Vol. 6: Special Edition 11
October 14, 2017
Puerto Rico Report:
Don't Forget Us
by David Nakhla O Lord, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble.
Jeremiah 16:19 (ESV)
“Don’t forget us!” … was one of the responses we received when we asked the OP church leaders in Puerto Rico what message they would like the rest of the OPC to hear. Rev. Dick Ellis, representing the Presbytery of New Jersey, to which the OP churches in Puerto Rico belong, joined me on a trip to Puerto Rico, from Saturday, October 7 through Thursday, October 12, 2017. We sought to bring encouragement to the leaders and members of the OP churches in Puerto Rico.
We assessed the damage from Hurricane Maria, and began to plan how OPC Disaster Response might bring relief to our churches there. EXCERPT from Initial Reflections Upon Return from Puerto Rico: - Can you imagine what your day would be like without cell phone service, internet, email, electricity, refrigeration, or water?
- Puerto Ricans are losing income because their employers don’t have power, phones, or internet either.
- There are thousands and thousands of downed poles that have not been re-set yet. It
could be years before the instrastructure is up and running again.
- Their way of living has been set back a century. Life has become focused on the most basic day to day necessities of life.
- Trying to figure out where to get water to bathe or to flush the toilets, some who are without water are contriving ways to gather rain water or pull from streams.
- Suddenly, washboards are in high demand; they are washing their clothes by hand!
- Driving at night without any street lights or traffic signals is dangerous, not to mention the security concerns of pitch black neighborhoods and apartment buildings.
- Loss of tourism will have a huge economic impact.
- The escape valve for young Puerto Rican families is to head to the States. This could have a huge impact on our churches there.
- ... and more ...
Click for Full Report and Photo Gallery:
Photo Caption (above): OP Church Planter (Arroyo, Puerto Rico) Bradney Lopez and his family. Deacon Jaime Medina paused from working on an alternative water source to pose with his wife and grandson. Worship at one of our OPCs in Puerto Rico. Assessing needs at the home of a church member.
Dick (and David, taking the photo) meeting with church leaders in Puerto Rico
Pray for OP churches in Puerto Rico: - Iglesia Presbiteriana Reformada del Caribe, in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Jesus es la Verdad, in San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Iglesia Uno Reformada, in Arroyo, Puerto Rico (church plant)
Pray for OPC Disaster Response: - Please pray for the Disaster Response Subcommittee and the Presbytery of New Jersey as they work together to bring help to our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico.
OPC volunteers working on the home of 3 ladies in Houston
Next S.T.O.R.M. Report:HOUSTONDisaster relief work is going full steam ahead in Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey! Our next S.T.O.R.M. Report will bring a report from our Regional Site Coordinators on the work being done and the current and future needs for skilled and unskilled
volunteers to come and participate! Stay tuned!
Photo: Justin Sullivan, Getty Images
California WildfiresContinue to keep the OP churches and church families in the vicinity of the wildfires in California in your prayers. We are thankful to say that at this point we have not been made aware of any that have been directly impacted. Click here for a status report received earlier this week from Pastor Reid Hankins of Trinity OPC in Novato,
CA.
The OPC Committee on Diaconal Ministries has received over $300,000 for relief efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria! Thank you!
You may contribute financially to Hurricane Harvey, Irma, or Maria relief by CHECK or ONLINE. Click below for further information:
Contact our Volunteer Coordinators for information on how you can provide skilled or unskilled labor in response to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, or Maria:
Click below for a Disaster Response poster to use as a bulletin insert or to post on church bulletin board:
Updates on 2017 hurricane relief are being posted at OPCSTM.org:
Updates on 2017 hurricane relief are being posted at Facebook:
David P. Nakhla
Short-Term Missions and
Disaster Response Coordinator Contact:
Cell 562-760-7606
david.nakhla@opc.org
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