“For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me…
And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” M@tthew 25:35-36, 40
In our day…in this week…during the Louisiana Flood of 2016, we could view these words through the lens of the devastation left by flooding:
For my house was filling with water, and you came to rescue me. My house was destroyed by the flood, and you came to rebuild it. My clothes and my belongings were spoiled, and you brought me new ones. I was weary and tired, and you came to work beside me. I was hungry, and you came to cook for me. My heart was broken, and you comforted me. I had no words to say, and you sat quietly with me. My school and all of our supplies were ruined, and you replaced them.
For I did not know you, yet you cared for me. I did not know where to turn, yet you showed me the Way. I felt overwhelmed and all alone, yet you embraced me and walked beside me. I felt like giving up, yet you listened to my story and cheered for me. I thought no one cared, yet you demonstrated a love I’ve never seen.
ZOAR BAPTIST CHURCH, a partnering church with Harvest Seekers International, is in Central Louisiana, where the flooding occurred last week. Eighty percent of their church family had water in their homes. Eighteen schools in the district lost practically everything they had to the flood. The Central, Denham Springs, and Baton Rouge area of Louisiana have been devastated by the flood and is in need of others to pray, to come, to care, to walk alongside, and to be Servants of Compassion among them.
HARVEST SEEKERS INTERNATIONAL is calling together our Harvest Prayer Network and partnering churches to join us for COMPASSION CRUSADE: Louisiana. We are asking you and your church or small group to join us in demonstrating the love and compassion of Christ to those in Louisiana who are facing the daily challenge to restore and rebuild their lives in the midst of devastation. We want to mobilize G0d’s people and HIS resources for HIS GLORY in Louisiana!
Here are specific ways in which you can join us for COMPASSION CRUSADE: Louisiana—
Denham Springs Junior High School- DSJHS is one of the 18 schools that was flooded and lost almost everything. HSI has adopted this school and a specific teacher and her classroom to help replenish the supplies and things they lost. If you would like to join us in providing school supplies for these students, you can do that by donating money or supplies. If you, your church, or your small group would like to participate in this act of compassion, you may make financial donations at our website and please make a note that this donation is for “DSJHS” . If you want to collect and donate school supplies, please contact Kim Steck at kdsteck@hisharvesters.org or Lori Smith at saltyservant@hisharvesters.org, to receive the list of supplies and to coordinate the delivery of those supplies to DSJHS.
Mobilizing Volunteer Teams to Serve HSI is working alongside ZOAR Baptist Church to coordinate teams who want to go and serve the people of Louisiana during the clean up and rebuilding process. If you, your small group, or your church is interested in preparing and sending a team to serve in Louisiana, please contact Kim Steck at kdsteck@hisharvesters.org or Lori Smith at saltyservant@hisharvesters.org for more information. If you would like to financially support the mobilizing of volunteers to serve in Louisiana, please make donations online at our website and please make a note that this donation is for “COMPASSION CRUSADE: Louisiana”.
Judea Project– KeyLIfe Fellowship, one of our partnering churches in the North Houston area is mobilizing teams each week, for the next several weeks, to go and serve alongside Zoar Baptist Church. If you are not a part of a group, and would like to join one of the Judea Project teams to serve as a volunteer, please contact Kim Steck at kdsteck@hisharvesters.org or Lori Smith at saltyservant@hisharvesters.org for more information. If you would like to financially support the Judea Project, please make donations on our website, and please make a note that this donation is for “Judea Project”.
PRAY!! MOST IMPORTANTLY PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THIS FLOOD, THOSE SERVING ALONGSIDE THEM, AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS TO LIFE IN THIS DIFFICULT TIME.
Thank you for joining us as Compassionate Crusaders!!