Wednesday morning I arrived back in the Central Texas Conference offices from Montgomery, Alabama. Jolynn and I had been gone for the previous three and a half days while I had the honor and joy of serving as the Conference Preacher for the Alabama- West Florida Annual Conference.
A few years ago, terrible tornados ripped through the Auburn, Alabama area (the northeastern part of Alabama-West Florida). With other United Methodists all across the nation, Central Texas responded in offerings and prayers for those affected. While in Montgomery, the prayers and concerns of the good people of the Alabama-West Florida for those affected by the flooding in Texas was a constant blessing.
As I settle back into my office, such a trip into another Conference reminds me again of just how powerful the United Methodist connection is! We do far more together than we could ever do separately. Already the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has sent an immediate financial grant for help plus other support.
In coming back to the office, I checked in with the Center for Mission Support. Rev. Laraine Waughtal, the Central Texas Conference Disaster Response Coordinator, reports that our response to the flooding and tornadoes has been immediate not only across our conference but also assisting the Texas and Rio Texas Conferences.
As the storms began a month ago in Stephenville, Rio Vista, Italy, Morgan Mill and Hillsboro, the Conference Task Force was on the ground working with city and state officials to make assessments in the communities and to see if our help was needed. Some of ERTs deployed at that time, but most of our communities were fortunate that home flooding and damage was limited.
In the meantime our ERTs (Early Response Teams) traveled to Wimberley and Martindale to help in the tragedies that took place in those communities. Those communities are in the Conference I served for over 30 years. The pain of loss is real. As a family we have “tubed” down the Blanco River. I thank God for those who have reached out across the connection to help our brothers and sisters in another area!
As the storms progressed through the month our Task Force was continuously on the ground working with communities, local Methodist pastors and others to see what the needs were. Again we were fortunate until recently. Now, we are responding to flooding in Eastland, Cisco, Ranger and Grapevine. We will continue to serve both in the Central Texas Conference and in others areas of Texas which are in need. As the flood waters progress southward, we will be looking at opportunities to respond in DeLeon, Comanche, and Hutto with our ERTs to begin with in this disaster. Multiple trained teams are responding to these areas to help with the muck-outs. When we needed flood buckets we asked FUMC Mansfield to supply us with those since they were already working to make some in the near future. When we asked for 40 they made 110! Health kits that were made and previously given by area churches were also distributed to the families.
Many of these homes that are flooding are homes which have never flooded before and are not in flood zones. Therefore, they do not have flood insurance to lean on and especially need our assistance in rebuilding and recovery. We are asking for a Conference-wide appeal to help raise funds in this recovery effort. Money can be sent to the Conference office with the designation Disaster Fund. In time, as the homes dry out, UMVIM teams will be invited to come and help with the rebuild effort. With that in mind for future planning, be thinking about your mission teams organizing to respond!
You will be hearing and reading more about various disaster relief efforts from the flooding and tornados. I ask that you follow along using the Central Texas Conference website.
I give thanks to God for your faithfulness as a people and your graciousness in response to these disasters. The Lord is with us!