Volunteer In Texas
Local churches in Texas need willing hands and feet to help rebuild their communities.
UPDATES
September 8, 2017
15–20 volunteers are needed immediately to provide hands-on assistance
Read More»
September 6, 2017
Semi from Spanish Central District Arrives
Read More»
September 5, 2017
Alliance Churches mobilize!
Read More»
September 1, 2017
An extra-special pizza delivery brings hope and relief to families marooned by Hurricane Harvey.
Read More»
August 31, 2017
Alliance churches lend a hand to families who have suffered great loss.
Read More»
August 30, 2017
The rains have stopped and the sun has again emerged—shining rays of hope while illuminating the vast extent of the catastrophe. Many remain stranded and displaced; but shelters, schools, public buildings and churches continue to push capacities to accommodate anyone needing shelter.
In some areas, waters are beginning to recede; in others, they continue to deepen. Water released from the two main reservoirs continues to overwhelm the bayous, further raising flood levels in downtown Houston.
All Alliance churches are now “dry.” The Iglesia Casa de Vida in Pasadena, which had retained 1.5 feet of flood water earlier this week, will have to replace its carpeting, but is already housing a displaced family from its congregation.
Mark Searing and Phil Lohmeyer are en route to the affected areas to assess the damage and formulate a relief plan. Earlier today, Mark’s son Rob and his friend Daniel arrived in Houston by boat and have been transporting victims from the Greenhouse Community Church back to their flooded homes to assess the damage and gather possessions.
August 29, 2017
The rains have subsided for now, but the situation in and around Houston continues to worsen. Runoff from surrounding land will cause rivers to crest tomorrow; streams flowing from the two controlled-release reservoirs continue to swell, flooding communities that had been relatively safe less than 24 hours earlier. Several more families from the Alliance Bible Church in Baytown and the Greenhouse Community Church in Katy have been forced to evacuate.
Out of desperation for food, medication, and other critical supplies, fights are erupting in streets and parking lots. Gas stations are out of gas, and refueling tankers are not expected to regain access to the city until sometime next week. Grocery store shelves are bare, with no hope of restocking any time soon. People are standing in line for hours, hoping to find something to eat or drink. One C&MA district worker had one of the few food items he was able to find snatched from his cart on his way to checkout.
The Alliance International Church, a Filipino congregation in nearby Pearland, Texas, is boxing up clothing and other needed supplies to truck to Houston for flood victims.
The Greenhouse Community Church in Katy is being used by the fire department as a staging area to help rescue stranded citizens and distribute critically needed supplies.
Six members of Rio Life (C&MA) Community Church in Mercedes, near the Mexico border, are currently making the 350-mile trek north to Houston with 3 boats to help in the relief and rescue effort. David Gomez, CAMA Board member and pastor of Rio Life, writes, “Our district, the Spanish Central, has also mobilized our churches to gather non-perishable food items over this weekend. We will meet here at Rio Life on Monday to travel to Houston on Tuesday of next week. One of our primary concerns is for our Spanish sister church [Iglesia Alianza Vida], pastored by Herman Sanchez, who told us they have 40 families they are trying to care for. Just this morning 18 people from his congregation were in a second story floor of their home waiting to be rescued due to rising waters. I also spoke with Charles Smith, who is coordinating relief efforts through one of our Alliance churches [Roadhouse Community] to see how we can work alongside them.”
Hector Villanueva, Rio Life’s associate pastor, expressed his excitement about the volunteers starting to gather in anticipation of next week’s trip. “We are here with another 20 or so boats waiting to be sent out. There are people all over, helicopters dropping people. Lots of people wanting to help. Just met two guys from Las Vegas who came to help. I’m blown away!”
Tomorrow, Southwestern District Superintendent Mark Searing, along with his son, Robert; Phil Lohmeyer, disaster coordinator for the C&MA Central District representing CAMA; and another volunteer, will make their way into Houston on a flat-bottom boat and two kayaks to assess the extent of the damage and formulate a relief and development plan. Please pray for their safety as they travel and for wisdom as they assess.
Please also continue to pray
- For the rain to cease
- For protection against a storm resurgence in Louisiana and Texas
- For safety for evacuees and first responders
- That shelter and critical supplies will be provided for those left displaced
- That Alliance churches in the area and other parts of the country will continue to show Jesus’ love in tangible ways to those affected