Dear Spiritual Family,
We hope this message finds you happy and well. We are still in Florida as this is being written. It has been a good week here. While it’s been difficult to see so much physical destruction of homes and businesses, so many trees and streetlights knocked down and piles of debris on every street, it is heartening to experience the resilience of the people. We felt privileged to witness that resilience, camaraderie and determination in Mississippi after Katrina and we feel so much of the same being here.
Much of our efforts here to assist have been in the direction of family hardest hit by Hurricane Ian in Ft. Myers but I (Rev. Steve) want to focus on a group of individuals, most of whom are members of New Day Christian Church. Mary’s sister, Frances, and her husband, Bob are part of this church in Port Charlotte, Florida. I had the opportunity to work alongside a small team from this community and experience their willingness to help restore order to others’ property and to their peace of mind.
Riding along to the various sites, Sharon, one of the team leaders, was my guide to the breadth and depth of these precious volunteers over the weeks since the storm hit this area. Over five hundred families have been helped with everything from placing tarps over roofs, to removing trees, to clearing tons of debris from inside and outside homes. Their efforts have been joined by other churches from near and far. Kevin and Cindy were part of our team, having driven three hours in the early morning to focus their energies on helping. They were as cheerful and kind when the work time ended as they were when they arrived.
One of my heroes in all of this is my own brother-in-law Bob who set a day aside to travel to Ft. Myers with me to repair the dryer for my brother, Bo, and his wife, Adriana. This is one example of this man’s wholehearted devotion to serving his fellow man. Bob and Francis have been there, time and time again to help their friends and neighbors and even strangers over the course of over fifty-plus years of marriage.
Throughout our thirty-six years of ministry, we fondly remember the times when we acted as a community to help others and how meaningful that was for us as well as those we sought to help.
This message is entitled “Working Together” as a reminder of the millions of sisters and brothers who care deeply for each other, friends and strangers, and who truly serve God through serving each other. Each effort, large or small is truly Love in Action.
One bonus of our journey here was the opportunity to see our dear friends, Rev. Donna Loflin, Rev. Eileen and Jim Ramsey, and Donna’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter as well as to get caught up on the Unity Church they serve in North Port, Florida.
Thank you for your prayers for us and this trip and for you, beloved, spiritual family for all you do to make a difference for others!
We love you all,
Rev. Steve and Mary
0 Comments