Samaritan’s Purse

For two weeks, my squad had the opportunity to serve with Samaritan’s Purse in the town of Hammond, Louisiana.

We visited homes that faced damages as a result of Hurricane Ida. We hauled wood and brush that was cut off of trees that had fallen in peoples yards and on people’s homes. We also removed furniture, cabinetry, drywall, flooring, ceilings, insulation, and all sorts of things within homes that had mold or water damage as a result of the storm, as well as putting tarps on leaky roofs and ceilings.

We had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and learn so much from them as well.

In the midst of so much destruction and loss, questions naturally arise about the validity of God’s goodness. I’ve learned though, that there is so much to gain through our sufferings. God shows us this through the resurrection- the ultimate evil that became the ultimate good. In each trial, we are presented with an opportunity to draw closer to Him, to learn about ourselves, and to strengthen our obedience. Even Jesus’ obedience was realized through his sufferings (Hebrews 5:8).

We met a woman who had lost nearly everything. During Ida, the entire roof blew off of her trailer, leaving it totally exposed to the storm. Her children were grown and had moved away. Her husband was having an affair and she left him. She was now alone and without a home. When we arrived she met us with three dozen warm donuts and a gallon of orange juice. We began the day with a prayer, just as always, and she brought prayer requests for friends. A woman who had lost so much, seemingly still had everything left to give. She showed us pictures of her new grandbaby, and told us stories of the memories she had made in her home that was now stripped almost completely bare. It was so beautiful to see a person whose joy truly came from the LORD, rather than anything she had in her life. She had every reason to be completely full of grief and even though there was still sadness, she remained joyful and kind.

We also met a family who had four feet of flooding throughout their entire house. All of their belongings that were left were covered in mold. Everything from old scrapbooks to furniture was ruined. When speaking to the mother, we learned that she had developed a brain tumor almost two years prior, which the doctors said would leave her unable to have children. She did however, becoming only the second person with a tumor in that part of the brain to ever become pregnant- a medical miracle. We spoke with her more about the storm and how she was doing- considering we were simultaneously making a trash pile of her things. She admitted that she was having a really rough time, but her son (now a little over one year old) kept her going. He gave her joy and purpose, and encouraged her to be strong. Her little miracle saved her from being overwhelmed with the heartbreaks of her life. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13

I have learned so much during these two weeks, and I cannot imagine what I will be able to learn with two whole months in Guatemala!