house
Ralph and Ana's house...
new siding and paint
Demo on Ms. Betty's house.... Reconstruction scheduled to begin the beginning of September through a partnership with GCR2's 30N30 Project...
Building 30 homes in 30 days!!!
MN team painting Charlie and Marie's houses
Two young men, excited to be spending their summer vacation in Texas, helping others
Mr. Booker Price with his daughter... We have recently, through a partnership with GCR2 been able to assist many homeowners who are returning home with unmet needs such as new furniture, appliances, and household items. Mr. Price is relaxing on his brand new sofa, just days after returning home after months of recovery from Hurricane Ike!
Ms. Edna, a homeowner, we continue to assist with rebuilding her home and recovery after the storm. Just when she was ready to give up, her daughter called to inquire about assistance for her mom, and we have been able to provide her with some much needed support in her long road home... She hopes to move back home in a couple more weeks, after about 6 ft. of water damaged everything in her home.
One of our youngest volunteers, Abagail (center below), sits painting with volunteers at Mr. Jerry's house. Abagial serves with her family here with C4C as long-term volunteers.
Leah and daughter, Ashley, were recently blessed with household items and furniture.
Brooklyn, Sonia's grandaughter, was born after the storm weighing only 1 pound, 13 ounces...She is a happy, healthy 8 month old!
Our MIRACLE BABY!!!
"No one told me we were supposed to paint 'the walls'!".
Worship with our teams during one of our recent evening services
As we are quickly wrapping up a very busy summer here in Galveston, and the one year anniversary of Hurricane Ike is quickly approaching, it is amazing to look back and see all that God has done…. We do not want to forget that many more families continue to need assistance. Continue to pray that God will give strength to those who continue serving in this long, hard recovery, and for those still hopeless in the midst of a difficult situation. Pray for provisions and volunteers who can come to serve alongside those needing the help.
Thanks to all of the short-term volunteer teams who have served with us, but I especially thank the wonderful group of committed long-term volunteers and staff who have been here this summer. You are all a great part of our ministry here to Galveston, and it has been a lot of fun. As many are leaving, at least for a season to go home and rest and refresh, I cannot help but reflect on all God has done through our earthly hands and feet…
Last week, we had a great team from CO with a young man who turned 11 on Saturday. (Happy Birthday, Jade!) Jade was born with a cleft pallet, and due to that has had multiple surgeries to correct this malformation. He has been in voice lessons, as therapy and also to fulfill the calling God has put upon his life. Before leaving at the end of the week, he shared a beautiful song with us. One line stood out to me, of which sums it all up…. “Love So Amazing!”
When they did finally open the island to residents that Wednesday, Sonia and her son came in to assess the damages to their home. To their surprise, the house had taken on over six feet of water, and all that remained was a soggy mess. Sonia, with her compromised health status immediately became physically sick, and had to leave the island, leaving Anthony, her teenage son here to try to see what he could do to begin cleaning up and help other family and friends as well.
