Franklin Graham Update | July
Franklin Graham Update | July
Stormy Times
Responding to an Unprecedented Hurricane
Dear Friend,
Hurricane Beryl has ripped across the Caribbean, devastating several islands before slashing across the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico and plowing into Texas. Beryl was the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever seen in the Atlantic Ocean. On Union Island, home to 3,000 people, the hurricane wiped out 90 percent of the houses.
Samaritan's Purse has flown four airlifts with our DC-8 cargo jet to deliver emergency relief to four islands spanning three countries. We set up an Emergency Field Hospital on Carriacou, an island of 10,000 people that is part of the nation of Grenada; are sending a mobile medical team to Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and distributed tarps and emergency kits to Jamaica and Petite Martinique.
Beryl tore the roof off of Carriacou's only hospital, so our field hospital is the only facility offering inpatient care and lab work on the island. Our first patient was a man named Vincent whose home was destroyed, and he needed treatment for diabetes. His wife Yamaira said, "We thank you very much for coming and rescuing Carriacou. May God bless everyone."
Please join us in praying for storm victims across the Caribbean.
Beryl was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in a flood-prone section of Texas. Samaritan's Purse deployed a U.S. Disaster Relief unit to Angleton, Texas, south of Houston in an area where we have a long history of ministry.
Calling for Volunteer Reinforcements on the Home Front
This has been a busy storm season for Samaritan's Purse, as we've responded 19 times to 12 states in response to tornadoes, flooding, and wildfires from the Southwest and the Great Plains to the Florida Panhandle. There are hundreds of families in Florida, Arkansas, New Mexico, Iowa, and Minnesota who still need our help.
We're thankful to God for providing resources for us to be able to respond in many of these places by sending our disaster relief units stocked with tools along with other equipment. We've had to expand our fleet of disaster relief trucks in an effort to keep up with the needs.
As busy as our U.S. disaster relief volunteers have been, we need reinforcements. Many of our volunteers have already responded four or five times this year.
Our volunteers come from all walks of life. Tommy Smith is a retired logger from Virginia who has been volunteering with Samaritan's Purse for 19 years—even continuing to serve after a cancer diagnosis. Last year, he was among the first on the scene after a tornado hit Selma, Alabama, and he was part of a hard-working crew that made it possible for Annie Pearl Avery to return to her home after spending a night in her pickup truck.
Annie told our volunteers how she had participated in the 1965 civil rights march that made Selma famous. As Tommy presented her with a Bible signed by the volunteers, he explained that the team was also on a mission: "Everything we do is only to glorify Jesus," he said.
“The world is not in a good place, but you can be a light for Christ.”
In addition to those faithful volunteers who have served for years, we're also thankful to see a new generation willing to step up to help hurting people for the sake of the Gospel. After a tornado hit Tallahassee, 16-yearold Caleb and his mother served distressed residents. He clearly saw how helping others can soften hearts to the Good News. He was particularly moved by a man whose home had suffered extensive damage even as he was dealing with a chronic health condition and the death of one of his sons. Caleb said, "The homeowner just kept repeating over and over again that nobody had ever done anything like this for him. When we gave him the Bible at the end of the day, he had tears in his eyes." Caleb challenged other young people to get involved: "The world is not in a good place, but you can be a light for Christ. Serve. Share the Gospel. It may seem hard, but you have been given a gift from God. He wants you to share it."
On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse is a podcast taking you to the frontlines and behind the scenes of our work around the world. Join our host, Kristy Graham, as you experience what it’s like to be in the field with our teams, and hear firsthand from staff, volunteers, and people we help.
We thank God for the many Samaritan's Purse volunteers who give of their time and talents to help the hurting and share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Will you prayerfully consider serving with us? If the Lord is calling you, your family, or your church to help, click here to see where you might be able to serve.
Like the Good Samaritan who saw a need and then acted out of love for his neighbor, you too can be used by God. As our Lord Jesus Christ concluded that parable: Let's "go and do likewise" (Luke 10:37). May God bless you.
Sincerely,
Franklin Graham
Ways You Can Help
Pray
Pray for storm victims in the Caribbean and the U.S. who need our help. Ask the Lord to raise up an army of volunteers to serve with Samaritan's Purse.
- INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY RELIEF
- "Thank God for life—that's all we have left," said one Beryl survivor. Your gift for Hurricane Relief will enable Samaritan's Purse to provide temporary shelter, medical care, solar lights that also recharge phones, and water filters to help survivors across the Caribbean.
- Where Most Needed
- Samaritan's Purse works in more than 100 countries to help victims of disaster, disease, famine, poverty, and war. Your gift to "Where Most Needed" equips us with the resources—including personnel, materials, supporting services, and equipment—to fulfill our mission of relief and evangelism.
