Helping others can touch hearts and lives—including your own.
Gracie O’Loughlin regularly witnesses groups working shoulder-to-shoulder for a common purpose as part of her role with Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse that shares the Gospel with children around the world through outreach events and shoebox gifts.
When she and several colleagues recently volunteered with U.S. Disaster Relief, another project of Samaritan’s Purse, it gave them a glimpse into an additional part of the organization’s ministry.
Operation Christmas Child staff members hauled away debris as they served as U.S. Disaster Relief volunteers in Claremore, Oklahoma.
Instead of working with commonly red- and green-clad Operation Christmas Child volunteers to fill shoeboxes with gifts for children, they put on orange disaster relief volunteer T-shirts and helped homeowners in Oklahoma, Florida, and Arkansas clean up their properties after tornadoes damaged roofs and left a tangle of snapped trees piled in yards.
“It was life-changing to experience the power of serving on the frontlines of ministry in this way,” said O’Loughlin, who served in the Claremore, Oklahoma, tornado response.
Ministry Up Close and Personal
A homeowner joined the volunteers in clearing away tree branches that littered her yard in Claremore. Thankful that the damage was limited to her yard, she opened up to the volunteers about aspects of her life and her perspective on God, who she wanted to know better, O’Loughlin said. The homeowner was touched to receive a Bible from the disaster relief team as they finished removing the storm debris.
“The real blessing is serving, being the hands and feet of Christ, and seeing His grace in action.”
She talked with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains who deploy alongside the U.S. Disaster Relief teams about how she could have a personal relationship with God, and the homeowner prayed to receive Jesus Christ as her Savior.
Knowing that a life was transformed by the power of the Gospel brought home the importance of stepping out in faith and embracing opportunities to serve others, O’Loughlin said.
“The real blessing is serving, being the hands and feet of Christ, and seeing His grace in action,” she said.
Fellowship and Mentorship
In Tallahassee, Florida, a team of Operation Christmas Child staff helped a homeowner clean up tree limbs from her yard, tarp a portion of her roof left bare by tornado-force winds, and remove damaged drywall and carpet.
“We got to roll up our sleeves and work with a homeowner,” said Ryan Galy, a member of the Operation Christmas Child team. “It was great to hear her story and encourage her.”
Several Operation Christmas Child staff members joined U.S. Disaster Relief volunteers in Benton County, Arkansas, to help homeowners clean up their properties damaged by spring tornadoes.
It also was uplifting for the Operation Christmas Child team to meet several disaster relief volunteers who dedicate their time regularly to serving on Samaritan’s Purse responses across the country.
“You see love in action,” Galy said. “It’s an opportunity to work together with a unified purpose to serve someone in need.
“You don’t have to be a skilled craftsman to volunteer, just be willing to serve and love people in need.”
“It was really good to get to see these volunteers who use their gifts and skills in U.S. disaster relief,” Galy said. “But you don’t have to be a skilled craftsman to volunteer, just be willing to serve and love people in need.”
Helping in Jesus’ Name
In Benton County, Arkansas, Operation Christmas Child staff member Jonathan Edwards joined a team of colleagues and other volunteers to help homeowners clear their yards of fallen trees from tornadoes that struck the northwest corner of the state.
Getting to work with seasoned volunteers was an opportunity to learn from them, not only about disaster relief but also about how they live out their faith, Edwards said.
“These volunteers are an incredible group of people who are passionate about serving the Lord,” he said. “Volunteers form the backbone of this ministry.
“Volunteering to help people in need reminds us of what our calling is in everyday life—to share the Gospel with those the Lord has placed around us, to have our hearts and eyes open for ministry,” Edwards said.
Members of the Lower Midwest Operation Christmas Child regional team served alongside other disaster relief volunteers and Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains in Benton County, Arkansas.
Jonathan Beckett, Lower Midwest regional director for Operation Christmas Child, and team members from Kansas City, Missouri, also volunteered in Arkansas with the disaster relief efforts.
One of the most impactful moments for the team was presenting a Bible to the homeowners they helped.
“It was great to see the message and the ministry being communicated so clearly and so boldly to share the Gospel with the homeowners,” Beckett said.
It was a reminder to look for opportunities to share God’s Word in everyday life, he said.
“Sometimes it takes getting outside of your ordinary routine to see opportunities that are around you all the time,” Beckett said.
Opportunities to Serve
In addition to Benton County, Arkansas, there are Samaritan’s Purse disaster relief teams currently working in Texas in response to Hurricane Beryl and in Iowa after recent flooding.
Check out our North American Ministries page for a current range of U.S. Disaster Relief volunteer opportunities and pray about how God may be leading you to volunteer.
