Samaritan’s Purse helped hundreds of homeowners impacted by an ice storm in Georgia and South Carolina.
The calendar said February, but it seemed more like June in Augusta, Georgia. The morning sun quickly brought temperatures into the 60s. The forecast high was 82.
It was hard to believe that earlier in the month the city was gripped by snow and ice.
On Feb. 12, a winter storm blanketed much of the South, leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers pray with the people we help, letting them know that God cares about their plight.
Samaritan’s Purse responded by deploying a Disaster Relief Unit to Augusta, Georgia, and staff and equipment to Moncks Corner, South Carolina.
While the warm weather had caused the ice to melt in both locations, the need was still great in the weeks following the storm as victims dealt with the aftermath. Working out of our bases at Pine View Baptist Church in Augusta and Santee Circle Community Church in Moncks Corner, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers cut and removed damaged and downed trees and cleared debris.
We helped people like Cathy Sauls. Volunteers in Augusta used chainsaws to cut up her downed trees and hauled off debris. They prayed with Cathy before and after the job was finished, and presented her with a Bible signed by all the team members.
“You all uplifted me in a time when I really needed it,” she said. “Thank you for your love, your caring, and your fellowship. I love you all.”
Our volunteers made a huge impact on the area. As they modeled the love of Christ and told homeowners about Him, 26 people came to faith in Jesus.
“God really paved the way and opened a lot of doors for us and for that we are thankful,” said Jonathan Blevins, our program manager in Augusta. “This was a great deployment and God really blessed us in everything that we did.”
Our deployment in Moncks Corner ended on March 1. We helped near 100 homeowners and led 10 people to Christ. Our deployment in Augusta ended March 16 after helping 385 homeowners and leading 16 people to Christ.
