By Jack Minton, HFI founder
A basic principle of disaster response is that “every disaster is local.” The local people are on the frontlines of their own suffering and their own recovery; it’s theirs…and it is personal. Depending on the magnitude of the event, the consequences can be overwhelming and traumatic. On August 8th, we experienced this first hand right here in Nashville where heavy rains flooded sections of the city. Immediately, Hope Force Reservists and local volunteers engaged in serving families whose homes had flooded.
It is into these circumstances that God has invited Hope Force International (HFI) to join Him in expressing love and compassion. Psalm 10:14 states, “But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand.” HFI Reservists active in disaster response often find themselves “volunteering for trouble.” The love of God then takes on the form of men and women working in challenging conditions, performing tasks that under “normal” circumstances would be viewed as loathsome chores.
Yet somehow, when these tiresome tasks are done in response to the needs of others and unto the Lord, they take on a joyous expression of loving worship. The love of God interrupts the natural consequences of things, inspiring hope in the midst of their trouble, and by serving others…we serve the Father. (Hebrews 6:10 & Matthew 25) What a privilege it is to be an expression of God’s great love and care at a time when it is needed most!
“I thought we were going to die!” John and Sareathea Burford of Nashville, Tennessee, shared their harrowing experience with the Hope Force team members who gave the couple their undivided attention. The Burfords were sound asleep when they received a call from Linda, a neighbor two doors away, stating that the area was flooding…again. At 5:30 in the morning, it was still dark. When John and Sareathea looked out their window, they were astonished to see the dark, swirling torrents of waters rushing by their window. Instantly, the lower portion of their home was flooded. Soon, the entire home was engulfed and they were up to their knees in water in their own living
room.
Hope Force International was among the very first disaster response organizations to engage in the relief and recovery efforts in Atlantic City following what is now known as Super Storm Sandy. For several months, Hope Force Reservists from across the country tirelessly worked to assist survivors who were overwhelmed by the task of flood remediation. In January 2013, a select team of staff and Reservists returned to Atlantic City in an effort to empower local leaders and residents as they struggled to mount an effective recovery effort, and established the Atlantic City Long Term Recovery Center.
Hope is on the rise!
The rural area of greater Sous Savanne, Haiti, is located in the epicenter of the tragic 2010 earthquake where over 230,000 people lost their lives. An already impoverished people could scarcely take in the devastation within their country, and they struggled to glimpse even the faintest notion of hope. Now, three years and eight months later, hope is astir as normalcy takes root -- one house, one meal…one child in school at a time. The Houses of Hope project is marching forward with lasting outcomes in Sous Savanne and neighboring Babay. In addition, the HFI Child Sponsorship Program is adapting to the most pressing needs of the children and their families.
