Our eyes and hearts are focused on the people of Houston and West and East Texas and South West Louisiana and the astonishing armada of boats continuing to seek to rescue those still stranded in their flooded neighborhoods. Those of us who remember the sights and experiences of Cedar Rapids in 2008 can only gasp at the enormity of what we are witnessing. Our prayers and generosity go out to them. We also hold our breath as the waters subside and the house to house visits have to be made and the people accounted for.
This is a time not for my words, but those of the Bishop of Texas, who wrote to his episcopal colleagues yesterday:
Dear Colleagues,
I was and continue to be a bit in shock with all that is going on. We have been reunited with our daughter after 3 days of the storm. My mother is safe as is my sister-in-law after being rescued. What do we know? Our family is all safe. Some may have lost their homes. Our clergy are all safe. Some may have lost their homes. Our staff is safe but some have lost their homes. The same is true for our parishioners. Thanks to our mayor and our experience fewer lives were lost in this great storm than in the last. What do we know? God is good.
The disaster stretches from one end of Texas where it hits Mexico to the other end where it hits Louisiana. The storm is now presently hovering over the eastern part where they are experiencing the same amount of rain we did here in Houston just days ago. They have opened three huge evacuee sites. Today and tomorrow many will go to Dallas.
Yet, our ministry is flourishing. We are working on a long term recovery strategy and building a network of volunteers to help people muck out houses and clean up to rebuilding. Our churches are shelters, hubs for collection and distribution of water/diapers/blankets. We have a massive web of people helping across the southern part of the diocese which includes over 25 counties.
People from around the world are sending money either directly to our diocese through our donate button on the website or are going through ERD. Through ERD they can also sign up to be notified when it is safe to come and help and where to go.
Let us be aware that gifts to ERD will go to help West Texas too! And, that presently the storm is battering our East Texas and Louisiana. Prayers remain for all of those in harms path. As the storm has left us it now batters our brothers and sisters to the east.
We are engaging the mission of Harvey that has found us. And, we are so fortunate to have friends from across the communion like yourself who have reached out as a sign of hope, who are offering prayers, who are reminding us that the storm shall not have the last word. Death and destruction never has the last word and we are ready to give a testimony to the hope that is in us. God is good and we are buoyed, literally, by the love of friends and coworkers here and around the world - for that is the love of Christ which is greatly evidenced in such dire times.
Faithfully yours,
Andy
C. Andrew Doyle, D.D.
IX Bishop of Texas
A few years ago a team from Iowa went to Galveston, Texas to assist in ongoing clean-up and rebuilding efforts headed up by the Diocese of Texas and under the leadership of Iowan native Katie Mears. Katie is now in charge of coordinating the Episcopal Relief and Development response effort for domestic disasters. Along with this huge responsibility, she is also pursuing God’s call to the priesthood. Though she resides in Maine, she is a postulant in the Diocese of Iowa and is undergoing theological studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York.
I expect that when the time comes, Jerry Davenport and Holly Scherff, our Diocesan Disaster Relief Coordinators, will be calling for volunteer teams to assist in Texas and Louisiana. In the meantime, let us donate what we can and continue offering our prayers, compassion and encouragement.
In the peace and love of Christ,
+Alan
The Rt. Rev Alan Scarfe
Bishop of Iowa
