Helping hands and the Gospel of Jesus Christ bring hope and restoration to a flood-torn community in New York.
Mountain Avenue is the memorable entrance into Highland Falls, New York. This winding street cascades from its hilltop start down into the quaint town center, not far from the banks of the Hudson River. The avenue, with houses crammed along its sides, offers a tight-knit community with neighbors who rely on each other and stay close to lend a helping hand, especially during crisis.
Samaritan’s Purse volunteers remove soiled insulation from Jason’s ceiling, damaged by the torrential rain they received.
When heavy rain and flash flooding struck Highland Falls in early July, residents along Mountain Avenue witnessed the brute force of swift water. The gentle creek that runs behind their homes quickly transformed into a destructive torrent.
“It was a roaring river in the street; it was ugly,” said one Mountain Avenue homeowner. “The brook jumped in a matter of seconds.”
Samaritan’s Purse helped numerous homeowners along Mountain Avenue and is still working all around Highland Falls and the surrounding communities. By removing damaged floors and drywall, clearing out debris, and spraying for mold, homeowners experience the tangible love of God. As physical needs are met, the Lord is also transforming the hearts of families on Mountain Avenue for eternity.
Flooding destroyed belongings in basements and living rooms all along Mountain Avenue.
A Grateful Community
Full of gratitude and with an eagerness to help, Jason Santiago could not stand still while Samaritan’s Purse volunteers worked on his house.
The torrential downpour only weeks earlier caused the creek in his backyard to rise to heights he had never seen in his 20 years living in Highland Falls. The moving water stampeded through his backyard, scattering debris and dislodging the retaining wall on his property. Up above, a leak in his roof caused significant damage throughout his home.
“I was scared to death for my family,” Jason said.
Overcome by emotion and gratitude, Jason and his family can use the Billy Graham Study Bible gifted to them by the Samaritan’s Purse volunteer team for years to come.
Jason was across town when the floodwaters came, which left his family alone as waters rose nearly 15 feet.
“I caught a flat [tire] on the other side of the mountain,” Jason explained. “There were boulders coming down the street and [my family] was too nervous to stay in the house, so they started crossing here,” gesturing toward the street where knee-deep water raced down the steep hill during the height of the storm.
“Our neighbors came to help them and my mother almost fell and got dragged down,” he continued. “I feel blessed that we have such a great community here.”
Despite fatigue, stress, and an unprecedented disaster, Jason remained joyful and helpful. As Samaritan’s Purse volunteers gutted his house, cut his wet drywall, and sprayed for mold, Jason stayed busy and refused to sit down. At lunch, like any true New Yorker, Jason brought pizza for the Samaritan’s Purse volunteers.
“To me, we were sent to you guys and you guys were sent to us. I can’t begin to say thank you enough,” he said, talking to a volunteer team.
Despite damage caused by the flood, the Santiago family is overjoyed by the work of Samaritan’s Purse volunteers.
Three Generations of Faith
The Santiagos had always been cultural Catholics—attending services every so often—but they had little understanding of what a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ looked like. For Jason, between taking caring of his family—including his mother and mother-in-law—and commuting over an hour to work every day, church was never a priority. However, through conversations with chaplains from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the work done by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers, God softened the hearts of the Santiagos, one by one.
Jason’s mother, Carmen, experiences chronic sickness that continually cripples her body. She faced the life-threatening floodwaters with fear as she escaped her flooded home. When the chaplains spoke with her, they learned Spanish was her native language and quickly gifted her with a Spanish Bible. Carmen shared that she questioned her standing with God and through further conversations with the chaplains, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. With her new Bible in hand, she smiled ear to ear.
Carmen (left), originally from Puerto Rico, received a Bible in her native language of Spanish once receiving Jesus Christ as her Savior.
With no reading glasses nearby, however, Carmen handed the Bible to her granddaughter, Kayla, to read a passage aloud for her. Flipping to the first chapter in the Gospel of John, Kayla read in Spanish to verse 12 which reads, “But to all who did receive him, he gave the right to become children of God.” Perplexed and interested, she turned to the chaplains onsite with burning questions. We praise God that Kayla, a second-year college student, received Christ moments after her grandmother.
With her new Bible, Carmen had her granddaughter, Kayla, read aloud John 1:1-12.
Finally, seeing his mother and daughter saved, Jason was brought to tears. Leaning against his car, sweating from the humid air, Jason asked Jesus into his heart as Lord and Savior under a chaplain’s care. He joined his mother and daughter as new believers.
Chaplains present the Gospel to Jason (back) and his daughter Kayla (front). To the glory of God, they both received Jesus Christ as Savior.
Scripture tells us that “for those who love God, all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). What this family on Mountain Avenue could have seen as a disaster, God saw as an opportunity to reveal His glory. Three generations of faith is a miracle that only the Lord can orchestrate.
Forever changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Santiago family can enjoy a newfound sense of peace and hope despite the rebuild they face.
Please pray for the families recovering from the damage left by these floods and for the Samaritan’s Purse volunteer teams as they serve homeowners in Jesus’ Name.
Our work continues in New York, Vermont, and Oklahoma, please prayerfully consider volunteering. For more information, go to spvolunteer.org.
