Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief Update

Written by: The Go Team

In the last week of September, Hurricane Helene tore a five-hundred-mile path of destruction through the south. Not knowing how to respond, I started to pray, asking God what we should do? For some reason, he put South Carolina on my heart, specifically Anderson, South Carolina. I didn't think anything of it and looked to see if there were even any EPC churches in Anderson. To my surprise, there was! Unsure of what to do with this information, I did what anyone would, or should, do: I went to Chick-fil-A with my wife. 

‍

While we were eating, Susan Foster, a CFA host and Gateway Church member, came up and asked me to pray for her parents because the storm had impacted them. So I asked her where they lived? She said, "South Carolina." My interest was piqued, so I asked what city? "Anderson," she replied. 

‍

Stunned. That's what I was. 

‍

I told her this was God's providence and promised to pray for them. When I returned to my office, I thought, Ok, God, I will lay the fleece out again. So I called the EPC church in Anderson, thinking no one would be in the office because of lack of power or people were busy cleaning up storm debris. On the third ring, the maintenance guy picked up, and I was able to leave my number for the pastor. The pastor called me back in about an hour, and we had a great conversation, but in the back of my mind, I wondered why this pastor and this church? Before we hung up, I had my answer. He told me, "It's good you called me because I'm the president of our presbytery, and I'm in contact with all the EPC churches down here." 

‍

God was on the move, it was evident. 

‍

That following Monday, a truck driver offered to take a trailer down to Anderson at no cost; all we had to do was come up with a trailer. So, we started asking around, and two weeks later, a local construction company donated one of their trailers to fill with donations. Pastor Nate, the pastor of Christ Church EPC, called and said his Session was excited to participate in our relief efforts. He told us we could bring the donations down to them, and they would distribute them. He also said it sparked a desire within his own church to help their neighbors in some of the hardest impacted areas in North Carolina. They even gave us a list of the most important items they needed. Our hope is to get our truck and all the donations to them before Christmas. 

‍

Here's the lesson: listen to the Holy Spirit and trust him. God is glorified when we are obedient and allow him to do amazing things! 

‍

We’ll be hosting another supply drive on December 17 from 12:00pm-5:00pm at the County Road 9 Campus before we send the truck off. The items requested include: laundry detergent, bottled water, canned food, new blankets, and new stuffed animals. Help us be generous to fellow EPC churches.

‍

All glory to God!